The Hereford girls are sure to rack up some serious points this winter in the pole vault as they have three of the top returning girls in the state. (Photo by John Roemer)
We continue our indoor preview by highlighting some of the top returning girls individuals in the 3A classification.
*Note: outdoor performances are only taken into consideration if the athlete also participated during indoor track.
Sprints
Janasia Buckner (Sophomore, River Hill) - 7.32 55, 44.54 300, 12.43 100, 26.02 200
Buckner excelled in the short sprints as a freshman last season. She saved her two fastest performances in the 55 meter dash for the prelims and finals at the 2A state meet, where she finished as the runner-up. Buckner also finished fourth at the outdoor state meet in the 100 meter dash and brings the second-fastest returning time in the 55 meter dash among 3A runners.
Sophie Davidson (Sophomore, Reservoir) - 7.35 55, 45.03 300, 12.62 100, 26.74 200
Another standout Howard County sophomore, Davidson also performed well on the state level last winter as a freshman. Her 7.35 time in the 55 meter dash ranked fourth among freshmen in the state last season, and it was good for a fifth place finish at the 3A state meet.
Jeilani Harvey (Junior, St. Charles) - 43.04 300, 1:22.84 500, 25.58 200, 57.66 400
Photo by Brandon Miles
Harvey was the 2018 3A East indoor regional champion in the 500 meter dash, although she didn't quite repeat that performance last indoor season. However, she had an excellent sophomore spring season, qualifying for states in both the 20 and 400 meter dashes. Her 57.66 personal best in the 400 ranks fourth among 3A returners.
Jasmine Johnson (Senior, Franklin) - 41.18 300, 1:16.71 500, 25.28 200, 55.55 400
Johnson turned in two more top-five performances on the state meet level last winter in both the 300 and 500 meter dashes. She won her first state title in the 300 meter hurdles last spring, and although she doesn't compete in the hurdles during the indoor season, she owns the second-fastest returning marks in both the 300 and 500 among 3A runners.
Rhiannon Little (Junior, Reservoir) - 1:20.64 500, 2:32.33 800
Little emerged as a point-scorer for the Gators last winter as a sophomore. A rookie in the 500 meter dash, she finished third at both the Howard County Championships and 3A East regionals, then eighth at the 3A state meet.
Sierrah Matthews (Junior, Mount Hebron) - 40.75 300, 1:15.85 500, 25.41 200, 56.34 400
The Mount Hebron girls have another mid-distance star in Matthews, who caught fire at the end of her sophomore indoor season and swept county, region and state titles in the 500 meter dash. She also finished third in the 300 meter dash and fourth in the 400 meter dash at the outdoor state meet, and owns the fastest returning 300 and 500 meter times in 3A.
Morgan Nasir (Junior, Atholton) - 7.62 55, 41.81 300, 12.79 100, 25.75 200, 1:01.44 400
Nasir dropped nearly two seconds in the 300 meter dash between her freshman and sophomore indoor seasons. Her sophomore season ended with a seventh-place finish in the event at the 3A state meet, and she is one of just three 3A returners who have run under 42 seconds in the 300.
Christal Pommells (Junior, Northeast-AA) - 7.49 55, 42.43 300, 1:26.68 500, 12.39 100, 25.05 200, 57.70 400
Photo by Craig Amoss
Pommells had never qualified for a state meet heading into last spring, but she changed that in a big way. Pommells advanced to the state meet in the 100, 200 and 400 meter dashes and scored in the first two. She also swept all three races at the Anne Arundel County Championships. She leads all 3A returners in the 200 meter dash.
Aaliyah Robinson (Senior, Woodlawn) - 7.39 55, 43.81 300, 12.36 100, 25.28 200
After finishing fifth at the 3A Central regions in both the 55 and 300 in 2018, Robinson won last year's 3A Central title in the 55 meter dash. She broke 7.40 seconds in the event for the first time at the state meet and is one of just five 3A returners to have done so.
