Article Written by Philip Lazo

As Championship season comes closer and closer, many athletes are placing their marks in the top rankings of Maryland as well as the Nation. Check out the Highlights from the 2023 Montgomery Invitational that took place last Saturday.

Men's Results

Sprints: 

In 1st place for the 55m, Catoctin Senior Brody Buffington brings not only Maryland but the entire nation by storm by running a 6.25, improving on his US #1 time he ran earlier this season. Mykel Morman of Henry A. Wise placed 2nd with a time of 6.39. Placing 3rd was Daysen Shell of Milford Mill with a time of 6.42, Shell is currently #4 in Maryland for the 55m.

Taking home 300m gold would be Jack Pino of Langley in 35.86. Placing 2nd was Friendly's Donte Long with a time of 36.04 and 3rd place went to Miles Lanham of Annadale in 36.42. 

Another Cactoctin star Furious Trammel would come out on top in the 500m dash, the junior ran a time of 1:07.66. Close behind was Tyrel Robinson of Gar-Field in 1:07.94 and Stephen Gonzalez of Calvert Hall College in 1:08.31. 

Distance: 

Colin A. Abrams, one of Maryland's top 800m stars would win the event, the Col. Zadok Magruder Sophomore ran a time of 1:58.82. Noah Fisher of Richard Montgomery placed 2nd in 1:59.89. Abrams and Fisher would be the only 2 competitors to run under 2 minutes. Placing third was Michael Crisp of Georgetown Preparatory at 2:00.30. 

Christian Brower of Long Reach would win the 1600m in 4:21.16. The Carnegie Mellon commit is currently ranked 2nd in Maryland and 17th in the Nation for the event. Towson's Ryan Wahler placed 2nd in 4:22.33 and Noah Fisher of Richard Montgomery placed 3rd in 4:25.07. 

The 2022 Maryland 3A Cross Country Champion Henry Hopper would win the Invitational 3200m. The Wilde Lake Junior would be the only competitor to run under 10 minutes with a time 0f 9:40, which is a new Maryland #1. Placing 2nd was Bryce Dufrene of Chopticon in 10:01.09. Third place went to Addison Brooks of Mount Vernon in 10:05.36. 

Hurdles: 

Currently leading Maryland in the 55m Hurdles, Justin DeVaughn would win the event in 7.56. Quince Orchard's Roberto Terrell placed 2nd in 7.62. Third place went to Joshua-Kai Smith of Gar-Field in 7.75. 

Field: 

In the men's Shot Put, Paul X. Rivers of Northwest would take home gold with a throw of 49 feet and 4 inches. Franklin's Nehemiah Covington placed 2nd in 46 feet and 9.75 inches. Third place went to Willie Washington of La Plata in 44 feet and 8.5 inches.

Arran Moran of Broadneck won the Pole Vault, besting both Gov. Thomas Johnson's Dillen Owusu and Michael Zhang of River Hill. All three competitors vaulted 11 feet and 6 inches. 

Thomas S. Wootton's Yule Pieters, the current MD #2 High Jumper would win the event with a jump of 6 feet and 2 inches, Pieters bested Kameron Dove of Broadneck who jumped the same height. Placing third was Tyler Jagun of Long Reach who jumped 6 feet. 

Isaiah Wilson of Seneca Valley won the Long Jump in 21 feet and 10 inches, Nate Shields of Georgetown Preparatory placed 2nd with a jump of 21 feet and 3 inches, and St. John's College's Sean Williams placed 3rd with a jump of 21 feet and 1.75 inches. 

Quince Orchard took home Triple Jump placing Roberto Terrell in 1st with a jump of 45 feet and 4 inches, a new Maryland #2 jump. Joseph Ernest of Potomac Falls placed 2nd with a jump of 45 feet, third place went to Myles Taylor of Franklin with a jump of 44 feet and 1 inch. 

Relays: 

C.H. Flowers won the 4x200m Relay in 1:31.21, Mergenthaler Vocational-Tech placed 2nd in 1:32.13 and Bowie finished 3rd in 1:33.89.

Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical would take home the 4x400 meter relay win with a time of 3:27.6, they are currently 3rd in the state of Maryland for the event. DuVal grabbed 2nd place in 3:28.05 and third place went to C.H. Flowers in 3:31.32. 

