Going the distance
Southern-AA’s Penkala named Athlete of the Year
Here are The Baltimore Sun’s All-Metro boys indoor track and field teams for the 2023-24 season.
Athlete of the Year
It’s been 40 years since the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association adopted the 800-meter run into its indoor state track and field program. Entering this season, only two runners had accomplished the distance “triple crown” — winning state championships in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200.
Penkala became the third. “He’s been consistent, he’s been competitive. He just trusts the process,” Southern-AA coach Leon Tucker said. “The thing about Eric and his season, he just stuck with it. He trusted the training and trusted the coaches and he put it all together.”
Penkala left the Prince George’s
Sports & Learning Complex with three individual Class 2A gold medals, winning the 800 (1:58.44), 1,600 (4:17.46) and 3,200 (9:31.39).
“From counties all the way up to states, actually the whole season, I’ve been doing the mile, two-mile, 800 combo. Every time I did that it was kind of a new experience, new feelings in terms of the lactic acid, the pain,” Penkala said. “When
I got to counties, I kind of knew what I had to do. And especially at regionals, I knew it was going to hurt, it was going to be hard, but when it came to states, when I won the mile, it gave me confidence.
“The two-mile, I just blew through it, and in the 800 I just held on. I put my head down and just went.”
Penkala won the 800 state championship as a sophomore and has consistently been among the area’s top distance runners. But Tom Prendki, who coaches Penkala in cross country and is the track distance coach, said he saw a significant change in Penkala this year that elevated the junior to elite status.
“His confidence level, once he realized he could run just as well as his main competitors and he felt he was equal, that’s when he really took off,” Prendki said.
Penkala said a disappointing end to his sophomore cross country season left him with a drive to become a better runner.
“Over the summer and into the fall when cross country practice started, I emphasized it was going to be a whole new year, a whole new me,” Penkala said. “We’re not giving up as easily — not giving up at all — but I knew that junior year, that’s when the real times start to come out and I’d have to trust the process, do the work and it will all come out on top.”
But did his coaches think that would all lead to three state championships?
“On paper, yes. But that was a tall order. A very tall order,” Prendki said. “But he ever ceases to amaze.”
In addition to losing Clowney, inside linebacker Patrick Queen signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, safety Geno Stone with the Cincinnati Bengals and cornerback Ronald Darby with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
A second-round pick by the Detroit Lions in 2014, Van Noy won two Super Bowls with the New England Patriots but has played for four teams the past four seasons, including the Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Chargers and now Baltimore.
Still, he has remained a more than capable pass rusher with at least five sacks each of the past five seasons.
He also fit in well in the Ravens’ locker room.
“I pride myself on having a high IQ,” Van Noy said last season. “You can ask anybody, and I think they’d tell you I’m a smart football player. I take pride in that. I take pride in being a professional. I tried to learn the defense in a week, so I feel like I got a good grasp on it. I know what everyone’s doing and where I fit in.”
In 142 games, Van Noy has 500 tackles, 42 ½ sacks, 72 quarterback hits, 12 forced fumbles, nine fumble recoveries and three interceptions.