High school track meets have different purposes throughout the year. The Katie Jenkins Invitational, held Friday and Saturday at Sherwood High School and featuring about 15 Montgomery County teams, serves as a tune-up for the county meet. The varsity county meet is Tuesday, while the JV county meet is next Saturday.
But the invitational also had another purpose for B-CC’s outdoor track team: It became an important showcase for a number of emerging talented athletes on the team.
Coach Chad Young highlighted several performances, including:
* Freshman Nichelle Reid, now the team’s top 100-meter sprinter, ran two qualifying races and then the final, finishing 5th overall in 13.03 seconds. “It was cool watching her compete,” Young said. “She’s really emerged as a top 100-meter runner.”
* The girls’ 4 x 800 meter relay won first place in 10 minutes, 36 seconds, beating the second place team by 10 seconds. The team had only one holdover from the Penn Relays squad. “It shows our team has a lot of depth,” Young said. The team: junior Hallie Jester (2:36); and sophomores Cammi Yeutter (2:32), Carolina Leuba (2:38); and Shayna Nash (2:46). Young was particularly appreciative that Nash, who is typically a 100- and 200-meter runner) filled in when junior Grace Reingruber could not run.
* The boys’ 4 x 800 meter relay – Young called them the “4 by 8 of the future” – ran well, finishing 9th overall in 9:17. The team featured junior Aiden Hennessey (2:21); and three freshmen -- Peter Horton (2:16), Alex Riishojgaard (2:17), and Kenneth Norris (2:21). “This team has shown a lot of improvement,” Young said.
* In the two-mile races for boys and girls, lightning postponed the competition on Friday night – for the girls the race was called off after four laps. The races were held Saturday and B-CC athletes won both. Sophomores Ava Farrell finished in 11:41 and Laura Nakasaka in 12:05 for the top two places; it was Farrell’s fastest time of the season and for Nakasaka it was a personal record. In the boys’ race, senior Eliot Gerson ran a PR as well, finishing first in 9:46.
* Senior Terrence James ran the 200-meter race as a tune-up and did well, winning in 22.78.
* And in the 300 meter hurdles, freshman Nolan Ebner, who has been working with coach Alex Gray and shown improvement all year, finished 6th in 46.27. “By far, it was his best finish of the year,” Young said. Ebner will be one of the few freshmen to compete Tuesday in the county varsity meet.
One more item in the category of something to look forward to:
All year, three freshmen have traveling twice a week to Gaithersburg to take lessons on pole vaulting from a certified pole vaulting coach. The three – Conrad Jones, Sam Hainbach, Lucas Beck – will compete in the county meet on Monday. (It is being held a day before the other events). Young is looking forward to it. “They heard about the opportunity to try the pole vault and the three of them were very interested in giving it a try. I haven’t seen them compete, and it’s something we’re very excited about,” he said.
On Tuesday, the county competition will start at 4 p.m. at Walter Johnson High School.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Penn Relays: Making a statement
On big stages, it’s hard to predict performance. Still, B-CC track coaches Chad Young and Nathan Herchenroeder had high hopes for two teams – the boys’ 4 x 400 relay and the girls’ 4 x 800 relay – in last week’s Penn Relays.
They weren’t let down. Both teams rose to the moment.
The boys’ team, in particular, performed beyond expectations, winning their heat in 3 minutes, 26 seconds, their fastest time by eight seconds and perhaps setting a school record, Young said. The four – seniors Terrence James, Nana Twum Agyire, and Trevor Stephens and junior Weyimni Dorsu -- finished 97th out of 568 teams.
The girls’ team also performed well, running 9:37, just two seconds off their best time, and good for 37th out of 71 teams. The team consisted of junior Ava Farrell and sophomores Laura Nakasaka, Caroline Leuba, and Brittney Wade.
Here’s Young’s assessment of the races (he attended the girls’ race last Thursday, while Herchenroeder coached the boys on Saturday):
“Brittney led off, and I warned her about getting out quickly. There were a lot of people in her race so I wanted her to get out fast. She got into second place, ran with a small group of girls, maintained it for most of leg, and finished in her fastest split time, 2:17. Caroline Leuba was next, held the position well, and finished one second off her fastest time, in 2:25. Laura Nakasaka ran 2:31, which was a solid leg, and she competed extremely well and hard. And then Ava ran against the fastest runners generally on teams, the anchors, and she finished in 2:22, her fastest ever on an 800, and passed a couple of people.”
What impressed Young so much was that the underclassmen displayed uncommon poise. He said Wade set the tone.
