After playing the bridesmaid role through the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference regular season and championship meet, the Westlake High School boys track team finally got to the altar at the most opportune time when the Wolverines captured the 2A state title on May 23 at the Prince George's Sports & Learning Complex.
Westlake athletes attained 73 points at the state meet to finish well clear of runner-up Harford Tech (47) and Hereford (40), with county and SMAC champion La Plata another four points back in fourth. While the Wolverines arrived healthy, the Warriors were missing three key parts, a pair of sprinters who have been nursing minor injuries and a distance specialist who was sidelined by an illness.
"After we just got beat at the indoor state championships, I told the guys all they had to do was run their normal times and they would have won," Westlake coach Adamo Murray said. "They were surprised to hear that. But, really, all they had to do was run their races that day and they would have won. Today, they ran the way they're supposed to and they won."
Like La Plata, Westlake's strength had been in its sprinters, in both individual events and relays. On the second day of the Maryland State Championships, their talents were on full display. Christian Wilbon, Kendall Tyson, David Nnabuko and Ebube Emechebe combined to take the 400 relay (41.37). Kelechi Anyanwu, James Francis, Caleb Phillips and Daniel Gerald-Janifer punctuated the title by taking the 1,600 relay (3:18.75). Anyanwu, Francis, Juan Manuel Mondragon-Moctezuma and Gerald-Janifer combined to take the 3,200 (8:02.10).
Earlier, Nnabuko and Emechebe finished third and fourth, respectively, in the 200, and they were also second and fifth, respectively, in the 100. Anyanwu was second in the 400 (47.91). One day earlier, Anyanwu, Emechebe, Nnabuko and Wilbon combined to take the 800 relay (1:25.27).
Lackey sophomore Ronald Johnson captured the triple jump (46-11.00), while La Plata senior Willie Washington prevailed in the discus (153-07), with teammate Sima Saavedra took fourth in that event.
On the girls' side, La Plata junior Bryannah Smith clearly enjoyed the spotlight. She captured the 2A state title in the 100 (12.00) and the long jump (17-07.75) and she was second in the 200 (25.36) and also was part of the Warriors' 400 relay (49.90) that placed fifth.
"Really, my goals coming in here were just" to set personal records, Smith said. "I was happy that I won two events. In the 100 [meter dash], that was my first title and it was a new [personal record]. In the long jump, it wasn't a best jump, but I took first so I was happy. Then in the 200, I knew I would be second [to Parkside junior RaNiya Corbin]. She beat me in the prelims and she's just a little faster than me."
Patuxent freshman Aiyana Smalley captured the high jump (5-06.00), while Westlake's A'Marah Parrish captured the triple jump (36-01.25) and was a close second to Smith in the long jump. Calvert senior Hayley Spicknall was fourth in her division of the 800 (2:28.96) and 12th overall in that event in her final race before heading to Salisbury University this fall.
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