Indoor track season season heating up in the MIAA
Despite early scheduling difficulties, MIAA athletes are set to go
by Nelson Coffin
It’s no wonder why there is such anticipation for the indoor track season, knowing that at least four MIAA squads are in serious contention to be the last team standing at the championship meet on January 26 at the Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex.
All of those teams are ranked in the upper echelon of the Baltimore Sun’s Top 15 Preseason poll, including No. 1 Calvert Hall, defending champion Mount St. Joseph (3), Gilman (4) and Archbishop Spalding (6).
That said, a slight scheduling glitch might affect how things proceed because the PGS&LC was unavailable for the first league-wide meet Jan. 5.
With two more meets pending at the same site on successive Fridays before the finale on the 26th, MIAA indoor track committee chair Jon Mellinger said that work on the facility should be completed in time for the January 12 event.
“Construction projects are tricky,” Mellinger said, noting that some unexpected delays are the culprit.
“We lost out on the start of the season and we were supposed to start back up on January 5th,” he continued. “However, there were delays with the measurement and lining of the new surface, so we were pushed another week. The season is anticipated to start next Friday so we'll have two league meets at PG and then championships. Many of the member schools have been traveling to other facilities along the East Coast to log some very impressive marks and times.”
Despite that issue, the athletes appear to be ready to go.
After winning last year’s championship and breaking seven school records in the process, MSJ coach Kyle Reagan said the Gaels are looking to rebuild this season.
They will be led by distance standout, senior Charlie Butler, as well as senior Evan Althouse and junior Luca Linsenmeyer.
Junior Jerod Okechukwu looks to be a force in the jumping events, and hurdlers Jaylen Parker and AJ Norman look to progress after a strong outdoor campaign, Reagan said.
“(Our) success will hinge on how new faces in the mid-distance and sprint events progress, as tons of talent in those areas graduated last year,” Reagan added.
Gilman, which finished third in the MIAA last year, hopes to be even better this winter and “compete among the top teams in the conference,” according to coach Matt Tully.
Tully’s plan is to build depth around his experienced athletes, he said.
Distance runners will be the strong suit of John Carroll’s squad this season, coach Robert Torres said.
“We have a fairly small team for the boys this year with the bulk of our kids running in the distance events,” he emphasized. “Success for our guys will be (making) improvement throughout the season.”
Junior Will Root (2:05 in the 800, 4:39 1600, 10:05 3200) is the Patriot most likely to succeed after posting those gaudy numbers last spring.
St. Vincent Pallotti has a “very young team with some good athletes looking to make a place for themselves among the past great Panthers,” coach LaVerne Mitchell said.
Junior distance standout Caleb Tenney and senior sprinter Justin Tyson should be the top performers for Mitchell’s club.
Archbishop Curley high jumpers Josiah Chukwura and Mekhi Booker have already proved that they are well prepared for the MIAA season by strong showings at last month’s Freddie Hendricks Invitational at the Fifth Regiment Armory.
Chukwura was second (5-feet, 6 inches) and Booker sixth (5-2) at the meet in which Friar shot-putters Zion Pate (2nd, 49-5) and Miles Griffith (9th, 36-7) also showed their prowess in field events.
Archbishop Spalding junior Garrett Brennan (24th, 36.59) and senior Kaden Curtis (28th, 36.75) both qualified for the finals in the 300-meter race at the Grant Holloway Holiday Invitational 2024.
Brennan (14th, 1:07.90) and Curtis (16th, 1:08.32) also performed well in the 500 at the Virginia event.
St. Paul’s senior Carter James (18th, 7.16) and junior Aver Shao (22nd, 7.27) tuned up for the MIAA season at the N5CTA Indoor T&F Holiday Classic 2024 at Ursinus College with fine performances. Shao edged James in the 200 by the slimmest of margins while finishing fifth in the 400 (53.82).
Junior Ire Olasup-Ojo posted a 9.17 in the 55 hurdles and high-jumped 5-6 while classmate Brooklyn Leigh went 17-03.50 in the long jump and 41-07.50 in the triple jump.
Calvert Hall appears to be well situated for a title run this winter, with several top-notch distance runners ready to go.
Most notable of the group are three-time MIAA cross country individual champ Cameron Davis and his talented senior teammate Cort Schroder.
At the UC Holiday High School Invitational 2024, also at Ursinus, Cardinal senior Antoine McNair (6.62) shined in the 55 dash, finishing third. Freshman Max Miller also finished third in the 400 with a 53.51 while junior Cameron Hays was 15th at 56.13.
The latter finished seventh in the 55 hurdles with an 8.17.
Senior Stephan Gonzalez was the runner-up to Cesar Rodney’s Ian Cain despite matching his sizzling 1:58.58 in the 800 and junior Chase Dorsey opened up his season by winning the shot put at Freedom Games with a throw of 55-10.