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Schools

QO Boys, Northwest Girls Take Indoor Track Titles

Churchill and Watkins Mill finish 2-3 for the boys in the Montgomery County championship; Clarksburg and Wootton finish 2-3 for the girls.

With the heavily favored Northwest High School girls taking care of business in their events at the 27th Annual Montgomery County indoor track & field championships, the Quince Orchard boys were busy making history of their own.

For the first time since the county championships were introduced in 1986, Quince Orchard Cougars boys track & field ran away with first place—a feat that seemed a long shot coming into the events.

“It’s just the greatest feeling ever,” said senior Jonathan Simmons-Miller, a recently converted distance runner for the Cougars. “We felt we had a good chance but we were seeded third, so it seemed very steep.”

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With each school being awarded points for athletes placing within the top eight in their event—the higher an athlete places in their event, the more points that are awarded to their team—the Cougars’ 77.5 overall points were enough to take home the top spot in the boys field.

Though exchanging the lead for total team points throughout the competition, the Churchill Bulldogs eventually succumbed to the motivated Cougars, finishing second overall, with Watkins Mill rounding out the top three finishers in the boys events.

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On the girls side of the competition, Northwest proved last year was no fluke as they took home the title for the second straight year. Their 74.5 total team points were enough to crown themselves champions once again.

Led by senior Camry Torian and sophomore Naomi Sheppard, the Jaguars proved too much on the track while sophomore Hayley Henshaw jumped her way to impressive scores in both the long jump and triple jump. Though each individual performed to the best of their abilities, the Lady Jaguars credit team camaraderie for paving the way to victory.

“Before every meet, we all go out to eat together and we all just sit down and talk and just have a good time,” said Sheppard, who was a part of the 4x800 meter relay team that finished first. Joining her on the team were juniors Emily Miller and Dani Senft along with senior India Knight.

Though the togetherness shown by the Northwest girls team throughout the season displayed a special bond between players, there was one common characteristic between both championship-winning schools: mental toughness.

“We trained so hard,” Simmons-Miller said. “We have the hardest workouts and I make sure I make every single time. I realize if you just kind of relax, it’s 100 percent mental. Whoever wants to race more wins it—whoever wants it the most.”

This toughness is shared among the best competitors, and it is clear that both of the top teams know how important it is in order to be victorious on the county’s brightest stage.

“If you’re not mentally ready for your race, then you’re not going to perform as well as you want to,” Sheppard said. “As a team we all set our goals and we make sure we all try our hardest to be able to reach those goals.”

Boys’ Team Scores

  1. Quince Orchard - 77.5
  2. Churchill - 67
  3. Watkins Mill - 63.5
  4. Clarksburg - 63
  5. Paint Branch - 56
  6. Seneca Valley - 30
  7. Magruder - 23
  8. Gaithersburg - 22
  9. Walter Johnson - 19
  10. (tie) Montgomery Blair and Richard Montgomery - 16

Girls Team Scores

  1. Northwest - 74.5
  2. Clarksburg - 73
  3. Wootton - 63
  4. B-CC - 57
  5. Richard Montgomery - 47
  6. Quince Orchard - 39
  7. Whitman - 29
  8. Springbrook - 24
  9. Walter Johnson - 23.5
  10. Magruder - 21

EVENT RESULTS

Boys’ 4x200 relay

  1. Paint Branch 1:33.93
  2. Seneca Valley 1:34.93
  3. Watkins Mill 1:35.53
  4. Magruder 1:36.12
  5. Clarksburg 1:36.32
  6. Churchill 1:36.77
  7. Quince Orchard 1:37.25
  8. Blair 1:37.4

Girls’ 4x200 relay

  1. Northwest 1:47.68
  2. Richard Montgomery 1:50.60
  3. Magruder 1:50.72
  4. Wootton 1:51.76
  5. Quince Orchard 1:52.07
  6. Blair 1:52.17
  7. Paint Branch 1:52.18
  8. Kennedy 1:53.78

Boys’ 4x400 relay

  1. Paint Branch 3:32.4
  2. Watkins Mill 3:33.24
  3. Quince Orchard 3:36.31
  4. Kennedy 3:37.29
  5. Blair 3:37.35
  6. Northwest 3:38.02
  7. Clarksburg 3:38.13
  8. Richard Montgomery 3:40.11

