State track: Smithsburg’s Rejonis sets county boys record for career gold

Saturday

Struggling with a hamstring injury all spring, Smithsburg senior Cameron Rejonis wasn’t expecting a storybook ending to his fabulous high school career.

“Halfway through the season, I started to lose expectations of myself for what I’d set goals for,” he said.

His injury sidelined him for the Washington County championships earlier this month, and on Saturday, caused him not to even attempt his first event, the Class 1A 400-meter dash, in which he was the two-time defending state champ.

But later in the day, Rejonis decided to give the 800 a go at the Prince George's Sports & Learning Complex.

And if one thing is true, it’s this: “You can’t ever count him out at the state championships,” Smithsburg coach Adam Rudy said.

Not only did Rejonis dig deep enough to win the 800, he ran a personal-record time of 1:57.38 for the ninth individual state title of his career, a Washington County record for boys.

He previously shared the record of eight titles, between indoor and outdoor track, with 2012 Williamsport graduate Evan Hardy.

How did Rejonis do it?

“No clue,” he said. “I just felt all right on the first lap, and I just kept pushing.”

Rejonis took the lead for the first time midway down the backstretch on the final lap, and then held off Mountain Ridge’s Will Haberlein (1:57.98) down the homestretch.

“I’m ecstatic,” he said. “I was down on myself going in, but as soon as we got up to the line, I tried clearing my head.”

“He’s a racer,” Rudy said, “and his positioning in the race was perfect. He’s a finisher.

“He was hindered by that hamstring injury all year, so for him to come out here and get that win, I’m happy for him, happy for him to get that record. I know it means a lot to him.”

Rejonis, who will continue his track career at Division I High Point University, finished the meet by placing fourth in the 4x400 relay (3:32.10) with Garrett Mastronardi, Tyler Younker and Liam Fisher.

Smithsburg girls win relay, finish second in team standings

The Smithsburg girls, who opened the meet Thursday by winning the 4x800, capped it Saturday with another relay victory as Grace Ellis, Taylor King, Amanda Hawbecker and Kylie Snyder took first place in the 4x400 (4:09.17).

“We really wanted to win the 4x4, and we did,” said Ellis, who put the Leopards in front for good on the opening leg. “Going into it, we knew there was going to be hard competition. I knew I had to get out hard.”

Despite several other place-winning finishes in the meet by Smithsburg, the Leopards, who won the Class 1A state indoor team title this year, had to settle for second outdoors.

Western Tech won with 106 points, Smithsburg scored 92.5 and Largo finished third with 72.

“You can’t be disappointed with second place at states,” said Rudy, whose girls finished third last spring. “If you told me that we’d score 92.5 points and lost, I would have said that you were crazy. But Western Tech just had a phenomenal meet today. Kudos to their coaching staff. In the field events and the jumps, they just absolutely crushed it. They deserve that state championship.

“We did everything we could. We ran as well as we could expect to. They’re just really, really good. That happens sometimes.”

Also for the Smithsburg girls on Saturday, Jenna Howe placed third in the 400 (59.02), fifth in the 200 (26.43) and teamed with Trenity Green, Amanda Hawbecker and Snyder to finish fourth in the 4x100 (50.52); Ellis placed third in the 800 (2:22.12) and fifth in the 400 (1:00.44); Cora Gentzel finished fourth in both the 800 (2:25.57) and 1,600 (5:19.21); Kayla Hawbecker placed fifth in both the 800 (2:25.71) and 1,600 (5:20.48); King finished fourth in the 300 hurdles (48.73); and Snyder took fourth in the high jump (5-0).

“All around, we had a really decent day,” Ellis said. “We knew we had to show up, and for the most part, we did. There are always things that don’t come out as planned, but that’s OK.”

More medals and records

Hancock senior Aidan Faith left the meet with three Class 1A girls medals, placing second in the high jump (5-0) and third in the long jump (16-5 1/2) on Saturday after taking third in triple jump Thursday.

“I didn’t really expect to get three medals this year, so I’m pretty pleased with that,” she said. “I just started this year with high jump, and I had no misses up to 5 feet. That’s a pretty big breakthrough for me.”

