Day One at the 2014 MD Indoor State Track Championships – 2A Boys

Kollin Smith – Frederick Douglas-PG Freshman jumps 6-2 to win the 2A MD state indoor championship. PHOTO CREDIT: Wayne Lee Dutrow

(Note – This article is a summary of the 2A boys meet on day one – 2/17/14 – of the Maryland Indoor State Track Championships at the PG Sports Complex. An article prior to this one particularly reported on the competitive 2A girls meet. Soon I will also include another piece on the 1A boys and girls.)

They call it indoor track, and for some of the events, training for it does mostly occur indoors. But for most events, particularly in distance running, the bulk of the practice is outdoors – even in the worst winter weather in recent memory. So it was particularly impressive to see so many fine performances from these athletes who have all had their training sessions curtailed. One of the coaches talked to me about how this was the first time she had even seen her athletes in the past five or six days.

The girls 2A team title was claimed by Western Tech over Largo 64-61, with Liberty in third with 59 points. And again, that portion of the four-division meet was (2A and 1A, boys and girls) covered in the previous article.

In the boys 2A division, Frederick Douglas of Prince Georges County prevailed over Century High School of Sykesville by a score of 65-60, with state cross country champion Catoctin in third with 55.5 points. Douglas-PG was led by a trio of athletes who accounted for 59.25 of their 65-point total, with relay teammates picking up the remaining 5.75. Each of the three won an individual state title while also ending the meet together as three-fourths of the second-place 1600-meter relay.

Junior Rico Gomez scored 21 points – with a victory in the 500, third in the 300, sixth in the 55 dash, and a part of the second-place 4×400. His victory in the 500-meter run was in a new state record time of 1:05.344, edging Marcelle Preston of Largo by .005 of a second!

Senior Terrell Green tallied 20 points – with a win in the 1600, second in the 800, and a spot in the second-place 4×400.

Freshman Kollin Smith added 18.25 points – winning the high jump at 6’2”, fourth place finishes in the 55 hurdles and 4×200, and also a leg of the second-place 4×400.

Quinton Mills of Douglas-PG in the 800-meter relay at the MD State track championships. PHOTO CREDIT: Wayne Lee Dutrow

Don’t feel too terribly sad for Preston – who also broke the previous 500-meter record of Drew Graybeal of Glenelg – set 10 years ago. Preston set his own record in the 300-meter dash with a time of 34.79. Instead, you can feel badly for Carrington Akosa of Western Tech, who also broke the same record, finishing second in 35.12.  But then again, don’t feel too bad for Akosa, as the senior is headed for Princeton University on a track scholarship. Akosa had the best qualifying time in the 55-dash, but dropped to second in the finals – taken by Anthony Chesley of Gwynn Park in 6.50.

Akosa’s same experience of breaking the old mark and finishing second happened as well for Green in the 800. He clocked a second-place time of 1:57.17, but lost to Queen Anne’s Warren Staver who set the new standard at 1:56.77.

Middletown High School’s Brent Leber places 3rd in the MD state indoor track championships in 9:54. PHOTO CREDIT: Wayne Lee Dutrow

A new state 2A record was set in the 3200-meter run by Chase Weaverling of Poolesville, who won easily in 9:29.76 … breaking Atholton’s Graham Bazell’s 2007 record of 9:30.06.  The senior adds this title to his recent 2A state cross country individual championship.

“It was a good run for me today,” said Weaverling. “I recently ran 9:23 at Virginia Tech, but today I ran the 4×8 earlier. I’m looking at     hoping to get in with my 9:23, but it will be close. I’ve wanted to get under 9:20 all season.”

Taking a shot at the state 2A and all-time MD pole vault record was Century junior Nick Neral. He and teammate Chandler Kennell were the final two competitors – both having cleared 14-6. On his final effort at 15-0, Neral went over the bar cleanly. But he was unable to set a new 2A or all-time state record in three attempts at 15-2.

The boys 2A 3200-meter relay saw the Century team prevail in 8:20.1 – members being Rocky Rice, Matthew Kane, Owen Thomas, and John Mead. After running in the back in the first couple legs, Matt Cain ran a 2:01 split to get the lead, and John Mead dropped a 1:58 to run away from the field. Mead then did the brutal double of coming back soon in the 1600 to grab fifth place in 4:32.

Here are the top ten teams and the individual state champions …

2A Boys Team Scores

1. Frederick Douglass-PG – 65; 2. Century – 60; 3. Catoctin – 55.5; 4. Largo – 50; 5. Oakdale – 30; 6. Queen Anne’s – 28; 7. Western Tech – 25; 8. Boonsboro –  24; 9. Hereford – 23; 9. Poolesville – 23.

2A Boys Individual Winners

55-meter hurdles – Jamal Cody, Hereford – 7.89

55-meter dash – Anthony Chesley, Gwynn Park – 6.50

300-meter dash – Marcelle Preston, Largo – 34.79

500-meter run – Rico Gomez, Douglas-PG – 1:05.344

800-meter run – Warren Staver, Queen Anne’s – 156.77

1600-meter run – Terrell Green, Douglas-PG – 4:21.04

3200-meter run – Chase Weaverling, Poolesville – 9:29.76

800-meter relay – Largo – 1:32.00

1600-meter relay – Largo – 3:29.05

3200-meter relay – Century – 8:20.

Shot Put – Garrett Friday, Oakdale – 49-9

High Jump – Kollin Smith, Douglass-PG – 6-2

Pole Vault – Nick Neral, Century – 15-0