“She just doesn’t want to lose, and having that attitude as a sophomore is really great,” he said. “Just watching three sophomores and one junior going up against so many upperclassmen was really impressive. They held their own.”
On the boys’ race, Young said it was a special moment for all of them.
“They were determined to make a statement in this meet,” he said. “They were really excited to go and have the opportunity to run there. Nana led off and, just like Brittney, got off the line quickly. He established himself in second place, maintained it and ran 52.41 seconds. Trevor was in third for a split second, made a move, and passed both guys, and handed off in first place, in 52.59. Weyimni, and I know he must have had some pressure on him at this point, the team had the lead, went out hard on his leg, and held first place the whole time. Two guys were creeping up on him, and by the handoff, they were right on him. He finished in 52.17
“TJ kind of let those guys hang around for 200 and he took off as well, and with 150 or so to go, TJ opened a gap for the win, in 49.11.”
How did the boys shave eight seconds off their former record?
“Nathan mentioned they don’t run fresh in the 4 x 4 very often as it’s always the last meet of the day, and it’s usually their own third or fourth event. That’s one big reason. The other reason is that they were really pumped, the adrenaline must have been going, and they really wanted to make a statement. They sure did.”
The next meet is Friday and Saturday for the Katie Jenkins Invitational at Sherwood High School.
They weren’t let down. Both teams rose to the moment.
The boys’ team, in particular, performed beyond expectations, winning their heat in 3 minutes, 26 seconds, their fastest time by eight seconds and perhaps setting a school record, Young said. The four – seniors Terrence James, Nana Twum Agyire, and Trevor Stephens and junior Weyimni Dorsu -- finished 97th out of 568 teams.
The girls’ team also performed well, running 9:37, just two seconds off their best time, and good for 37th out of 71 teams. The team consisted of junior Ava Farrell and sophomores Laura Nakasaka, Caroline Leuba, and Brittney Wade.
Here’s Young’s assessment of the races (he attended the girls’ race last Thursday, while Herchenroeder coached the boys on Saturday):
“Brittney led off, and I warned her about getting out quickly. There were a lot of people in her race so I wanted her to get out fast. She got into second place, ran with a small group of girls, maintained it for most of leg, and finished in her fastest split time, 2:17. Caroline Leuba was next, held the position well, and finished one second off her fastest time, in 2:25. Laura Nakasaka ran 2:31, which was a solid leg, and she competed extremely well and hard. And then Ava ran against the fastest runners generally on teams, the anchors, and she finished in 2:22, her fastest ever on an 800, and passed a couple of people.”
What impressed Young so much was that the underclassmen displayed uncommon poise. He said Wade set the tone.
“She just doesn’t want to lose, and having that attitude as a sophomore is really great,” he said. “Just watching three sophomores and one junior going up against so many upperclassmen was really impressive. They held their own.”
On the boys’ race, Young said it was a special moment for all of them.
“They were determined to make a statement in this meet,” he said. “They were really excited to go and have the opportunity to run there. Nana led off and, just like Brittney, got off the line quickly. He established himself in second place, maintained it and ran 52.41 seconds. Trevor was in third for a split second, made a move, and passed both guys, and handed off in first place, in 52.59. Weyimni, and I know he must have had some pressure on him at this point, the team had the lead, went out hard on his leg, and held first place the whole time. Two guys were creeping up on him, and by the handoff, they were right on him. He finished in 52.17
“TJ kind of let those guys hang around for 200 and he took off as well, and with 150 or so to go, TJ opened a gap for the win, in 49.11.”
How did the boys shave eight seconds off their former record?
“Nathan mentioned they don’t run fresh in the 4 x 4 very often as it’s always the last meet of the day, and it’s usually their own third or fourth event. That’s one big reason. The other reason is that they were really pumped, the adrenaline must have been going, and they really wanted to make a statement. They sure did.”
The next meet is Friday and Saturday for the Katie Jenkins Invitational at Sherwood High School.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Midseason report: Young's Top 10 list
At the natural midpoint of B-CC’s outdoor track and field season – the division meets are over, Penn Relays is on deck, and then come the county, regional and state meets -- Coach Chad Young took a step back to give a midseason report. Here’s his top 10 observations:
1. Strong team performances so far: In the division meets, the girls finished 5-0, the boys 2-3. For the girls, it was first time they had won the division during Young’s six-year tenure as coach. For the boys, it was a strong rebound from last year in which they finished 0-4-1.
