Bohemia Manor

Emily Ward looked like she'd been through the ringer when she crossed the finish line at the Maryland State Cross Country Championships at Hereford High School on Saturday. The North Hagerstown sophomore was exhausted from the hilly 3-mile race, covered with mud from a late fall and, to top it off, she was missing a shoe. “Someone stepped on the back of my shoe 800 meters in, and I lost it,” said Ward, who ran the final 2 1/2 miles without it. “It was painful. There were a lot of rocks, and it really, really hurt.” She persevered to place fourth in the Class 3A girls race in 20:19.5 - the fastest time of the day among all Washington County girls at the meet.

David Wilson has an idea for Saturday's Maryland State Cross Country Championships at Hereford High School. "I sort of wish they'd take all the top people and just run them together," the Smithsburg senior said. Since that's not going to happen, Wilson can at least try to win the Class 1A boys race with the day's top time of all four classes. "That would be really cool," he said. Expectations are justifiably high for Wilson, who is undefeated this season through 10 races.

FREDERICK, Md. - Kevin Fisher ran for two touchdowns to lead Frederick to a 28-7 victory over No. 2 North Hagerstown on Friday night. With Frederick (1-1) leading 14-7 late in the third quarter, Quinton Ferguson scored on a 50-yard punt return. Logan Kelso passed for 113 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions for the Hubs (1-1), while Jarell Hasan added a touchdown reception and an interception. No. 5 Jefferson 20, Broad Run 0 ASHBURN, Va. - Jonathan Hash threw a pair of touchdown passes - an 11-yarder to Justin Grantham in the first quarter and a 28-yard connection with Ryland Newman in the third - to lead Jefferson over Broad Run (1-2)

For the Boonsboro girls, it's been since 1995. For the Williamsport boys, it's been even longer - 1975. And for the Boonsboro boys, it's never happened at all. But they all have reason to believe that the title runs will happen for them Saturday, as they try to capture the elusive team crowns at the Maryland State Cross Country Championships on Hereford High School's infamously hilly 3-mile course. Boonsboro, which will compete in Class 1A, will try to become the first Washington County school to win both girls and boys titles in the same year.

PARKTON, Md. -- There's nothing runners can do to avoid the hills at the Maryland State Cross Country Championships on Hereford's grueling 3-mile course. There wasn't much they could do about all the mud on Saturday either. "All the girls were moving all over the place, trying to avoid the mud," North Hagerstown senior Alison Harrell said. "It was like an obstacle course. " Harrell didn't let it prevent her from achieving her goal in the Class 2A girls race. She finished 14th in 22:03 -- the top time of the day by a Washington County girl and a medal-winning effort.

Washington County is as primed as maybe it's ever been for the Maryland State Cross Country Championships, which will be held Saturday at Hereford High School. Three county runners enter as West region champs and strong title contenders - Williamsport senior Evan Hardy (2A boys), Smithsburg junior Luke Daigneault (1A boys) and Boonsboro junior Sarah Zielinski (1A girls). Hardy, who finished third as a sophomore and second as a junior at states in 1A, has one final shot at the gold, but this time in 2A. “He hates losing,” Williamsport coach Randy Buchman said.

Region titles not needed for state success By AL DITZEL alfredd@herald-mail.com WESTMINSTER, Md. - While winning a region title is prestigious, it's not necessary to win gold in the Md. State Wrestling Tournament. Four area wrestlers - North Hagerstown's Chad Coles, Middletown's Brandon Keller and Williamsport's Corey Leggett and Matt Allen - none of them region champions - advanced to today's championship semifinals, which begin at noon at Western Maryland College.

PARKTON, Md. - The Smithsburg girls were significantly stronger, fitter and faster at Saturday's Maryland State Cross Country Championships than they were last year, when they won the Class 1A team title. Last year, the Leopards' top five runners had an average time of 24:21 on Hereford High School's grueling 3-mile course. Saturday, they averaged 23:07 - and finished fourth with 132 points, behind South Carroll (69), Bohemia Manor (95) and Brunswick (113). Williamsport was fifth (137)

View all of the photos for purchase! PARKTON, Md. -- In the final cross country race of his high school career Saturday at the Maryland state championships, David Wilson could finally let his feet and legs do all the talking -- and thinking. "It was weird, because normally when I'm racing, I'm thinking about the race I'm in," the Smithsburg senior said. "But this one, I wasn't thinking about the race. It got to the point where I'd been focusing on it for so long that it was almost like I couldn't focus on it any longer.

When the Williamsport softball team takes the field today, it will be playing to be the team of the year. The Wildcats face Colonel Richardson today at 5:30 p.m. for the Maryland Class 1A crown and the right to be the last team standing in the state tournament. But by the time Williamsport leaves the field, it could well be the team of a generation in Washington County softball. These Wildcats are the first team to represent Williamsport in the state tournament since 1980.

