Numerous athletes from across the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference were looking to garner bragging rights and also seeking to peak heading into their respective region and state meets last week during the two days of the SMAC track and field championships at St. Charles High School.
In the boys’ bracket, La Plata High athletes attained a grand sum of 107 points to edge fellow Charles County foe Westlake (106) by a single point, while Chopticon (89) took third, followed by Great Mills (64), Leonardtown (63), North Point (54), Lackey (41), Northern (38), Huntingtown (25) and Patuxent (24) to complete the top 10.
On the girls’ side, however, the results were not nearly as contentious as Northern (139) easily garnered the top spot, well clear of runner-up North Point (82), Westlake (76), Huntingtown (63), Leonardtown (60), Great Mills (47), Lackey (40), McDonough (36) with Chopticon (35) and La Plata (35) tied for ninth to cap the top 10.
La Plata senior Desaun Jeffery won the 110-meter hurdles (14.73) and the Warriors’ Jaycob Tidwell and Michael Lepre-Arias finished one-two in the long jump. La Plata senior Kohl Girley was second in the 800 (1:56.89) and third in the 1,600 (4:27.59). Senior Xavier Van Liew was third in the 300 hurdles (40.94) and Peyton Harley was fifth in the 300 hurdles (41.47).
“We’re dealing with a couple of injuries right now, but we should be fine heading into regionals and states,” La Plata coach Devontae Williams said. “We just wanted to let a couple of guys get healthy before regionals and states.”
Westlake earned the runner-up honors courtesy of its superb performance in the relays. Ebube Emechebe, David Nnabuko, Christian Wilbon and Kendall Tyson combined to win the 400 relay (41.61), Kelechi Anyanwu, Emechebe, Wilbon and Nnabuko prevailed in the 800 relay (1:26.24) then Anyanwu, James Francis, Caleb Phillips and Darnel Gerald-Janifer proved best in the 1,600 relay (3:18.64).
Chopticon senior Weston Carr edged Girley to take the 800 (1:56.28). Carr and teammate Nick Watson finished one-two in the 1,600 and Watson, Dominic Longobardi, Colton Longobardi and Carr combined to take the 3,200 relay (8:00.54), thwarting the Wolverines’ bid for a complete sweep of the four relays as Westlake’s quartet settled for third in that event.
Northern senior Jordy Tuck bypassed the SMAC meet to focus on the 3A region and state meets this weekend and next. In the meantime, Tuck signed his National Letter of Intent to continue his academic and athletic prowess at George Mason University while allowing a tweaked hamstring injury to fully heal.
“I skipped the SMAC meet because I wanted to come back completely healed for the regions and states,” Tuck said. “I’m really looking forward to the 400 and the 800 and maybe a relay. I wasn’t really looking to run track in college until George Mason reached out to me in March.”
Northern’s girls continued their SMAC dominance with a lopsided team tally that included numerous stellar efforts. Iyanna Mackall captured the 400 (59.73), Gentry Bowie prevailed in the 1,600 (5:12.51), Caitlin Mullaney and Bowie were second and third, respectively, in the 800 and Bowie was also second in the 3,200. Northern senior Gabby Cope won both the shot put (40-08.75) and the discus (136-02).
The Patriots’ quartet of Mya Summers, Allison Perez, Arionna Johnson and Destiny Ryan captured the 400 relay (49.53), Summers, Mackall, Johnson and Morgan Littlejohn took second in the 800 relay (1:43.33), Ryan Mackall, Littlejohn and Mullaney took second in the 1,600 relay (4:03.15), and Rachel Fleshman, Ava Schoffstall, Kaydance Edgeman and Mullaney combined for second in the 3,200 relay (10:24.12).
North Point junior Cohren Corbin captured the 100 (11.85) and the 200 (24.00), Leonardtown junior Emily Maury took the 800 (2:17.18), Great Mills’ senior Carter Brotherton won the 3,200 (11:06.03) and teammate Kayla Rorie captured the 100 hurdles (14.52), while North Point’s Reign Veloza prevailed in the 300 hurdles (46.08).
Patuxent freshman Aiyana Smalley won the high jump (5-04.00), La Plata junior Bryannah Smith captured the long jump (19-00.00) and Westlake senior A’Marah Parrish prevailed in the triple jump (36-05.5) and was second in the long jump.
Most Popular
Comments / 0