By wide margins and with multiple first-place finishers, the Wakefield Warriors won both the girls and boys Arlington County indoor track and field championships.
The girls amassed 125 points in the high-school meet at Thomas Jefferson Middle School to win by 79 points over the Washington-Liberty Generals. The Wakefield boys scored 123 and won by 77.5 over the runner-up Yorktown Patriots.
“I’m not sure all of the teams were at full strength, but we just wanted to enter as many individuals and get as many to place as possible and enjoy having the experience of success,” Wakefield coach Sam Sharp said.
Leading the Wakefield girls was a busy Hosanna Connor. She won the triple jump in 33-feet, 9-inches and pole vault at 9-6, was second in the 55-meter hurdles and third in the high jump.
Wakefield senior distance runner Elizabeth Coe was a double champion in the 1,000 (3:17.21) and 1,600 (5:27.93).
“Elizabeth has really been starting to evolve as a runner and is tough to beat right now,” Sharp said.
Coe already has set new indoor-season school records this winter in the girls 3,200 and 1,600. There is a possibility she could set a third in the 1,000, according to Sharp.
Kenedy Shields won the high jump (4-10) and was third in the 55 hurdles for the Wakefield girls, Addison Young won the 500 (1:27.58), Leah Wargo was first in the 3,200 (13:21.79) and fifth in the triple jump, Ashley Tomlinson was second in the 300 and Sofia Vasquez third in the pole vault.
The Wakefield girls won the 4×200 (1:57.23) and 4×800 (10:31.44) relays and the team was second in the 4×400.
Leading the Wakefield boys individually were four winners.
Harrison Greenberg was first in the 1,600 (4:58.35), Liam Kelsh crossed the finish line first in the 1,000 (2:57.01), Chris Gilpin won the 55-dash (6.93) and Cadyn Johnson won the pole vault (8-6).
Second in events for the Warriors were Bryant Cruz-Lemus in the high jump, Aaron Klug in the triple jump and Ovando Thelwell in the 500.
Third were Alex Wambura in the 55 dash, Antonio Smith in the 300, Justin Diller in the long jump and Ben Chapuis in the triple jump.
Smith finished fourth in the 55 dash and Greenberg fifth in the triple jump.
Wakefield’s three relays won, the 4×200 in 1:41.2, the 4×400 in 3:56.02 and the 4×800 in 9:01.44.
“We have a really good squad this year,” Sharp said. “We have been getting a lot of personal records and have some good momentum going right now. A lot already have qualified for the state meet and New Balance national meet.”
Leading the Washington-Liberty girls in the meet was a victory by Ella Kaplan in the 55 hurdles (9.83).
For the third-place Yorktown girls, Ellen Malloy was second in the 1,000 and Ella Dunn runner-up in the 1,600.
For the second-place Yorktown boys, Peter Oliveria won two events – the 55 hurdles (8.71) and the high jump (5-8) – and Reid Dailey won the 3,200 in 10:16.19.
For the Washington-Liberty boys, Jonah Friedman won the shot put with a throw of 53.3.