County has champs, top times

Thursday, March 8, 2007

County has champs, top times

E-mail this article \ Print this article

Christopher Anderson⁄The Bowie Star

The Star⁄Gazette All-County Boys’ Indoor Track team includes: (front row, from left) Coach of the Year Josh Abrams, Kelli Thibou, Jeremy Bowers, Adrian Browne; (middle row, from left) Davin Meggett, Keenan Fenwick, Jerod Franklin, Lamaar Thomas; (back row, from left) Sean Suber, Johnathan Collins, Leslie Murray, Damel Goddard, Dennis Thomas. Not pictured: Warren Gray, Charles Johnson, Stacey Adams.

Runner of the year

Jerod Franklin, Flowers, Distance: Accomplished his goal of joining state history, breaking the state finals record in the 800 meters (1 minute, 56.94 seconds) previously held by Roosevelt’s Kelli Thibou. It concluded a postseason where the senior had five top-three finishes. At the county finals, Franklin won the 800 (2:00.1), narrowly missing the record (1:59.55). He won the 1,600 (4:37.32) at the East Region meet, was the runner-up in the 800 (1:58.54) and fourth in the 500. Franklin, a second-team selection last year, took fourth in the 1,600 at the state meet.

Field Athlete of the year

Davin Meggett, Surrattsville, shot put: A football standout whose father, Dave, was a two-time National Football League All-Pro, had a breakout winter in the shot put, winning two of the three postseason meets. Meggett won the county (49 feet, 4.25 inches), and 2A⁄1A East Region titles(47-6). The junior missed the Triple Crown, finishing second (49-3.75) at the state 2A⁄1A meet. Meggett also took first at the Prince George’s Invitational (49-5.5).

Coach of the year

Josh Abrams, Eleanor Roosevelt: Faced with replacing an icon at the county’s most high-profile school, Abrams put his imprint on the track program at Eleanor Roosevelt High School, which claimed its second straight state Class 4A⁄3A championship. The Greenbelt school swept all three postseason team titles. Abrams, a former sprinter and assistant coach at Delaware State University, succeeded Larry Colbert, who won 20 state indoor and outdoor track championships in 15 seasons at Roosevelt. The Raiders won their third consecutive county title, and their 800- and 3,200-meter relay teams ranked in the top 10 nationally according to track Web site Dyestat.com.

First team

Charles Johnson, Oxon Hill, Sprints: Johnson was steady in the postseason, placing second in the 300 at the county (35.2), East Region (35.07) and state 4A⁄3A meets (35.61). The senior was the runner-up in the 55 (6.57) at the county finals.

Devon Smith, Roosevelt, Sprints: Smith would have been the state 4A⁄3A 55 champion (6.31) if not for Glen Burnie’s Justin Murdock, who shattered the state mark (6.21) in the title race. The junior claimed the East Region title (6.4) and was first at the Prince George’s Invitational (6.51).

Sean Suber, DeMatha, Sprints: The senior posted the state’s best clocking in the 200 (22.04) and 400 (49.25), both at the Penn State Invitational. His county-best 34.84 in the 300 at the Virginia Tech Invitational garnered him third, and he was part of DeMatha’s 1,600 relay that notched the top time in the state and fifth-best time nationally, according to Dyestat (3:20.83).

Dennis Thomas, Bowie, Sprints: Thomas followed former Bulldogs Adrian Arthur (2006) and Kevin Teel (2005) in winning the county 55 dash title (6.55), and was the runner-up at the East Region meet (6.48). The junior, who was sixth at the state meet, placed second at the Prince George’s Invitational (6.44).

Lamaar Thomas, Friendly, Sprints: A member of the Patriots’ undefeated state 3A championship football squad, Thomas added a track title, winning the 3A⁄2A 55 dash in a 3A record 6.41. The junior placed first in the 55 (6.59) and second in the 300 (38.19) at the East Region meet, and was fifth in the 55 at the county finals.

Adrian Browne, Roosevelt, MiddleDistance: Browne emerged for the state 4A⁄3A champs, winning the 500 at the county (1:07.4) and region (1:07.26) meets before being edged at the finish line at the state meet (1:05.43). The senior was second in the 400 (50.06) at the Montgomery Invitational.

Kelli Thibou, Roosevelt, Middle Distance: A two-time first-team pick, Thibou won the state 500 (1:05.41), diving at the finish to deny teammate Browne, but was unable defend his state 800 title in his senior year because of injury. Thibou was part of the Raiders’ 3,200 relay squad that clocked the No. 2 time in U.S. (7.49.9).

Jeremy Bowers, Roosevelt, Distance: Bowers was the Raiders’ top distance performer in the postseason, winning the 1,600 (4:50.4) and taking second-place in the 3,200 (10:28.2) at the county finals. The junior placed in the 1,600 (sixth) and 3,200 (fourth) at the region meet.

Keenan Fenwick, Flowers, Hurdles: Fenwick captured fourth in the 55 hurdles at the state 4A⁄3A meet after runner-up showings at the county (8.05) and region (8.06) finals. The senior was a second-team all-county football pick last fall.

Warren Gray, Oxon Hill, High Jump: The senior was the outstanding male field performer at the county finals, setting the triple jump mark (45-9.25), and placed first in the high jump (6-2). He won the high jump (6-4) at the East Region meet before placing fifth at the state finals.

Leslie Murray, Bladensburg, Long Jump: Murray, a transfer from High Point, claimed top honors in the long jump at the county finals (21 feet), and was fifth in the high jump. The senior placed first at the Prince George’s Invitational (6.46 meters).

Damel Goddard, Bowie, Triple Jump: Goddard returns to the first team after posting the state’s top showing in the triple jump (45-10 at the Coach O Invitational). The senior was the runner-up at the county finals (45-6.5), won the Prince George’s Invitational title (44-2) and placed third at the Montgomery Invitational (45-7).

Johnathan Collins, Frederick Douglass, Pole Vault: The first athlete chosen to the first team for pole vaulting, Collins won the county (8 feet) and 2A⁄1A East Region (9 feet). Though the junior didn’t place in the pole vault at the state finals, Collins finished fourth in the high jump.

Stacey Adams, Potomac, Shot Put: Adams followed his outdoor state 2A title last spring with the 3A⁄2A indoor crown (50-3.25). The senior placed first at the East Region meet (49-10.75), and was county runner-up (46-3.75).

Second Team

Relays: Chris Smith, DuVal; Paul Kelley, Jordan Porter and Antonio Walker, Potomac; Jovon Edwards, Denny Long, Michael Sesay and Tristan Youngblood, Roosevelt.

Sprints: Donte Holmes, Roosevelt; Ola Komolafe and Daniel Narh, DuVal; Eric Simmons and Derrick Tinsley, Oxon Hill.

Middle distance: Alfonzo Diaz,Laurel; Daniel Edmund, Roosevelt; Jimmy Harper, Potomac.

Distance: Brian Faherty and Donald Lockhart, Roosevelt; Kevin Wood, Bladensburg; Yeabsera Worku, High Point.

Hurdles: Kwasi Agyeman, Douglass; Daevon Dancy, Oxon Hill;Deanthony Jones, Flowers; Marcus Weeks, Henry A. Wise.

Jumps: William Bailey, Bowie; Andre Clarke, DuVal; VibertDefreitas, Flowers.

Shot put: Dontrell Brennan, Potomac; Robert Moore, Flowers.

All-county teams are selected by the Star⁄Gazette sports staff based on athletes’ performances and nominations from coaches. Staff writer Derek Toney compiled the writeups on these pages.