Stress, excitement, anticipation.
All three words encapsulate the rollercoaster of emotions the Howard and Oakland Mills boys and girls outdoor track and field teams experienced. After 18 events and two hard days of competition, both programs emerged ahead of the pack.
The Lions girls captured the Howard County title with 147.5 points, edging out second place Oakland Mills (138) and third place River Hill (93).
However, the Lions and Scorpions boys made what meet and county officials believe to be history. At the conclusion of 18 events, Howard and Oakland Mills each finished with 146.5 points, tying for the boys team championship.
In the final track event of the evening, the Scorpions 4×400 relay team of Gabriel Murray, Keshon Tate, Jayden Deleon and Solomon Small took first. Prior to that, Lions coach Tyler Wade told them that with a top-five finish they’d at worst finish tied for the team title. Despite being put together at the last second, the relay team of Amadeus Davis, Malachi Griffin, Will Flagg and Ben Svoboda delivered, placing fifth to create the tie.
Both programs expected a tight battle entering the county championships and it did not disappoint. For Howard, senior Joey Ensor put on a show. He won four county titles: the 800 (1 minute, 52.6 seconds), the 1,600 (4:18.76) and 3,200 (9:35.54), and ran on the winning 4×800 relay team.
The veteran set a county meet record in the 800, just an hour after winning the mile. He also set a new goal for himself entering regionals: He hopes to get a 1:51 split in the 800 after splitting 1:50 in the 4×800 relay.
“You’ve got to have goals,” Ensor said. “If you don’t have goals, what do you want to work toward? For the 800, I didn’t have anybody to chase. So, I was chasing my time, I wanted to succeed. I wanted to run as fast as I could, so that’s what I did. You want to go fast enough so no one can catch you. What I did is I visualized a runner in front of me. I visualized me wanting to chase someone like I did in the 4×800.”
Beyond Ensor, fellow senior Max Vom Saal delivered top-three finishes in the mile and two-mile. Senior Xavier Gardner contributed to a well-balanced effort winning the 110-meter hurdles in 15.39 seconds.
The Lions boys’ success extended to the field events. Senior Zamir Herald won the triple jump (44 feet, 2.75 inches) and finished second in the long jump. Gavin Reardon bolstered the effort, finishing second in the pole vault (11 feet).
Meanwhile, the Scorpions boys entered the county championships with a chip on their shoulder. Losing several talented seniors, many outside the program felt as though they wouldn’t be able to sustain their typical success level. This year’s group used that as motivation and it showed.
“After indoor when they finished fourth at the state meet, a lot of people said, ‘They’re a year or two away,’” Oakland Mills coach Chris Brewington said. “They really took that personally. We’re young, we have four seniors. Really this year they’ve tried to go out and show everyone, ‘Yes we’re young, but we’re good, too.’
“Trevin McHargh, Shane King and Ethan Aidam. It’s extremely motivating, especially for Jayden specifically. Like how Judson Lincoln was chasing Kyler Farmer, he’s chasing Judson. “For Jayden, he’s totally locked in and motivated. ‘I’m not racing guys next to me, ‘I’m chasing ghosts, I’m chasing legends. He said to me over there, They told me that I was a year away and I’m going to show them that I’m here.’”
Deleon passed Judson Lincoln, the former Scorpions standout, with a record-breaking 400 performance. He broke the county meet record with a time of 47.4 seconds, the third fastest time in Maryland.
“It means that I know we’re not done yet,” Deleon said. “Everyone thought we were done, saying all the seniors were gone, but we’re showing everybody that we’re not done and we’re going to keep going.”
He wasn’t the only Scorpion to set a county meet record. Murray set a record in the 300 hurdles. He finished in 38.71 seconds, breaking the previous record set by Long Reach’s Robert Carter in 2014. Murray later reflected on his growth as a hurdler.
“It’s amazing,” he said. “Last year, I wasn’t very good at hurdles. It’s my first year really getting into it and finally getting to that mark and being good, it feels great.”
Oakland Mills’ success also extended into the field events. Tate won the long jump (21 feet, 7.5 inches) and Adeeb Pender won the pole vault, clearing 13-6.
Howard girls win a county title
Ensor wasn’t the only Lion to win four events as he was joined by junior Sydney Rhodes. Her success in indoor helped breed confidence entering outdoor. Between two days of competition, she won the 100 (12.29), 200 (24.72) and was a member of the victorious 4×100 and 4×200 relay teams.
She said she was proud of the grit she showed in maintaining her hard work from the indoor season. Entering Tuesday, Rhodes made sure to go to bed on time and eat a good meal. That diligent preparation paid dividends with Rhodes continuing her winning ways.
“I’ve definitely been working on my push out,” she said. “Specifically for that 200, I think I did really well getting out. Just continuing to do that moving forward. Any given day, anyone can win or lose, so it’s about just keeping my head down and focused and continuing to work.”
Outside of Rhodes, Howard earned key points in the hurdles. Freshman Ava Carr placed second in the 100, while senior Ademide Gbadehan finished third. Gbadehan then posted a personal record time in the 300 hurdles (47.59).
Another young runner, freshman Claire Sivitz, delivered valuable contributions in the distance events. She registered top-four finishes in the 800, mile and two-mile, highlighted by her second-place finish in the two-mile.
“Winning a team title in track and field is so hard,” Wade said. “You have to be at the top of your game for 48 hours. We were talking to the kids last night about going to bed on time, that eating and drinking properly last night would have a big impact on today. Our kids took it seriously and it showed. We performed very well on the second day. It’s a real test of character, grit and athleticism to be at your best for two straight days. I couldn’t be more proud of the kids the way we performed.”