Perryville senior Sierra Montz closed out a track and field career with a big finish two weeks ago.
Montz was the only individual from Perryville to win a state title and, in doing so, became a back-to-back champion at the Maryland State Track and Field Meet at Morgan State University.
Montz raced her way to the 300 hurdles title in Maryland's Class 1A event. The time of 48.19 was less than a half second better than the runner-up, giving Montz the second consecutive championship.
"I was actually more nervous, because there was so much pressure on me since I had won last year," Montz said about trying to win again. "It was like a target."
Montz nearly completed a sweep of the hurdles, but placed a close second in the 100 hurdles race. Her time was 16.30, while the winning time was 15.65. Despite just missing out on the sweep, Montz said, "I was happy because I didn't expect myself to do that well in the 100 hurdles."
As to why Montz is a hurdler, the answer is easy.
"I did hurdles because my big brother did hurdles and once I got over there, I was actually pretty good at it," she said.
Montz's older brother, Shawn Montz, was a hurdler for the Panthers who graduated in 2014. Dayvon Montz, a freshman, also runs hurdles for Perryville.
Montz also displays talent in the field for the Panthers. She took third in the triple jump for a second straight year and added a seventh place finish in the long jump. In 2014, Montz was a top five finisher in the long jump.
Montz, who also runs cross country, is a track and field athlete at heart.
"I think it's kind of neat, you have a team and you feel like people are working and you get to compete individually and see how you can help your team," Montz said. "I look at our team as a family and our coaches are just great. When you come out for your first year, you're stuck for four years."
Montz will continue her track and field career at Salisbury University, where she will begin in August. She plans to pursue a degree in psychology.