LANDOVER — Maybe if Hereford can convince the MPSSAA to add backflipping to its state track and field lineup, the Bulls wouldn’t have to sweat out a championship the way it did Thursday.
The Class 2A girl state team championship came down to math, with teams counting every point and every possibility. But when it added up to a Bulls championship, the team erupted with cheers and backflips across the Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex stadium turf.
Hereford won with 57 points, beating out Largo (53), Randallstown (50), Harford Tech (47) and Century (39).
“Today is just awesome,” junior Sophia Richardson said. “We worked so hard all season just to stay as a team, to work together. It’s a great day for all of us. … Looking at the scores, this is awesome. The whole team works together. … We all celebrate each other’s wins and victories even it’s just placing higher than expected.”
Hereford trailed Largo by two points with two events outstanding: the high jump and the 4×400 relay. Eliza Fox added one point for the Bulls in the high jump, which brought the meet down to the 4×400. Both Hereford and Largo had teams in the first of two heats.
But Hereford didn’t let its position bother it. Rebekka Hillier, Olivia Clark, Isabella DeSantis and Scarlett Seitz put together an effort that earned their team fourth place and enough points to win the state title.
“I knew it was going to come down to this 4×4 and we needed all the points we could get,” Seitz said. “I think us as a team, that was a personal best for our relay by like four seconds.”
Seitz was one of several Hereford girls who accomplished a triple crown: Winning state titles in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track.
“I think it’s because the coaches are amazing and they train the runners perfectly,” Seitz said. “As a team, we never let down and we always know we can work together and keep going and keep the momentum going. We know we’re capable of winning all these meets, I think it boosts our confidence going into each season and raising new runners to keep the tradition going.”
While the Hereford girls didn’t earn a title on the final day of competition, they got a one-two finish from Hillier and Sylvia Snider on Wednesday’s first day. Hillier and Snider took second and fourth, respectively, in the 1,600 on Thursday.
Hereford’s boys meanwhile, finished third with 40 points behind Westlake (73) and Harford Tech (47). Jadon Gaines, coming off a state championship in the high jump Wednesday, finished fourth in the triple jump.
Hereford also got a second-place finish in the pole vault from Logan Crowe, a third in the 800 from Jake Weakland and a fourth in the 400 from Ben Wheeler.
‘Nobody develops hurdlers like Harford Tech’
Destiny Baker had just won the 2A 300 hurdles, but she wasn’t looking to celebrate.
Before she took part in the indulgences that go with winning a state championship, she wanted to go check on a friendly rival. Close to the end of the race, Largo’s Ayniah Fersner hit a hurdle and went down. While Baker powered to the finish line, she immediately went to check on Fersner.
“We were talking in the bullpen right before, friendly conversation, friendly competition,” Baker said. “We were back and forth throughout the season, Nos. 1 and 2 in Maryland. When I seen her take the fall, I felt really bad for her.”
But Baker’s emotions were a whirlwind, “happy, excited,” she said of finishing in a personal record 43.59, which will get her into New Balance Nationals.
Baker mentioned the work she put in to get to this point.
“It paid off. It paid off a lot,” she said. “I ran indoor my first year, I was a little iffy on my performance, but then I came in outdoor ready to work. I put in the work to get here to win.”
Not long after her win, teammates Justin Feebles and Khory Reevey went one-two in the boys’ 300 hurdles, finishing five hundredths of a second part — Feebles in 39.08, Reevey in 39.13.
“Nobody develops hurdlers like Harford Tech,” Feebles said. “Coach [Darrell] Diamond is the best hurdles coach in the state. I feel the program can only go up from here.”
Also for Harford Tech’s boys, Alexander Wockenfuss won the 2A 800 in 1:54.28.
Getting a little help to reach new heights
Liberty’s Ryan Vollmer wasn’t thinking about a state championship, at least not early this season when his best pole vault was just over 8 feet.