Girls’ 4x400 relay

  1. Northwest 4:09.59
  2. Richard Montgomery 4:13.37   
  3. Bethesda-Chevy Chase 4:17.57
  4. Paint Branch 4:19.72 
  5. Clarksburg 4:23.03 
  6. Walter Johnson 4:26.73 
  7. Kennedy 4:28.56 
  8. Damascus 4:30.26

Boys’ 4x800 relay

  1. Walter Johnson 8:24.12    
  2. Watkins Mill 8:27.19    
  3. Quince Orchard 8:27.72    
  4. Paint Branch 8:36.92    
  5. Winston Churchill 8:37.24
  6. Clarksburg 8:40.46    
  7. Sherwood 8:42.20    
  8. Wootton 8:45.64

Girls 4x800 relay

  1. Northwest 9:43.75    
  2. Bethesda-Chevy Chase 9:45.85    
  3. Whitman 10:06.67    
  4. Richard Montgomery 10:08.31    
  5. Wootton 10:18.54    
  6. Damascus 10:25.07    
  7. Churchill 10:28.43    
  8. Clarksburg 10:34.21

Boys’ 55-meter dash

  1. Micah Phillips-Spencer (Churchill) 6.64    
  2. Manyo-Ojong Nkiri (Paint Branch) 6.66    
  3. Elijah Thomas (Einstein) 6.69
  4. William Yougnia (Watkins Mill) 6.74
  5. Aaron Starks (Wheaton) 6.91
  6. Isaac Cudjoe (Seneca Valley) 6.92    
  7. Justin Hassani (Wootton) 6.93    
  8. Quinton Littlejohn (Watkins Mill) 7.13 

Girls’ 55-meter dash

  1. Bethany White (Magruder) 7.24    
  2. Camry Torian (Northwest) 7.26    
  3. Anna Ucheomumu (Einstein) 7.41    
  4. Kennedy Knight (Northwest) 7.47    
  5. Udeme Akpaete (Springbrook) 7.50    
  6. Alexia Mitchell (Gaithersburg) 7.53    
  7. Deborah Olawuni (Blair) 7.57    
  8. Lauren Woods (Sherwood) 7.60 

Boys’ 55-meter hurdles

  1. Darius Lewis (Seneca Valley) 7.81    
  2. Javier Nieto (Magruder) 7.96    
  3. Kaifa Boyce (Gaithersburg) 8.24    
  4. Quinton Littlejohn (Watkins Mill) 8.31    
  5. Eric Kaczmarek-Addison (Quince Orchard) 8.34    
  6. Devon Hairston (Kennedy) 8.42    
  7. Donte Thomas (Sherwood) 8.46 

Girls’ 55-meter hurdles

  1. Laura Dally (Walter Johnson) 8.46    
  2. Gwen Shaw (Wootton) 8.49    
  3. Sylvia Deppen (Wootton) 8.87    
  4. Bailee Freeman (Clarksburg) 9.03    
  5. Madeleine Entwistle (Whitman) 9.12     
  6. Jasmine Benjamin (RM) 9.77 

Boys’ 300-meter dash

  1. Paul Joseph (Clarksburg) 35.71  
  2. William Yougnia (Watkins Mill) 35.9
  3. Micah Phillips-Spencer (Churchill) 36.1
  4. Kevin Fallet (Blair) 36.52
  5. Chris Gardner (Kennedy) 36.67
  6. Nick Hu (RM) 36.73
  7. Elijah Thomas (Einstein) 36.9
  8. Rio Chiba (Whitman) 37.04

Girls’ 300-meter dash

  1. Udeme Akpaete (Springbrook) 40.82
  2. Gwen Shaw (Wootton) 41.02
  3. Camry Torian (Northwest) 41.7
  4. Brittney Wade (B-CC) 42.16
  5. Dasia Adams (RM) 42.53
  6. Kennedy Knight (Northwest) 42.56
  7. Bethany White (Magruder) 42.97
  8. Laila Ismail (B-CC) 43.03

Boys’ 500-meter dash

  1. Malik Keels (Paint Branch) 67.46
  2. David Hamilton (RM) 68.26
  3. Urgy Eado (Blair) 69.01 
  4. Patrick Pato (Watkins Mill) 69.34  
  5. Rio Chiba Walt (Whitman) 69.44
  6. Sterling Cadeau (Watkins Mill) 69.46
  7. Nick Johnson (Sherwood) 69.51
  8. Darius Oxley (Blake) 69.72