2. Soaring sophomores: For the girls team, “our sophomores have stepped up big time this year,” Young said. “They were baby freshman last year and they have really improved. They have not just been running with the juniors and seniors, they are beating the juniors and seniors. Juniors and seniors also are doing well, and it adds up to a really deep team."
3. Brittney’s star turn: Sophomore Brittney Wade is running well in all events, ranked No. 1 in the 400 meters (58.2 seconds) and No. 5 in a completely new event for her, the 300 meter hurdles. “She is such a good athlete, she wins just about everything she is in,” Young said.
4. TJ’s performance: Senior Terrence James has dominated his events, consistently winning 200 and 400 meter-races, and anchoring the boys’ 4 x 200 and 4 x 400 teams. He is ranked No. 1 in county in the 200, with a 22.1 time, and is in the top 10 in the 400.
5. Penn Relays – boys: The team’s 4 x 400 relay team – seniors James, Nana Twum Agyire, and Trevor Stephens and junior Weyimni Dorsu – were county champs in the indoor season. “They have gotten pumped up since then and really improved. I think these guys will do very well, especially with the big stage, and once the adrenaline gets going,” Young said. Their best time is 3 minutes, 34 seconds, a second better than their county-winning time. One concern for the April 30 boys’ meet at Penn Relays is James’ health. He had a bad cramp in his leg at the home meet earlier in April.
Penn Relays – girls: The team’s 4 x 800 meter relay team – junior Ava Farrell and sophomores Laura Nakasaka, Caroline Leuba, and Brittney Wade were ranked No. 1 in the county all season, running 9:35. But at the recent Viking Invitational, Northwest (9:26) and Walter Johnson (9:34) posted faster times. B-CC, Northwest and Walter Johnson all will be in the same heat at Penn Relays on April 28, providing a good measuring stick on where they stand.
6. Ava’s near perfect season: Farrell has won all her division meets in the 800 meter, one mile, and two mile, with the exception of one two-mile competition in which Nakasaka outleaned her at the finish. “ Ava has been very impressive,” Young said.
7. Steady improvement in relay: The girls’ 4 x 400 team – Wade, Nakasaka, Leuba and sophomore Cameron Yuetter – have steadily improved, registering a 4:11 time, good for No. 3 in the county.
8. Help from the field: Sophomore Ruth Orevba has won several shot put and discus competitions in the division meets. “She’s looking to improve big time,” Young said. The team’s new throwing coach, Geoff Goidell, has helped out several athletes so far in the season.
9. Eliot, Trevor, Phillip, and Patrick: Seniors Gerson, Stephens, Catterall, and Frampus now are ranked No. 5 in the county for 4 x 800 relay, finishing in 8:19 at the last home meet, a major improvement for them. “I looked at my watch to make sure it was right,” Young said. “Then they came back at the Woodward Relays and proved it wasn’t a fluke, running 8:20.” Gerson and Stephens are running close to 2 minutes flat for the distance, and Young said the “key to the relay” will be Catterall and Frampus. Both run under 2:10, but he said if they can improve to 2:05 or better, “they will be right up there with the best teams and can qualify for the state meet.” To get to states, they will need to run 8:13 or under.
10. A more competitive season ahead: Post-division meets, Young said, are much more intense. “The mindset has to change at this point,” he said. “In the next few weeks, we will decide who will be on the regional teams. There are a lot of questions to be answered.”
1. Strong team performances so far: In the division meets, the girls finished 5-0, the boys 2-3. For the girls, it was first time they had won the division during Young’s six-year tenure as coach. For the boys, it was a strong rebound from last year in which they finished 0-4-1.
2. Soaring sophomores: For the girls team, “our sophomores have stepped up big time this year,” Young said. “They were baby freshman last year and they have really improved. They have not just been running with the juniors and seniors, they are beating the juniors and seniors. Juniors and seniors also are doing well, and it adds up to a really deep team."
3. Brittney’s star turn: Sophomore Brittney Wade is running well in all events, ranked No. 1 in the 400 meters (58.2 seconds) and No. 5 in a completely new event for her, the 300 meter hurdles. “She is such a good athlete, she wins just about everything she is in,” Young said.
4. TJ’s performance: Senior Terrence James has dominated his events, consistently winning 200 and 400 meter-races, and anchoring the boys’ 4 x 200 and 4 x 400 teams. He is ranked No. 1 in county in the 200, with a 22.1 time, and is in the top 10 in the 400.
