Running the final 300 meters of her 800-meter race at the outdoor state meet, Atholton senior Jen Bleakney took a moment to observe her surroundings.
With it being the last time she would ever run a competitive race on a track, she wanted to remember the feeling of running and winning one final time.
"Before the race, I tried not to think about it being my last race, and it didn't really hit me. I tried not to get too nervous before because I get really worked up before my races, but coming around for that last lap and hearing my teammates for that last 300 meters, it kind of hit me right there that it was my last race ever since I'm not running in college," she said. "It really pushed me through it. I looked up and looked around at the stadium, and there was nobody around me, so I just had a moment to take everything in. That image sticks in my head."
"We were cooling down and she goes, 'dang, I can not believe that was my last race,' and it was cool looking back and her reflecting on that in the race," Raiders coach Ivan Alvarado said. "I'm glad she the lead that she did or that's the wrong time to be reflecting."
Bleakney won that 3A 800-meter state title in 2 minutes, 14.21 seconds, more than four seconds ahead of Franklin's Nyjari McNeil. She also won the 1,600 meters by more than seven seconds in 4:58.29, which tied her personal-best that she set at the county meet, and ran the anchor of the dominating 4x800-meter relay team that won by more than 17 seconds in 9:29.66.
In the 10 postseason events she ran in, Bleakney won nine and because of that dominance she has been named the Columbia Flier/Howard County Times girls outdoor track Athlete of the Year.
"It's just been a progression, like every year has gotten better and better. I don't know if there is a word to describe it," she said. "I was really happy with my performance during indoor, but I just wanted to step it up even more. I wanted to reach my goals — like I wanted to break 5:00 (in the 1,600) since last year, I wanted to win all my events. ... I wanted to put everything together and go out with a bang."
Alvarado described her season simply as "bank." Even with all of her biggest competitors from last outdoor season returning to try to prevent her from defending her titles, she was able to get the job done in dominating fashion.
"She was game-on, and it was very impressive. ... The girl was talented freshman year, but there was always something missing. At the end of the season, I thought it all got put together," he said. "I give her all the credit because she listened and was able to put what she was learning in practice into the races."
Though Bleakney admits she has the accomplishments, she never saw herself in the same light as some of the best athletes in the state. So when she was named The Baltimore Sun's girls Athlete of the Year last month, she was caught off guard.
"It was awesome. I had no idea it was coming. They sent out an email to come to this luncheon, and I got there and there were so many other amazing athletes there," Bleakney said. "They were reading everyone's bio's and everything, and when they made the announcement they were reading off all the statistics and I was like, that's what mine are! It completely caught me off guard, so it was awesome."
Track didn't always come easy for Bleakney. She developed a love for the sport and her teammates entering her junior year, and it pushed her to another level.
"What changed (from my freshman and sophomore year) was my dedication and my ability to see what I could do with committing myself to the sport. At first, I didn't care and I didn't go to practice or was really lazy," Bleakney said. "My junior year, I finally saw my potential and my coach really helped me see that. ... My coach has always been a really big advocate for me and told me what my real potential is. He always tells me like, 'you don't know what you're really capable of, you have all this talent.' He's been a big supporter from day one."
Bleakney admits that without the help and friendship with her teammates, she wouldn't be where she is now in her track career. She says she would rather run the relays over her individual events, and that the bond she has with her teammates is the biggest reason she has grown to love the sport.
"A lot of people think that track is really individual because you run a race by yourself, but I think our track family is even closer (than her field hockey team) because you have to push yourself so hard at practices," she said. You can see each other going through the worst pain because running is like the worst thing ever," she said. "You only get better from your teammates, because you push each other at practice and to stay on task and keep the dedication. I've gotten really close with my team."
Though there have been many accomplished athletes to come through Atholton, Alvarado says Bleakney will forever be remembered as one of the best.
"She's in an elite class of athletes — girls and boys. To do what she did — she's been dominating the 1,600 meters since her sophomore year. She's undefeated in the championship races since her sophomore year. To add the 800 to her repertoire and to become one of the state's fastest girls in that event, that speaks volumes about her work ethic," he said. "You couple that with her field hockey and what's she's accomplished in that, not only with her school and county level, but on the national level — being on the USA National B Team — the girl is one of the best. I probably wont have another girl like that for a really long time. I'm fortunate to have coached her."
Bleakney will be leaving to join her next team — the Syracuse University field hockey team — on July 5. Though she admits she is going to miss track, she says she is excited to get to college and start a new phase of her life.
"It's definitely time for a new thing," she said.
Also named to the all-county team:
Adeola Abdulkadir, Howard
Events: long jump, triple jump
Postseason highlights: Finished first at the county championships (17-4), fourth at the 4A North regional (16-0.75) and 12th at 4A states (16-9.25) in the long jump. Finished fourth at the county championships (35-5.5), second at the 4A North regional (37-7.75) and fifth at 4A states (36-10.75) in the triple jump.