Girls’ 500-meter dash

  1. Udeme Akpaete (Springbrook) 1:16.4
  2. Sylvia Deppen (Wootton) 1:17.85
  3. Brittney Wade (B-CC) 1:17.87
  4. India Knight (Northwest) 1:20.91
  5. Tise Taiwo (RM) 1:21.68
  6. Nicolette Clarke (Kennedy) 1:21.78
  7. Melanie Dakwa (Watkins Mill) 1:23.18
  8. Leah Sukri (RM) 1:23.27

Boys’ 800 meters

  1. William Conway (Churchill) 1:59.33    
  2. Evan Burnham (Quince Orchard) 2:00.02    
  3. Naimbai Njerakey (Wheaton) 2:02.43    
  4. Nick Johnson (Sherwood) 2:02.83    
  5. Ariel Rodriguez (Watkins Mill) 2:06.55    
  6. Laurent Mundela (Clarksburg) 2:06.66    
  7. Dewayne Johnson (Clarksburg) 2:07.17    
  8. Dahri Jahn-Richardson (Northwest) 2:07.36

Girls’ 800 meters

  1. Brittney Wade (B-CC) 2:21.94    
  2. Naomi Sheppard (Northwest) 2:24.73    
  3. Grace Corbett (Wootton) 2:26.26    
  4. Jacqui Young (Clarksburg) 2:26.60    
  5. Clare Severe (Whitman) 2:26.73    
  6. Gaby Go (Northwest) 2:29.47    
  7. Elena Delapaz (RM) 2:30.46    
  8. Jessica Weinreich (Churchill) 2:30.60

Boys’ 1600 meters

  1. William Conway (Churchill) 4:22.41
  2. Evan Laratta (Quince Orchard) 4:24.05
  3. William Bertrand (Clarksburg) 4:34.25    
  4. Luke Shannon (Churchill) 4:36.22    
  5. Jordan Psaltakis (Poolesville) 4:36.42    
  6. Jamie Ertel (Wootton) 4:38.29    
  7. Nick Adams (Whitman) 4:39.92    
  8. Peter Horton (B-CC) 4:42.81

Girls’ 1600 meters

  1. Abbey Daley (Clarksburg) 5:16.26    
  2. Ava Farrell (B-CC) 5:18.11    
  3. Lucy Srour (Churchill) 5:19.15    
  4. Jacqui Young (Clarksburg) 5:22.02    
  5. Chelsie Pennello (Poolesville) 5:25.45    
  6. Grace Hanger (RM) 5:29.82    
  7. Sarah Breen (Walter Johnson) 5:31.21    
  8. Regina Schreiber (Quince Orchard) 5:31.29

Boys’ 3200 meters

  1. Evan Laratta (Quince Orchard) 9:40.37    
  2. Zachary Weinstein (Churchill) 9:42.07    
  3. William Bertrand (Clarksburg) 9:45.50    
  4. Scott Sheehan (Walter Johnson) 9:47.15    
  5. Josh Ellis (Walter Johnson) 9:59.94    
  6. Thomas Carlacci (Damascus) 10:21.36    
  7. Vikram Siberry (Sherwood) 10:24.55    
  8. Sushen Thiyagarajan (Churchill) 10:26.60

Girls’ 3200 meters

  1. Caroline Guiot (Whitman) 11:27.74    
  2. Ava Farrell (B-CC) 11:50.77    
  3. Abbey Daley (Clarksburg) 11:50.96    
  4. Caroline Beakes (B-CC) 11:57.99    
  5. Regina Schreiber (Quince Orchard) 12:01.70    
  6. Lucy Srour (Churchill) 12:05.17    
  7. Claire Beautz (Poolesville) 12:05.47    
  8. Lucie Noall (Clarksburg) 12:18.75

Boys’ high jump

  1. Jack O'Keefe (Quince Orchard) 5 feet, 10 inches   
  2. Wesley Pulley (Magruder) 5’ 8”
  3. Derrell Howard (Clarksburg) 5’ 8”    
  4. Gaston Assoua (Blake) 5’ 8”
  5. Clayton Smith (RM) 5’ 8”
  6. tie, Colin Gbolie (SV) and Nicolas Fahs (SV) 5’ 6” 
  7. tie, Elliott Davis (QO) and Devante Morgan (WM) 5’ 4”

