Over spring break, Northwest's Olivia Ekpone qualified to compete at the World Youth Olympic Games in Singapore this August. So, what the heck are the World Youth Olympic Games? Watch promotional videos below and see what an exciting and unique experience it will be, not just competing against the best in the world, but participating in activities in the youth olympic village and all over the city.
Greg Dunston has agreed to take over the Georgetown Prep Cross Country program after the passing of long-time coach Richard Drozd. The Georgetown Prep Cross Country Classic will be on October 16, 2010. Dunston was recently voted by his peers as one of the coaches of the decade on the Mocorunning All-Decade Cross Country and Track Teams. He led the Georgetown Prep track team to the IAC titles in 2007 and 2008 shortly after taking over the track team. Can he work the same magic with the cross country team? Georgetown Prep returns a strong team this fall with the much-improved Joey Chapin (4:24 1600) and the addition of Russell Hornsby (1:53 800) adding to last year's top two distance runners, Andrew Gyenis and Aiden Pongrace. St. Albans, always a powerhouse in the IAC, will pose a formidable challenge to Georgetown Prep and other challengers.
Monday's group run with the Chevy Chase Running Company featured special distinguished guest Michael Wardian. Wardian is an ultra marathoner who lives in the DC area and travels the world representing the USA. He ran with a group of young Montgomery County runners before telling them about himself and answering questions. Many of the regulars thought that he was the best guest yet.
Chevy Chase Running Co
4461 Willard Ave
Chevy Chase, MD
July 5 was graduation day on Mocorunning. For all features on this website, the class of 2010 is now considered graduated. All athletes in the class of 2010 can now be found on the alumni rosters for each team. If there are still any graduated athletes on your active team roster, send in a graduation year correction.
With great sadness mocorunning reports the loss of Richard Drozd. The Georgetown Prep cross country coach passed away on Wednesday, June 30, 2010 after suffering a brain aneurysm earlier in the week. Drozd had coached at Georgetown Prep since 1993 and was the driving force behind the annual Georgetown Prep Fall Cross Country Classic. He was named Washington Post All-Met Coach of the Year for Outdoor Track in 2004.
Northwest Girls 1:38.86 4x200, Second Place All American
Olivia Ekpone, Northwest, 11.59q w2+ 11.58 w.7+, Fourth Place All-American
Andrew Palmer, Whitman, 14:49.97 5000m, Fifth Place All-American
Thea LaFond, Kennedy, 40-07.00 Triple Jump, Fifth Place All-American
Jessie Rubin, Wootton, 4:58.83 Mile, First Place Emerging Elite
Sean Sutton, Good Counsel, 48.05 400m, Tenth Place
Cortland Harris, Good Counsel, 48.63 400m
Thea LaFond, Kennedy, 14.85Q, 14.94 100m Hurdles
Good Counsel Boys 3:28.87 SMR, 10:04.72 DMR, 1:29.48 4x200
Good Counsel Girls 49.86 4x100, 1:51.95 800 SMR, 4:05.74 4x400
Kyle Graves, Good Counsel, 9:20.06 Two Mile.
Thor Serafenas, Good Counsel, 171-03 Hammer Throw! (19th place)
Lindsay Pinckney, Springbrook, 16-07.75 LJ
Wootton Girls 4x800, 9:06.84
Northwest Girls 4x800, 9:08.75
Big Performances Last Few Weeks:
Andrew Palmer from Whitman ran a personal best 9:14.91 two mile at the Midwest Distance Gala.
Olivia Ekpone won the 100 (11.82) and 200 (24.22) dashes and contributed to the winning 4x100 and 4x400 relays at the Carribean Scholastic Invitational.
Sean Sutton from Good Counsel finished fourth in the 400 in 48.90 and sixth in the 200 in a personal best time of 21.80 at the Carribean Scholastic Invitational.
Georgetown Prep distance runner Andrew Gyenis swims the Chesapeake Bay...and wins! So legit. Article
Wootton's Gwen Shaw led all Montgomery County freshman in the 55-meter dash, 300-meter dash, 55-meter hurdles, 100-meter hurdles, and 300-meter hurdles this year. See who else excelled this year in their first year of high school track & field.
Good Counsel freshman Kendall Fuller triple jumped the best mark by any county freshman by over five feet. See who else excelled this year in their first year of high school track & field.
Lindsay Pinckney of Springbrook High School was perhaps the most unexpected state champion from Montgomery County this year. She jumped 17-07 in the long jump, her best by nine inches. Photo by Kevin Milsted.
Paint Branch athletes have been among the top sprinters in Maryland for years. After his final race at the state meet, Reggie Steele recalled being on a team with guys like John Jones and Quadell Spratley...Marcus Willacy and Malcolm Wyche. Reggie Steele has been running for Paint Branch for four years, but most Moco fans hadn't even heard of him until the county championship this year. Now he has surpassed anything that any Paint Branch athlete in his era has done. In fact, no Montgomery County boy has won 4A state titles in both the 100 and 200 in at least two decades. Steele won the 100 in 10.96 (10.94q), and the 200 in 22.05 (22.03q). He anchored his 4x100 relay to 6th place in 43.45 and the 4x400 relay to fifth place in 3:21.63 with a 49 second split.
No athlete in Montgomery County history compares to Olivia Ekpone. Therefore, the only single-day performance that is even remotely comparable to what Olivia did this year is what Olivia did two years ago at the 2008 state championship meet. By the conclusion of this year's 4x400 relay, she left little doubt that this was her finest performance to date. She kicked things off on day two with an easy win in the 100 in 11.94. It was not her fastest time, but she won by 0.36 seconds. She ran a tremendous personal best of 53.60 to win the 400. She ran 23.89 to beat rival sprinter Aurieyall Scott of Eleanor Roosevelt. It was her personal best wind-legal time (23.64 in Texas this spring was considered wind-aided, +2.4). She topped everything off with a split of 53 seconds en route to a state #2 all-time time of 3:48.28 in the 4x400 relay. If you missed it, check out the Gamedaymd.com radio show (35th Edition) and hear Olivia boldly state her goals to run 11.5 in the 100, 23.5 in the 200, 53.7 in the 400, and 3:49 in the 4x400.
State Championship Day 3: 9 More State Champs, 2 Team Runners Up
Northwest, 4A State Runners Up
Northwood, 3A State Runners Up
Northwest, 4A 4x400, State #2 All-Time 3:48.28
Olivia Ekpone split 53 on the relay after winning 100, 200 and 400 state titles in 11.94, 23.89, 53.60