5. Penn Relays – boys: The team’s 4 x 400 relay team – seniors James, Nana Twum Agyire, and Trevor Stephens and junior Weyimni Dorsu – were county champs in the indoor season. “They have gotten pumped up since then and really improved. I think these guys will do very well, especially with the big stage, and once the adrenaline gets going,” Young said. Their best time is 3 minutes, 34 seconds, a second better than their county-winning time. One concern for the April 30 boys’ meet at Penn Relays is James’ health. He had a bad cramp in his leg at the home meet earlier in April.
Penn Relays – girls: The team’s 4 x 800 meter relay team – junior Ava Farrell and sophomores Laura Nakasaka, Caroline Leuba, and Brittney Wade were ranked No. 1 in the county all season, running 9:35. But at the recent Viking Invitational, Northwest (9:26) and Walter Johnson (9:34) posted faster times. B-CC, Northwest and Walter Johnson all will be in the same heat at Penn Relays on April 28, providing a good measuring stick on where they stand.
6. Ava’s near perfect season: Farrell has won all her division meets in the 800 meter, one mile, and two mile, with the exception of one two-mile competition in which Nakasaka outleaned her at the finish. “ Ava has been very impressive,” Young said.
7. Steady improvement in relay: The girls’ 4 x 400 team – Wade, Nakasaka, Leuba and sophomore Cameron Yuetter – have steadily improved, registering a 4:11 time, good for No. 3 in the county.
8. Help from the field: Sophomore Ruth Orevba has won several shot put and discus competitions in the division meets. “She’s looking to improve big time,” Young said. The team’s new throwing coach, Geoff Goidell, has helped out several athletes so far in the season.
9. Eliot, Trevor, Phillip, and Patrick: Seniors Gerson, Stephens, Catterall, and Frampus now are ranked No. 5 in the county for 4 x 800 relay, finishing in 8:19 at the last home meet, a major improvement for them. “I looked at my watch to make sure it was right,” Young said. “Then they came back at the Woodward Relays and proved it wasn’t a fluke, running 8:20.” Gerson and Stephens are running close to 2 minutes flat for the distance, and Young said the “key to the relay” will be Catterall and Frampus. Both run under 2:10, but he said if they can improve to 2:05 or better, “they will be right up there with the best teams and can qualify for the state meet.” To get to states, they will need to run 8:13 or under.
10. A more competitive season ahead: Post-division meets, Young said, are much more intense. “The mindset has to change at this point,” he said. “In the next few weeks, we will decide who will be on the regional teams. There are a lot of questions to be answered.”
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Girls win, boys lose, and an electric 4 x 200 relay
Let’s get the news out of the way:
In the B-CC outdoor track’s first meet on Tuesday, the girls beat Gaithersburg 87-49.
The boys lost 77-59.
Let’s get the stars up high:
* Senior Terrence James, three wins, in the 200 meters (22.63), 400 meters (52.14), and 4 x 400 meter relay (team’s time was 3:37.4);
* Senior Eliot Gerson, two firsts in the 1600 meters (4:42) and 3200 meters (10:16) and one second in the 800 meters (2:10);
* Sophomore Brittney Wade, four wins, in the 200 meters (26.44), 400 meters (58.19, a PR), 300 meter hurdles (51.87) and as part of the 4 x 400 meter relay (team time, 4:24.9);
* Junior Ava Farrell, three wins, in the 800 meters (2:41), 1600 meters (5:49), and 3200 meters (13:13).
* And a semi-hidden star, sophomore Laura Nakasaka who finished second to Farrell in each race by a fraction of a second each time.
But for Coach Chad Young, one of the strongest moments was a race in which his team didn’t win a point: the boys’ 4 x 200 meter relay. The team was disqualified because of a bad baton pass.
The team: Freddy Nzekele (who finished in 23.95); Duc Momo (23.66); Weyimni Dorsu (22.93); and James (22.62). They finished in 1:33.3.
Still, Young said, the disqualification didn’t negate the strong effort, which was capped by James’ electric final 200 meter leg, in which he surged past a Gaithersburg runner in the final 50 meters, in full view to fans in the bleachers.
“That was probably the most exciting race,” Young said. “The team fell behind, but TJ stormed back and crushed the Gaithersburg team. People in the stands were yelling. There was some energy in the stadium to see him for the first time outdoors this year.”
For Young, it was just nice to be outside for a competition, especially one at home.
“It was exciting to be back outside again and away from the PG Sportsplex for a change,” he said. “The girls did extremely well. The boys also competed well. A few mistakes were made and I hope we can learn from them. It was closer than the score really let on.”
Other top performances:
* The boys’ 4 x 400-meter relay team won in 3:37.4. The team included Momo, Dorsu, James and Trevor Stephens.
