BALTIMORE – Participating in track and field takes immense dedication and the area’s best student athletes needed it this past weekend as they competed in sweltering heat against the state’s best and fastest. But neither the heat nor the competition kept Prince George’s County’s students from putting on a show over the course of the […]
BALTIMORE – Participating in track and field takes immense dedication and the area’s best student athletes needed it this past weekend as they competed in sweltering heat against the state’s best and fastest.
But neither the heat nor the competition kept Prince George’s County’s students from putting on a show over the course of the three-day MPSSAA state championship meet held at Morgan State University.
Fairmont Heights High School 1A and the Oxon Hill High School 3A boy’s teams represented Prince George’s County well as both schools ran away with nearly every event to take home the state championship overall as a team. Fairmont Heights collected their 12th state championship for the boys and Oxon Hill earned their fifth.
On the girl’s side, Charles H. Flowers High School dominated their meet events, collecting a state championship of their own. This marks Flowers’ second state championship for their girl’s team as they blew away the field by compiling 104 points overall. Clarksburg finished second with 66.5.
Jabari Michael of Oxon Hill put on an amazing performance in the 100 meter final as he ran away with his competition with a staggering time of 10.79.
“I had to prepare for this race and remain focused and know that just because I ran the time in prelims, I still had to come to finals and compete,” Michael said of his performance in the 100 meter dash.
Michael then continued his domination on the track in the 200 meter dash posting another eye-popping time. Michael ran a 21.77 to once again blow away the field.
“When we finally started racing I had to make sure I ran the first curve, explode off the curve and run a certain way and just finish up. We came here looking to win it all,” Michael stated
Oxon Hill’s boys dominated in the relay events as well, with their relay team pulling in four wins.
Michale Reyes from Fairmont Heights also dominated at the state track meet, putting in impressive performances in the 110 and 300 meter hurdles as well as the long jump.
Reyes made his way through the 110 meter hurdle in just 15.21 and finished the 300 meter hurdles in 40.76. His long jump measured at 22-0.
As for the dominance showed by the Flowers girl’s team, junior Pharist O’Neal posted wins in the 100 (11.93), 200 (24.82) and as part of the Jaguars’ winning 4×100 relay team (47.22) to help her team bring home a championship.
“This has just been a fun day overall. This is what you work all year for and to be able to compete and help my team has been a fun experience,” an exhausted O’Neal said after her 200 meter race.
The girls’ relay team from Flowers also took home a number of wins. They rallied together for three wins on the day.
Khaalea Collins of Surrattsville won the 100 meter dash for her school. Being one of just two students representing her school, her win meant a lot to her.
“My performance during the year has been good, I’ve been working and training hard and I saw throughout the year how good these girls were at finishing so I had to work on finishing. We don’t have relays because they’re only two of us so this win means a lot,” Collins said after her impressive performance.
Central’s Mary Foday had a bittersweet day as she won the 2A 100 meter final before pulling her hamstring in the 200 meter final. Foday seemed to have the race won before having to pull up at the end, leading to a second place finish. Foday was taken off the track to be worked on by the training staff. Foday did run in the 4 x 100 team relays but was clearly hampered and Central finished in fifth.
In the field events spectators saw the dominant Seasons Usual from Frederick Douglass High School obliterate the field in both the discus (146-10) and the shotput (41-5 1/2). The junior standout was gracious in victory but still felt she could’ve performed even better.
“I could’ve done better, but it’s acceptable. I wish I did better,” Usual said of her shotput performance which still toppled the field by more than a foot. “I was really excited for the disc. It was a good throw. I think I even fouled on my furthest throw but 141-6 was my personal best so I’ll accept it. I’m going to get ready for nationals and then get ready for my senior year – ready to improve and put on a show.”
DuVal’s Madeline Akobundu definitely put on a show in her event. She set a new state record in the 4A girls long jump, moving the measurement to impressive 20-4.
Here are more results from the state championships:
1A
GIRLS
Boonsboro, 127 pts
Perryville, 98.5 pts
Smithsburg, 71
100M – Khaalea Collins (Surrattsville) 12.65
200M – Rakiya Taylor (Surrattsville) 26.31
300M Hurdles – Khaalea Collins (Surrattsville) 46.81
BOYS
Fairmont Heights, 96 pts (12th title)
Smithsburg, 63 pts
Northern-Garrett, 56 pts
800M – Anthony Glasgow (Fairmont Heights) 1:57.20
110M Hurdles – Michale Reyes (Fairmont Heights) 15.21
300M Hurdles – Michale Reyes (Fairmont Heights) 40.76
4x400M Relay – Fairmont Heights (Idowu, Allen, Thompson, Walker) 3:29.83
Long Jump – Michale Reyes (Fairmont Heights) 22-0
2A
GIRLS
Lackey, 94 pts
Hereford, 48.5 pts
Randallstown, 43 pts
100M – Mary Foday (Central) 12.30
4x400M Relay – Friendly (Costen, McMillon, Bradley, Ross) 4:03.10
Shot Put – Seasons Usual (Frederick Douglass) 41-5 1/2
Discus – Seasons Usual (Frederick Douglass) 146-10
BOYS
Westlake, 75 pts
Century, 61 pts
La Plata, 58 pts
300M Hurdles – Kollin Smith (Frederick Douglass) 38.82
3A
GIRLS
Urbana, 71 pts
Balt. Polytechnic, 54 pts
Frederick, 45 pts
Long Jump – Elizabeth Shodiya (Oxon Hill) 18-11 1/2
BOYS
Oxon Hill, 108 pts (5th title)
Oakdale, 55 pts
Huntingtown, 47 pts
100M – Jabari Michael (Oxon Hill) 10.79
200M – Jabari Michael (Oxon Hill) 21.77
400M – Aaron Robinson (Oxon Hill) 48.78
800M – Gary Ross (Oxon Hill) 1:56.36
4x100M Relay – Oxon Hill (Hayes, Michael, George, Deen) 42.35
4x200M Relay – Oxon Hill (Hayes, Deen, Forson, Michael) 1:28.52
4x400M Relay – Oxon Hill (Forson, George, Robinson, Ross) 3:19.68
4x800M Relay – Oxon Hill (Akalu, Robinson, Wimbush, Ross) 7:56.30
4A
GIRLS
Charles H. Flowers, 104 pts (2nd title)
Clarksburg, 66.5 pts
Northwest, 63 pts
100M – Pharist O’Neal (Flowers) 11.93
200M – Pharist O’Neal (Flowers) 24.82
100M Hurdles – Madeleine Akobundu (DuVal) 13.96
4x100M Relay – Flowers (Daley, O’Neal, White, James) 47.22
4x200M Relay – Flowers (James, Daley, White, O’Neal) 1:39.74
4x400M Relay – Flowers (Ike, James, White, Grant) 3:52.21
High Jump – Dejah Grant (Flowers) 5-4
Long Jump – Madeleine Akobundu (DuVal) 20-4 *STATE RECORD*
Discus – Daiysa Burrell (Flowers) 131-4
BOYS
Northwest, 86 pts
Charles H. Flowers, 84 pts
Digital Harbor, 46 pts
100M – Tajh Gilchrist (Bowie) 10.65
200M – Brian Nelson (Flowers) 21.98
4x200M Relay – Flowers (Carnegie, Lamptey, Caldwell, Nelson) 1:28.22
Shot Put – Charles Monie (Flowers) 48-3 1/2
Discus – Nanakofi Appiah (Flowers) 170-9
