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Boonsboro's Maggie Sullivan races to victory in the girls 55-meter hurdles Friday at the Washington County Indoor Track & Field Championships at Hagerstown Community College. (By Colleen McGrath/Staff Photographer / January 18, 2013) |
Count out Boonsboro?
Count again.
The Warriors swept the boys and girls team titles at the 22nd annual Washington County Indoor Track & Field Championships on Friday evening at Hagerstown Community College.
The Williamsport boys and girls both finished second, just two weeks after both Wildcats teams finished comfortably ahead of Boonsboro at the MVAL Antietam championships.
“We had a lot of people sick at the MVAL meet, and we really didn’t put people in maximum events,” Boonsboro coach Becky Walter said. “But I won’t say it felt good to get beat by them. It was an eye-opening meet, and it motivated a lot of people.”
Maybe no one was more motivated than Walter was in the days leading up to Friday’s meet.
“It was a nerve-racking week, because I was crunching numbers and figuring out where we could maximize people in certain events,” the coach said. “I was driving myself crazy all week. I really didn’t want to lose.”
While the Boonsboro girls finished with 144 points — 25 more than Williamsport — to win their second straight county crown indoors, the boys meet went down to the wire. The Warriors edged the Wildcats, last year’s champs, by three points, 154-151.
The back-and-forth boys battle turned in Boonsboro’s favor in the night’s 10th event — the 800-meter run — in which the Warriors took three of the top four places to surpass the Wildcats for the final time, taking a 142-137 lead.
Boonsboro’s Josh Testa came from behind on the last lap of the 800 to edge Williamsport’s Cody Grams at the line, winning by a fraction of a second in 2:04.63.
“We got to the back straightaway, and he was 15-20 meters ahead of me, and I just went after him,” Testa said. “I thought it would be close, but I didn’t think I’d get him.”
But he did, scoring his second victory of the meet. He also won the 500 (1:10.24).
Nick Seabright also came through with valuable points for the Warriors, placing second in both the high jump (5-8) and pole vault (11-7) and taking third in the 55 hurdles (8.31).
The Boonsboro girls were led by Maggie Sullivan and Sarah Zielinski. Sullivan won both the 55 hurdles (8.87) and the high jump (5 feet), while Zielinski won the 3,200 in a meet-record time of 11:38.94, after placing second in the 1,600 (5:22.60) and contributing to the winning 4x800 relay team (10:42.34).
“I don’t know where it came from,” Sullivan said of her performances. “I haven’t competed in the high jump since last year at states, and I’ve never jumped 5 feet before. And in the hurdles, (South Hagerstown’s) Hayley Freeman (who finished second) is a really great competitor. The last time we competed against each other in the hurdles, she beat me.”
It was Freeman’s only setback of the night. The Rebels senior won the 300 in a meet-record 41.85 seconds and the 55 dash in 7.47, before anchoring the winning 4x200 (1:50.82).
“As a senior, I’m hungry,” Freeman said. “I want to make sure I do great. It feels really good to get these wins.”
Emily Ward had a big night for the North Hagerstown girls, setting meet records with her victories in the 800 (2:24.78) and 1,600 (5:13.25).
“I’m so excited,” Ward said. “I really can’t believe it right now. I said a prayer before both races, and God really helped me. I prayed for strength.”
Count again.
The Warriors swept the boys and girls team titles at the 22nd annual Washington County Indoor Track & Field Championships on Friday evening at Hagerstown Community College.
The Williamsport boys and girls both finished second, just two weeks after both Wildcats teams finished comfortably ahead of Boonsboro at the MVAL Antietam championships.
“We had a lot of people sick at the MVAL meet, and we really didn’t put people in maximum events,” Boonsboro coach Becky Walter said. “But I won’t say it felt good to get beat by them. It was an eye-opening meet, and it motivated a lot of people.”
Maybe no one was more motivated than Walter was in the days leading up to Friday’s meet.
“It was a nerve-racking week, because I was crunching numbers and figuring out where we could maximize people in certain events,” the coach said. “I was driving myself crazy all week. I really didn’t want to lose.”
While the Boonsboro girls finished with 144 points — 25 more than Williamsport — to win their second straight county crown indoors, the boys meet went down to the wire. The Warriors edged the Wildcats, last year’s champs, by three points, 154-151.
The back-and-forth boys battle turned in Boonsboro’s favor in the night’s 10th event — the 800-meter run — in which the Warriors took three of the top four places to surpass the Wildcats for the final time, taking a 142-137 lead.
Boonsboro’s Josh Testa came from behind on the last lap of the 800 to edge Williamsport’s Cody Grams at the line, winning by a fraction of a second in 2:04.63.
“We got to the back straightaway, and he was 15-20 meters ahead of me, and I just went after him,” Testa said. “I thought it would be close, but I didn’t think I’d get him.”
But he did, scoring his second victory of the meet. He also won the 500 (1:10.24).
Nick Seabright also came through with valuable points for the Warriors, placing second in both the high jump (5-8) and pole vault (11-7) and taking third in the 55 hurdles (8.31).
The Boonsboro girls were led by Maggie Sullivan and Sarah Zielinski. Sullivan won both the 55 hurdles (8.87) and the high jump (5 feet), while Zielinski won the 3,200 in a meet-record time of 11:38.94, after placing second in the 1,600 (5:22.60) and contributing to the winning 4x800 relay team (10:42.34).
“I don’t know where it came from,” Sullivan said of her performances. “I haven’t competed in the high jump since last year at states, and I’ve never jumped 5 feet before. And in the hurdles, (South Hagerstown’s) Hayley Freeman (who finished second) is a really great competitor. The last time we competed against each other in the hurdles, she beat me.”
It was Freeman’s only setback of the night. The Rebels senior won the 300 in a meet-record 41.85 seconds and the 55 dash in 7.47, before anchoring the winning 4x200 (1:50.82).
“As a senior, I’m hungry,” Freeman said. “I want to make sure I do great. It feels really good to get these wins.”
Emily Ward had a big night for the North Hagerstown girls, setting meet records with her victories in the 800 (2:24.78) and 1,600 (5:13.25).
“I’m so excited,” Ward said. “I really can’t believe it right now. I said a prayer before both races, and God really helped me. I prayed for strength.”
