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.