On This Date: Gilman Boys Flirt With Eight-Minute Mark

Photo by Lisa McArthur

In terms of the top mid-distance programs within the state of Maryland, Gilman is certainly in the conversation. From 2010 through 2019, the Greyhounds broke the eight-minute barrier in the 4x800 relay five different times, including a 7:42 mark in 2012 and a 7:49 mark in 2016. After losing a couple of key contributors from that 2016 team that beat out Loyola for the MIAA title in the spring, Gilman returned the next year fully re-loaded and once again boasting one of the top teams in Maryland.

After hanging around the top of the state leaderboard in the event early in the winter with multiple sub-8:20 performances, the Greyhounds broke out in a big way at the Virginia Showcase. The team of Adero Mandala, D'Angelo Shears, Eric Gibson and Tory Young hung with the eventual winners from Deep Run and posted a season-best time of 8:02, which was the top time in Maryland at that point. Only Oxon Hill, which ran under eight minutes at New Balance Indoor Nationals, would eventually best their time. Gilman would repeat as MIAA champions in the event during both the indoor and outdoor seasons that year.