Many athletes from the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference were peaking at the right time over the two days of the Maryland indoor track and field championships at the Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex.
On Wednesday afternoon at the P.G. Sportsplex, the Northern High School girls team captured its third consecutive 3A state indoor title and fifth in the last eight seasons, while the Patriots boys finished second in the 3A standings and the La Plata boys took second in the 2A bracket, one spot ahead of fellow SMAC squad Westlake.
Northern’s girls got only one first-place medal on Wednesday as senior Gabby Cope, who recently signed her National Letter of Intent to attend Penn State University on a track scholarship, easily captured the girls’ 3A shot put title with a school record throw of 43 feet, 9.25 inches. Cope had finished second to teammate Annie Campbell in the shot put one year earlier, but on Wednesday she ascended to the head of the class.
“Gabby was our only individual girls’ winner today,” Northern coach Josh Dawson said. “It was totally a team effort. We got points from girls in a number of individual events and the relays. Other than Gabby, I think Gentry Bowie [third in the 1,600, fifth in the 800] got the most points for us tonight. I’m proud of these girls.”
Northern senior Jordan Tuck played a key role in the Patriots’ runner-up effort on Wednesday. Tuck won the 500, was second in the 300 and was also part of two Patriots’ relays that placed second. Northern’s second-place finish in the 1,600, the last race of the two-day event, propelled the Patriots past Towson and into second place in the final team’s standings.
La Plata’s boys attained 46 points to edge Westlake (43) for the runner-up spot in the 2A state title chase, with both finishing behind Hereford (53). While the Bulls earned 10.5 points from their pole vaulters, neither the Warriors or the Wolverines or any SMAC teams for that matter are permitted to compete in the pole vault.
“We knew it was going to be close,” La Plata track coach DeVontae Williams said. “Hereford got us in the pole vault. I know the same thing has happened the Northern and Lackey in the past. But we’ll be primed for the outdoor season. Some of our best athletes are jumpers and we should score plenty of points in those in the spring.”
Chopticon’s quartet of Colton Longobardi, Dominic Longabardi, Nick Watson and Weston Carr combined to take the 3,200 relay (8:08.89) and later Carr earned an individual gold by capturing the 800 (1:58.46). Carr had been part of past state champions in the 3,200 relay, but his victory in the 800 on Wednesday marked his first individual gold medal.
“It was great to be part of another relay that won a state title,” Carr said. “But winning the 800 was special. That was my first individual title. I wanted to take my time early and stay near the pace and then save myself for the last 200. Once I started moving on the last lap and took the lead going into the last turn I was just focused on maintaining that lead to the finish.”
Not to be outdone, senior teammate Kathleen “Katie” Schwaner captured the 3A state title in the girls 800 (2:17.11) by employing a similar tactic. Schwaner headed into the 800 as the top seed, but she settled well off the early tempo then launched her bid heading into the bell lap where she immediately joined the top flight then edged clear late.
“I’m not a really good pacer,” Schwaner said. “So, I just wanted to take close to the leaders through the first five or six hundred. I felt pretty good heading into the last lap, but I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to hold on.”
Great Mills had a good showing at the Wednesday meet as well with two Hornets taking home first place medals. Sophomore Zachary Braden won the 55 (6.39), while senior Kayla Rorie took the 55 hurdles (8.45). Jayon Bembrey was second in the high jump, Carter Brotherton took third in the 3,200 and Mobolaji Popoola placed fourth in the high jump.
In the 2A events on Wednesday, Patuxent’s Alyanna Smalley and Jordan Estrella finished one-two in the high jump, with Smalley earning the gold with a best jump of 5 feet, 4 inches. Westlake senior Gabrielle Garner won the 55 (7.09) by edging La Plata’s Bryanna Smith. The Wolverines’ Ebube Emechebe garnered the 2A boys state title in the 300, while La Plata’s Darrius Mason and Mekhi Prather placed second and third, respectively, in the boys 55 final.
One day earlier in the Maryland 4A State Championships at the P.G. Sportsplex, North Point senior Cohren Corbin took second in the 300 (40.32) and was sixth in the 55 (7.29), while Leonardtown senior Elena Blodnikar took fourth in the 3,200 (11:17.01), teammate Emily Maury was sixth in the 800 (2:23.58) and the Raiders’ quartet of Blodnikar, Maury, Leah Magda and Ava Huffman combined to take third in the 3,200 relay.
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