Here’s what you need to know for the 2024-25 high school girls indoor track and field season in the Baltimore area:
Storylines to watch
Elise Cooper’s final lap
One of the most dominant sprinters over the past few years, McDonogh’s Elise Cooper begins her senior year of track with the indoor season, in which she’s a two-time All-Metro Athlete of the Year. In her first three years for the Eagles, Cooper has won 20 Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland titles combining indoor and outdoor seasons (14 individual races, six relays). This past summer, she ran in the 200 at the U.S. Olympic trials and advanced to the semifinals at age 17. She has yet to make a college commitment, but in the past few weeks on social media she’s posted visits to Florida, Texas, Georgia, Southern California and UCLA.
Baltimore County produced two team state champions a year ago. Will there be a repeat?
Last year, Woodlawn in Class 4A and Hereford in Class 2A won their respective state championships. However, both have big holes in the lineup that need to be filled. Woodlawn lost two-time individual state champion Nikiyah Williams and 55-meter silver medalist Arayana Ladson to graduation. Destiny Coleman, last year’s state champion in the 55 hurdles, is back as a junior leader. Hereford lost two-time gold medalist Rebekkah Hillier but returns three other state placers. Last season, Woodlawn beat Hereford by four points for the county championship.
River Hill chasing titles and records
River Hill has finished third in Class 3A in each of the past two indoor state meets. There is good reason to believe this could be the year the Hawks move up, as many of their current athletes are already in the state record book. Lauren Virmani, Nikita Mohan, Alyssa Mattes and Marella Virmani set a state record, winning the 4×800-meter relay state championship in 9 minutes, 35.39 seconds. Mohan was a freshman on that team, while the other three were sophomores. With each a year older and a year stronger, they’re poised to not only break their own record but add their names in other events and bring the Hawks closer to a team championship.
Will an injury hold back one of the area’s best?
Edgewood’s Brielle Whitworth recently committed to the University of Pittsburgh, but her run at a potential cross country state championship took a detour. While running near the front of the pack for the first half of the race, Whitworth suffered an injury and did not finish. Whitworth is the defending Class 3A state champion in the 1,600 and also finished sixth in the 800. She added another gold in the 1,600 and a silver in the 3,200 to her collection during the spring outdoor season. If healthy, she will be among the best distance runners in the area and a challenger for more state medals, as well as perhaps the best indoor athlete in Harford County and the UCBAC.
Can Southern be a player in Anne Arundel and Class 2A?
While the top of Anne Arundel County is usually monopolized by the bigger schools and more established programs such as Broadneck and Severna Park, one of the smallest schools in the county shouldn’t be discounted. Southern was the Class 2A state runner-up last year and seventh in the county. Two-time county champion Broadneck lost county champions in four events, opening the door for others to run through. Southern, which returns a strong core including sprinter Marley Shaw and county 800 champion Rebecca Burgee, is more than capable of contending. And once the Bulldogs get into the postseason, 2A could be theirs for the taking.
Athletes to watch
Rebecca Burgee, Southern-AA, senior
Burgee ran on Southern’s 2A state championship 4×800 relay team and runner-up 4×400 team. Individually, she was state runner-up in the 800 and third in the 500.
Destiny Coleman, Woodlawn, junior
Coleman became the first 4A girl to break 8 seconds at the Maryland state championships (7.96) in claiming the 55-meter hurdles title last season. She was also fourth in the state in the 55.
Elise Cooper, McDonogh, senior
In her most recent high-profile race, Cooper was next to Sha’Carri Richardson at the U.S. Olympic trials. In regional and IAAM competitions, she’ll be a heavy favorite in any race she runs.
Riley Herdson, Centennial, senior
The newly crowned cross country state champion got another gold medal to match the Class 2A state title she earned last season in the 800.
Chayse Mitchell, Spalding, junior
Nobody outjumped the then-sophomore in the IAAM last season. Mitchell claimed conference titles in the high jump (5-2), long jump (18-10 1/4) and triple jump (36-5 3/4).
Julia Norris, McDonogh, senior
Norris’ throw of 39-8 3/4 won her last season’s IAAM shot put championship and also was the fourth-best throw in Maryland. She’s expected to be the top thrower in the area this winter.
Grace Nyembo, City, sophomore
Nyembo is poised to break out after a strong freshman campaign. In the indoor season, she was the Class 3A state runner-up in the 500 and was third in Baltimore City in the 800.
Sydney Rhodes, Howard, senior
Rhodes returns after winning the Class 3A state championship last winter in the 55. She qualified for states in the 300 but did not start the race.
Sylvia Snider, Hereford, senior
Snider has established herself as one of the area’s top distance runners and was a key piece of last year’s state title team with a second-place finish in the Class 2A 3,200 and a third-place finish in the 1,600.
Cailyn Stine, Century, senior
Stine will lead Century’s charge for a repeat Carroll County championship and to better its third-place finish at the Class 2A state meet. She won the 2A state title in the 500 and was fifth at states in the 300.