For the Boonsboro girls, it's been since 1995. For the Williamsport boys, it's been even longer - 1975. And for the Boonsboro boys, it's never happened at all. But they all have reason to believe that the title runs will happen for them Saturday, as they try to capture the elusive team crowns at the Maryland State Cross Country Championships on Hereford High School's infamously hilly 3-mile course. Boonsboro, which will compete in Class 1A, will try to become the first Washington County school to win both girls and boys titles in the same year.

While Boonsboro hasn't won a girls cross country title since 1995, and its boys never have placed higher than second, the Warriors might have the runners to contend for both Maryland Class 1A championships this fall. One thing's for sure, Boonsboro indeed has runners - a program-record 51 of them (25 girls and 26 boys). “There's a lot of bodies working hard,” Warriors coach Becky Walter said. The Boonsboro girls return four of their top seven runners from last year's team that won the Washington County title and finished second at states, including senior Sarah Zielinski, junior Kortney Cunningham and sophomore Ella Hawkins, who took three of the top six places at the county championships last fall.

Emily Ward looked like she'd been through the ringer when she crossed the finish line at the Maryland State Cross Country Championships at Hereford High School on Saturday. The North Hagerstown sophomore was exhausted from the hilly 3-mile race, covered with mud from a late fall and, to top it off, she was missing a shoe. “Someone stepped on the back of my shoe 800 meters in, and I lost it,” said Ward, who ran the final 2 1/2 miles without it. “It was painful. There were a lot of rocks, and it really, really hurt.” She persevered to place fourth in the Class 3A girls race in 20:19.5 - the fastest time of the day among all Washington County girls at the meet.

Washington County is as primed as maybe it's ever been for the Maryland State Cross Country Championships, which will be held Saturday at Hereford High School. Three county runners enter as West region champs and strong title contenders - Williamsport senior Evan Hardy (2A boys), Smithsburg junior Luke Daigneault (1A boys) and Boonsboro junior Sarah Zielinski (1A girls). Hardy, who finished third as a sophomore and second as a junior at states in 1A, has one final shot at the gold, but this time in 2A. “He hates losing,” Williamsport coach Randy Buchman said.

View all of the photos for purchase! PARKTON, Md. -- In the final cross country race of his high school career Saturday at the Maryland state championships, David Wilson could finally let his feet and legs do all the talking -- and thinking. "It was weird, because normally when I'm racing, I'm thinking about the race I'm in," the Smithsburg senior said. "But this one, I wasn't thinking about the race. It got to the point where I'd been focusing on it for so long that it was almost like I couldn't focus on it any longer.

PARKTON, Md. -- There's nothing runners can do to avoid the hills at the Maryland State Cross Country Championships on Hereford's grueling 3-mile course. There wasn't much they could do about all the mud on Saturday either. "All the girls were moving all over the place, trying to avoid the mud," North Hagerstown senior Alison Harrell said. "It was like an obstacle course. " Harrell didn't let it prevent her from achieving her goal in the Class 2A girls race. She finished 14th in 22:03 -- the top time of the day by a Washington County girl and a medal-winning effort.

David Wilson has an idea for Saturday's Maryland State Cross Country Championships at Hereford High School. "I sort of wish they'd take all the top people and just run them together," the Smithsburg senior said. Since that's not going to happen, Wilson can at least try to win the Class 1A boys race with the day's top time of all four classes. "That would be really cool," he said. Expectations are justifiably high for Wilson, who is undefeated this season through 10 races.

View the slideshow PARKTON, Md. -- David Wilson shocked everyone, including himself, by turning in Washington County's top performance Saturday at the Maryland State Cross Country Championships on Hereford High School's hilly 3-mile course. "I'm exhilarated," said the Smithsburg junior, who finished second (17:11) to South Carroll's Jake Zamostny (16:58) in the Class 1A boys race. "I almost felt like I was dreaming. " The Williamsport boys must have felt like they were having a nightmare.

PREP INDOOR TRACK Maryland State Championships At Prince George's Sports & Learning Complex in Landover, Md. Class 1A Boys Team results: 1. Digital Harbor 70, 2. Western STES 51, 3. tie, Williamsport and Glenelg 48, 5. Smithsburg 43, 6. Boonsboro 33, 7. Surrattsville 20, 8. Catoctin 18, 9. South Carroll 13, 10. tie, Clear Spring and Brunswick 11, 12. Carver Vo-Tech 8, 13. tie, Pikesville and New Town 7, 15. tie, Havre de...

PARKTON, Md. - The Smithsburg girls were significantly stronger, fitter and faster at Saturday's Maryland State Cross Country Championships than they were last year, when they won the Class 1A team title. Last year, the Leopards' top five runners had an average time of 24:21 on Hereford High School's grueling 3-mile course. Saturday, they averaged 23:07 - and finished fourth with 132 points, behind South Carroll (69), Bohemia Manor (95) and Brunswick (113). Williamsport was fifth (137)