* In the boys’ 400-meter race, the boys swept: Behind James were Nzekele (53.83) and Stephens (53.91).
* In the boys’ 800, another 1-2-3 B-CC finish: Stephens (2:08), Gerson (2:10), and Phillip Catterall (2:12).
* In the 3200-meter race, freshman Alex Riishojgaard (10:56) finished in third place.
* In the 110- and 330-meter hurdles, sophomore Jordahn Brown, a newcomer, finished fifth and third respectively. He also finished fourth in the shot put, while his brother Juhstin, a junior, finished third in the shot put and second in the discus.
* In the girls’ competition, the 4 x 400 relay team won in 4:24.9. Its members: sophomore Cammi Yeutter (1:06); junior Grace Reingruber (1:09); sophomore Caroline Leuba (1:08); and Wade (1:01.)
* Yeutter finished second in the girls’ 400-meter race (1:02) and fifth in the 800 meter race (2:42). “She has come along very well, transitioning from basketball, and I’ve been impressed with her hard work and how competitive she is,” Young said.
* Sophomore Ruth Orevba finished second in the shot put (24 feet, 4 inches), first in the discus (63 feet, 6.5 inches), and fourth in the long jump (13 feet, 11 inches).
* Junior Mimie Ndubisi finished second in the long jump (14 feet five inches), won the triple jump (27 feet, nine inches) and was third in the high jump (4 feet, 4 inches).
Ariana Braganza finished second in the high jump, and Alanna Diggs finished fifth.
* In the 100-meter hurdles, senior Julia Hardgrove won in 16.44.
* And in the 100-meter dash, senior Katie Williams finished third in 13.04.
In the B-CC outdoor track’s first meet on Tuesday, the girls beat Gaithersburg 87-49.
The boys lost 77-59.
Let’s get the stars up high:
* Senior Terrence James, three wins, in the 200 meters (22.63), 400 meters (52.14), and 4 x 400 meter relay (team’s time was 3:37.4);
* Senior Eliot Gerson, two firsts in the 1600 meters (4:42) and 3200 meters (10:16) and one second in the 800 meters (2:10);
* Sophomore Brittney Wade, four wins, in the 200 meters (26.44), 400 meters (58.19, a PR), 300 meter hurdles (51.87) and as part of the 4 x 400 meter relay (team time, 4:24.9);
* Junior Ava Farrell, three wins, in the 800 meters (2:41), 1600 meters (5:49), and 3200 meters (13:13).
* And a semi-hidden star, sophomore Laura Nakasaka who finished second to Farrell in each race by a fraction of a second each time.
But for Coach Chad Young, one of the strongest moments was a race in which his team didn’t win a point: the boys’ 4 x 200 meter relay. The team was disqualified because of a bad baton pass.
The team: Freddy Nzekele (who finished in 23.95); Duc Momo (23.66); Weyimni Dorsu (22.93); and James (22.62). They finished in 1:33.3.
Still, Young said, the disqualification didn’t negate the strong effort, which was capped by James’ electric final 200 meter leg, in which he surged past a Gaithersburg runner in the final 50 meters, in full view to fans in the bleachers.
“That was probably the most exciting race,” Young said. “The team fell behind, but TJ stormed back and crushed the Gaithersburg team. People in the stands were yelling. There was some energy in the stadium to see him for the first time outdoors this year.”
For Young, it was just nice to be outside for a competition, especially one at home.
“It was exciting to be back outside again and away from the PG Sportsplex for a change,” he said. “The girls did extremely well. The boys also competed well. A few mistakes were made and I hope we can learn from them. It was closer than the score really let on.”
Other top performances:
* The boys’ 4 x 400-meter relay team won in 3:37.4. The team included Momo, Dorsu, James and Trevor Stephens.
* In the boys’ 400-meter race, the boys swept: Behind James were Nzekele (53.83) and Stephens (53.91).
* In the boys’ 800, another 1-2-3 B-CC finish: Stephens (2:08), Gerson (2:10), and Phillip Catterall (2:12).
* In the 3200-meter race, freshman Alex Riishojgaard (10:56) finished in third place.
* In the 110- and 330-meter hurdles, sophomore Jordahn Brown, a newcomer, finished fifth and third respectively. He also finished fourth in the shot put, while his brother Juhstin, a junior, finished third in the shot put and second in the discus.
* In the girls’ competition, the 4 x 400 relay team won in 4:24.9. Its members: sophomore Cammi Yeutter (1:06); junior Grace Reingruber (1:09); sophomore Caroline Leuba (1:08); and Wade (1:01.)