Savannah Wright (Senior, Oxon Hill) - 7.36 55, 43.69 300, 12.15 100, 25.57 200
Photo by Craig Amoss
The shorter the event, the more Wright excels. She finished sixth at the indoor state meet in the 55 meter dash and third at the outdoor state meet in the 100 meter dash. She leads all 3A returners in the 100 and also ranks fourth among returners in the 55.
Distance
Rubie Goffena (Sophomore, Manchester Valley) - 2:21.14 800, 5:14.25 1600, 11:29.34 3200
Goffena finished in the top ten at the indoor state meet in both the 1600 and 3200 as a freshman, but her outdoor season was even more impressive. She finished third at the outdoor state meet in the 3200, a race that came down to the wire, and fifth in the 1600. She is also coming off a sophomore cross country season during which she captured her second regional title in as many years.
Kathryn Lawless (Junior, Northern-Calvert) - 2:21.76 800, 5:10.42 1600, 11:31.74 3200
Photo by Craig Amoss
Lawless helped the Northern girls win the 3A indoor team title last year with a runner-up effort of her own in the 800 meter run. She continued to improve her times during her sophomore spring season, finishing fourth at the state meet in the 1600 and clocking the sixth-fastest sophomore times in both the 1600 and 3200.
Hannah Mack (Junior, Northern-Calvert) - 2:26.61 800, 5:12.92 1600, 11:10.10 3200
Mack won her first state title last season in the 3200 after having also finished fourth in the 1600. Her 11:10.10 season best from last winter is the second-fastest returning indoor time in the state behind Juliette Whittaker. Although she missed the second half of last outdoor season she came back strong this fall with a tenth-place finish at the XC state meet.
Mackenzie Morrison (Sophomore, Bel Air) - 2:31.00 800, 5:19.10 1600, 11:25.31 3200
Morrison's 11:25 personal best in the 3200 was second-best among Maryland freshmen last spring. She finished in the top six at both the indoor and outdoor state championships in the event. Morrison was even better as a sophomore this fall, as both her three mile and 5K season bests ranked among the top seven performances in the entire state.
Mikayla Moxley (Sophomore, Linganore) - 1:20.47 500, 58.55 400, 2:15.13 800, 5:28.41 1600
Photo by John Roemer
Moxley emerged as a mid-distance star for the Lancers last year, as she finished in the top five in both the 500 and 800 meters at her first state meet in February. She topped that performance in the spring, winning her first regional title in the 800 and finishing as the 3A state runner-up. Her 2:15.13 personal best in the event is tied for the fourth-best returning time in Maryland.
Oakley Olson (Junior, Northern-Calvert) - 2:18.27 800, 5:00.17 1600, 11:09.05 3200,
Through her junior cross-country season, Olson already has five state titles under belt, including both the 1600 and 3200 at last year's outdoor state meet and the last two 3A cross country titles. Her 5:00 1600 personal best from last spring is the state's second-best returning time behind Juliette Whittaker, and she leads all 3A returners by 3200 time.
Lindsay Perry (Senior, C. Milton Wright) - 2:20.60 800, 5:13.18 1600, 11:45.00 3200
Perry won last year's 800 meter indoor 3A state title and her 2:22 time from that race leads all 3A returners by indoor time. She is also coming off her best cross country season of her career, which she capped off with a third-place finish at the 3A state meet.
Elizabeth Pickett (Sophomore, Bel Air) - 2:26.23 800, 5:13.72 1600
Photo by John Roemer
The second half of Bel Air's outstanding sophomore tandem, Pickett finished ninth at last year's outdoor state meet in the 1600 after finishing 11th at the indoor state meet. Her 5:13 personal best in the 1600 ranks as the sixth-fastest returning time among 3A runners. Pickett placed fifth at this year's 3A state cross country meet.
Madeline Till (Junior, Towson) - 2:18.04 800, 5:06.84 1600, 11:28.78 3200
After finishing fourth in the 800 meters at last year's indoor state meet, Till had a true breakthrough season during outdoor. That season included sweeping the distance events at the 3A North regional meet and finishing as the runner-up at states in both the 1600 and 3200. Her 5:06.84 outdoor personal best in the 1600 ranks second behind only Oakley Olson among 3A returners.