Lauren Virmani, River Hill, junior
Virmani led off the Hawks’ record 4×800 relay last season. Individually, she was the Class 3A state runner-up in the 1,600 and 3,200. Two years ago as a freshman, she won the state title in the 3,200.
Brielle Whitworth, Edgewood, senior
An injury derailed her quest for a cross country state championship, but when healthy, Whitworth is one of the best distance runners in the area. She was last season’s Class 3A indoor state champion in the 1,600.
Preseason top 15 poll
1. McDonogh
Coach: Bernard Williams
Last season: IAAM A Conference champion, ranked No. 1
Outlook: Elise Cooper should win any race she runs, and her sister Elena will also provide valuable points. Julia Norris (shot put) and Caroline Birdsall (pole vault) were also IAAM champions last year.
2. River Hill
Coach: Ammera Schmidt
Last season: Third place in 3A, No. 8
Outlook: Returning all four members of last year’s record-setting 4×800 relay is a strong starting point to build any team around. The Hawks will be hard to beat in any distance race.
3. Spalding
Coach: Jessica Beard
Last season: IAAM A Conference runner-up, No. 4
Outlook: Mitchell will provide a bounty of points and Marisa Mock was the IAAM champion in the 800 last season. The Cavaliers need to find a replacement for sprinter Jalaia Creary.
4. Hereford
Coach: Brad Duvall
Last season: Class 2A state champion, No. 3
Outlook: The Bulls won last year with strong distance running and enough placements in a variety of events. The same should ring true again this year despite losing Rebekkah Hillier.
5. Harford Tech
Coach: Darrell Diamond
Last season: Class 1A state runner-up, No. 5
Outlook: The Cobras bring back a loaded lineup that nearly claimed the Class 1A state title last year. All four members of the state championship 4×200 relay — Madisyn Bobb, Madisen Morgan, Destiny Baker and Winter Evans — return.
6. Century
Coach: Alexis Daniel
Last season: Third in Class 2A, No. 10
Outlook: Cailyn Stine headlines a strong returning group that includes a pair of distance specialists in sisters Emily and Elizabeth Mitroka. Charlotte Prunkl will contend for a pole vault state title and Taylor Colson is another strong distance runner.
7. Howard
Coach: Erik Jenks
Last season: Fourth in Class 3A, No. 6
Outlook: Sydney Rhodes is one of the best in the area and will rack up points. Two others who ran with her on the state runner-up 4×200 team — Danielle Boyle and Bianca Durant — return, and sophomore Claire Sivitz is one of the best distance runners in the area.
8. Oakland Mills
Coach: Renato Gonzales
Last season: Eighth in Class 3A, No. 12
Outlook: The Scorpions were Howard County champions but couldn’t match the point total of two county rivals at the state meet. Some top performers are gone, but high jumper Alicia Hall and hurdler Janelle Codrington return.
9. Woodlawn
Coach: Joey Young
Last season: Class 4A state champion, No. 2
Outlook: While Coleman is one of the area’s best and will lead the state and county repeat efforts along with Kenya Merritt. However, the loss of stars Williams and Ladson looms large.
10. Mount de Sales
Coach: Paul Whittaker
Last season: Fourth in IAAM A Conference, not ranked
Outlook: McDonogh and Spalding are a clear top two in the IAAM A Conference. The Sailors might have just a bit more returning, including MyKenzie Britton, than Maryvale Prep to claim the third spot in the conference.
11. Maryvale Prep
Coach: Jason Miller
Last season: Third in IAAM A Conference, No. 15
Outlook: The Lions have a chance to contend in the conference thanks to a strong group of returners. However, there are quite a few holes in the lineup because of graduations that they’ll need to fill.
12. Severna Park
Coach: Josh Alcombright
Last season: Tied for sixth in Class 3A, No. 11
Outlook: The Falcons will score plenty of points in the distance events at most meets thanks to a deep group. If they can supplement that with points in the field or sprints, they’ll be title contenders.
13. Western
Coach: Keysha Fearon
Last season: Tied for eighth in Class 4A, No. 9
Outlook: The Baltimore City champs return Kiri Mitchell, who won the city title in the 300 as a freshman, and junior Kiana Mosby, who won the 800, was runner-up in the 1,600 and finished third in the 3,200.
14. Southern-AA
Coach: Jonathan Burgee
Last season: Class 2A state runner-up, not ranked
Outlook: Burgee and Shaw lead a promising team that’s aiming to grow into a perennial contender at both the county and state level.
15. Patterson Mill
Coach: Dave Hyurk
Last season: Fifth in Class 1A, not ranked
Outlook: While there wasn’t a Harford County or UCBAC meet last season, the Huskies were near the top in most meets they competed in around the region and return 3,200 state champ Abigail Horsmon as well as Stefani Burns, who took third at states in the pole vault.
Others considered: Broadneck, City, Notre Dame Prep, Towson, Western Tech
Have a news tip? Contact Anthony Maluso at amaluso@baltsun.com, 567-230-6024, x.com/TonySunSports and instagram.com/TonySunSports.
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