* Yeutter finished second in the girls’ 400-meter race (1:02) and fifth in the 800 meter race (2:42). “She has come along very well, transitioning from basketball, and I’ve been impressed with her hard work and how competitive she is,” Young said.
* Sophomore Ruth Orevba finished second in the shot put (24 feet, 4 inches), first in the discus (63 feet, 6.5 inches), and fourth in the long jump (13 feet, 11 inches).
* Junior Mimie Ndubisi finished second in the long jump (14 feet five inches), won the triple jump (27 feet, nine inches) and was third in the high jump (4 feet, 4 inches).
Ariana Braganza finished second in the high jump, and Alanna Diggs finished fifth.
* In the 100-meter hurdles, senior Julia Hardgrove won in 16.44.
* And in the 100-meter dash, senior Katie Williams finished third in 13.04.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Photo blog: First outdoor meet 2011
Photos from the March 22 home meet against Gaithersburg. (Story to follow)
Thursday, February 24, 2011
'They don’t want to lose’
At the mid-point of the boys’ 800-meter race in the 4A State Championships Tuesday at the Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex, B-CC senior Trevor Stephens was in pain. And he was far off the lead pack.
That’s when his race began. Stephens eased up slightly in the third lap, and then poured on speed and effort, passing four runners in the final lap and finishing in 4th place in 2 minutes, 2.16 seconds, a personal record.
“At the 400 mark, I was a little concerned,” Stephens said. “I thought I was going to die with the rest of the group. I slowed that third lap down a little bit so I would have something to kick with.”
He continued: “I was feeling very, very sore. It was probably more of a mental thing that I could advance. I’ve adapted to the idea of racing people, instead of just running a race. In the past, I was running to a certain comfort level, instead of taking a little more pain and getting up with that next pack. There were points in that race on Tuesday, where if I were at last season’s level, I would have dropped off and stopped trying.
“But I realized this was my last meet indoors as a senior, so I pushed a little more,” he said.
For B-CC Track Coach Chad Young, Stephens’ performance was one highlight among many. The girls’ team finished in 5th place overall and the boys were 19th.
Another senior runner, Eliot Gerson, also ran a PR, finishing sixth in the mile in 4:34. Gerson also ran his own race, staying back in the pack as a group surged ahead and then he made his move, passing several near the end. Young said both Gerson and Stephens have become much stronger competitors than a year ago.
“It’s amazing to me to see their progress and to see how hard they work,” he said. “Last year, they didn’t qualify for the state meet, but this year they scored points for the team, and put themselves in position to win. They don’t want to lose. The difference was that before they wanted a PR. Now they don’t want to lose.”
Soon after the open 800-meter race, the boys’ 4 x 400 meter relay team finished in 3:38, for 10th place. The team consisted of sophomore Freddy Nzekele (52.66), junior Weyimni Dorsu (55.18), freshman Duc Momo (57.29), and Stephens (53.47). Young said that Momo, the freshman, was a replacement for Nana Twum Agyire, who has a stress fracture in his foot. With the exception of Stephens, the three other members of the team had never raced before this season.
“It says a lot about how hard they worked,” Young said. “They realized on the ride home, ‘Wow, we were just in the state championship in Maryland,’ and a couple of months ago they hadn’t run at all.”
In the girls’ meet, sophomore Brittney Wade had another breakout race, finishing second in the 800-meter race in 2:22. “She almost won the whole thing,” Young said.
Wade also ran in the 4 x 800 meter relay earlier. In that race, the B-CC team led at the three-quarter mark. Wade (2:25), junior Ava Farrell (2:25), and junior Grace Reingruber (2:27) gave senior Alex Doll the lead.
Doll ran well (2:22) but not enough to stave off the anchor runners for two others teams. Still, the time of 9:40 was the best of the year, and Young said there was no reason to feel disappointed with the effort. “The girls ran so well,” he said.
For Doll, it was one of her three races in the meet, which is likely the last of her high school career. She will play soccer in the spring.
Doll also ran the open 800-meter race, finishing in 2:27, and she ran the mile, running a sterling 5:08 – good enough to win in nearly any other year. But two runners posted 5:02 times, edging her out. “It was great to have Alex on the team,” Young said.
And in the two-mile race, Farrell ran what Young termed perhaps that smartest race of the day. A lead pack went out quickly, and Farrell stayed in the back for lap after lap. Slowly, Farrell caught each of them save one. She finished in 11:31, a PR, good enough for second place. “It was really fun to watch,” he said. “Ava has raced a lot now and really gained some confidence.”
