Dulaney High School senior Eric Walz has won so many county, regional and state championships in cross country and track, even he has lost count.
Walz needed to stop and calculate the magic number — 26.
That has clearly established him as one of Dulaney's best-ever runners and athletes.
"There is a record board in the gym lobby and I do have the outdoor 3,200 (meter) record," Walz said of the 9:12 time. "There's also a board full of state champions and I am on it a couple of times. It's always cool to be recognized for stuff you did and nice to leave a footprint."
Dulaney coach Chad Boyle isn't sure if he will coach another boy's runner like Walz.
"He is the fastest guy I have coached in 18 years and he has the state (titles) to go with it," the coach said. "He bears down in the tough moments of races when most guys give up."
The 5-foot-10, 135-pound Walz finished his four-year career on a positive note.
He finished second in the state in the 3,200 (9:27.48) in the Class 4A meet at Morgan State University last weekend.
Now, the New Balance Nationals in Greensboro, N.C, in mid-June are in his sights, even through he's not sure he'll be going.
"It's probably 50-50 of me going to New Balance Nationals," said Walz, who will run at North Carolina State University. "But I might just want to get ready for college next year. I would be focusing this summer on preparing instead of competing."
He also competed well at the regional championships on May 21. He won titles in the 3,200 (9:41.77) and 1,600 (4:31.30) to boost his total to 14.
James Green (400 meters, 50.91) and the 3,200 relay team of Donovan Johnson, Sean Lin, Brian McCullough and Alex Ozbolt (8:13.22) also captured regional championships for Dulaney.
For the Dulaney girls, Grace Jung (pole vault, 9 feet, 2 inches) captured a regional title and Gabe Madro (pole valut, 11-6) placed second in the state.
Over at Towson High, the school's boys team celebrated its first regional title in school history.
The Generals' top finishes came from champions Jonathan Ellis (1,600, 4:34.11) and Vaughn Parts (3,200, 10:02.55) and runners up Ellis (3,200, 10:03.11), Matvel Duzhikhin (300 hurdles, 41.30) and Andrew Schuck (high jump).
"The boys last won a regional title indoors in 1996," Towson coach Gil Stange said. "In the past, we never really had this kind of balance. We lose a lot of athletes to spring sports. This year, we got hurdlers and high jumpers. We have guys committed to indoor and outdoors this year and that made a difference."
You can't mention Towson track without mentioning senior Johanna Admiraal.
She won regional titles in the 3,200 (12:02.08) and 1,600 (5:14.44). Admiraal also placed fifth in the state in the 3,200 (11:34.05).
Stange feels Admiraal's success is only the beginning and that she will be highly successful at Calvin College in Michigan.
"She is a cut above," Stange said. "I don't think its wrong to compare her to Walz at all. We've had some really good distance runners come though here. She's probably the best one we've had as a number one on our team going back to Rachel Pillion in 2008 and Lauren Capone in 2005."
Admiraal wasn't the only Towson girls regional champion.
The relay team of Maeve O'Connor, Lauren Miller, Sydney Conboy and Karen Prem finished first in the 3,200 (10:07.01).
Loch Raven High senior Montrae Martin continued his strong postseason at states, winning a title in the triple jump (44.125) and placing fourth in the 110 hurdles (15.23). He also won a regionals 110 hurdles crown and
county triple jump title.
It was his third county championship. He won a crown in the 55 hurdles this winter and 110 hurdles crown outdoors in 2014.
"He is a phenomenal athlete," Loch Raven coach Ben Woodward said of the quarterback of the school's football team.