Takiya Henson (left) and Mirai Bernard. (Photos by Craig Amoss and Mary Ann Magnant)
With Adidas Indoor Nationals quickly approaching, we kick off our preview coverage by looking at the Maryland athletes entered in the girls sprint events!
Championship Events
60 Meter Dash (3 entered)
Bullis senior Victoria Perrow is on the verge of cementing a legacy as one of the fastest girls in the history of Maryland track and field. Her 6.84 season best in the 55 meter dash ranks third in the United States, and only one of the girls ahead of her (Texas' Autumn Wilson) is also entered in the event. She is the only Maryland girl since at least 2010 to run under 6.90 in the 55-meter dash (or 60-meter dash equivalent). CMIT South senior Noelle Foss (7.28) and Bullis senior Tiffani Rae Pittman (7.30) are the only two other girls in Maryland who have run 7.30 or faster in the 55-meter dash (not counting 60-meter dash conversions).
200 Meter Dash (4 entered)
The Bullis girls have nearly an entire championship 4x200 relay entered in the 200 meter dash. The aforementioned duo of Victoria Perrow (24.68) and Tiffani Rae Pittman (24.84) currently lead the state with times that rank among the top 40 in the country. Sophomore Mirai Bernard (25.76) owns the 25th-fastest sophomore time in the country at the moment. Rounding out the group is Bowie senior Dianna Koger, a two-time 4A state runner-up (most recently in the 300-meter dash last winter).
400 Meter Dash (2 entered)
The future hasn't failed to be bright for Bullis' girls sprint program in almost a decade, and that continues now behind sophomores Myla Greene (57.81) and Mirai Bernard (59.03), who rank first and fourth this year on the Maryland leaderboard, respectively. They also rank ninth and 16th, respectively, on the national class of 2023 leaderboard this winter.
60 Meter Hurdles (3 entered)
The latest in an historically brilliant line of Bullis standout hurdlers, Jada Pierre cracked a milestone earlier this year when her 8.49 performance in the 60-meter hurdles at the Virginia Beach Club Opener converted well below the eight-second mark in the 55-meter hurdles. It's a staggering year-to-year improvement for Pierre, who ran 9.04 in the event last year as a junior. Teammates Myla Greene (8.20 55-meter hurdle season best) and Neomie Prinston (9.03) will join her in the championship section.
Open Events
60 Meter Dash (3 entered)
Bullis junior Neomie Prinston ran 7.57 in the 55-meter dash last year and highlights the Maryland athletes entered in the open section of the 60-meter dash. Also entered: Ava Garland (Bishop McNamara) and Madison Smith (Bullis).
200 Meter Dash (10 entered)
Myla Greene (25.62) currently ranks sixth in the state in the 200-meter dash and headlines a comparatively deep group of girls sprinters in the open section. She will be joined by two others currently ranked among the top ten in Noelle Foss (25.94) and Neomie Preston (26.02), as well as other notable standouts who haven't yet clocked a performance in the 200 this year: Northeast's Christal Pommells (41.05 300), Thomas Stone's Takiya Henson and Damascus' Lauryn Clarke. Also entered: Sydney Behrens (Wootton), Chandler Brown (Riverdale Baptist), Ava Garland (Bishop McNamara) and Madison Smith (Bullis).
400 Meter Dash (8 entered)
Of the seven girls who have cracked the 60-second mark this winter in the 400-meter dash, none are entered in the open section of the 400 - so this group will all be shooting for at least one common goal next weekend. Christal Pommells (60.30) leads this group in the 400 this winter and has already run a 41.05 second season best in the 300. She, along with Takiya Henson (58.33), Lauryn Clarke (59.42) and Dianna Koger (59.59) have also done so before on an outdoor track. Also entered: Meah Baker (Bishop McNamara), Sydney Behrens (Wootton), Chandler Brown (Riverdale Baptist), Takiya Henson (Thomas Stone) and Nia Warren (Digital Harbor).
60 Meter Hurdles (2 entered)
She is one of 15 girls entered in the championship section of the triple jump, but C.H. Flowers senior Anissa Bernard can do it all. Her season best in the event comes out to a 9.17 converted time in the 55-meter hurdles, but Bernard owns a career personal best of 8.75, finishing as the 4A Central regional runner-up in the event last year. Joining her is Bullis' Madison Smith.
Freshman events
60, 200 and 400 Meter Dashes (2 entered in each)
Jalaia Creary has been setting the track on fire all winter and will now aim for freshman division titles in all three sprint events. Among freshmen she currently ranks 22nd in the US in the 55-meter dash (7.46), eighth in the 200-meter dash (25.57) and 14th in the 400-meter dash (60.65). Joining Creary will be Anaya James-Grier in the 60 and 200 and Jalyn Hayes-Moore in the 400.
