LANDOVER, MD -- Even though there has been a venue change and a date change in the
schedule, the winter holiday season can now once again be considered complete
with another installment of the Friends of Indoor Track (F.I.T.) Relays.
This year\'s edition, which has been moved from its George Mason University
site of the past seven years due to a scheduling conflict, has still found an
excellent home at the Prince George\'s County Sports and Learning Complex with
its superb field event facilities and mighty fine 200 meter track.
The meet is set for a 9:00 a.m. start for the first running event with
selected field events to also begin at 9:00 a.m. The running event time
starts are an approximation only, with all races being conducted on a rolling
time schedule. Coaches and athletes, please be advised to check in at the
bullpen area at first call for your running event and be sure all four relay
members are present for check-in with each relay card correctly filled out.
The F.I.T. Relays has once again attracted approximately fifty schools from
the metropolitan area and once again promises to be one of the top meets of
the season.
In the girls field events, the shot put has a defending champion returning
in Catherine Muehleib of Lake Braddock. Muehleib won the event last year with
an effort of 35 feet, 5.75 inches and opened up last week with a put of 36-4
and will have as one of her top competitors, Ashley Crocker of Hayfield, last
year\'s runnerup at 34-11.25.
The girls pole vault has senior Katherine Pettine of Westfield, last year\'s
runnerup, as the top returnee along with the Lake Braddock duo of Cristina
Zuniga and Abbey McGrath. The high jump is led by sophomore Ashley Haislip of
Lake Braddock, who cleared 5-4 to win the GMU Invite last week, with
Jefferson\'s Aparna Hirve and Christie Dillard of Dover, Delaware also
expected to do well.
South Lakes senior Adrienne Mayo is one of the top performers to watch in
the horizontal jumps after a fine initial outing at the GMU Invite last week
where Mayo went 17-3.5 in the long jump and 36-10.5 to win the triple jump
with Kamalah of Bowie in the long jump and Henderson from Largo in the triple
jump also among the top seeds.
The boys field events does not appear to return a defending champion as of
press time but the meet record in the shot put of 56-5 set in 1998 by West
Springfield\'s Nick Welihozkiy appears to be in jeopardy. Robinson senior
Steve Huntzinger is the top seed and although he is in the middle of a tough
training session, still managed to put the 12 pound ball out to 59-1.75 to
win at GMU last Saturday. The boys shot also has Bowie\'s Leif Crago entered
in the 55 foot plus range.
Nick Crumpton of Langley, the defending Virginia AAA champion in the triple
jump, looms as the favorite in that event after going 44-10.5 last weekend
and Crumpton will also be a factor in the long jump with a 21-10.75 leap to
his credit already this season.
Mount Vernon\'s Ernest Asante is the top returnee in the high jump in which
he placed second last year. The pole vault also has the number two placer
from last year in junior David Lewis of Westfield and also the fifth place
finisher in Justin Loda along with the Robinson tandem of Nick Rhodes and
Scott Decker.
On the track, the varsity races will begin with the 4x800 relay and all
sections are seeded according to their entry times with the fastest seeded
sections first. The girls 4x8 has Robinson as the defending champion and once
again the Rams will have one of the top entries with seniors Sam Ference and
All Met cross country runner Joanna Rodgers back from last year\'s squad.
Robinson should be challenged from a group which includes Lake Braddock, West
Springfield anchored by Huma Husain and Walter Johnson.
The boys 4x8 has West Springfield as the defending champion led by All Met
Jeff Day. T.C. Williams should be a major factor with Nulie McCarthy on
anchor along with Lake Braddock, Oakton, Jefferson with Keith Bechtol and All
Met Christo Landry, Oxon Hill and Ballou.
The distance medley relays (1,200; 400; 800; 1,600) defending girls
champion is Centreville with Hayfield and Robinson appearing to have the most
potential while Lake Braddock is the boys DMR defender with Hayfield, Oakton
and Jefferson among the top seeds.
The varsity 4x200 girls relay has always strong Largo as the defending
champ and top seed with Woodrow Wilson and Oxon Hill to challenge while the
boys 4x2 has defending titleist Oxon Hill and Suitland coming in with the top
entry times for the fastest seeded sections.
The varsity girls 4x4 has Largo, Oakton and Oxon Hill coming in with the
fastest times while the boys fastest seeded section contains T.C. Williams,
the winner at the GMU Invite at 3:28.95 with all four of their runners from
last year\'s exceptional squad having returned, along with Suitland, H.D.
Woodson and Lake Braddock with Craig Gallimore on anchor.
Gallimore is also one of the top seeds in the 300 dash, which has been
added on a trial basis this year and he will be one of the favorites along
with Roland Minch of H.D. Woodson and Centreville\'s swift junior, Daniel
Bailey. The girls 300 dash has Galaday of Largo, Burgess from Oxon Hill and
Westfield junior Carmen Meade looking to pop a quick early season time.
The F.I.T. Relays, in keeping with trying to get as much participation as
possible on a fast track for an early season meet, will also once again have
a Varsity \"B\" 4x800 relay and freshmen-sophomore 4x200 and 4x400 relays for
both boys and girls.
Finally, the Friends of Indoor Track would like to thank P.G. Sports and
Learning Complex; Glory Days Grill and Metro Run and Walk for their continued
sponsorship, all of the coaches and parents who have volunteered their time
before and during the meet, and the athletes themselves for once again making
this a successful track and field venture.