IAAM Track and Field Championship Recap: "A" Conference - McDonogh School and "B" Conference - Roland Park Country School
By Gene Williams
IAAM Results : https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/604120/results
Live Results Link: https://live.bullseyerunning.com/meets/52299?_gl=1*93mlwv*_ga*OTUyODM2MzY2LjE3MDc1Nzc1MjE.*_ga_CV6QCFM8SJ*czE3NDcwNDYyMDQkbzEyMCRnMSR0MTc0NzA0NjU0MSRqMCRsMCRoMA..
It was déjà vu all over again and again and again atop both the A and B conferences team scores at the conclusion of the IAAM Track and Field Championships at Archbishop Spalding on May 10.
But a pair of fierce battles were waged for enough points in both divisions to claim their respective second place plaques.
McDonogh collected its fourth consecutive A conference crown, and accompanying Crystal Bowl, plaque and team member medals, with 206 points. The Eagles also dominated the gold medal count by taking 12 firsts out of 18 contested events and scored points in 16 of those competitions. Six schools compete and scored in the A conference.
John Carroll notched its third straight B conference title and hardware by totaling 123 markers. With just two gold medalists, the Patriots placed in 14 of the 18 contested events over the two day meet. Proving that the production of points off the podium is an effective method of achieving great results. There were 15 schools scoring points in the B conference.
A Conference
After building a healthy cushion in team points on Day 1, McDonogh kept the pedal down and racked up eight first places out 12 finals on Day 2.
As she’s done throughout her career, Elise Cooper lead the way with individual wins in the 100, 200 and 400 meter dashes. She also helped her team to come from way back to after two legs of the 4x400 relay with a huge anchor carry (53.11 seconds) to hold off Mount de Sales; 3:51.33-to-3:52.61 and Spalding at 3:55.35. All three of those schools bettered the previous championship meet record.
Also on that McDonogh quartet were Caroline Birdsall, Elana Cooper, and Chrisoula Vourlos.
Prior to Elise Cooper’s anchor she was challenged by Mount de Sales’ relay anchor MyKenzie Britton in the individual 400 in the final 50 meters. That race resulted in both girls snapping the old meet mark. Cooper’s 53.75 topped Britton’s 54.51. The old mark was held by Bella Whittaker a Mount de Sales alumni who was a 2024 Olympian.
Birdsall was a big points contributor with a record tying 11-foot clearance for the win in the pole vault and fourth in the 300 meter hurdles and third in the triple jump.
Winning the 300 hurdles was Kelsey Coley in 43.63 after earlier taking the 100 hurdles at 15.06, and running a leg on the winning 4x200 on Day 1.
Doubling up with wins was Julia Norris in the discus, 122-11, and shot put, 38-08.0.
Chelsea Taylor collected the triple jump, 35-03.75, on Day 1 and Elana Cooper the Long Jump, 18-10.75 on day 2.
With the Eagles doing what Eagles do to win their 17th overall IAAM outdoor track and field title, the team battle for second place came down the meets 18th and final event, the 4x400 relay.
Mount de Sales’ needed to win that event take second. But despite breaking the meet record they were to be denied.
Maryvale could not finish last, and they didn’t, resulting in earning the runners-up team spot. The foursome of London Simons, Maci Richardson, Page Curtis and Kate Gerbereux placed fifth in the event to provide the bare margin needed for a final team second place, 124.5-to-124.0, over the Sailors.
Despite only winning the 4x100, in 51.13, Maryvale scored points in 11 of 12 running events and all six field events.
On the winning one lap relay were Mayah Escoe, Tori Andrews, Cara Vickery, and Lucy Brannan. They used three crisp baton handoffs to draw clear of Mount de Sales for what proved to be a vital two point, 10-to-8, differential over Mount de Sales in second.
But it was those field event points which insured the Lions stayed in contention for the plaque. They dominated the non-running point collection, without a first place, and amassed 73.5 points. While Mount de Sales produced six points in the field.
London Simons led the Maryvale total production with 21 points scored in the both hurdles, long jump and 4x400.
Big points came in the field events from the triple jump, 15, Sydney Elder, 2nd; Emmy Strine, 5th; Taylor Conklin, 6th; pole vault, 13.5, from Maddie FitzGerald, 3rd; Miranda Marin-Jarve, 4th; and Sannon Sipes, 6th; high jump, 10, Shiloh Green, 3rd; Conklin, 5th; shot put, 10, Makayla Ogbe, 3rd; Layla Omopariola, 5th.
Mount de Sales’ all-out effort for second in the team completion was powered by its double twin sets.
Eva and Mary Bacinski, juniors, split the meet’s two longest races. Eva’s ran a gritty race to take the 3200 on day 1 in 11:28.49 as Mary placed fourth and teammate Siena Bammel was fifth.
Mary reversed spots on day 2 as her big kick brought her to the front at the finish line in 5:17.82. Eva, 3rd, and Fiona Smith, 6th, added to the Sailor cache. Marie Smith placed third in the 800 while Eva Bacinski was eighth.