For the B-CC runners, there won’t be much time off to savor performances. Outdoor practice starts next Tuesday, March 1. Young is looking forward to it.
“I hope now we can have continued success,” he said. “I think we can have some kids step up and lead us to becoming an even better team.”
That’s when his race began. Stephens eased up slightly in the third lap, and then poured on speed and effort, passing four runners in the final lap and finishing in 4th place in 2 minutes, 2.16 seconds, a personal record.
“At the 400 mark, I was a little concerned,” Stephens said. “I thought I was going to die with the rest of the group. I slowed that third lap down a little bit so I would have something to kick with.”
He continued: “I was feeling very, very sore. It was probably more of a mental thing that I could advance. I’ve adapted to the idea of racing people, instead of just running a race. In the past, I was running to a certain comfort level, instead of taking a little more pain and getting up with that next pack. There were points in that race on Tuesday, where if I were at last season’s level, I would have dropped off and stopped trying.
“But I realized this was my last meet indoors as a senior, so I pushed a little more,” he said.
For B-CC Track Coach Chad Young, Stephens’ performance was one highlight among many. The girls’ team finished in 5th place overall and the boys were 19th.
Another senior runner, Eliot Gerson, also ran a PR, finishing sixth in the mile in 4:34. Gerson also ran his own race, staying back in the pack as a group surged ahead and then he made his move, passing several near the end. Young said both Gerson and Stephens have become much stronger competitors than a year ago.
“It’s amazing to me to see their progress and to see how hard they work,” he said. “Last year, they didn’t qualify for the state meet, but this year they scored points for the team, and put themselves in position to win. They don’t want to lose. The difference was that before they wanted a PR. Now they don’t want to lose.”
Soon after the open 800-meter race, the boys’ 4 x 400 meter relay team finished in 3:38, for 10th place. The team consisted of sophomore Freddy Nzekele (52.66), junior Weyimni Dorsu (55.18), freshman Duc Momo (57.29), and Stephens (53.47). Young said that Momo, the freshman, was a replacement for Nana Twum Agyire, who has a stress fracture in his foot. With the exception of Stephens, the three other members of the team had never raced before this season.
“It says a lot about how hard they worked,” Young said. “They realized on the ride home, ‘Wow, we were just in the state championship in Maryland,’ and a couple of months ago they hadn’t run at all.”
In the girls’ meet, sophomore Brittney Wade had another breakout race, finishing second in the 800-meter race in 2:22. “She almost won the whole thing,” Young said.
Wade also ran in the 4 x 800 meter relay earlier. In that race, the B-CC team led at the three-quarter mark. Wade (2:25), junior Ava Farrell (2:25), and junior Grace Reingruber (2:27) gave senior Alex Doll the lead.
Doll ran well (2:22) but not enough to stave off the anchor runners for two others teams. Still, the time of 9:40 was the best of the year, and Young said there was no reason to feel disappointed with the effort. “The girls ran so well,” he said.
For Doll, it was one of her three races in the meet, which is likely the last of her high school career. She will play soccer in the spring.
Doll also ran the open 800-meter race, finishing in 2:27, and she ran the mile, running a sterling 5:08 – good enough to win in nearly any other year. But two runners posted 5:02 times, edging her out. “It was great to have Alex on the team,” Young said.
And in the two-mile race, Farrell ran what Young termed perhaps that smartest race of the day. A lead pack went out quickly, and Farrell stayed in the back for lap after lap. Slowly, Farrell caught each of them save one. She finished in 11:31, a PR, good enough for second place. “It was really fun to watch,” he said. “Ava has raced a lot now and really gained some confidence.”
For the B-CC runners, there won’t be much time off to savor performances. Outdoor practice starts next Tuesday, March 1. Young is looking forward to it.
“I hope now we can have continued success,” he said. “I think we can have some kids step up and lead us to becoming an even better team.”
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Ten B-CC athletes qualify for state meet
In the biggest meet so far this year, the B-CC indoor track team put on its best collective performance Thursday, with five girls and five boys qualifying for the Feb. 22 state meet. Several runners registered personal records.
“Last year, it was a real struggle, especially among the boys, to get anyone to qualify for the state meet,” said Coach Chad Young. “This year, we are stepping up and we are improving and it’s great we have a lot more people who belong in the state’s this year. There will be plenty of us there.”
At the regional meet held at Prince George’s County Sports and Learning Complex, the girls’ 4 x 800-meter relay team was the sole B-CC team to win a race, finishing in 9 minutes, 48 seconds.
