2006 Baltimore County Indoor Championship Preview
Boys Event Previews: Sprints, Distance, Field Events, Relays
Sprints (55m, 300m, 500m, 55H):
Mt. St. Joe transfer Garnell Hall gives Catonsville the favorite in both the short dash events. Overlea's Obua sported the fastest time in the 55m dash but was beaten head up by Hall at the AA /BC mixer meet on 1/10. Hall will have his hands full in the 300 event. On a real track, Hall is the odds on favorite. But at the Armory, he might have trouble handling the turns and it will be a fight with Leslie Howard of Milford Mill. McIntosh of Franklin could be the upset winner as he is a surprise performer this indoors. Davon Love may have the fastest time (7.5h) in the 55 hurdle event but he was beaten at the AA /BC mixer meet on 1/9. Briscoe of Western is looking good but if McIntosh runs well in the 300m that could carry him to a win in the hurdles as well. The 500m run will be the best race of the meet. The seeded heat will be a dog fight between Howard Leslie, Jamal Cole of Randallstown and Justin Payne of Woodlawn. Leading the race could be the key especially in the Armory. Leslie is talented but Cole knows the Armory. Payne ran a solo 1:10.3 and has the talent but can he score the upset win.
Distance (800, 1600, 3200m):
Woodlawn's Dwight Parker owns the fastest times in the county and among the state in all three distance events. He won all three last year and looks to repeat that feat again. The race for 2nd place will be interesting to see who has the confidence to follow Parker. Perry Hall's Adam Sierakowski may be physically ready but can he put a good race together mentally. Dulaney's Vince Walsh chased Parker last year and should follow him across the line again in the mile & 2-mile. Pikesville Zach Friedman dropped down from the mile & 2-mile events to focus on the 800m and has the second fastest time (2:05.33) to Parker. Can he succeed where his teammate (J. Thaler) failed last year in upsetting the Woodlawn star?
Relays (4x200, 4x400, 4x800):
Having the fastest time in the county doesn't secure a win…..especially when running on the vaunted Armory surface. Pikesville posted a 1:33 at the Montgomery Invite in the 4x200 and then followed up by winning the event at the county relays. They will be challenged strongly by Milford and Newtown. If he gets the stick anywhere need the leaders, Garnell Hall could bring Catonsville the victory. The 4x400m relay is a little more decided as Woodlawn has posted the 3rd fastest time in the state among public schools (3:29.73). The 4x800 is the first real running event and you might not want to miss it. Dulaney has the county's best time but may not run their top 4 in order to spread them out among the individual events. This may also be the case for Perry Hall. Look for Hereford or Woodlawn to score a victory. The times are nothing to write home about but the competition will be fierce. If Sierakowski and Kuppali run, Perry Hall will win as is the case for Dulaney with Walsh & Bond.
Field Events (PV, SP, HJ):
All the Pole Vault points will be shared by Hereford and Perry Hall. Perry Hall needs to go 1-2 if they have any chance of vying for the team title. Hereford could play the spoiler in their title hopes. Parkville's Davon Love is head-n-shoulders (sorry) above everyone else with a clearance of 6-04. He has shown consistency at the big meets and should win his second consecutive HJ title. The Shot Put will also be a secured victory for Overlea's Florez as long as he shows up. Woodlawn & Franklin will battle for key points. Zach Roth and Reggie Farley will face off for the runner-up position.
Overall Team Title:
On paper, Woodlawn looks like they can get back the title they lost last year to Randallstown. But Perry Hall & Dulaney are the dark horses with outside title shots. Perry Hall needs a "big" meet from its two major performers (Sierakowski and Kuppali). Between the two distance runners they could score over 40 points, including the 4x800. Dulaney may not win a lot but they score in almost every event except the field events. They need some help from upset minded teams and their sprinters who have been a pleasant surprise this indoor season. If Matt Bond, Alan Tsao and Sam Cramer show up then the Lions are looking good. Franklin may be able to pull off the upset that Randallstown scored last year. But McIntosh, Roth and the relays are their keys. They need major upsets and some good luck. It should be an exciting meet as is always the running in Baltimore County.