While the Bacinskis, Smiths and Bammel collected the longer distance places MyKenzie and Mydison Britton were shining in the dashes.
MyKenzie and Mydison placed 4th and 5th at 100 meters. Then Mydison in 3rd chased her sister home in the 400 as Maya Coleman took 5th.
Over 200 meters Mydison placed 3rd and completed her day on the 4x400.
Notre Dame Prep, 95.5, and Spalding, 93, were in another tight points contest for fourth place. A position also decided by the 4x400 where NDP’s 3 points for sixth gave them just the difference needed.
Notre Dame’s 4x800 team opened meet on day 1 with its lone win as Ella Navari, Olivia Sobkowicz, Lucy Myers, and Hannah Koontz handled the baton carries in 9:39.31.
Spalding won a pair of events as Taylor Seymore cleared 5-feet even for a high jump win and Marisa Mock captured the 800 at 2:17.45.
Bryn Mawr collected 35 points for sixth and were led by Mariah Talley with places in the 200, 5th, and 400, 4th, and a leg on the 4x400, 4th.
B Conference
John Carroll produced two event wins and two meet records on Day 1 to spark their championship lead. After day 2 their total of 123 more than doubled Roland Park’s second place 69 points.
The Patriots’ 4x800 relay team of Cali Friedel, Elli Keane, Maddy Wassin and Lily Holcomb combined to lower the meet record to 10:00.70 with Roland Park two seconds back and St. Paul’s in third also under the previous record.
Off the track, Danica Ross used a sixth and final effort in the triple jump to leap over two opponents and win in a meet record 34-feet, 8.75-inches. Zariah Medley, Catholic, and Bryah Breaux, Garrison Forest, also snapped the old record.
Ross had a busy day 2 with a second place in the 100 hurdles and thirds over 300 hurdles and high jump.
Besides her 4x800 leg Lily Holcomb was on the 4x400 team and had top three placings in the 800 and 1600.
Maddy Wassin contributed a pair of seconds in the 1600 and 3200 plus a fourth in the 800.
Izzy Grace placed second in the 300 hurdles with a time bettering the old meet record, seventh in the 100 hurdles and ran a leg on the second place 4x200. Joining Grace were Taylor Pate, Emma Fuchs, Kate Grovich.
Sara Shorts, Emily Simmons, Kelsey Kurkowsky and Holcomb got together for meet record bettering second place in the 4x400.
With first place out of reach, Roland Park concentrated on holding second place. Quality depth was the answer their athletes scored in 12 events, but had only one winner.
Amelia Coles etched a meet record in winning the 300 hurdles in 45.71. She also placed third in the 100 hurdles and ran on the fourth place 4x400 team.
Rihanna Sanchez was second in the discus; Sophia Crue third, pole vault; Bryn Sutcliffe, fourth, shot put.
Relays added important points as they took second in the 8x400; third in the 4x100, fourth in the 4x400 and fifth in the 4x200.
Only three points separated the third through seventh place teams
Half of St. Timothy’s 60 points came from Genevieve Cowan as she defended her 800 (2:18.65), 1600 (5:09.10) and 3200 (11:21.35) meter run titles (10 points per win). She reset her own meet marks in the process of winning the 800 and 1600.
A fourth win came from shot putter Amarah Macktoon, 33-09.50, who out distanced the field by nearly three feet. She also placed sixth in the discus.
Just a point behind was Garrison Forest, 59, who utilized Kennedy Myrie’s finals’ wins in the 200, 25.23; and 400, 56.14. The 400 win produced a meet record while Myrie’s 200 was run even faster in the day 1 preliminaries, 24.97, to set the B meet mark. She also placed third in the 100.
Daphne Obispo took second in the 100 hurdles; fourth in the 200; seventh at the 300 hurdles.
Ava Miller placed third and fourth respectively in the 3200 and 1600.
Saint Paul’s two event wins led to their 58 point sixth place. Marli Ashford won the long jump, 16-04.50; and 100 hurdles, 16.92, plus she added fourths in the 300 hurdles and high jump.
Relays were St. Vincent Pallotti’s emphasis and it paid off with three wins and three conference records. Pallotti ended up sixth with 57 points.
The team of Morgan Davis, Sidney Richardson, Olivia Walton and Maya Awuro took a day 1 win in the 4x200 with a record time of 1:43.90. On day 2 that same group lowered the 4x100 record to 49.15 with their win.
Topping off the B meet’s final day were Walton, Richardson, Davis and Lauren Cannon who produced a new conference championship 4x400 mark of 4:09.67.
Let loose on her own, Richardson won the 100 at 12.53 after setting the meet mark of 12.24 in the day 1 preliminaries.
Other event winners were: pole vault: Mi-ra Walthour, Glenelg Country, 8-feet, 6-inches; discus: Emmy McCathy, St. Mary’s, 99-08; high jump: Darryn Hough, St. Frances, 5-03 (meet record).