Here’s what you need to know for the 2024-25 high school boys indoor track and field season in the Baltimore area:

Storylines to watch

Can Digital Harbor do it again?

There are a couple of different ways a team can win a state track and field title. They can build a deep roster and score points in myriad events, or they can build a small but extremely talented group that might not contend in every event but what they are in, they win. Digital Harbor took the latter route to their Class 3A state title last year. The Rams had five athletes score points during their state win and four of them return this winter. In LaMont Johnson, Jevonte Williams, DeAndre Thomas and Tristan Gray, the Rams return two individual state champions, two state runners-up and a third-place finisher. That’s not to mention Johnson, Williams and Thomas were three of the four runners on two state championship relays. Can Digital Harbor ride the same formula to another title, or will it expand its corps and leave no question?

What will Eric Penkala do for an encore?

Last season, the Southern distance runner became only the third Maryland public school athlete in 40 years to win the distance triple crown: capturing state titles in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200. His 1,600 time of 4 minutes, 17.46 seconds was a Class 2A state record. Running all three races in a one-day meet takes supreme endurance and athleticism. If he can accomplish this feat again, it will leave him in rarified air among Maryland’s best athletes. Along the way, more records will likely fall in his wake.

How far can Cam Brown and Jemmel Green lead Gilman?

Gilman hasn’t won a Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference indoor championship since 2018. The Greyhounds, though, feature firepower atop their roster that could help end that drought. Jemmel Green is one of the area’s premier distance runners. Last year’s conference 800-meter champion will be a favorite in all the distance races following the graduation of Calvert Hall’s Cameron Davis. St. Vincent Pallotti’s Caleb Tenney, though, is a strong rival for Green. Meanwhile, Cam Brown took home conference titles in the long and high jumps and will provide Gilman plenty of points from most meets. But can the Greyhounds fill out the lineup enough to challenge Calvert Hall’s reign of four of the past five conference titles?

A season of turnover in Baltimore County

Last winter, Baltimore County was one of balance. The 10 individual event county champions were spread among nine athletes. Only one returns: Hereford’s Ben Wheeler, who won the county title in the 300. At the Class 2A state meet, he was runner-up in the event and won the state title in the 500. With so many seniors atop last year’s county podium, Wheeler is well-positioned to have a strong county performance. However, the door is open for new athletes to emerge and challenge for titles. One of those is likely to be Milford Mill football star Damon Ferguson Jr., who didn’t run at the county meet last year but was top three at states in both the 300 and 500. Wheeler vs. Ferguson will be a fun battle to track all season.

Is another nail-biter in store for Carroll County?

One-third of a point. That’s all that separated first-place Manchester Valley from second-place Winters Mill at last year’s county meet. Both return strong lineups, bringing up the possibility of another thrilling county finish. Winters Mill returns Deon Whitlow, county champion in the 55, and Alexander Yeon, county runner-up and third-place state finisher in the shot put. Manchester Valley counters with Wyatt Zeigenfuse, county runner-up in the 300 and 500, and Logan Amis, one of the county’s top distance runners. Liberty and Century each have strong returning groups as well that could vault each into county contention.

Athletes to watch

Cam Brown, Gilman, senior

Brown won two MIAA titles last winter, claiming gold in the high and long jumps. He finished fifth at Nike Indoor Nationals in the long jump, leaping 23 feet, 2 3/4 inches

Delbert Cowesette, Atholton, senior

Cowesette finished as runner-up in the 55 at both the Howard County and Class 3A state championships. He was also the county champion in the long jump, though the event is not contested at the state meets.

Old Mill's Chancellor DeRosier, left, and Mergenthaler's Justin DeVaughn race side-by-side in the 4A boys 55 meter hurdles race during the Indoor Track and Field State Championships at Prince Georges Sports and Learning Complex on Tuesday. (Brian Krista/staff photo)
Mervo’s Justin DeVaughn, right, won the Class 4A state title in the high jump last year. (Brian Krista/Staff file)

Justin DeVaughn, Mervo, senior

DeVaughn cleared 6-6 in the high jump to win both Baltimore City and Class 4A state titles last season. He added a third-place state finish in the 55 hurdles.

Chase Dorsey, Calvert Hall, senior

Dorsey threw 55-10 1/4 in the shot put last December, which stood as the fourth-best throw in Maryland by season’s end. He won the MIAA A Conference title throwing 50-7.

Jemmel Green, Gilman, senior

Green won the MIAA A Conference championship in the 800 last season. This year, through cross country, he has elevated himself into one of the best distance runners in the area.

Old Mill High School senior cross country runner Tsedeke Jakovics. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Old Mill’s Tsedeke Jakovics won three Anne Arundel County titles last indoor season. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)

Tsedeke Jakovics, Old Mill, senior

Jakovics beat out Penkala for Anne Arundel County titles in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 last season. At the Class 4A state meet, he won the 800 and was runner-up in the 1,600.

LaMont Johnson, Digital Harbor, senior

Johnson led the Rams’ Class 3A state title efforts last winter with an individual crown in the 300 and a runner-up finish in the 500. He also ran on Digital Harbor’s state championship 4×200 and 4×400 relay teams.

Eric Penkala, Southern-AA, senior

The reigning All-Metro indoor Athlete of the Year won Class 2A state championships in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 and is also a two-time cross country state champion.

Hereford's Ben Wheeler competes in the 2A boys 400 meter run during the MPSSAA Track and Field State Championships at Prince George's Sports and Learning Complex on Thursday. (Brian Krista/staff photo)
Hereford’s Ben Wheeler won the Class 2A state title in the 500 last season. (Brian Krista/Staff file)

Ben Wheeler, Hereford, junior

Wheeler was a catalyst for the Bulls’ Class 2A state championship team last winter. He won an individual state title in the 500 and was runner-up in the 300.

