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The April showers didn't even touch the Don Boyer Invitational at Middletown High on Saturday. Instead, the April wind tunnel added a whole new element to the meet's events.

Winds went from a low breeze of 6 mph to blasting gusts of 20 mph, with a peak speed of 29 mph. The only constant about them was the direction — barreling right down the homestretch.

The wind was a simultaneous blessing and curse. It knocked out the pole vault event completely, robbing Middletown of one of its key advantages. Left in a foot race of relays against Virginia's Stone Bridge, the Knights came up just three points shy, 103-100 1/3. Linganore placed third with 62 points.

In the girls competition, River Hill was victorious with 96 points. North Carroll was second (81), with Williamsport showing at third with 80. Middletown was fourth (70).

The Middletown boys won the 4x200 and 4x400 and were second in the 4x100. Stone Bridge was second in the 4x200 and 4x400, and first in the 4x100.

Middletown sprinter Jaraad Yates ran the second leg of the 4x200 and the fourth leg of the 4x100, keeping the wind at his back most of the time. He said it was something he didn't mind.

"Not at all," Yates said. "I'm loving that, it made me look good."

Frederick's Javar Cruz had a completely different set of challenges in the 300 intermediate hurdles. Because of the race length, he had to start by running into the wind, then got blasted from the side before getting the wind at his back for the last 100 meters.

"I would say the wind is worse than the rain, especially with any kind of jumping," Cruz said.

The key to hurdles is mastering the amount of steps needed in between each one. Cruz keeps his steps around 13 to 15, always setting up a right-foot lead. He said that he only needed a couple stutter-steps to battle the elements.

"There was one right on the turn, it was right when the wind picked up, I was off a little and it tripped me up," Cruz said.

Battling the gusts, Cruz survived the turn and won in 41.13 seconds. Yates and his 4x200 team won in 1:35.22, using a change-up on their normal order. While Lance Lagos stayed in his normal spot as the leadoff runner, Yates went from anchor leg to No. 2. Rakim Hamilton took the third leg and Austin Strine brought home the final leg.

"Usually I run fourth leg, but they said that they'd like me to run people down and get a good lead," Yates said.

With the wind pushing him along, Yates turned in a split of 22.4 seconds.

"It's a little better than what I usually do, but I also ran a little more this time than I usually do," Yates said. "Because Lance was running against the wind, I kind of came back a little more to help him out a little bit."

Yates is the only senior on the 4x200, as Hamilton is a sophomore and both Lagos and Strine are juniors.

"They're making me feel old," Yates said. "I remember freshman year like it was yesterday."

Way back then, also known as 2006, Yates was running in the 4x100 and the 100. He joined the 4x200 his sophomore year, and was the youngest athlete on the team then.

The 4x100 has only a touch more seniority, with Rob Michels also on the track. But the Knights had to settle for second.

"We were a little upset about the 4x100," Yates said. "That's the first time we lost all year. It was our goal to go undefeated, but Stone Bridge had a pretty quick team."

The 4x400 team of Michels, Lagos, Corey Lebedda and Tyler Kelley were the final victory for the Knights.

Brittney Caudle was first in the girls 800 with a time of 2:25.8, and Melissa Shirley placed first in the shot put.

Frederick won the girls 4x100, and Linganore's Richard Graham was victorious in the high jump with a mark of 6 feet, 4 inches.