Bryan Haynes/The Bowie Star The Star/Gazette All-County Boys' Track Team includes (front row, from left) Mikias Gelagle, Kelli Thibou; (second row, from left) Kerry Pollard, Wayne Moten, William Bailey, Coach of the Year Anthony Bryant; (third row, from left) Kai Roper, Brandon Miles, Jaumale Sykes; (back row, from left) Romaine McKay, Terrill McCombs, Larrone Moore, Anthony Simmons, Marcus Green.

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Coach of the Year

Anthony Bryant, DeMatha: Though basketball and football have been the backbone of DeMatha's nationally-regarded athletic program, Bryant has built the Hyattsville school's track team into one of the state's best. The Stags enjoyed arguably their finest season this spring, capped with the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship. DeMatha reached the 1,600 relay Championship of America final at the prestigious Penn Relays in Philadelphia, and placed third in a school-record 3 minutes, 12.4 seconds, which is the fourth-best time in the nation this spring according to track Web site Dyestat.com. In nine seasons, Bryant has guided DeMatha to five WCAC championships.

First team

William Bailey, Oxon Hill, Sr., sprints: Bailey won the 200 title (21.77 seconds) at the state 4A finals after runner-up spots in the 200 at the county (21.5) and region (21.99) meets. He placed third in the 200 at the Morgan State Invitational and was third in the 400 at the county finals. A member of the county title-winning 1,600 relay team, Bailey will compete for North Carolina Central University next season.

Terrill McCombs, Roosevelt, Jr., sprints: McCombs was one of several key elements for the Raiders' state title squad. He was the state 4A runner-up in the 200 (22.13) and 400 (48.38), and ran a leg on the state-title winning 800 relay team.

Larrone Moore, Northwestern, Sr., sprints: The Delaware State-bound Moore put together another outstanding spring. He claimed a second straight Triple Crown in the 100 (10.99 at the state 4A finals), and won the long jump title (23 feet, 4.25 inches) at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia. Moore also won the 200 and long jump at the county and South Region meets and the Jaguar Invitational.

Brandon Peterson, DeMatha, Sr., sprints: A standout wide receiver on the Stags' WCAC champion football team last fall, Peterson helped the Stags to the league track title by winning the 200 (22.61) and taking fifth in the 100. Peterson, who will play football for Ohio University in the fall, won the 100 (10.8) at the Jaguar Invitational and was the runner-up in that event at the T.C. Williams Invitational.

Wayne Moten, Forestville, Jr., middle distance: Moten was one of the county's top performers at the 2A state championships, winning the 200 (22.34) and 400 (49.73). He produced all the points for the Knights, who were the county's highest finishing 2A boys' team (12th). Moten, another football standout, won the 200 (22.45) and 400 (49.98) at the South Region meet.

Kai Roper, DeMatha, Sr., middle distance: Roper won the 800 title (2:00.65) at the WCAC championships, and was a member of the 1,600 relay team that finished third in the Championship of America finals at the Penn Relays. Roper, who won the 400 at the Morgan State Invitational (48.6) and Southern Track Classic in Virginia (47.56), also ran on the Stags' WCAC title-winning 3,200 relay team.

Mikias Gelagle, Roosevelt, Jr., distance: Gelagle was again the county's premier distance runner this spring. He won the 3,200 (9:47.6) and was the runner-up in the 1,600 at the 4A South Region meet before placing fourth in the 3,200 at the state finals. A two-time first-team pick, Gelagle was the runner-up in the 3,200 (9:18.55) at the Southern Track Classic in Virginia.

Kelli Thibou, Roosevelt, So., distance: Thibou placed fourth in the 1,600 at the state 4A finals after winning the South Region title (4:28), and was a member of the Raiders' state title-winning 1,600 and 3,200 relay teams. Thibou was the runner-up to teammate Romaine McKay in the 800 at the region meet.

Anthony Simmons, Oxon Hill, Sr., hurdles: Simmons claimed the Triple Crown in the 300 hurdles (38.23 at state 4A finals), and missed a second postseason sweep in the triple jump (second at the state meet). Simmons, who will attend Syracuse University on a track scholarship, was named the outstanding track athlete at the county finals and MVP at the Hendricks Invitational.

Marcus Barnett, Douglass, Jr., jumps: Barnett was a key reason the Upper Marlboro school was the county's highest-placing team at the state 3A finals. He won the high jump (6-6) after placing first at the East Region meet (6-2). Barnett was also part of the Eagles' regional first-place 800 relay squad.

