2009 all-county Girls' track team
This article was corrected on June 26, 2009. An explanation of the correction is at the end of the story.
Runner of the Year
Aurieyall Scott, Eleanor Roosevelt
Scott said she had no idea she would dominate the Maryland prep sprinting scene when she moved from Savannah, Ga. A year later, she has three state indoor and outdoor crowns. She won the state Class 4A 100- and 200-meter events, beating defending state champion Olivia Ekpone of Northwest in both events.
Field Athlete of the Year
Lorraine Graham, Charles H. Flowers
Standing 6-foot-1, she towers over many teammates, both male and female. This outdoor season she dwarfed the competition with her performances. Graham was second in the high jump at the state meet, and won the 100 and 300 hurdles, setting a Class 4A state record in the 100 hurdles (13.92 seconds).
Coach of the Year
Carl Rose, Flowers
As Roosevelt and Oxon Hill dominated the regular season and Penn Relays, the Jaguars improved better for the championship season. Under Rose, Flowers displayed a balance that no other team could match, taking second at the state meet and scoring in 12 of 18 events.
First Team
Ekundayo Sogbesan, Forestville, Jr.
Sogbesan will be a senior to watch next season after establishing a Class 1A state record in the 400 (55.36 seconds) and winning 1A South Region titles in the 200 and 400.
Amirah Johnson, Roosevelt
Johnson is on pace to become one of the best runners in state history and will be an easy favorite to win state titles in the 800 and 1,600 for the next two years, having swept both events indoors and outdoors this past year.
Saniel Atkinson, Bishop McNamara, Sr.
Atkinson will head to the University of Georgia this fall after a stellar prep career that ended with a top-five finish in the high jump at the Penn Relays and a Washington Catholic Athletic Conference triple jump title.
Adenike Pedro, Elizabeth Seton
Pedro has the makings of a total athlete as she excelled in the long jump with a county-best leap of 19 feet, 2 inches at the Penn Relays. She also won the WCAC long jump title and helped the Roadrunners to a sweep of the relay events at the WCAC meet.
Deseree' King, Oxon Hill
King's nickname should be "Ms. Consistent," as she was a top finisher in the 400 all season. King won the county 400 title, finished second at the 4A South Region meet and took fourth in the state.
Jenea McCammon, Roosevelt
One of the unsung heroes of the Raiders' juggernaut, McCammon finished second in the 100 and 300 hurdles at the Class 4A state meet and was a part of the state record-breaking 400 relay and state champion 800 relay.
Brelyn Finley, Flowers, Jr.
Finley will enter her senior season as the best thrower in the county. She won the county shot put championship, placed second at the 4A South Region meet, was second at the state championships and received a Penn Relays invite in the event.
Shantae Boney, Largo
Perhaps the best athlete in the County 3A/2A/1A ranks, Boney finished her prep career with a county high jump championship, a 3A South Region 100 hurdles title and second place in the high jump at the Class 3A state championships.
Vernetta Biggs, Friendly
Saving her best for last, Biggs came out of nowhere to claim the Class 3A state long jump championship. She finished second in the state in the 100 hurdles and had a second-place finish in the 100 hurdles at the 3A South Region meet.
Dionna Hayes, Seton, Sr.
Hayes spearheaded a dominant corps of Seton sprinters. She claimed the WCAC 100 and 200 titles for the second year in a row, and was on a Roadrunners' 400 relay team that qualified for the Penn Relays Championship of America. Hayes will attend Virginia Commonwealth University.
Afia Charles, Roosevelt
Another important cog in the Raiders' machine, Charles won the 4A South Region 400 title, finished second in the 400 at the state championships and was a part of the Raiders' U.S. record-breaking 400 relay team at the Penn Relays.
Gloria Roberts, Frederick Douglass
One of the top distance runners in the county, Roberts swept the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 at the county championships. Roberts finished second in the 800 and 1,600 at the 2A South Region meet and was third in the 3,200 at the state meet.
Jameice DeCoster, Seton
DeCoster had a huge role with the Roadrunners the past two seasons. She won the WCAC 400 title, and was part of the Roadrunners' WCAC-winning 400 and 800 relay teams and the Championship of America 400 relay team. DeCoster is headed to the University of Wisconsin.
Second Team
Doris Anyanwu and Abi Adenikinju, Roosevelt
Indya Price and Seneman Burns, Friendly
Taylor Butler, Cearha Miller and Evann Slaughter, Oxon Hill
Alexis Strohman and Nsia Frenche, McNamara;
Elizabeth Carino, Parkdale;
Asha Roper and Brianna Young, Seton
Asha Ruth and Cassaundra Bouldin, Bowie
Corryn Hurrington, Flowers.
The Gazette-Star All-County Girls' Track Team was selected by our staff based on performances during the season. Staff Writer Terron Hampton compiled the team writeups.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Jameice DeCoster is attending Nebraska next year. She will be attending Wisconsin.