Junior Ava Farrell (2:27) led off, followed by junior Hallie Jester (2:29); sophomore Laura Nakasaka (2:29); and senior Alex Doll (2:22). Young was particularly happy with Nakasaka’s performance. She beat her personal record by four seconds.
The boys’ 4 x 400-meter relay team entered the meet as the county winner. But Young did not allow the team’s star runner, senior Terrence James, to run for disciplinary reasons.
“The boys were upset with me when I told them TJ couldn’t run,” Young said. “They are so competitive and know they are better when TJ is on the team.”
But the team hung on to finish fourth, just enough to qualify for the state championships. Top four places automatically qualify, but runners up to sixth place can also go to states if they meet qualifying times.
Freddy Nzekele led off with 53 seconds flat, followed by senior Trevor Stephens (54.21); Weyimni Dorsu (54.38); and Nana Twum Atyire (55.63). Their total time was 3:37.23.
“They showed they could do it. I hope it helps build their confidence,” Young said.
The other qualifiers:
* Sophomore Brittney Wade finished fourth in the 800 meter race in 2:22, the fastest time on the team this year. Doll, finishing just behind her in 2:23, finished sixth, fast enough also to make states.
* Doll also qualified in the mile, finishing second in 5:09.
* Farrell qualified in the two-mile race, finishing in 11:47.
* Senior Eliot Gerson qualified in the mile, finishing in 4:36, for fourth place.
* Stephens qualified in the 800-meter race, finishing in 2:02 (a PR) for fifth place, fast enough for states.
Young also pointed out several other top performances that missed out making the state meet. Among them were Wade’s 300 meter race in 42.42, just 0.2 seconds out of fourth place, or an automatic qualifier; Nzekele’s 300 meter race in 37.38, for sixth place; senior Katie Williams ran a 44.6 second 300-meter race, a PR; junior Grace Reingruber and sophomore Caroline Leuba ran about a 1:25 flat for the 500 meter race, a PR for both; and Nakasaka ran a 12:24 two-mile race, another PR.
“Last year, it was a real struggle, especially among the boys, to get anyone to qualify for the state meet,” said Coach Chad Young. “This year, we are stepping up and we are improving and it’s great we have a lot more people who belong in the state’s this year. There will be plenty of us there.”
At the regional meet held at Prince George’s County Sports and Learning Complex, the girls’ 4 x 800-meter relay team was the sole B-CC team to win a race, finishing in 9 minutes, 48 seconds.
Junior Ava Farrell (2:27) led off, followed by junior Hallie Jester (2:29); sophomore Laura Nakasaka (2:29); and senior Alex Doll (2:22). Young was particularly happy with Nakasaka’s performance. She beat her personal record by four seconds.
The boys’ 4 x 400-meter relay team entered the meet as the county winner. But Young did not allow the team’s star runner, senior Terrence James, to run for disciplinary reasons.
“The boys were upset with me when I told them TJ couldn’t run,” Young said. “They are so competitive and know they are better when TJ is on the team.”
But the team hung on to finish fourth, just enough to qualify for the state championships. Top four places automatically qualify, but runners up to sixth place can also go to states if they meet qualifying times.
Freddy Nzekele led off with 53 seconds flat, followed by senior Trevor Stephens (54.21); Weyimni Dorsu (54.38); and Nana Twum Atyire (55.63). Their total time was 3:37.23.
“They showed they could do it. I hope it helps build their confidence,” Young said.
The other qualifiers:
* Sophomore Brittney Wade finished fourth in the 800 meter race in 2:22, the fastest time on the team this year. Doll, finishing just behind her in 2:23, finished sixth, fast enough also to make states.
* Doll also qualified in the mile, finishing second in 5:09.
* Farrell qualified in the two-mile race, finishing in 11:47.
* Senior Eliot Gerson qualified in the mile, finishing in 4:36, for fourth place.
* Stephens qualified in the 800-meter race, finishing in 2:02 (a PR) for fifth place, fast enough for states.
Young also pointed out several other top performances that missed out making the state meet. Among them were Wade’s 300 meter race in 42.42, just 0.2 seconds out of fourth place, or an automatic qualifier; Nzekele’s 300 meter race in 37.38, for sixth place; senior Katie Williams ran a 44.6 second 300-meter race, a PR; junior Grace Reingruber and sophomore Caroline Leuba ran about a 1:25 flat for the 500 meter race, a PR for both; and Nakasaka ran a 12:24 two-mile race, another PR.
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