Slowly but surely he improved, getting himself to the point where he cleared 13 feet on Thursday to become a 1A state champion.
“Honestly it’s unexpected,” he said. “I came into this full year with a PR of only 8-3. Just with the help of my coaches I’ve been able to steadily improve a little bit throughout the season. Coming into this, I had it in the back of my mind that I had a chance at winning, but it really wasn’t expected in the slightest.”
But he couldn’t do it on his own. Sure, there were his coaches who helped train him to reach that height, but there was also a friendly hand in need.
“When I was going for that 13 feet, it was actually another school, Mardela, they leant me a longer pole which helped me hit that 13-foot height,” he said. “Without that, I probably wouldn’t have cleared it. Credit to Mardela.”
Century sweeps the 1,600
Emily Mitroka has picked up a couple gold medals already in her career. But those have all been on relays, including Wednesday in the 4×800.
On Thursday, she picked up her first individual gold, breaking away from a pack of talented runners to win the 2A girls 1,600 in 5:10.
“I don’t know what just happened,” Mitroka said. “I crossed the line and was just, ‘Oh, there’s no one around me.’ It feels great. You work so hard and you think, ‘Oh, I can get first,’ just saying it as a joke, not taking yourself seriously. And then do actually do it? It’s amazing.”
Mitroka was coming off a disappointing 2023 by her standards but never let that deter her from getting to a championship level.
“I had a bad season last year, injuries, I wasn’t really PRing,” she said. “Coming into this season, starting over, just progressing and progressing. And ultimately, this is where you can get, it’s a testament to hard work.”
Shortly after her win, her teammate Ryan Hartranft followed suit.
Hartranft successfully defended his state title in the boys’ 1,600, overtaking a talented group of runners — including three-time indoor gold medalist Eric Penkala of Southern — to win in 4:13.
“I wanted to stay relaxed as long as I could,” Hartranft said. “I felt pretty good at 1,200 but knew I had a little more. That last 200, I pushed all I could and I got ahead, and I said no one was going to pass me, no matter what.”
Since winning his gold medal last spring, Hartranft said he was disappointed in his showings in cross country and indoor track. But he was determined to hold on to his outdoor title. Not only did he do so, he set a 2A state record in the process.
“I had two bad states races in the last year, I haven’t won a championship since last outdoor,” he said. “I wanted to keep my title and I put everything I had into doing it again.”
Century’s girls also for a win from Cailyn Stine, who took gold in the 800 in 2:14.49.
Other winners
Eastern Tech’s Ameer Mowad had a phenomenal state championships. The junior claimed titles in the 2A 100 (10.54) and 200 (21.3). He also helped Eastern Tech to a third-place finish in the 4×400.
“I really wanted that 10.4, but I’m happy with a state championship,” he said after his 100 win. “This feels good, last year I wasn’t that fast at the state finals, I was dealing win an injury. I came back this year and went pretty fast.”
In 2A girls, Randallstown’s Danielle Perez won the 400 in 58.07.
“I’ve been working on the 400 since ninth grade, pushing for it,” she said. “I had a hard time breaking 60, now this season I got it down to 57. This wasn’t my best race, but I’m proud of what I’ve done. … I’ve been working for this for a long time. It’s all I really wanted. I’m proud to be called a state champion.”
Perez also teamed with Niyona Watson, Trinity Jordan and Taylor Garrett to win the 4×400 in 3:58.17.
In Class 1A boys, Joppatowne’s Justin Naylor won the 1,600 (4:24.38), Western Tech’s Ojigwe Olua won the 110 hurdles (14.46) and his teammate Elijah Smith won the shot put (50-11 3/4).
On the girls’ side, Patterson Mill’s Leila Sollas won the 800 (2:18.19), Western Tech’s Ogechi Uzoukwu won the 100 hurdles (14.6) and Pikesville’s Ta’Leah Phillips won the 300 hurdles (46.19).