In Class 3A, South Hagerstown senior Ethan VanMeter — who disappointingly finished second in the shot put Friday — broke through big-time in the discus Saturday, placing third with a school-record throw of 151 feet, 3 inches. His previous best was 137-1.

“With discus not being my main thing coming into the outdoor season, I’m very, very happy with it,” he said. “It definitely helps with the sting of yesterday a little bit. It was just good to put something together and walk away with at least one school record.”

North Hagerstown junior Ryder Johnston broke his own school record in the 3A boys 300 hurdles, placing fifth in 39.09.

North also got a fifth-place finish Mio Desclous in the boys pole vault (12-6) and a sixth-place finish from Lauren Stine in the girls 1,600 (5:10.70).

In Class 2A, Williamsport’s Richard Sanon placed sixth in the boys 110 hurdles (15.28).

Smithsburg's Ah'Ryan White placed sixth in the 1A boys 300 hurdles (41.89).

For the Boonsboro girls in 1A, Caroline Matthews finished sixth in the 1,600 (5:21.02) and Kaitlyn Queen placed eighth in the shot put (103-3).

Friday

Class 3A & 4A Day 1

With a sensational last lap at the Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex, North Hagerstown sophomore Lauren Stine won the Maryland 3A state title in the girls 3,200-meter run in 10:54.42, shattering her previous school record by more than 20 seconds.

The performance moved her to No. 2 on the all-time Washington County leaderboard, trailing only 2015 Boonsboro graduate Meggan Grams (10:42.54).

“That definitely exceeded all of the expectations that I had,” Stine said. “I came in here and I just wanted to go under 11:10 and medal.

“It’s a big one,” she added. “I’ve been waiting for that one all season.”

For most of the race, Stine was alone in third place.

“In my mind, I was just like, ‘I can’t let anybody else catch me,’” she said. “I was honestly just settling for third.”

With a lap to go, Stine trailed Westminster’s Hannah Toth by about 15 meters and race leader Lauren Virmani by about 30.

The two opponents already had prevented Stine from winning gold twice this school year. In the fall, Stine finished second to Toth at the state cross country championships, and in the winter, she was the runner-up to Virmani in the 3,200 at the state indoor meet.

With a blazing finish Friday, she avenged both losses. With a little over 200 meters remaining, she passed Toth and began hunting down Virmani, whom she edged at the line by less than a tenth of a second for the title.

“I had to do a bit of a lean,” Stine said. “I’ve never done that before.

“I knew that since everybody else in this race was phenomenal and had great leg speed that if I was going to pull out a win that I was going to have to put everything and more into that last lap,” she said. “It was a lot of strategy.”

Second-place finishes were achieved Friday by North senior Jake Scallion in the 3A boys long jump and South Hagerstown senior Ethan VanMeter in the 3A boys shot put.

Scallion has a knack for delivering on the big stage.

Last year at states, he finished third with a jump of 21 feet, 8 1/2 inches, which remained his personal record until he jumped 21-9 3/4 Friday to capture silver.

“I always seem to peak at states. It feels good,” Scallion said. “I really wanted to get the nationals-qualifying mark, and I was like four inches off. I’m kind of upset about that, but I got one place better this year.”

After winning the indoor state title in the shot put this year, VanMeter was disappointed not to repeat the feat outdoors, finishing second at 49-8 3/4, nearly two feet off his personal best (51-7 1/2) and almost four feet behind winner Grant Lohr of Oakdale (53-7 1/4).

“I was hoping for at least that,” he said of his personal record. “There definitely was a lot more in the tank, which is what makes it most disappointing. I truly believe I could have won. But so is life. Sometimes you get second.

“It’s still something to be proud of. It’s just we had high expectations coming in, wanting to defend the indoor championship. I just didn’t do my best. That’s really it, to be honest. I’m just looking forward to my future now — next year, first college season (at Western Colorado).”

Also for South, junior Riley Troxell tied for fifth in the girls pole vault at 10-6, breaking her own school record by three inches.

“I’m very happy to PR,” she said. “I’m going to keep training over the summer and hopefully break 11 next year or even higher.”

Also for North, junior Ryder Johnston placed fifth in the boys long jump (21-3).

Thursday

Class 1A & 2A Day 1

Washington County’s top performances were all about teammates during the first day of the Maryland State Track & Field Championships on Thursday at the Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex.