Aaron Johnson, Oxon Hill, Jr., jumps: Johnson nearly joined teammate Anthony Simmons as a Triple Crown champ for the Clippers. He was the runner-up in the high jump (6-8) at the state 4A meet after first-place showings at the county (6-6) and South Region (6-4) meets. Johnson was fourth in the high jump at the Norfolk State Relays.

Brandon Miles, Oxon Hill, Sr., jumps: Miles won the long jump (22-2.5) and was the runner-up in the triple jump (45-9) as Oxon Hill finished just three points behind state champ Roosevelt at the 4A state meet. Miles, who won the triple jump (46-10) at the Norfolk State Relays, was the runner-up in that event at the county (43-8) and South Region (44-5) meets.

Jaumale Sykes, DeMatha, Jr., jumps: Sykes was a versatile contributor, winning the WCAC long jump title (21-7.25). He also was part of the Stags' winning 800 relay team. Sykes placed second in the triple jump (43-10) at the WCAC finals.

Kerry Pollard, Roosevelt, Jr., shot put: Pollard was the top thrower for the South Region champs. He won the region shot put title (46-7) and placed sixth in the discus (112-5). Pollard, whose victory in the shot put at the county finals was stripped in the wake of Roosevelt's rules violation, was a second-team indoor pick last winter.

Athletes of the Year

Romaine McKay

After his team lost the state Class 4A/3A indoor championship by a point last winter, McKay left nothing to chance this spring. The senior is the Star/Gazette Male Track Athlete of the Year after powering Roosevelt to the state 4A outdoor title. At the state finals, McKay claimed four first-place medals including the 400- and 800-meters (48.11 seconds and 1 minute, 57.44 seconds, respectively). After rallying the Raiders in the final leg of the 3,200 relay, McKay finished off his high school career by running the last leg on the 1,600 relay as Roosevelt slipped past Oxon Hill to claim its first outdoor boys? state title since 1994. He was also the South Region champ in the 400 (47.8) and 800 (1:56.4).

Marcus Green

With its girls? program claiming most of the headlines the last several seasons, the Largo boys made inroads this spring led by Green, the Star/Gazette Boys? Field Athlete of the Year. The junior claimed the Triple Crown in the discus, capping his postseason with a throw of 150 feet, 8 inches at the state 4A meet. Green was also the county?s top finisher (fifth) in the shot put at the state finals. Named the outstanding field athlete at the county championships, Green threw 145-7.5 for first in the discus and was third in the shot put (44-2). Green is the first Largo male athlete to claim the Star/Gazette?s top field honors.

Second Team

Sprints: Aaron Anderson, McNamara; Wilbert Brinson, Gwynn Park; Giovanni Flowers, Grace Brethren; Kevin Teel, Bowie; Anthony Wiseman, DeMatha. Middle distance: David Allen, Douglass; Afolabi Aromire and Karl Holbert, Flowers; Dante Carroll, Fairmont Heights; David Rustin, Laurel; Jeremy Samuels, DeMatha. Distance: Donald Lockhart, Roosevelt; Kenneth Lloyd, Oxon Hill; William Mitchell, DeMatha; Chibeuze Njoku, Parkdale. Hurdles: Dante Anderson and Camal Pugh, Gwynn Park; Brett Brown, Flowers; Geoffrey Daley, DeMatha; Oneil Batchelor, Bladensburg; Garrett Summers, Fairmont Heights; Eric Tyler, Douglass; Alonzo Williams, Roosevelt. Jumps: Godson Akinnawo, High Point; Tyrone Davis, Douglass; Jeese Edwin, Laurel; Antoine Huntley, Roosevelt; Martell McDuffy, DeMatha. Throws: Stacey Adams, Potomac; Howard Abegesah, High Point; Jeremy Mitchell, Oxon Hill. Relays: Dante Buckner, Michael Cooper and Michael Lemon, DeMatha; Jonathan Camp and Antoine Farmer, Douglass; Patrick Bennett, Donovan Carroll, Travis McLean, Andre Thompson and Marcello Virgil, Fairmont Heights; Sam Adaramola, Bobby Ishmael, David Lipford, Brandon McCaskill, Norman Simms and Robert Watlington, Largo; Jason Miller, Keith Watson and Barry Wheeler, Oxon Hill; Ernest Cooper, Daniel Edwards, Jasper Watkins, Anthony Walker and Malcolm Womack, Roosevelt.