BERLIN- Stephen Decatur’s varsity indoor track and field teams made strong showings in the state championship meet this week including a state championship for Seahawk senior Tiara Stanley in the shot put.
After winning the state Class 3A-East Region championship last week, the Decatur girls’ indoor track and field team was well represented at the state championship meet held in Prince George’s County this week. The girls’ team was well represented in all events across the board and turned in solid performances to finish 12th among the top 3A programs in the state with 13 total team points.
Leading the Seahawks on Tuesday was girls’ shot-putter Tiara Stanley, whose first throw carried 37-feet, three-and-a-half inches, which is all she would need to secure the state championship in the event. Stanley was the top qualifier in the state championship meet after winning the Class 3A region title last week. She went unbeaten in five meets this season and also captured the Bayside Conference championship.
The Decatur girls’ team was tough all year behind its distance runners and strong performances by its field events competitors and the formula held true during the state championship meet on Tuesday. The Seahawks’ girls’ team coasted to the Bayside Conference championship two weeks ago and followed that up with a sweep of the regional meet last week behind a strong corps of distance runners led by senior Lindsay Chetelat.
The Decatur girls came in a solid fifth in the 4×800 relay on Tuesday for the team’s best track event finish in the state championship meet. The team, which included Chetelat, Bradley Janson, Lauren Cosgriff and Katherine Janson, finished in 10:02:82 to take fifth. The same team won the 4×800 event in the regional meet and the Bayside championships two weeks ago. Chetelat also finished eighth in the 3,200, while Seahawk Jessica Ames took 6th in the girls’ pole vault on Tuesday.
On the boys’ side in the state championship meet on Tuesday, the Seahawks finished in 16th place overall as a team and also put up some impressive individual performances. Leading the way was Matthew Allenbaugh, who came in third in the pole vault event after clearing the bar at 12 feet. Decatur’s Bradley Hollowell finished in eighth place in the pole vault event at the state championship meet.
All in all, it was a great season for the Decatur indoor track teams who swept the Bayside Conference championships and scored well in the state regional and championship meets after moving up to Class 3A last year.