Maryland State Track Championships: Milford Mill Squeaks Out 3A Boys Title
Boys competition at the Maryland State Indoor Track Championships 2015. Photo by Wayne Lee Dutrow
It is often said that track meets are won and lost in mere fractions of a second of time. Nothing could be more true in the boys 3A Maryland State Track Championships on Monday at the Prince George’s Center. The meet was delayed a week; the temps were cold, but the competition was smoking hot.
In the end, Milford Mill Academy of Baltimore County edged out Mt. Hebron High School of Howard County 56-47. It was the first indoor title for the Millers since 1997, and it is also the first non-basketball state title for the school since that time.
Finishing in a two-way tie for third place at 30 points each were Baltimore City College and Westlake, while Wilde Lake was fifth with 25 points.
It might not seem like the score of 56-47 is all that close. And going into the final event the Millers had a seven point lead over Mt. Hebron, with the top two teams taking a 1-2 finish in the 4×400 just as they did for the entire meet.
But look here at the results for just the 500-meter run, where the track was filled with the two teams as Mt. Hebron scored 18 points in the event to 14 for Milford Mill. The entire meet could have flipped here in just one event.
500 Meter Run Finals
- Nicholas Wardell – Mt. Hebron – 1:07.41
- Travis Walker – Milford Mill – 1:07.44
- Corey Wilds – Milford Mill – 1:07.89
- Darnell Pratt – Mt. Hebron – 1:07.92
- Kyle Williams – Henry E. Lackey – 1:08.57
- Andrew Humm – Mt. Hebron – 1:08.71
As well, in the 800-meter run, Jordon Leon of Milford Mill took 10 points and the state title in the excellent time of 1:56.14, which was 1.25 seconds ahead of Mt. Hebron’s Alec Vaughan in third place with six points. Travis Walker added three points with his sixth-place finish in the event.
Jordan Leon also earlier scored eight points with a second-place finish in the 3200 by finishing in 9:44.33. It is no small feat to come back late in the meet in the 800 meters and run such a good time as a 1:56 after having had a big run in the 3200 earlier.
Leon was beaten in the 3200 only by two-time individual winner David Eisenhaur of Wilde Lake, who won the 1600 in 4:20.93 and the 3200 in 9:30.31.
Another all-around fine performance was turned in by Robert Miller of City College, who scored 14 of his team’s 30 points. He won the 55-meter hurdles in 7.46. He placed second in the 300 to Darnell Pratt of Mt. Hebron, and was third in a photo finish at the line in the 55 dash.
State Champions
55 Dash – Glen Taylor – Atholton – 6.48
300 – Darnell Pratt – Mt. Hebron – 35.04
500 – Nicholas Wardell – Mt. Hebron – 1:07.04
800 – Jordon Leon – Milford Mill – 1:56.14
1600 – David Eisenhaur – 4:20.93
3200 – David Eisenhaur – 9:30.31
55 Hurdles – Robert Miller – City College – 7.46
800 Relay – Westlake – 1:31.9
1600 Relay – Milford Mill – 3:26.53
3200 Relay – River Hill – 8:10.71
High Jump – Tevin Bailey – Westminster – 6-2.00
Pole Vault – Calvin Pitney – Glenelg – 14-00
Shot – Steven Thomas – Baltimore Poly – 49-10.75