Girls’ high jump

  1. Bailee Freeman (Clarksburg) 5 feet, 4 inches    
  2. Sierra Isaac (Quince Orchard) 5’ 4”
  3. Elaine Chen (Wootton) 5’    
  4. Madeleine Entwistle (Whitman) 4’ 10”    
  5. Lauren Paese (Sherwood) 4’ 8”    
  6. tie, Laura Janss (Dam), Jordine Joseph (PB), Emma Teal (WJ) and Hayley Henshaw (NW) 4” 6”

Boys’ long jump

  1. Kaifa Boyce (Gaithersburg) 20 feet, 6 inches   
  2. Malcolm Brown (Quince Orchard) 20' 3"
  3. Gaston Assoua (Blake) 20’ 1.5”    
  4. Paul Joseph (Clarksburg) 20’    
  5. Darius Lewis (Seneca Valley) 19’ 8.5”   
  6. Sytta Barry (Paint Branch) 19’ 6.25”    
  7. Dontay Hears (Watkins Mill) 19’ 6”    
  8. Elliott Davis (Quince Orchard) 19’ 5.5”

Girls’ long jump

  1. Bailee Freeman (Clarksburg) 16 feet, 10.25 inches    
  2. Sierra Isaac (Quince Orchard) 16’ 10”    
  3. Elaine Chen (Wootton) 16’ 1.25”    
  4. Ashley Christopher (RM) 15’ 7”    
  5. Jordine Joseph (Paint Branch) 15’ 3.75”    
  6. Hayley Henshaw (Northwest) 15’ 2.5”   
  7. Ana Gomerez (Walter Johnson) 15’ 2”   
  8. Katerina Lake (Northwest) 15’ 1.25”

Boys’ triple jump

  1. Tyler Nelson (Paint Branch) 43 feet, 3 inches    
  2. Dontay Hears (Watkins Mill) 42’ 8”   
  3. Elliott Davis (Quince Orchard) 42’ 7”    
  4. Kaifa Boyce (Gaithersburg) 41’ 5”    
  5. Paul Joseph (Clarksburg) 40’ 10”    
  6. Javier Nieto (Magruder) 40’ 8”    
  7. Matthew Adedeji (Clarksburg) 40’ 1” 
  8. Andrew Sarver (Sherwood) 38’ 9”

Girls’ triple jump

  1. Anna Ucheomumu (Einstein) 36 feet, 9 inches    
  2. Sierra Isaac (Quince Orchard) 35’ 8”   
  3. Bailee Freeman (Clarksburg) 35’ 1.5”    
  4. Laura Dally (Walter Johnson) 35’ 1.5”    
  5. Sylvia Deppen (Wootton) 33’ 5.5”    
  6. Jeida Robertson (Magruder) 33’ 4”    
  7. Elaine Chen (Wootton) 32’ 9”    
  8. Hayley Henshaw (Northwest) 32’ 8.5” 

Boys’ shot put

  1. Nadim Elhage (Churchill) 50 feet, 11 inches     
  2. Brandon McDowell (Quince Orchard) 47’ 3”    
  3. Nate Betts (Damascus) 45’ 6”   
  4. Samuel Adedeji (Clarksburg) 44’ 4”    
  5. Jeff Morrison (Clarksburg) 42’ 10”    
  6. Roland Kamara (Northwest) 42’ 9”    
  7. Charles Lyles (Poolesville) 39’ 10.5”    
  8. Kevin Toula (Gaithersburg) 38’ 10.5”

Girls’ shot put

  1. Virginia Owusu-Mainoo (Seneca Valley) 35 feet, 5.5 inches    
  2. Claudia Ababio (Clarksburg) 34’ 1”    
  3. Jamillah Jonjo (Quince Orchard) 33’ 8.75”    
  4. Ameerat Olatunde (Sherwood) 33’ 3.5”  
  5. Tiffany Afolabi-Brown (RM) 31’ 10.5”    
  6. Anna Ucheomumu (Einstein) 31’ 10”    
  7. Kierra Tongue (Clarksburg) 31’ 1.5”   
  8. Shahirah Johnson (Damascus) 30’ 2”
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