The Recorder's All-County indoor track and field teams

Friday, March 12, 2010

Boys

Athlete of the year

Ryan O'Connor

Northern junior

Resume: O'Connor, who is ranked third in the nation according to ESPN Rise Magazine for the 800-meter run, took home two state wins; the first coming in the 800 (1 minute 59.47 seconds) in which he dropped from his first-place SMAC meet time of 2:00.21 and the second in the mile with a time of 4:25.85, a huge drop in time from his SMAC meet first-place time of 4:31.57; the junior also placed first in the Class 3A East region meet in the 800 (2:01.67) and second in the 1,600 (4:27.45)

High praise: "Ryan is an incredible athlete. Winning states let alone in two events is phenomenal, especially since he's a junior. He has a lot of potential in the future. His hard work shows, he is always prepared for his competition, and he has the will to win." – Jessica Gass, Leonardtown senior

Coach of the year

T.J. Howell

Northern (first season)

Resume: For his first season coaching indoor track, Howell took a small boys team and made heads turn with a third-place SMAC finish, second in the county behind Huntingtown, with 56 points, which was followed by a fifth-place finish in the 3A East region meet with 36 points, 10 points better than Huntingtown, then the Patriots placed sixth at states with 24 points, the highest points in the county

First team

55: Andre Carter, Huntingtown senior

Third at 3A East region meet (6.63), fourth at states (6.65)

300: Aaron Jenkins, Huntingtown senior

11th at 3A East region meet (37.86)

500: Tommy Scott, Patuxent senior

Fifth at SMAC (1:11.55), placed in top-four in 2A East region (1:10.70), third at states (1:09.34)

800: O'Connor

1,600: O'Connor

3,200: Will Allen,

Huntingtown senior

Second at SMAC (10:03.94), 10th at 3A East region meet (10:46.70)

55H: Jenkins

First at SMAC (8.36), third at 3A East region meet (8.22)

800R: Huntingtown (Jenkins, Floyd Jefferson, Kris Dean, Carter)

Eighth at SMAC (1:43.52), fifth at 3A East region meet (1:35.71)

1,600R: Northern (Jae Wharton, Jamal Wharton, O'Connor, James Urdahl)

Second at SMAC (3:38.38), first at 3A East region meet (3:37.91)

3,200R: Northern (Thomas Adair, Jordan Bean, James Fagan, Casey Kmett-Pendry)

First at SMAC (8:39.45), seventh at 3A East region meet (9:22.49)

HJ: Urdahl, Northern senior

Third at SMAC (5-8), fifth at 3A East region meet (5-9), 12th at states (5-8)

LJ: Jenkins

First at SMAC (20-10)

TJ: Teddy Washington,

Calvert senior

First at SMAC (39-0 1/2)

SP: Gordan Fletcher,

Huntingtown senior

Third at SMAC (42-8 1/4), third at 3A East region meet (43-3 1/4), 11th at states (40-4)

Girls

Athlete of the year

Amina Smith

Patuxent senior

Resume: With her own banner hanging in the gym at Patuxent High School, Smith wins so fast, all of her wins aren't listed on the banner just yet, but they should be there before the senior takes her leadership skills and her consistent pursuit of excellence to the University of Maryland, College Park. Smith will take her jumping skills and her first-place SMAC jump of 5 feet 8 inches along with her state-qualifying 5-8 jump that she set at the 2A East region meet, despite not having it officially documented because Patuxent had to compete alongside 3A East participants

Coach of the year

Valerie Harrington

Huntingtown (fourth season)

Resume: Harrington led the Hurricanes to a third-place SMAC finish with 61 points, the best showing of any county team; the squad took second place, first in county, at the 3A East region meet with 66 points, then took 12th at states, first in county again, with 20 points.

High praise: "She consistently puts a quality team on the track and is a great developer of talent." – John Major, Calvert head coach

First team

55: Mercedes Jackson,

Huntingtown junior

Second at SMAC (7.22), second at 3A East region meet (7.23), second at states (7.24)

300: Jackson

First at SMAC (41.34), second at 3A East region meet (41.51), first at states (40.75)

500: Kristina Kendrick,

Patuxent senior

Placed in top-four in 2A East (1:25.47), fourth at states (1:21.89)

800: Elaina Malone,

Huntingtown senior

Fifth at SMAC (2:34.21), fourth at 3A East region meet (2:34.14), ninth at states (2:31.44)

1,600: Caroline Parris,

Calvert junior

Second at SMAC (5:32.93), placed in top-four in 2A East region (5:38.01)

3,200: Parris

Eighth at SMAC (12:45.83), placed in top-four in 2A East region (12:31.53)

55H: Smith

800R: Patuxent (Michelle Denny, Kendrick, Kim Callison, Taylor Courtney)

Placed in top-four at in 2A East region (1:51.68), fourth at states (1:50.91)

1,600R: Huntingtown (Jackson, Malone, Chloe Fitzgerald, Stephanie Athens)

Fourth at SMAC (4:26.81), first at 3A East region meet (4:24.03), ninth at states (4:21.34)

3,200R: Huntingtown (Malone, Vania Stottlemyer, Ellie Frazier, Hannah Weis)

Third at SMAC (10:35.34), second at 3A East region meet (10:29.06), 11th at states (10:37.54)

HJ: Smith

LJ: Payton Muse,

Huntingtown freshman

Second at SMAC (16-2)

TJ: Smith

First at SMAC (36-6)

SP: Catelyn Spriggs,

Northern senior

Second at SMAC (34-4 1/4), second at 3A East region meet (33-09),

seventh at states (31-4 1/2)