Sydney Yankanich (Sophomore, Northern-Calvert) - 2:27.52 800, 5:17.17 1600, 11:22.92 3200
Yankanich stood out for the Patriots as a freshman; after finishing sixth at the 2018 3A state XC meet she was the indoor runner-up in the 3200. Her 11:22 indoor season best in the event is the fifth-best returning time in the state and second among sophomores.
Hurdles/Field
Courtney Butz (Senior, Hereford) - 11'0 PV
Last spring Butz won her first Baltimore County title in the pole vault, and finished second at the 2A state meet by clearing 11 feet for the first time. She is one of just two girls in the state to return having cleared 11 feet in the event.
LeNisha Chance (Senior, South Hagerstown) - 5'4 HJ
Chance is one of just four returning girls who cleared at least 5'3 in the high jump last winter, which she did in a victorious performance at the 3A indoor state meet. She has finished in the top four at the state meet in the high jump four separate times over the past two years.
Christan Claggett (Senior, Frederick) - 8.84 55H, 14.92 100H
Claggett broke 10 seconds in the 55 meter hurdles for the first time last winter as a junior, and cracked the nine-second barrier at the state meet where she finished seventh. She fared even better in the hurdles during the spring, when she placed third in both the 100 and 300 meter hurdles at states. Her 8.84 personal best ranks third among 3A returners.
Shantia Creek-Barrett (Senior, North Point) - 38'9.50 SP
As a junior, Creek-Barrett finished as the 4A state runner-up three separate times (indoor and outdoor shot put, outdoor discus). She leads all 3A returners in both the indoor and outdoor shot puts by over a foot in each.
Allie Droneberger (Junior, Northern-Calvert) - 5'4 HJ
Droneberger cleared 5'4 in the high jump in both the 2019 indoor and outdoor seasons. After finishing just eighth at the indoor state meet, she came back and swept conference, region and state titles in the event in the spring. She is one of two 3A returners to have cleared 5'4, along with LeNisha Chance.
Ayanna Milliner (Senior, Great Mills) - 9.13 55H, 7.58 55, 15.57 100H, 12.61 100, 25.27 200
In her first season of hurdling, Milliner didn't qualify for states during the indoor season in the 55 meter hurdles, but did in the spring in the 100 meter hurdles. Her 15.57 personal best ranks fourth among 3A returners in the event. Milliner is also a strong horizontal jumper and sprinter, having scored in the 200 meter dash at last year's outdoor state meet.
Kosie Nkwonta (Senior, North Hagerstown) - 37'5 SP
Nkwonta's junior season featured her first top-three finish on the state meet level (outdoor shot put). She is the only returning 3A thrower other than Shantia Creek-Barrett to have thrown at least 37 feet in the shot put, indoors or outdoors.
Deborah Obadofin (Senior, Gov. Thomas Johnson) - 8.82 55H, 15.25 100H
Obadofin was a force in Western Maryland last season; she lost just two 55 meter hurdle races all winter. She was consistent in the spring, as well, finishing in the top three at every meet in the 100 meter hurdles up until states, where she placed seventh. Her 8.82 personal best ranks second among 3A returners in the 55 hurdles.
Vita Shats (Junior, Hereford) - 10'9 PV
Shats and her teammate, Courtney Butz, are the only two 3A returners who cleared 10'6 in the pole vault last winter (which she did as the indoor 2A state runner-up). Her 10'9 outdoor personal best also ranks second in 3A to only, once again, her teammate. It's also the third-best mark among returners across the entire state.
Adaobi Tabugbo (Senior, Reservoir) - 8.27 55H, 7.30 55, 14.15 100H, 12.30 100
Tabugbo's 14.15 personal best in the 100 meter hurdles ranks third in the state among returners (and first among public school athletes). She has won state titles in the 55 and 100 meter hurdles in each of the past two years, and has also refined her speed, as she finished second in the 55 meter dash at the 3A state meet last winter.