Alexander Wockenfuss, Harford Tech, senior

Wockenfuss is coming off a phenomenal indoor track season last winter. He was Class 1A state runner-up in the 500 and ran on the Cobras’ championship 4×200 relay. He won the 300 at five meets and finished fifth at the state meet.

Preseason top 15 teams

1. Calvert Hall

Coach: Scott Baker

Last season: MIAA A Conference champion, ranked No. 1

Outlook: It’s not a matter of if Calvert Hall can rebuild but who will step up. Chase Dorsey and Cameron Hayes (55 hurdles) are returning MIAA champions, and a new crop of sprinters are ready for their shot.

2. Digital Harbor

Coach: Lutalo Bakari

Last season: Class 3A state champion, No. 4

Outlook: The Rams return four of their five athletes who scored points at last season’s state meet. LaMont Johnson and Jevonte Williams are returning state champions and Tristan Gray will be among Maryland’s best throwers.

3. Gilman

Coach: Matt Tully

Last season: MIAA A Conference runner-up, No. 2

Outlook: The Greyhounds will present a strong challenge to Calvert Hall’s reign atop the conference. Cam Brown and Jemmel Green will lead a talented roster going after championships.

4. Loyola Blakefield

Coach: Christopher Cucuzzella

Last season: Third in MIAA A Conference, No. 5

Outlook: The MIAA will be more than a two-team race as the Dons boast a quality returning group. Khary Adams won the conference in the 300 last season as a sophomore.

Harford Tech's Alexander Wockenfuss leads the field down the final stretch to win the 2A boys 800 meter run during the MPSSAA Track and Field State Championships at Prince George's Sports and Learning Complex on Thursday. (Brian Krista/staff photo)
Harford Tech’s Alexander Wockenfuss, right, was a runner-up in the 500 at the Class 1A state meet last season. (Brian Krista/Staff file)

5. Harford Tech

Coach: Darrell Diamond

Last season: Tied for second in Class 1A, No. 6

Outlook: Many of the athletes who led the Cobras to a state runner-up finish return, including Alexander Wockenfuss and Khory Reevey, who both ran as part of the state championship 4×200 team.

6. Hereford

Coach: Adam Hittner

Last season: Class 2A state champion, No. 3

Outlook: Ben Wheeler will only get better as a junior, but a strong field group that was vital to last year’s title will need to be replaced for the Bulls to repeat as state champions.

7. Old Mill

Coach: Justin Murdock

Last season: Seventh in Class 4A, No. 12

Outlook: Tsedeke Jakovics is a strong cornerstone who will provide big points at any meet he runs in. Owen Salanik could be the latest in a string of Patriot champion hurdlers.

8. Mervo

Coach: Vaughn DeVaughn

Last season: Eighth in Class 4A, No. 13

Outlook: Much like Old Mill and Hereford, the Mustangs will get big points from Justin DeVaughn at every meet. A strong supporting cast could have them pushing for a title.

9. McDonogh

Coach: Bernard Williams

Last season: Fourth in MIAA A Conference, not ranked

Outlook: Brandon Finney won the conference last season in the 55 and Andy Nesterovsky was runner-up in the 500. They return and give the Eagles a strong base to start the season.

10. Winters Mill

Coach: Jessica Dick

Last season: Tied for eighth in Class 2A, not ranked

Outlook: The return of Deon Whitlow and Alexander Yeon is enough to put the Falcons at the top of Carroll County, but there is more talent on the roster, especially in the distance group.

Leaders in the boys varsity race, Howard's Rayyan Dheini and Wilde Lake's Colin McGuinness, continue to set the pace. Howard County Cross Country championships at Centennial High School. (Jeffrey F. Bill/Staff)
Rayyan Dheini, right, will be Howard’s top runner this winter. (Jeffrey F. Bill/Staff file)

11. Howard

Coach: Ed Wilson

Last season: Fifth in Class 3A, No. 8

Outlook: The Howard County champions have a huge hole to fill in two-time state champion Joey Ensor, but Rayyan Dheini emerged as a top distance runner during cross country and should do the same indoors.

12. Towson

Coach: Gil Stange

Last season: Third in Class 3A, No. 10

Outlook: Evan Cline and Hunter Parsons each finished in the top five in two events and last year’s state meet and will be a solid base for the Generals to build around this season.

13. Liberty

Coach: Trent Rose

Last season: Tied for second in Class 1A, No. 9

Outlook: The Lions boast a strong distance group highlighted by two-time cross country state champion Gregory Schellberg. Liberty also returns several talented athletes in the field events, especially pole vault and high jump.

14. Milford Mill

Coach: Sharon Johnson

Last season: Seventh in Class 2A, not ranked

Outlook: Damon Ferguson earned an individual silver and bronze medal in the 300 and 500 at last year’s state meet. He also ran on a state championship 4×400 relay that also returns Seth Minter and Joshua Moore.

15. Oakland Mills

Coach: Chris Brewington

Last season: Fourth in Class 3A, No. 7

Outlook: The Scorpions have consistently found new athletes to fill whatever holes emerge in the lineup each year and will have to do the same again after another year of heavy graduation losses.

Others considered: Atholton, Centennial, Century, Southern-AA, Wilde Lake

Have a news tip? Contact Anthony Maluso at amaluso@baltsun.com, 567-230-6024, x.com/TonySunSports and instagram.com/TonySunSports.