High School Sports: Jalen Stanton, Erin Snyder honored as top athletes at annual Times awards banquet

Behave. Be safe. Be smart.

Becky Martin, former longtime McDaniel College women’s basketball coach, always used this mantra when she talked to her athletes over the years. Martin used these words once again as she spoke to a crowd of Carroll County athletes, coaches and their family members at the seventh annual Carroll County Times High School Athlete of the Year Awards banquet Monday at Martin’s Westminster.

Martin, who coached the Green Terror for 37 years, told her audience as the event’s guest speaker that being a part of a team means more than just accumulating wins. It’s about the experience, the journey, and the camaraderie athletes build with one another along the way, she said.

The recognition was balanced at the awards banquet this year, with athletes from Century, Liberty, South Carroll, and Westminster high schools receiving the most accolades.

Winters Mill’s Erin Snyder earned Times Girls Athlete of the Year. Snyder, a repeat first-team all-countian, helped the Falcons repeat as county champions and finish 4-5-3 overall last fall. She compiled seven goals and four assists as a dynamic midfielder and scored three game-winning goals against county opponents, and received Times Player of the Year honors.

Snyder also earned first-team all-county honors in basketball over the winter. She averaged 11.3 points per game as the Falcons’ go-to guard, and led the team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and field-goal percentage.

Snyder played defense for Winters Mill’s girls lacrosse team this spring.

Winters Mill's Erin Snyder moves the ball downfield while defended by Liberty freshman Jordan Townsend during the first half of their game in Eldersburg Thursday, Oct. 25, 2018. (Dylan Slagle / Carroll County Times)

Century’s Jalen Stanton was named the Boys Indoor and Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year for two straight seasons, and the recent Century grad competed in four sports en route to being named the Times Boys Athlete of the Year for a second straight year.

Stanton collected seven individual state titles as a senior this spring — four in indoor, three in outdoor. He captured county, Class 2A West, and state titles in the 55-meter dash, 300 dash, 55 hurdles and high jump. He PR’d in three of his four events at states this winter and cleared 6 feet, 7 inches for the high jump title, matching his championship height from 2018.

The spring transition went smoothly for Stanton, who dual-sported in lacrosse and track once again. He shined on both stages and helped lead Century’s boys lacrosse team to its first state championship appearance. The Knights lost to Glenelg, but Stanton led the team with four goals.

Century's Jalen Stanton clears a hurdle as he competes in a 2A boys 110-meter hurdles qualifying race during the state track meet at Morgan State on May 23. (Brian Krista / Carroll County Times)

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Stanton won county and regional titles in the 110 dash, 200 dash, 110 hurdles, and high jump. He capped his senior season with state titles in the 110 dash, 110 hurdles and high jump. In addition, Stanton contributed on the Knights’ 4x100 relay that won counties and took third at states.

Stanton stood out as a wide receiver for Century’s football team and caught 28 passes for 407 yards and two touchdowns for the Knights. He collected three first-team all-county honors as a senior, in football and indoor and outdoor track.

South Carroll girls lacrosse coach Brigid Scanlon earned Times Coach of the Year honors after guiding the Cavaliers — her alma mater — to a 16-1 record and a state championship.

The Cavs’ victory in the Class 2A final didn’t come easily, however, and SC battled back and forth with perennial contender Hereford before defeating the Bulls 10-9 in overtime.

Scanlon played goalie at South Carroll (Class of 2008) and went on to play college lacrosse at Mount St. Mary’s, where she started for four years. She played three sports at South Carroll, and has eight seasons as SC’s girls lacrosse coach.

Snyder and Stanton were among the Times Player of the Year recipients who were honored at the banquet. The Times also recognized a Coach of the Year for each varsity sport, as well as 19 athletes from around Carroll who excelled in more than one sport throughout the year.

NOTE: A special section with coverage of the entire awards banquet is set to appear inside the Times on July 7.