Olivia Ekpone will clean out her locker and exit the hallways of Wootton High School for the last time on March 5, 2009. If all goes as it should, she will be enrolled at Northwest High School and participating in track practice for a new team the next day.

The Ekpone family was looking to get out of a renting situation and buy a home. The Northwest High School district seemed like the best fit for Olivia. For the most high-profile female athlete in Montgomery County, a strong track program was a high priority. The Northwest track team, coached by Beth Muehl, fields a team of talented athletes year after year.

Olivia is excited to see how another high school team practices and will be happy to see a few familiar faces. The Northwest track is also the practice location for her club track team, the Maryland Titans. Several teammates from the Titans are on the high school track team at Northwest.

Olivia admits that it has not been easy saying goodbye to her teammates at Wootton. A few tears were shed when she gave them the news of her transfer, but they understood her situation and wished her the best. She promised to keep in touch and spend time with her Wootton pals at future track meets [Note: Wootton hosts Northwest in a dual meet on March 31].

Ultimately, Olivia and her family feel that Northwest is the best place for her and her younger brother - oh yes, there is a younger brother - to finish out their high school careers.

Analysis
What does Olivia's transfer mean for the rest of the state? Well, Northwest isn't going to beat Eleanor Roosevelt just yet, but this makes them pretty darn good. Just as she raised Wootton to a championship caliber team on the county level last year, she will do the same for Northwest by joining Britt Eckerstrom, Alyssa Henshaw, India Knight, Alice Chang, and others. For now, the indoor county champs of Churchill High still seem to be the team to beat this spring while the Clarksburg girls (you read it here first) and Paint Branch girls should also contend for the county title.