The 4x800m relay was won by Winston Churchill, their team now leads Maryland with an 8:08.86. 2nd place went to St. John's College whose relay squad finished closed behind with an 8:09.42. Third Place went to Chopticon with a time of 8:19.25 and a new MD #2. 

Col. Zadok Magruder won the Sprint Medley Relay in 3:40.92, finishing 2nd was St. John's College in 3:42.92, and third place went to Northwest in 3:43.59. 

The Distance Medley Relay was won by Springbrook in 10:56.61, 2nd went to Winston Churchill in 10:58.40 and Towson placed 3rd in 11:05.40. 

Women's Results

Sprints: 

Nancy Hudson of Clarksburg won the 55m Dash in 7.28. Woodbridge's Laila Thomas took 2nd in 7.39 and Amiya Johnson of C.D. Hylton took third in 7.45. 

Richard Montgomery placed Cate Christopher would win the 300m Dash in 42.84. Toni Benton Hunter of Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical would take 2nd in 42.86. 3rd place went to Langley's Zoey McFadyen in 42.88

Cate Christopher also won the 500m Dash in 1:18.14, making her the new MD #5 for the event. Runner-ups were Aaliyah Jalloh of Thomas S. Wootton in 1:18.22(New MD #6) and Sidney Nolan of Patriot in 1:18.37. 

Distance: 

Georgetown Prep took home 800m Gold with Madison Rassas running a 2:22.69, Patriot's Sidney Nolan placed 2nd with a time of 2:24.42, and Megan Raue of Walter Johnson placed 3rd in 2:24.87. 

In the 1600m, Temi Ariyo of Overlea won the 1st place in 5:02. Meredith Gotzman of St. John's College with a time of 5:07.20, and Third Place was Victoria Ketzler of Thomas S. Wootton with a time of 5:11.82. The event placed 6 runners in the top 10 of the Girls 1600m rankings in Maryland. 

Freshman Lauren Virmani of River Hill placed 1st in the 3200m run with a time of 11:28.60. Runner-ups were Anna Bodmer of Poolesville in 11:31.38 and Hayfield's Sarah Cestare in 11:34.89 

Hurdles: 

In the 55m Hurdles, Chelsea Whitehurst took home gold in 8.51, behind her was Morgan Lane of Hammond and Ayniah Fersner of Largo with times of 8.54 and 8.57 respectively. 

Field: 

High Jump was won by Sierra Swangin of James Hubert Blake with a height of 5 feet and 4 inches. Swangin currently ties for the Best jump in Maryland so far. North East placed Brin Khanjar in 2nd and 3rd went to Jaelynn Blackwell of C.H. Flowers, both had a jump of 5 feet. 

Nina Pitt of C.H. Flowers won the Long Jump in 17 feet and 4 inches, she bested Kailynn Tyson of North Stafford and Seneca Valley Freshman Gabrielle Badoo, both jumping 17 feet and 16 feet and 10 inches respectively. 

Pitt also won the Triple Jump, with a new MD #2 Jump of 37 feet. She bested Mame Diop of James Hubert Blake who jumped her way to 2nd with a length of 36 feet and 11 inches and Kailynn Tyson of North Stafford who jumped 36 feet and 4 inches. 

Greencastle-Antrim's Piper Linn won Pole Vault in 10 feet and 6 inches, Carson Boteler of Broadneck came in 2nd with a height of 10 feet. She bested Brunell Owusu of Gov. Thomas Johnson who vaulted the same height. 

The current MD#1 Cierra Gray won Shot Put for Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical with a throw of 35 feet. 2nd place went to Madison Medley of Watkins Mill who threw 33 feet and 3 inches, 3rd place was taken by Olamide Akinkugbe of Patriot. 

Relays: 

St. John's College took home 4x200m Relay gold with a finishing time of 1:43.77. C.H. Flowers finished close behind in 1:45.59 and Gaithersburg finished 3rd in 1:47.78

C.H. Flowers won the 4x400m Relay in 4:05.90, they bested James Hubert Blake(4:08.88) and St. John's College(4:10.95). 

Your new #1 Maryland 4x800 squad is Walter Johnson High School with a time of 9:43.78, Walter Johnson beat their competition by approximately 30 seconds. Finishing in 2nd was St. John's College High School in 10:13.83 and 3rd place went to Montgomery Blair in 10:32.28. 

St. John's College won the Distance Medley Relay in a time of 12:50.26. The 2nd place finisher was South River in 13:22.42 and 3rd place went to Thomas S. Wootton in 13:30.34.