2024 MIAA Track & Field Preview

Loyola Blakefield appears to have enough all-around talent and depth in an earnest effort to dethrone Calvert Hall in the A Conference.

“We’ve got a solid team this year,” veteran Loyola coach Jose Albornoz said. “As always, we have a strong corps of distance runners from our cross country program."

Seniors Liam Lucas, Bryce Robinson, Andrew Rowan and Sean Wilson and sophomore Liam Stappert give the Dons plenty of distance depth.

Vaulters Jack Wachter (14 feet, 6 inches) and Will Coyne (13-6) are strong one-two punch attempting to clear the crossbar  

Sophomore long jumper Daniel McCormick (21-5) and senior Chris Nwafor (20 plus long jump, 40 plus triple jump) join senior high jumpers Maurice Ghee and Ezra Carter (both 6-footers) to move forward. 

Senior thrower Matt Johnson (46 shot, 110 discus) will be among the league’s best, Albornoz said, while sophomore sprinter Khary Adams is capable of an 11-second 100, a 22-second 200 and 50-second 400.   

“With a strong supporting reserve cast we should be able to put together some solid relays as well,” Albornoz concluded.

Gilman aims to build upon a second-place finish at the indoor championship by establishing depth around several returning successful veterans, according to coach Matt Tully. 

To that end, Cam Brown earned MIAA Indoor Track Athlete of the Year honors after winning the long jump and high jump.  He also notched All-American honors at Nike Indoor Nationals in the long jump with his leap of 23-2.75, the best mark in Maryland the season. 

Fellow junior Jemmel Green won the 800 and finished second in the 1600 at MIAA Championships, continuing his highly decorated career. 

Joining the All-MIAA team were senior captains Austin Lansey and Ryan Coleman, who thrive in the horizontal jumps, Tully said.

Welcoming athletes who competed in other winter sports should help add depth in the sprints and field, including fourth-year varsity veterans Dejuan Lane and Yasir Supreme, and several other young promising athletes. 

“The Greyhounds look forward to a robust schedule, including competitive league meets and high-level competition on weekends outside the conference,” Tully said. 

Archbishop Curley coach Garfield Thompson said that he is looking for a strong contribution from the senior class, especially sprinters Malakai Nichols and Carson Eddy, hurdlers Zico Agyapong and Antoine Padano, along with middle distance brothers Christopher and Ethan Girard. 

Indoor All-American freshman performer Rashein Gibbs can make an instant impact in both the 100 and 200 and on  the sprint relay teams as well. 

Junior throwers Zion Pate and Kahlil Regan should solidify the Friars in both the shot put and discus,” Thompson added. 

“We are aiming to be a top-four team at the MIAA outdoor championship in May,” the coach predicted. “We were hoping to find out how good we can be last weekend, but were rained out of the MIAA Relays so we won’t start the season until after Easter.”

Coach Casey Corkin said that Indian Creek will strive to improve on what he called an impressive seventh-place finish at last year’s B Conference championship meet in only the program’s second full year of track.

The Eagles will rely on senior Frederick McCuiston (200, 400, relays) and junior Jayden Green (400, relays) to pile up points.

“We will have some strong middle-distance runners and relays this year,” he said, noting that McCuiston placed second in the 400 last year and that Green’s prowess is in the same event. “We had very strong field event seniors in their first year of track that surprised us (triple jump champion George Weston) and he placed second in the long and high jumps. It is possible we might see a few athletes like that surprise us this year when they try a new event.” 

Archbishop Spalding has a powerful group of sprinters who will be tough to beat.

“I’m really looking forward to the outdoor season and though we don’t have a full team, I have 4-5 athletes that should be able to run at least 49.XX in the open 400,” Spalding coach Jessica Beard said. “And if they are able to do the same for the relay, they would run sub 3:18 — which would be amazing.”

Beard is describing junior Garrett Brennan, the defending 400 champion, and senior Kaden Curtis, the 2022 winner, who join juniors Willem Martino (22.70/35.49) and AJ Perdue (22.75/35.50, who had great indoor seasons running the 300, to give the Cavaliers a potent slew of sprinters.

Senior Daniel Miller (6.65) is Spalding’s fastest 55 performer while also being the school record-holder in the 100 and a threat to go under 11 seconds in the 100. 

“He also wants to break the school record set by Brennan last year and be the first to go sub 22,” Beard said. “All five athletes have the potential to go sub 22, so it will be about who gets there first and then who gets the last say. Indoor, we won the 4x400 relay and ran 3:22 a month later with Curtis, Martino, Perdue and freshman Elijah Best, who is looking to make a big statement to secure his spot on the relay outdoors as well. He ran 53 in the 8th grade. The aforementioned athletes are looking to also break school records in the 4x200 relay and 4x100 relay this year. It is exciting to have them and even more athletes to choose from when it comes to individual and open events.”

Mount Carmel coach Kerry Williams said that the team has nearly triple in size, from nine athletes to 25 this spring, “which speaks volumes about the nine student-athletes who represented our school last year” while placing fifth in the B Conference. 

“The program is still small and building,” he added. “But the talent is there and the future is bright.”

Look for Corey Rideout, the reigning 400 JV champ, and senior William Scott, a running back on the football team, to lead the way for the Cougars.

St. Frances Academy is looking forward to a stellar season for the freshman and sophomore classes, SFA coach Marlena Robinson said. 

Freshman Christopher Quick, the NBNI Freshman Division 60-meter champ, will make his outdoor debut. 

“Quick is a 200, 400 specialist with a dominant start (that) gives him an edge over his competition,” Robinson said. “Jahshua Lamothe returns to high jump with his sights set on a championship medal this year. The juniors and seniors will be a force to be reckoned with in the relays. There's a depth of speed from Kevyn Humes (top 30 in the NBNI 60), Blake Woodby and JerMichael Gillis.”