Athletes in 1A, 2A meets find success

‘There’s no better feeling than being a champion’

LANDOVER — Oakland Mills boys track and field athletes are used to success. The Scorpions won last year’s outdoor title and backed it up by winning the indoor title this season.

But getting your own gold medal is a feeling that’s hard to beat.

“Winning an individual state title, that means a lot,” Oakland Mills’ Kanye Holland said. “I already been a part of state championship teams, we’re trying to run it back three times in a row, but there’s no better feeling than being a champion.”

Holland won the Class 2A long jump on the first day of the MPSSAA outdoor track and field championships at Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex in Landover. Classes 1A and 2A competed Thursday with a handful of running and field event finals, as well as semifinals in sprints and hurdles.

Even though Holland’s first jump wasn’t a winner, it told him what was to come.

“My first jump was 21-3, but from that I knew it was going to be a good day,” he said. “I knew I was going to have some good jumps after that. Just had to keep going off the board the same, keep running the same.”

Toward the end of the competition, Holland readied to start his jump. He clapped his hands and encouraged everyone else nearby to do the same. With the support echoing around him, Holland produced a winning jump of 21 feet, 9 ¼ inches.

Holland was one of three Scorpions to win individual gold medals Thursday. Ethan Aidam won the 3,200 meters in 9 minutes, 43.34 seconds, nearly six seconds faster than Century’s Peyton Dill.

Aki Harvey won a battle of attrition to take first in the high jump. Harvey and Middletown’s Levi Zilneus went to a jump-off after each was flawless clearing 6 feet, but couldn’t clear 6-2. After several jumps couldn’t decide a winner, Harvey had a little more left in the tank to make the winning jump.

Oakland Mills also won the 4x200 relay. Holland, Trevin McHargh, Judson Lincoln IV and Shane King finished in 1:26.9.

There might already be too much distance for Oakland Mills to be caught in the team title. The Scorpions scored 52 points on Day 1. Second-place Calvert has 16.