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HAGERSTOWN -- If Williamsport assistant track and field coach Mike Taylor was ticked off about the boys team's second-place finish to South Hagerstown at the Rebel Relays last week, just imagine how he would have felt if the Wildcats would have finished second again Thursday at the Washington County championships at Mike Callas Stadium.
Just the thought of it was unbearable to the 'Cats.
"Coach Taylor lit into us after the Rebel Relays," Williamsport senior Mark Oliver said. "It was a long speech we got from him. I timed it. It was a half-hour. We didn't want to hear it again."
Taylor certainly should have been more pleased with Thursday's results, as Williamsport scored 202.5 points to repeat as county champion. South was a distant second (132.5) and Boonsboro was third (119.5).
"Even though the Rebel Relays was only a smaller meet and not really a championship meet, we still didn't take that loss to South very well," Williamsport senior Justin Bowie said. "All week at practice, we focused on coming out here and performing better."
Message received
Speech helps empower Wildcats to claim county crown
Bowie led the way, winning the 110-meter hurdles (15.37 seconds) and 300 hurdles (40.70) and anchoring the winning 4x400 relay (3:31.03).
"It shaped up to be a pretty good meet," he said. "Overall, we're doing pretty good."
Oliver also had a good meet, winning the 800 (2:01.87) and contributing to the winning 4x400 and 4x800 (8:33.70). Williamsport also got wins from Evan Hardy in the 1,600 (4:41.91) and Stephen Christy in the high jump (6 feet, 4 1/4 inches).
Christy, who also placed second in the long jump (20-8) and third in the triple jump (40-3), set the meet record in the high jump by a quarter-inch.
"Hopefully I'm at 6-6 at least by states," he said.
Smithsburg's David Wilson broke one of the meet's oldest records in the 3,200, winning the race by almost a full minute in 9:30.87. The previous record of 9:31.6 was set by North Hagerstown's Ned Poffenberger in 1975.
"It felt great to get the meet record," said Wilson, whose personal record is 9:23.64. "I was hoping to go faster than that, but it wasn't working for me today."
The runner-up Rebels were led by Jordan Alston, who won the 200 (22.63) and anchored the winning 4x100 (44.71) and 4x200 (1:32.13).
Coby Gussio starred for Boonsboro with victories in the 400 (49.75), long jump (22-0) and triple jump (43-4 3/4). He also took the Warriors' 4x400 relay team from fourth to third as the anchor.
"Yeah, it was pretty good," Gussio said. "But it would have been better if we got first or second in the 4x400."
The Lowery brothers swept the throwing events for Boonsboro, with J.R. winning the shot put (48-3 1/2) and Drew winning the discus (139-8).
North Hagerstown got wins from Anthony Winter in the 100 (11.12) and Dominic Sink in the pole vault (12-6).
Washington County Championships
at North Hagerstown
Boys results
Team scores: 1. Williamsport 202.5; 2. South Hagerstown 132.5; 3. Boonsboro 119.5; 4. Smithsburg 101; 5. North Hagerstown 85.5; 6. Clear Spring 32; 7. Hancock 18.
100 -- 1. Winter (NH) 11.12; 2. Githens (Wi) 11.48; 3. Smith (Sm) 11.79.
200 -- 1. Alston (SH) 22.63; 2. Winter (NH) 23.04; 3. S. Ofosu-Ameyaw (SH) 23.41.
400 -- 1. Gussio (Bo) 49.75; 2. Repp (CS) 51.42; 3. Gardenhour (Sm) 51.47.
800 -- 1. Oliver (Wi) 2:01.87; 2. Moser (Bo) 2:07.64; 3. Wilson (Sm) 2:08.61.
1,600 -- 1. Hardy (Wi) 4:41.91; 2. Horning (SH) 4:54.07; 3. Jerwick (Sm) 4:55.46.
3,200 -- 1. Wilson (Sm) 9:30.87; 2. Jones (SH) 10:28.87; 3. Bowman (Wi) 10:41.91.
110 hurdles -- 1. Bowie (Wi) 15.37; 2. Johnson (SH) 16.21; 3. Smith (Wi) 16.46.
300 hurdles -- 1. Bowie (Wi) 40.70; 2. Smith (Wi) 41.70; 3. Kopp (Bo) 42.16.
4x100 -- 1. South 44.71; 2. Williamsport 45.19; 3. North 45.68.
4x200 -- 1. South 1:32.13; 2. Williamsport 1:32.28; 3. North 1:38.03.
4x400 -- 1. Williamsport 3:31.03; 2. South 3:32.80; 3. Boonsboro 3:33.03.
4x800 -- 1. Williamsport 8:33.70; 2. Boonsboro 8:36.28; 3. South 8:40.08.
High jump -- 1. Christy (Wi) 6-4 1/4; 2. Kopp (Bo) 5-10; 3. Ezidinma (Wi) 5-8.
Long jump -- 1. Gussio (Bo) 22-0; 2. Christy (Wi) 20-8; 3. Githens (Wi) 20-7.
Triple jump -- 1. Gussio (Bo) 43-4 3/4; 2. Johnson (SH) 41-1; 3. Christy (Wi) 40-3.
Pole vault -- 1. Sink (NH) 12-6; 2. Karroll (Sm) 12-0; 3t. Jernigan (Wi), Shriver (Sm) 10-6.
Shot put -- 1. J. Lowery (Bo) 48-3 1/2; 2. D. Lowery (Bo) 46-11 1/2; 3. Winter (NH) 46-8.
Discus -- 1. D. Lowery (Bo) 139-8; 2. Burkett (SH) 134-0; 3. Adams (Wi) 124-10.
