Bill Ryan/The Gazette Kyle Smith (left) of Frederick Douglass High runs to a victory in the 55-meter hurdles during Saturday's 2A West Region indoor track championships in Hagerstown.

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Bill Ryan/The Gazette Olufunmilayo Ogunye runs for Frederick Douglass High in Saturday's 2A West Region indoor track championships in Hagerstown.
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Bill Ryan/The Gazette Quincey Sutton of Frederick Douglass High won shot put title at Saturday's 2A West Region indoor track championships in Hagerstown.

Bill Ryan/The Gazette Kyle Smith (left) of Frederick Douglass High runs to a victory in the 55-meter hurdles during Saturday's 2A West Region indoor track championships in Hagerstown.

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HAGERSTOWN — A dramatic final race clinched the 2A West Region Indoor Track and Field title for the Frederick Douglass High School boys' team on Saturday at Hagerstown Community College.

With just one event remaining, the Eagles were in fourth place in the team standings, four points behind first-place Largo heading into one of the Lions' best races — the 1,600-meter relay.

“It is really exciting that we have to win the [1,600 relay] to beat Douglass, because that is our event,” Largo senior Mohomed Cisse said before the race. “Hopefully we can win the race, and the region.”

Cisse had a great cause for optimism, as the Lions had the fastest qualifying seed time by nearly eight seconds. Largo crossed the finish line first, but one of the baton exchanges was ruled outside of the exchange zone, resulting in a disqualification and zero points for the Lions. The error handed the race and the region title to Douglass, with a winning time of 3 minutes, 29.12 seconds.

The Eagles, buoyed by the 10 points from their first-place finish in the 1,600 relay, passed Francis Scott Key, Largo and Century in the final team standings for a two-point victory (65 points).

“We knew going into the [final event] that we were down to Largo, so we were really trying to push it,” said Paul Harris, who ran the first leg of the 1,600 relay for Douglass. “We got a little bit of luck on our side. That is a tough mistake. We don't want to win like that, but we will take it.”

The Eagles also won the 800-meter relay (1:33.39) with the same foursome that ran the 1,600 relay: Marcus Anderson, Devonte Williams, Kyle Smith and Harris. Smith (7.63 seconds) and Anderson (7.85 seconds) added a one-two finish in the 55-meter hurdles, while Quincey Sutton recorded a victory in the shot put (47 feet, 0.75 inches).

Largo finished a heartbreaking third in the team standings with 59 points. Cisse earned an individual title in the 300 meters (35.92 seconds), followed closely by teammate Niko Coaxum in second place (36.15 seconds). Coaxum (1:08.81) and Anthony Williams (1:10.52) took first and second in the 500, and Williams added a third-place finish in the 800 (2:04.89).

Central's 1,600 relay team of Chandler Cotton, Tracey Turner, Jacob Obrien-Thomas and Alek Hartley took second place. Gwynn Park senior Jasper Savoy won the 55-meter dash (6.63 seconds). Savoy was the only Yellow Jacket from the boys' team to qualify for the Maryland state championship meet on Feb 20. Athletes qualify for the state event by finishing in the top four in their region, or by posting a qualifying time that surpasses event-specific advancement standards.

On the girls' side, Largo finished with 59 points in a distant second place to Liberty (105.5). Senior Stephanie Nickerson won the 55-meter dash (7.43 seconds) and took fourth in the 55 hurdles (9.28). The Lions also posted qualifying performances in the 800 relay (first place, 1:48.78), 1,600 relay (third, 4:16.57) and 3,200 relay (fourth, 10:24.31). Largo's DeVonni Farrar was second in the 500 with a time of 1:21.12.

Douglass had a pair of individual champions, as Modesty Lorick earned the 55 hurdles crown (8.51 seconds) and Desha Manago won the shot put with a toss of 37 feet, 11 inches. Lorick also finished third in the 300, and participated on two fourth-place relay teams (800 and 1,600). The Eagles finished sixth out of 16 teams.

“[In the 55 hurdles final] I was just trying to work on getting out because I know I have problems with that,” Lorick said. “I was also worried about getting my trail leg over fast enough, but I was able to do that and pull through.”

For Gwynn Park, Melody Woody contributed a second-place finish in the 55-meter dash (7.51 seconds). Fellow senior Krystal Simpson earned second place in the 300 (42.71 seconds), and qualified for the state meet in the 55-meter dash (7.59 seconds).