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After a four year drought from winning any team state titles in track and field (indoor or outdoor), Montgomery County capped off the 2008 indoor track season with Quince Orchard winning the boys 4A state title, B-CC winning the girls 3A state title, and Poolesville winning the girls 1A state title. Avery Graham, Chris Moen, Wil Zahorodny, Olivia Ekpone, and the Damascus 4x800 relay broke state records. Athletes who won two individual state titles were Avery Graham of Clarksburg, Neal Darmody of Quince Orchard, and Derrick Powell of Northwood. In total, 25 individuals and relay teams from Montgomery County won state titles.
Of all the state titles, the only two teams to win regional titles were the Poolesville girls in the 1A West and the Damascus boys in the 3A West. 35 individuals and 11 relay teams from Montgomery County won regional titles in the various classifications. Athletes who won two events at their regional meet included Jenny Reid of Poolesville, Karissa Harris of Poolesville, Derrick Powell of Northwood, Morgane Gay of Whitman, and Neal Darmody of Quince Orchard.
At the Montgomery County Championship Meet, two other teams stole the show. Wootton girls ended Churchill's two year run by winning the meet 84 to 82 over the Bulldogs. Richard Montgomery boys three-peated, winning their third consecutive indoor county title 86-83.5 over Quince Orchard. Six boys and two relay teams combined to break nine county meet records. In addition to breaking the county meet record, Damascus senior Wil Zahorodny ran the fastest time in the nation in the 500-meter dash which he later lowered even further at the state championship. A week later he surrendered the US #1 time to Javell Bullard of Virginia. Athletes who won two events at the county championship were Olivia Ekpone of Wootton, Leslie Morrison of Whitman, Neal Darmody of Quince Orchard, and Gary Frazier of Richard Montgomery.
The Virginia Tech Invitational produced the fastest times of the season in six boys events and three girls events this year. Of those, three hit the fastest time or best mark in mocorunning's three year history. This includes Brendan Etzel's then US #2 34.47 300-meter run, a long jump by Gary Frazier of 21-10, and a triple jump by Ian Francis of 45-02.
Six individuals and three relays earned All-American honors at Nike Indoor Nationals. Solomon Haile of Sherwood won the national title in the 5k. Olivia Ekpone earned All-American in three events. Season bests in seven major girls events and five majors boys events were recorded. Several marks and times at NIN were the best indoor marks in mocorunning.com history including Haile in the 5k, Sean Stanley in the shot put, Caleb Porzel in the 60m, John Jones in the 400, Quince Orchard boys in the DMR, Ekpone in all three of her events, Alex Doll in the mile, and Churchill girls in the 4x8 and DMR.
Private school athletes do not compete for team titles indoors, but that did not stop many of them from attending the Montgomery Invitational, the Georgetown Prep Private School Invitational and many other meets across the DC area. Chiny Asher of Holy Cross claimed the top time in the county this year in the 3200-meter run with a time of 11:05.11 at the Private School Invitational. Caleb Porzel of Good Counsel ran the top time in mocorunning.com history in the 55-meter dash with a time of 6.47 in his only 55-meter race of the year. Jamie Gabriel of Landon continues to be the class of the county in the pole vault with a jump of 12-00 at the Private School Invitational.
The 2008 indoor track season was unpredictable and thrilling, with different athletes coming up with amazing performances every week. MoCoRunning selects an athlete of the week for every week that there is competition. Athletes of the Week can always be found On This Page under "Fun Stuff"
| 2008-03-09 | Olivia Ekpone | Thomas S. Wootton | 7.90 60m, 6th; 7.56 semi
55.86 400m, 2nd
24.95 200m, 2nd; 24.86 prelim
All-American in All 3
at Nike Indoor Nationals
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| 2008-03-09 | Solomon Haile | Sherwood | 14:53.93 5k (1st)
National Champion
at Nike Indoor Nationals
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| 2008-02-24 | Vanessa Jules | Paint Branch | 5-06 High Jump (1st)
41.86 300m (7th)
at 3A State Championship
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| 2008-02-24 | Ryan Mullsteff | Damascus | 6-06 High Jump
at 3A State Championship
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| 2008-02-17 | Olivia Ekpone | Thomas S. Wootton | 7.05 55m (1st, State Record)
39.49 300m (2nd)
at 4A State Championship
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| 2008-02-17 | Avery Graham | Clarksburg | 6.49 55m (1st, 2A State Record)
50-00.50 Shot Put (1st)
at 2A State Championship
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| 2008-02-03 | Caleb Porzel | Good Counsel | 6.46 55m Dash (1st)
at Private School Invitational
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| 2008-02-03 | Chinyelu Asher | Academy of the Holy Cross | 5:15.73 1600m (1st)
11:05.11 3200m (2nd)
at Private School Invitational
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| 2008-01-27 | Solomon Haile | Sherwood | 9:17.13 3200m (1st)
at Last Track to Philly
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| 2008-01-27 | Arliegh Rose | Sherwood | 36-00.00 Shot Put (2nd)
at Last Track to Philly
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| 2008-01-20 | Gary Frazier | Richard Montgomery | 6.63 (6.58q) 55m(8th), 21-10 LJ (5th)
at Virginia Tech Invitational
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| 2008-01-20 | Katie Wolf | Winston Churchill | 7.38 55m (12th), 40.94 300m (7th)
at Virginia Tech Invitational
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| 2008-01-13 | Olivia Ekpone | Thomas S. Wootton | 7.09 55m (1st), 40.76 300m (1st)
at Montgomery County Championship
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| 2008-01-13 | Wil Zahorodny | Damascus | 1:05.09 500m (1st), 2:03.73 800m (6th)
at Montgomery County Championship
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| 2008-01-06 | Alex Doll | Bethesda Chevy Chase | 5:08.53 Mile (2nd)
at Montgomery Invitational
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| 2008-01-06 | Derrick Powell | Northwood | 50.69 400m (1st)
at Montgomery Invitational
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| 2007-12-30 | Alissa Jewell | Gaithersburg | 42.32 300m (6th), 1:23.03 500m (6th)
at Southern MD Mega Meet
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| 2007-12-30 | Brian Graves | Walter Johnson | 9:45.13 3200m (1st)
at Southern MD Mega Meet
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| 2007-12-23 | Ashley Dabney | Wheaton | 5-05 High Jump (1st)
at Montgomery County Developmental Meet
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| 2007-12-23 | Avery Graham | Clarksburg | 49-05.50 Shot Put (1st)
6.4 55m dash (1st)
at Montgomery County Developmental Meet
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| 2007-12-16 | 2008 PB_Relays | Paint Branch | 1:50.64 4x200m (4th)
at Sportsplex HS Relays
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| 2007-12-16 | 2008 Blair_Relays | Montgomery Blair | 3:41.66 1600m SMR (1st)
at Sportsplex HS Relays
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| 2007-12-09 | Arielle Statham | Paint Branch | 59.68 400m (1st), 26.17 200m (4th)
35-04.50 (2nd)
at HoCo Track Winterfest
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| 2007-12-09 | John Jones | Paint Branch | 51.01 400m (3rd), 23.52 200m (9th)
at HoCo Track Winterfest
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| 2007-12-02 | 2008 Northwood_Relays | Northwood | 3:40.69 1600m SMR (1st)
at HoCo/MoCo Challenge
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| 2007-12-02 | 2008 Whitman_Relays | Walt Whitman | 21:59.1 4x1600m (1st)
at HoCo/MoCo Challenge
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All Indoor 2008 Articles:
All MoCoRunning Photos and Videos can be found on the MEDIA PAGE
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