By Nelson Coffin
nelson@iaamsports.com
To put it mildly, Jason Miller is a coach who puts everything he has into making Maryvale’s track program elite.
“Jason lives, eats and breathes track and field,” Maryvale athletic director Terri Moeser said. “He is a very committed coach and it is evident with the long hours that he puts in to make sure everyone has an opportunity to compete.”
And when they compete, under Miller and his staff (James Simms, Katie Askine, Eddie Wilson, Lauren Pierce, Joe Henderson and Megan Miller), the Lions usually perform at a very high level.
“You have to have a good coaching staff,” Miller said. “They keep me grounded and they help keep the team running on all cylinders.”
Miller and his staff continued in that mode this season as Maryvale earned its fourth IAAM Conference Indoor Track and Field A Conference championship under Miller, producing more than enough depth to sink its closest pursuer, Mount de Sales, 159.5-116, at the Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex in Landover in January.
The Lions’ team concept worked perfectly that day, as evidenced by an uncanny ability to claim the title while winning only one of 15 events — but scoring in 15 of them.
“Coming off last year when we finished third, but were only 21 or 22 points behind (champion McDonogh), I thought we had a chance,” said Miller, in his 16th year at the helm. “In mid-December, when I saw what depth we had, I knew we’d have a lot of qualifiers.”
Depth came into play in that most of the Lions had to do only two events, Miller said.
Even so, it wasn’t easy for the coach to inspire his team to show its mettle with so little time to prepare for the event that was held less than two weeks after the Christmas holidays.
“The girls really bought in,” Miller said. “They kind of fed off each other. The girls and the coaching staff really came through.”
The biggest surprise, he said, was how well that freshmen Noel Cumberland, Nelly Cruz and Alicia Vo did in their first championship meet. Cumberland is a sprinter while Bruz and Vo are jumpers with Bruz also a hurdler.
High-jumper Tara Coyne, the lone Lion to win an individual crown, wasn’t the only senior to make her presence felt. Emma Buchanan’s work in the 500 and 4X400 was also part and parcel of a winning effort.
Miller said that being honored by his fellow IAAM coaches makes the award that much more satisfying.
“I have a lot of respect for the other coaches,” he said. “We pick each other’s brains. I try to emulate some of the things they do, because you have to keep up with everyone to remain competitive.”