Boys Indoor Track: Historic performance for Leopards

It was a breakthrough performance of historic significance, as Smithsburg picked the right day to shine.

The Leopards racked up 80.5 points Monday to win the Class 1A boys team title at the Maryland State Indoor Track & Field Championships at Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex, becoming the first Washington County boys team to ever win an indoor state title.

Boonsboro and Northwestern (Baltimore) tied for second with 55 points each.

“We’ve been lurking in the shadows, waiting for our opportunity,” Smithsburg coach Ray Shriver said. “Today was our opportunity. The boys stepped it up and really shined.

“Our slogan today was: ‘Just do your job.’ And that’s what they did. No one had to be Superman.”

But that didn’t stop Luke Daigneault from leaping tall buildings in a single bound.

The Smithsburg junior used a ferocious kick to win the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs, charging from behind to win both races.

“I’m just glad we got the points,” said Daigneault, whose two victories added up to 20. “That was the goal today, get as many points as possible.”

The Smithsburg boys also won the 4x200 relay, while other champions included Boonsboro junior Nick Seabright in the pole vault and Williamsport senior Evan Hardy in the Class 2A 1,600 and 3,200.

Daigneault was the star of the Leopards’ show. In the 1,600, he moved from third to first on the final lap, winning by a fraction of a second in 4:40.75. His win in the 3,200 was even more dramatic, as he erased a 20-meter deficit on the last lap, crossing the finish line with a second to spare in 10:10.08.

“At the end, it just came down to whoever had the most guts,” Daigneault said.

As thrilling as Daigneault’s victories were, they were just warmup acts for Hardy, who blazed his way to a couple of convincing 2A victories — the 1,600 in 4:23.22 and the 3,200 in 9:35.61.

“I owe it all to (Williamsport distance coach Taylor Oliver),” said Hardy, who also swept the state titles in both events as a junior, indoors and outdoors. “He really knows what he’s doing, not just how to race our events but how to race our opponents.”

His victory in the 3,200 was especially satisfying, as Rising Sun’s Austin McGinley, who beat Hardy for the cross country state title in the fall, finished a distant second Monday in 9:46.00.

“We’re good friends off the track,” Hardy said. “But on the track, we want to beat each other so bad.”

Seabright helped lead the Boonsboro boys to their best finish ever indoors. The junior, who also is a starter on the Warriors varsity basketball team this winter, soared 12 feet to win the pole vault.

“It’s just amazing,” said Seabright, who began the season with a personal-best mark of 10 feet, 3 inches. “My goal at the start of the season was 11 feet. But I just kept getting higher and higher.”

Smithsburg also scored big points in the pole vault as Nick Porter took second (11-6) and Devon Stover placed third (10-6). Stover also was the runner-up in the 55 hurdles (8.64).

Chad Greene also had a big day for Smithsburg, placing third in the 55 dash (6.82) and third in the 300 (36.80) before teaming with Zane Gardenhour, Brandon Athey and Caleb Cardone to win the 4x200 relay (1:34.42).

“This is a good day, a really good day,” Greene said. “I’m just excited to be a part of it. This is a team sport, and the Smithsburg team is just one big family.”

Boonsboro also got a second-place finish from J.R. Lowery in the shot put (52-8 3/4) and a third-place finish from Vaughn Wallace in the 55 hurdles (8.69). The Warriors also placed third in the 4x800 (8:48.33).

“I thought this was going to be a down year for our boys, but they proved me wrong,” Boonsboro coach Becky Walter said. “I’m blown away by them.”

Lowery, however, clearly was disappointed by his runner-up performance. He entered the meet as the defending state champ and was previously unbeaten this season.

“Not that he doesn’t work hard, but I think this is going to motivate him to work even harder,” Walter said.

Maryland State Championships
(Individual results include winners and Washington County top-eight placewinners)
Class 1A Boys
Team scores: 1. Smithsburg 80.5; 2. (tie) Boonsboro, Northwestern 55; 4. North Carroll 49; 5. Pikesville 43.5. Also: 18. Hancock 4.

Individual Results
55 — 1. Jourdan Chase (Overlea) 6.63; 3. Chad Greene (Smithsburg) 6.82.
55 hurdles — 1. Zach Dell (North Carroll) 8.18; 2. Devon Stover (Smithsburg) 8.64; 3. Vaughn Wallace (Boonsboro) 8.69; 7. Kyle Ebersole (Smithsburg) 10.97.
300 — 1. Carrington Akosa (Western Tech) 36.07; 3. Chad Greene (Smithsburg) 36.80; 7. Caleb Cardone (Smithsburg) 37.85.
500 — 1. Kemahn Jones (Western Tech) 1:07.77; 7. Zane Gardenhour (Smithsburg) 1:11.01; 8. Ethan Allnutt (Boonsboro) 1:11.10.
800 — 1. Kody Wilson (North Carroll) 2:01.59; 4. Ethan Allnutt (Boonsboro) 2:07.57; 6. Marshall Keely (Smithsburg) 2:11.12.
1,600 — 1. Luke Daigneault (Smithsburg) 4:40.75; 5. Sean Snyder (Boonsboro) 4:53.73.
3,200 — 1. Luke Daigneault (Smithsburg) 10:10.08; 5. Sean Snyder (Boonsboro) 10:48.17; 7. Tom Kersting (Boonsboro) 11:04.63.
4x200 — 1. Smithsburg 1:34.42; 7. Boonsboro 1:39.22
4x400 — 1. Northwestern 3:32.19; 6. Boonsboro 3:42.82; 8. Smithsburg 3:45.45.
4x800 — 1. North Carroll 8:31.50; 3. Boonsboro 8:48.33; 6. Smithsburg 9:13.98.
High jump — 1. Martin Davis (New Town) 6-0; 5. Nick Seabright (Boonsboro) 5-6.
Pole vault — 1. Nick Seabright (Boonsboro) 12-0; 2. Nick Porter (Smithsburg) 11-6; 3. Devon Stover (Smithsburg) 10-6; 5. Aaron Wagner (Hancock) 9-6.
Shot put — 1. Pierrysen Henry (Fairmont Heights) 53-3 1/2; 2. J.R. Lowery (Boonsboro) 52-8 3/4; 5. Preston Miller (Smithsburg) 40-8 1/2.
Class 2A Boys
Team scores: 1. Frederick Douglass 56; 2. Walkersville 43; 3. Francis Scott Key 39; 4. Century 34; 5. Largo 32. Also: 6. Williamsport 28.
55 — 1. Jasper Savoy (Gwynn Park) 6.43.
55 hurdles — 1. Kyle Smith (Douglass) 7.64.
300 — 1. Mohomed Cisse (Largo) 35.34.
500 — 1. Blake Richardson (Glenelg) 1:07.67; 4. Theron Palmer (Williamsport) 1:08.42.
800 — 1. Scott Berryman (Walkersville) 2:01.22.
1,600 — 1. Evan Hardy (Williamsport) 4:23.22.
3,200 — 1. Evan Hardy (Williamsport) 9:35.61.
4x200 — 1. Douglass 1:32.00.
4x400 — 1. Douglass 3:29.66.
4x800 — 1. Winters Mill 8:23.88.
High jump — 1. Kyle Smith (Douglass) 6-0.
Pole vault — 1. Jonathan Hatcher (North Caroline) 13-9; 6. Nick Berchok (Williamsport) 11-0.
Shot put — 1. Ralph VanVeen (Queen Anne’s) 49-4 1/4.