Smithsburg sophomores Grace Ellis, Ella Fisher, Cora Gentzel and Kayla Hawbecker teamed up to win the Class 1A girls 4x800 relay — the first event on the track — in a school-record time of 9:52.09.

For Boonsboro, the friendly rivalry between seniors Michaela Carney and Kara Yaukey produced first- and second-place finishes for the Warriors in the Class 1A girls pole vault.

Ellis put the Leopards in front for good in the first leg of the 4x800.

“I knew what I had to do, what we always do in the 4x800,” she said. “I had to get the start. That’s what holds the rest of the race.

“We had regionals to base off of, and we knew it was going to be difficult coming into today. We knew we basically all had to run our PRs, and I’m pretty sure we all did.”

After last week’s 1A West region meet, Smithsburg knew that Mountain Ridge was dangerous, especially anchor leg Mary Delaney, who caught and passed Hawbecker with 100 meters left to give the Miners the region title.

At states on Thursday, Hawbecker received the baton with a seven-second lead on Mountain Ridge.

“I definitely was scared because I did get hawked down at regionals,” Hawbecker said. “I was really nervous coming into tonight because I knew she’s insanely fast, but I just tried my best, hoping for the best.”

She managed to hold off Delaney and the Miners by four seconds for the state title.

In the 1A girls pole vault, Carney and Yaukey each cleared 9 feet, 6 inches, with Carney taking the victory because it took her only one attempt to get it, while it took Yaukey two tries.

“It’s been close between the two of us this entire season,” said Carney, whose personal record is 9-7. “We both want each other to do well.

“Today, my goal was just to get a personal record and hopefully get first, but I didn’t get a personal record, but I’m very happy that I got first. It’s definitely been a goal of mine since last year when I got fourth. I’ve just been trying to work my way up.”

Boonsboro also got a second-place finish from junior Caroline Matthews in the 1A girls 3,200.

Matthews led the first six laps before being overtaken by Delaney, the Mountain Ridge star, who won in a 1A meet-record time of 11:03.02 — 4.78 seconds ahead of Matthews, the defending champ.

“It wasn’t exactly the performance I was looking for,” said Matthews, who was 1.05 seconds off her personal best (11:06.75). “I knew going into it that it was going to be a battle, and it definitely was, so I’m really proud of the effort I put out there.

“It’s like 20 seconds faster than last year so growth is always what we want,” she said. “I have high expectations of myself, but Mary is an awesome runner, and it’s just great to have someone at the same level as me.”

In the Class 1A boys 4x800, Smithsburg’s Liam Fisher, Garrett Mastronardi, Tyler Younker and Cameron Rejonis placed third in 8:23.26.

Rejonis, a senior, has won eight individual state gold medals in his career, between indoor and outdoor track, tying him for the boys all-time county lead.

However, due to a hamstring injury, he might not be able to add to his title count. He’s entered in both the 400 and 800 Saturday.

“Probably not. It’s not feeling that good right now,” Rejonis said. “I’m not even going to attempt the 400. It’s just too much for my body.

“It’s disappointing that I’m not able to run up to the standard that I hold myself to and want to be able to get.”

Smithsburg also got a third-place finish from Jenna Howe, Trenity Green, Taylor King and Kylie Snyder in the girls 4x200 (1:46.52).

For Hancock, senior Aidan Faith placed third in the 1A girls triple jump (35-1 1/4).

Other placewinners for the Smithsburg girls — who finished the day in first place with 29.5 points — included Gentzel (11:56.72), Michaela Gross (12:06.87) and Hawbecker (12:07.72), who placed fourth, sixth and seventh in the 3,200, and Alexandria Spithaler, who tied for fifth with Clear Spring’s Kayla Vanderford in the pole vault (8-0).

The Blazers also got an eighth-place finish from Jacob Faith in the 1A boys high jump (5-10).

For Boonsboro, Jakob Davidson placed eighth in the 3,200 (10:31.11) and Kaitlyn Queen finished eighth in the girls discus (103-3).

Day 1 for classes 3A and 4A is Friday, and all four classes will be in action Saturday.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Washington County athletes chase medals at state track and field meet