Few could have imagined that the Henry A. Wise High School boys’ track and field team would be in contention for a county championship in only the program’s second year of existence.
But the Pumas had all of the conditions — good coaching staff, dedicated athletes and hunger — necessary for success.
It took an extra day of the competition due to inclement weather and the final event — the discus — to decide it all. But Wise emerged with the county crown.
Pumas’ coach Fardan Carter and assistants Tanya Poole and Walter Balma have quickly helped Wise establish themselves as a force.
‘‘It was a good county championship first thing,” Carter said. ‘‘It was drama, I guess you can say, because it came down to the last event that kept getting postponed. But we couldn’t have done much without the coaching staff and everyone’s dedication to the program. I would say our kids were really dedicated after coming from the Penn Relays and seeing the heart of track and field. Our kids set a goal for themselves.”
Wise held a slim three-point lead over Largo after the second day of the meet on Saturday. The Pumas wrapped up the title on Tuesday afternoon, when sophomore Jefferson Butler (126 feet, 6 inches) and senior Marcus King (110 feet, .5 inches) took second and fourth, respectively, in the discus. Those results helped Wise finish with 101 points, as the Pumas pulled away from second-place Largo (87), which won the county indoor title earlier this year. High Point, Eleanor Roosevelt and Charles H. Flowers rounded out the top five.
Wise had 12 top-five finishes, including victories in the shot put (Butler, 48 feet, 10 inches), high jump (Leroy Harmon, 6 feet, 2 inches), 110-meter hurdles (Ernest Cooper , 14.5 seconds), 1,600-meter relay (3 minutes, 20.4 seconds) and 400 relay (42.9 seconds).
Friendly senior Lamaar Thomas, set to begin his college football career at Ohio State this fall, broke the 32-year-old county meet record in the 100 dash (10.6 seconds).
Eleanor Roosevelt’s Brian Faherty swept the 1,600 (4:32.6) and 3,200 (9:44.5). Frederick Douglass senior Anthony Boone won the 800 (1:57.7). High Point senior Leslie Murray won the 400 (49 seconds) and 300 hurdles (38.1 seconds), and the long jump (22 feet, 3.75 inches). DuVal’s Ade Adeokun won the 200 (22 seconds).
Eleanor Roosevelt (150 points) simply dominated the girls’ standings, while Oxon Hill (96), Largo (72), Bowie (49) and Flowers (29) rounded out the top five.
The Raiders won nine events, including the 400 relay (47.5 seconds), 800 relay (1:40.5) and 1,600 relay (3:55.1). Roosevelt senior Tasha Stanley won the 200 (24.8 seconds) and 400 (56.6 seconds). Raiders’ senior Dominique Lockhart won the 800 (2:15.7) and 3,200 (11:36.7), while Roosevelt freshman Amirah Johnson claimed the 1,600 (5:18.7). Raiders’ junior Doris Anyanwu won the 300 hurdles (44 seconds).
Seton set to defend title
The Roadrunners had gone four years without a league title before winning the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference crown last year. They will enter this year’s meet (Friday and Saturday at Good Counsel High in Olney) with another deeply talented roster.
Roadrunners’ coach Robert Watson thinks his team is primed to perform their best.
‘‘I feel pretty confident that the girls are going to do what we’ve done all year which is perform well to the best of their abilities and take everything as a gift,” Watson said. ‘‘I want to make sure that we stay focused and don’t overlook anybody. The team is very confident and stayed very patient during the season and everybody has grown through the season.”
A testament to the Roadrunners depth this season is the fact that Watson said that runners ran no more than two or three races per meet this year as the number of good runners helped spread the workload.
The addition this school year of senior sprinter Jameice DeCoster only helped a formidable sprint team that features defending WCAC 100- and 200-meter champ Dionna Hayes, Ambrosia Iwugo, Adenike Pedro and Ashley Ajai.
Pedro should be the favorite in the long jump after placing fifth in the event at the Penn Relays.
DeMatha will try to win its fourth consecutive WCAC boys’ title and fifth in the last six years when they take to the track at Good Counsel starting Friday.
Leading the Stags’ sprint team will be senior Mac Reed, who has placed in the top five of the 100 and 200 dashes in most of his meets this season. Donte Washington (100), Roger Corbitt (200 and 400), Jamal Joseph (400), Rodney McLeod and Kwame Carrion help round out the DeMatha sprint corps.
E-mail Terron Hampton at thampton@gazette.net.
4A South Regiontrack championships
Teams: DuVal, Eleanor Roosevelt, Charles H. Flowers, Laurel, High Point, Parkdale, Bladensburg, Bowie, Suitland, Oxon Hill,Northwestern and Henry A. Wise.
Meet Schedule: at C.H. Flowers High School, Friday, 4 p.m. andSaturday, 10 a.m.
