Seven HCC athletes will compete at the NJCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships

Here are the seven Hagerstown Community College athletes who are set to compete at the NJCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships this week in Gainesville, Florida, where the top eight finishers in each event earn All-American honors.

Gabby Cook

Year: Sophomore

Hometown: Hagerstown

Event: Women’s high jump (Saturday)

Personal indoor best: 5 feet, 9 3/4 inches (school record)

NJCAA ranking: First

Notes: Cook, a 2022 Boonsboro graduate, set the overall school record (indoors and outdoors) with her winning jump of 5-9 3/4 at the VMI Team Challenge on Jan. 20, 2024. … Cook is undefeated in the high jump this winter, placing first in all six meets. … Last spring, she finished 14th at the NJCAA Division I outdoor championships at 5-3 3/4.

Goal for nationals: “I definitely want to make All-American this year,” Cook said. “This is kind of like a redemption season for me since I didn’t place well last year. I would like to get first, but I’d definitely just like to make All-American, for sure. I’m going to shoot for 1.80 meters (5-10 3/4). I definitely want to jump a PR at this meet since I haven’t PR’d in a while.”

Coach’s outlook: “Gabby has worked really hard to get where she is, and because she’s worked that hard, she has an opportunity to win a national championship,” HCC jumps coach Andy Reid said. “She’s jumped higher than anybody in the NJCAA this year, and she’s been more consistent than anybody else too. She hasn’t been under 5-6 3/4 all year. If she jumps 5-7, 5-8 or 5-9, she’ll probably win. I fully expect she’ll be an All-American, regardless. She should easily be in the top eight.”

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Mikaila Ek

Year: Sophomore

Hometown: Berkeley Springs, W.Va.

Event: Women’s pole vault (Friday)

Personal indoor best: 11 feet, 3/4 inches (school record)

NJCAA ranking: Seventh

Notes: Ek jumped 11-0 3/4 to break her own indoor school record, placing third at the VMI Winter Relays on Feb. 3, 2024. … She earned All-American honors last spring, placing fourth at the NJCAA Division I championships in 10-8 3/4, her outdoor personal record.

Goal for nationals: “My goal is 11-6,” Ek said. “That would be great. I’m very close. And I want to be an All-American. I want to place at least top four, like I did for outdoors last year.”

Coach’s outlook: “She’s got that experience from last year that’s going to play into her advantage,” Reid said. “I fully expect her to PR and come back an All-American.”

Tommy Bildheiser

Year: Sophomore

Hometown: Lebanon, Pa.

Event: Men’s 800 meters (prelims Friday, final Saturday)

Personal indoor best: 1:55.50

Season best: 1:55.91

NJCAA ranking: 24th

Notes: Bildheiser placed 11th in the 800 in 1:55.87 at last year’s NJCAA indoor championships. … Only nine make the final.

Goal for nationals: “All-American, obviously,” Bildheiser said. “As soon as the gun goes off, I think I can race with anybody. We’re all JUCO guys, and we’re all trying to make a name for ourselves. Why not this year? Why can’t I make a name for myself this year? I’m ready to run hard and run fast.”

Coach’s outlook: “It’s really tough,” HCC head coach Mike Spinnler said. “There are (36 men in the 800). It’s going to be like gambling, so to speak (in the preliminary heats). It’s going to be who shoots last, who gets there. He just missed last year. But he has great experience. He’s been there. He’s tasted it. He knows what to expect.”

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Brayden Ecker

Year: Sophomore

Hometown: Frederick, Md.

Event: Men’s pole vault (Friday)

Personal indoor best: 14 feet, 9 inches

NJCAA ranking: Eighth

Notes: Ecker, a 2022 Thomas Johnson graduate, placed fourth in the pole vault at the Mountain East Conference championships, both indoors and outdoors, as a freshman at Frostburg State last school year.

Goal for nationals: “I really just want to see some technical things come together in the vault, stuff that I’ve been working on at practices for nationals,” Ecker said. “I don’t want to put too much pressure on an exact bar or an exact height. I would definitely like to jump in the 15-6 range and place top five. I think I’m due.”

Coach’s outlook: “Brayden has been over 15 feet three for four times easily. He just kind of brushed the bar,” Reid said. “I expect he’ll be jumping at least 15 feet this weekend. He’s a very experienced jumper. He has an opportunity to finish pretty high, if not win, if he jumps well.”

Jake Scallion

Year: Freshman

Hometown: Maugansville

Event: Men’s 800 meters (prelims Friday, final Saturday)

Personal indoor best: 1:56.69

NJCAA ranking: 30th

Note: Scallion won Washington County outdoor titles in the 400 and 800 as a senior at North Hagerstown last spring.

Goal for nationals: “There are a lot of people (36 men) who qualified in the 800, so it’s probably going to take a heat win to get to the final (top nine),” Scallion said. “Coach Spinnler thinks a 1:55 could win a heat, so that’s what I’m going to shoot for. I’m capable of hitting that.”

Coach’s outlook: “I hate to say this is unexpected for Jake, but going from 1:59.48 outdoors (in high school last spring) to 1:56.69 indoors is a pretty quantum leap,” Spinnler said. “He’s got real talent, and he’s there with no pressure on him. It’s going to be a great experience.”

Michaela Carney

Year: Freshman

Hometown: Sharpsburg

Event: Women’s pole vault (Friday)

Personal indoor best: 10 feet

NJCAA ranking: 17th

Note: As a senior at Boonsboro last spring, Carney won the Maryland Class 1A state title in the pole vault at 9-6.

Goal for nationals: “I want to get 10-6 so I have a chance to be an All-American,” Carney said. “Right now, eighth is at 10-8. But really, my goal is just to get a PR. I just want to keep getting better.”

Coach’s outlook: “I expect her to PR, and she has an outside chance to be an All-American,” Reid said. “She’s going to have to jump well to do so, but she’s capable. The key is handling the pressure.”

Kayla Vanderford

Year: Freshman

Hometown: Hagerstown

Event: Women’s pole vault (Friday)

Personal indoor best: 9 feet, 8 1/2 inches

NJCAA ranking: Tied for 18th

Notes: Vanderford qualified for nationals during HCC’s last meet on Feb. 17. … As a senior at Clear Spring last spring, Vanderford placed third at the Washington County championships and fifth in Maryland Class 1A in the pole vault.

Goal for nationals: “I just want to PR,” Vanderford said. “I’m excited to go with all of my friends.”

Coach’s outlook: “Kayla was a real surprise,” Reid said. “She’s worked extremely hard all season. We were going to redshirt her, but all of the sudden, she’s jumping 9 feet and 9-6. And it was like, ‘We can’t redshirt her now because she’s real close to qualifying.’ And the last meet, she got it done. She showed she can handle that pressure, so hopefully she can go handle the pressure of the national event, too.”

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Seven HCC athletes set to compete at NJCAA indoor track championships