Carly Albright, Marriotts Ridge
Events: 800 meters, 1,600 meters, 3,200 meters, 4x800 relay
Postseason highlights: Finished third at the 2A South regional (2:26.66) and 10th at 2A states (2:24.90) in the 800-meters. Finished fourth at the county championships (5:14.68), third at the 2A South regional (5:12.31) and seventh at 2A states (5:12.01) in the 1,600-meters. Finished second at the county championships (11:26.16), third at the 2A South regional (11:15.32) and fifth at 2A states (11:14.71) in the 3,200-meters. Was part of the 4x800 meter relay team that finished sixth at the county championships (10:23.24), first at the 2A South regional (10:10.59) and 10th at 2A states (10:25.16).
Jamila Brown, Wilde Lake
Events: 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, 4x100-meter relay, 4x200-meter relay
Postseason highlights: Finished first at the county championships (11.95), first at the 3A East regional (12.17) and second at 3A states (12.06) in the 100-meter dash. Finished first at the county championships (24.70), first at the 3A East regional (24.82) and second at 3A states (24.41) in the 200-meter dash. Was part of the 4x100-meter relay team that finished first at the county championships (49.54), first at the 3A East regional (48.62) and second at 3A states (49.20). Was part of the 4x200-meter relay team that finished first at the county championships (1:43.00), first at the 3A East regional (1:42.62) and fourth at 3A states (1:45.43).
Sophie Caplan, River Hill
Events: pole vault, high jump
Postseason highlights: Finished first at the county championships (10-3), first at the 3A East regional (9-0) and second at 3A states (9-6) in the pole vault. Finished first at the county championships (5-0) and seventh at the 3A East regional (4-8) in the high jump.
Briyonna Carter, Wilde Lake
Events: triple jump, long jump, 4x100-meter relay, 4x200-meter relay
Postseason highlights: Finished third at the county championships (35-7.5, fourth at the 3A East regional (34-6) and fifth at 3A states (35-4.5) in the triple jump. Finished sixth at the county championships (16-8) in the long jump. Was part of the 4x100-meter relay team that finished first at the county championships (49.54), first at the 3A East regional (48.62) and second at 3A states (49.20). Was part of the 4x200-meter relay team that finished first at the county championships (1:43.00), first at the 3A East regional (1:42.62) and fourth at 3A states (1:45.43).
Trishna Clarke, Long Reach
Events: triple jump, high jump
Postseason highlights: Finished second at the county championships (35-10), third at the 3A East regional (34-9) and sixth at 3A states (35-3.5) in the triple jump. Finished third at the county championships (4-10), third at the 3A East regional (4-10) and 11th at 3A states (4-8) in the high jump.
Bria Hill, Long Reach
Events: triple jump, 100-meter hurdles, 4x100-meter relay
Postseason highlights: Finished first at the county championships (36-0), first at the 3A East regional (36-7) and second at 3A states (36-5) in the triple jump. Finished first at the county championships (14.93), second at the 3A East regional (15.12) and fourth at 3A states (15.16) in the 100-meter hurdles. Was part of the 4x100-meter relay team that finished fifth at the 3A East regional (50.12) and 10th at 3A states (50.45).
Brit Lang, Oakland Mills
Events: 800 meters, 1,600 meters, 3,200 meters
Postseason highlights: Finished second at the county championships (2:21.07), second at the 2A South regional (2:20.07) and fifth at 2A states (2:20.72) in the 800 meters. Finished second at the county championships (5:06.52), second at the 2A South regional (5:06.56) and third at 2A states (5:01.17) in the 1,600 meters. Finished first at the county championships (11:20.82), second at the 2A South regional (11:11.13) and fourth at 2A states (11:01.98) in the 3,200 meters.
Micah Meekins, Marriotts Ridge
Events: 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, 400-meter dash, 4x400-meter relay
Postseason highlights: Finished fifth at the county championships (12.59), first at the 2A South regional (12.36) and first at 2A states (12.43) in the 100-meter dash. Finished second at the county championships (25.33), first at 2A South regional (24.94) and first at 2A states (24.95) in the 200-meter dash. Finished first at the county championships (57.72), first at the 2A South regional (56.44) and first at 2A states (57.24) in the 400-meter dash. Was part of the 4x400-meter relay team that finished third at the county championships (4:11.32), third at the 2A South regional (4:09.59) and fifth at 2A states (4:09.84).
Julia Nardone, Glenelg
Events: 800 meters, 1,600 meters, 3,200 meters
Postseason highlights: Finished sixth at the county championships (2:25.14) in the 800 meters. Finished third at the county championships (5:07.73), second at the 3A East regional (5:12.18) and 10th at 3A states (5:28.58) in the 1,600 meters. Finished first at the 3A East regional (11:13.11) in the 3,200 meters.
Taylor Scaife, Howard
Events: shot put, discus
Postseason highlights: Finished first at the county championships (44-0), first at the 4A North regional (42-8) and first at 4A states (42-3.5) in the shot put. Finished first at the county championships (107-2), second at the 4A North regional (108-2) and third at 4A states (117-0) in the discus.
Deanna Yancey, Wilde Lake
Events: high jump
Postseason highlights: Finished third at the county championships (4-10), second at the 3A East regional (4-11) and second at 3A states (5-2) in the high jump.