Oxon Hill, Largo win county track championships

The Oxon Hill girls won in decisive fashion. Deseree King’s individual titles in the 500-meter run (1 minute, 15.5 seconds) and 800 (2:19.6) led the way and earned her the meet’s most outstanding performer honors for girls’ track events.

Clippers’ coach Walter Cross talked about the relevance of the team’s triumph.

‘‘We have a bunch of young girls that put in hard work and came through,” Cross said of his team, which bested defending champion Eleanor Roosevelt (90 points). ‘‘It was a tough team battle, but the coaches that were here before me [Rick Williams and Derrell Quick] put together the foundation of this team and I have been fortunate enough to see the team finally pull it out.”

The Largo boys’ set a milestone of their own as this was the first boys’ team to win a county title in coach Darryl Hamilton’s 14 years with the program. The victory was an example of team-wide effort, as the Largo did not win a single individual event or relay competition but had enough high finishes to hold off Roosevelt (69 points).

Hamilton and the Lions were elated when the announcement of the team’s championship was made, but Hamilton wanted to give most of the credit to his assistant coaches.

‘‘It’s been a long time coming,” said Largo assistant and former athlete Onyachi Chuku. ‘‘We told them at the beginning of the year that they could win if they come out with the attitude that they could walk away with the county title.”

Longtime county track and field coach, teacher and former Parkdale High athletic director Dave Sellers said he could not remember the last time the Largo boys won a county championship.

As for the individuals, the day belonged to Henry A. Wise High senior Ernest Cooper on the boys’ side, as he was named most oustanding performer for track events.

Cooper won the 55 hurdles (8.07 seconds) and the 300 (35.93 seconds) and led the Pumas 800 relay team to a second-place finish.

Fairmont Heights senior Vanessa Henry was named girls’ most outstanding performer for field events as she claimed the shot put title with a throw of 40 feet, 7.50 inches, more than five feet ahead of second-place Mikelle Leigh (35-2.50) of Largo.

High Point senior Leslie Murray was named the boys’ most outstanding performer for field events with his county record-breaking leap of 22 feet, 8.25 inches in the long jump. The mark bested former Suitland High star Deyon Williams’ record jump of 22-4. Murray also won the boys’ 500 (1:06.1) and also captured second place in the high jump (5-10).

Roosevelt senior Daniel Edmund broke former Oxon Hill runner Isaac Mathews’ meet record in the 800 (1:59.55) by running a new record time of 1:58.8.

Wise senior Krystin Lawson continued her domination of the 55 dash as she won the event with a time of 7.29 seconds. Bowie junior Cassandra Bolden won the girls’ 55 hurdles championship (8.81 seconds).

Friendly High senior Lamaar Thomas continues to collect the hardware after he won his second consecutive county title in the boys’ 55 dash (6.42).

Roosevelt senior Tasha Stanley captured the girls’ 300 (39.84) while senior teammate Dominique Lockhart won the girls’ 1,600 (5:25.5) and 3,200 (12:09.7).

Roosevelt’s Brian Faherty swept the boys’ 1,600 (4:46.1) and 3,200 (10:34.7).

Oxon Hill sophomore Evann Slaughter won the girls’ high jump (5-4) and also took the triple jump (34-9.50).

Friendly sophomore Vernatta Biggs won the girls’ long jump (17-1.25).

Frederick Douglass High senior Jonathan Collins won the boys’ high jump (6 feet). Charles H. Flowers senior Vibert DeFreitas won the boys’ triple jump. Surrattsville senior Davin Meggett took the boys’ shot put (48 -6.75).

Roosevelt captured the girls’ 800 relay title (1:42.7) and 1,600 relay championship with a new record time of 3:56.7.

Flowers claimed the girls’ 3,200 relay championship (9:57.5).

The Roosevelt boys claimed the 3,200 relay championship with a record-setting time of 8:09.9, besting the former record by nearly two seconds. Roosevelt also won the boys’ 1,600 relay (3:29.2), while the Bowie boys pulled out the 800 relay championship (1:32.8).

The Flowers’ girls finished third overall as a team with 86 points. Oxon Hill’s girls (127 points) and the Largo girls (144 points) won the Division I (Class 4A) and the Division II (Class 3A⁄2A⁄1A) championships, respectively.

The High Point boys finished third overall as a team with 50 points, while the Wise boys (86 points) and the Largo boys (166 points) won the Division I and the Division II championships, respectively.

E-mail Terron Hampton at thampton@gazette.net.