MARYLAND NEEDS TO DO MORE FOR ITS SCHOLASTIC T&F
STARS OF TODAY
There seems to be a recent trend here in the state to decide who the best distance runner is. Some people feel that Mikias Gelagle is just as good and if not better than Broadneck High School's Matt Centrowitz or Woodlawn High School's Dwight Parker. But what you actually have are three different types of runners. And instead of trying to build one up or break one down to prove a point; we should be rallying around these young athletes who have unknowingly taken up the state's torch in a sport that cries for more attention but is often overlooked. Maybe the Track & Field / Cross-country is overlooked because we don't do a good enough job of highlighting our stars of today.
Matt Centrowitz is a big time performer. He shows up and produces elite performances when the pressure is on and the stakes are high......i.e. at Championships (HS Nationals, State, County and Regionals). The same can be said about Dwight Parker, who unfortunately has been absent from recent championships due to injury. Parker & Centrowitz have some obvious natural ability as evidence by their great running as young runners (Parker's 2nd place at the 4A State as a frosh, Centrowitz winning the 4A State cross-country title as a sophomore). I don't think you can put any other runner in their category at this time in the state, except in the case of the young man from PG County's Eleanor Roosevelt HS.
Mikias Gelagle on the other hand is a runner who can produce fast times. His ability should not be in question. Gelagle has seen the accomplishments of Centrowitz and Parker and taken his ability to the next level with hard work and dedication. Three precious young men who are excelling in a sport that is unforgiving and unheralded. That is the story that should be trumpeted across the state and in every media outlet available. That subject is what the newspapers need to write about or the feature story of regional sports magazines. That should be the buzz on the local internet websites and chat-talk.
Not since Shane Stroup (2002 River Hill HS - 4:07 mile) or Will Christian (2001 Great Mills HS – 9:14.9 3200m) has the state enjoyed such a bevy of talented distance runners. Unfortunately for them, they did not have the internet to highlight their accomplishments or someone as talented to help produce better results as Centrowitz, Gelagle and Parker had in recent 2005 graduate Andrew Jesien (Walter Johnson – Penn Relays Mile Champion). The indoor state 3200m record was surpassed by both Jesien and Centrowitz but with Parker and Gelagle 1 second off. The prospects for this winter's 4A-3A State 3200m event where hopefully all three should meet are exciting to say the least for Maryland T&F.
"The costs of parking at Hereford for this year's cross-country state meet…$5.00. The cost of a Morgan State concessions hotdog….$3.50. The cost of PLAYOFF, the official program for the State meets…$2.00. Seeing Matt Centrowitz, Mikias Gelagle and Dwight Parker run the 3200m event…….PRICELESS."
All three of these student-athletes are approaching national-level performances that would certainly attract attention from college coaches for scholarship offers. The latest Track & Field News lists the top 25 high school performances for the 2005 season (indoors & outdoors) in the 2 mile event. The 25th performance is 9:06.80 by a runner from Tucson Arizona. Centrowitz has run 9:13.91, while Gelagle has run 9:15.31. Parker missed his opportunity last spring but plans to make it up this indoor season. Thus, Maryland could have three athletes on the national list. That is a story! Texas and California usually dominates the sprinting events and relays, the Midwest the throwing events and the West coast the jumping events. Maryland could have as many as seven athletes on the national T&F list. Let us not forget Devon Williams (Towson Catholic – 800m), Theresa Lewis (Western – 100H) and Elaine Hillaire (Park School – 400m) who all appeared on the national list this year. Have we read about or embraced them entirely?
There was a recent article regarding Gelagle's summer training and his concerted efforts to improve his performances by running in excess of 100 miles a week. That is great. It gave us insight into what this young man is willing to do in order to achieve his goals. But what about the other two talented distance runners. Matt Centrowitz may have been pre-destined to achieve great things in the sport from his family lines (Father Matt once held the American record for 5000m). His sister is a talented runner who now stars for famed distance program Stanford. Dwight Parker was a relatively unknown until improving his personal best by 17 seconds and placing 2nd at the outdoor state meet in front of a host of upperclassmen and other season runners. The Parker family also consists of other talented siblings who we have yet to hear from. Those are the stories that need to be told and splashed across the headlines.
What I propose is instead of pitting three of our best against each other and try to prove who is better let\'s start focusing on their performances in terms of how they represent Maryland T&F. Let\'s try to start presenting their times and places as another feather in the cap of Maryland as evidence of our track & field / cross-country talent. Maryland is very much overlooked and often forgotten in light of what our neighbors (Va and Pa) are doing year in and year out. What are we doing to help the media recognize that our athletes need to be followed and covered throughout the year and not just at Penn Relays.
Both Virginia and Pennsylvania have a way of rallying around their best T&F athletes as patriarchs of their home and battling against other states for bragging rights. We on the other hand spend so much energy trying to beat each other up and prove who is the best in the state that when we get on the national level......we look like JV runners. If we can accomplish that, then maybe the young runners who are coming up will not stop at striving to be the best on their team but set their sights on becoming a state or national champion. With the recent state ruling to allow interstate travel for athletic contest; maybe then Maryland can have yearly representation at events such as the Arcadia Invitational, Golden West Invitational, Footlocker XC Championships, Nike Indoor and Outdoor HS Nationals.
Thank you, Matt Centrowitz, Mikias Gelagle and Dwight Parker for opening our eyes and broadening our views by simply pushing yourselves to a higher plain in the world of high school Track & Field in Maryland. Good luck in your future regional, national or championship events. Carry the state flag proudly and let everyone know that you are all from Maryland. We're all behind you!