COACH OF THE YEAR

* Bob Johnson, C. Milton Wright -- This was his first year as head track coach at C. Milton Wright, but Johnson has contributed much to the Mustangs' track success over the past seven seasons. As assistant coach, he developed the distance runners who have been big point producers for the Mustangs.

He kept the Wright track machine humming along this season, winning its eighth consecutive county boys title and surpassing 100 straight victories against county teams. The team placed fourth in the 3A state meet, the best finish by a Harford team. The Mustangs set four school records in the state meet. Johnson was a sprinter when he ran track for Edgewood High School (class of '66), but he has been immersed in distance running since -- not only as a cross country and track coach but as a recreational road runner. Before arriving at C. Milton Wright, he coached the Fallston girls cross country team, guiding them to several county titles.

BOYS PERFORMER OF THE YEAR

* Terry Vail, Bel Air, Sr. -- What clinched Performer of the Year honors for Vail took just 15 seconds of the season. That's how long it took him to run the 110 high hurdles in the Class 3A state meet and win Harford's only state title in track and field.

Vail's combination of impeccable hurdling form and natural speed earned him five county hurdle titles. But it was his strong determination that won him the first state championship for the Bel Air boys team in 10 years. He came into the meet with a pulled hamstring, the same injury that had kept him out of the county championships two weeks earlier. "He was determined to win," said coach Randall Cerveny. "[The injury] was painful. It was uncertain whether he would be able to compete at all."

Vail's speed and strength, which brought success as a running back on the Bel Air football team, lead him into a new event in college. His football days are over, he says, and at West Virginia University this fall, he will begin training for the decathlon. He has shown talent in the jumping events (over 20 feet long jump and 6 feet high jump) and, at 195 pounds, should do well in the throwing. He intends to major in physical education. "I hope to be a coach one day," he said. "I've gotten so much from sports. I've got to give back."

GIRLS PERFORMER OF THE YEAR

* Cindy Wolf, Fallston, Fresh. -- Fallston coaches knew they had found a rare talent when they watched Wolf run in a dual meet on April 28, just a month after her first track race. This 5-foot, 105-pound newcomer lined up for the 1,600 that day against the county's top distance runner, Michelle Apland of Bel Air. Wolf beat Apland in a personal best and county-leading time of 5 minutes, 27 seconds. Later in the meet, Wolf beat Apland again in the 800.

"She is so focused when she runs," said coach Greg Thompson. "I've been coaching nine years, and I've never seen anyone who can work as hard as she can. She just pushes herself to the limit."

Thompson saw her run a fitness mile in 6:30 last year and talked her into coming out for track. She tried the long jump briefly, then turned to the middle-distance races. She took to them with the temerity of a veteran, racing through her first season with just one loss (to Apland) prior to the state meet.

She won three gold medals in the county meet, four in the 2A regional. In the state meet, she ran a spectacular anchor leg on the 3,200 relay to bring the Cougars from fifth to second place. She also placed fourth in the 800 and sixth in the 1,600. She led the county in both the 800 (2:23) and 1,600 (5:27).

BOYS FIRST TEAM AT A GLANCE

* Scott Davies, C. Milton Wright, Sr. -- From football running back to half-miler, he showed unusual versatility. He led the county in the 400 (49.87) and 800 (2:01.5) and repeated as county 400 champ. He also anchored three of the Mustangs' county champion relays. In the 3A state meet, he placed third in the 400 and sixth in the 800, and ran a 49-second anchor for a silver medal in the 1,600 relay.

* Ephraim Dorsey, Fallston, Sr. -- In the high jump, he cleared 6-6, the best mark by a Harford athlete since 1987. He also raised the school record he set last year by an inch. He did not compete in the county meet but won the regional meet and placed second in the 2A state meet.

* Mike Gibson, Havre de Grace, Sr. -- He placed second in the long jump in the class 1A state meet after winning both the long and triple jumps in the regionals. An all-around athlete, he was captain of the football, basketball and track teams. He will attend the University of Delaware.

* Will Hanks, C. Milton Wright, Jr. -- Another football player, this 6-3, 220-pound shot putter won the county meet then placed second in the 3A North regional. His best throw was 43 feet, longest in the county by more than a foot.

* Brian Harris, C. Milton Wright, Sr. -- He capped a stellar high school career with a 4:24.3 in the 1,600 -- second-fastest ever by a Harford athlete and the fastest in the county since 1982. He also ran 9:55.5 in the 3,200 and 2:02 in the 800. He won three gold medals in both the county and regional meets, placed second in the 3A state meet 1,600. He will attend Towson State on an athletic scholarship.

* Kory McBride, C. Milton Wright, Sr. -- He led the county in the triple jump with a 43-5 1/2 effort. In the 3A state meet, he earned two silver medals and two school records -- one in the triple jump and one in the 1,600 relay. He won the triple jump in the regional meet after finishing 3/4 -inch behind the winner in the county meet.

* Steven Shaw, North Harford, Soph. -- The county and regional champion in the discus with a best of 133-3, he placed second in the 2A state meet despite missing two weeks of the season with a shoulder injury. "He's got a lot of potential," said coach Dave Starnes.

* Tom Wirth, Fallston, Sr. -- Weighing more than 200 pounds, he is a big man for the pole vault, but he was the county's most consistent vaulter. He won the county championship with a vault of 10-0.

* Mike Wood, Havre de Grace, Soph. -- A converted lacrosse player, he was undefeated in the --es until he reached the state meet. He captured county and 1A regional titles in both the 100 and 200 then took third in state in the 100 and fifth in the 200. "He has super work habits," said coach George Leonard. "He's one of the best athletes I've run across."

* Charles Woodward, Bel Air, Jr. -- He won the county triple jump with a leap of 43-0, then placed second in both horizontal jumps in the 3A regional. In the state meet, he had the best jump of any Harford long jumper, 20-9 despite poor jumping conditions.

GIRLS FIRST TEAM AT A GLANCE

* Michelle Apland, Bel Air, Jr. -- She won the distance double in the county meet this year, as she did two years ago as a freshman. She was a triple winner in the 3A regional meet (800, 1,600 and 3,200). Before the state meet, her only losses came in three races against Cindy Wolf. Her bests this season were 12:06 in the 3,200, 5:27 in the 1,600 and 2:29 in the 800.

* Becky Bystry, Fallston, Soph. -- Last year, she won the high jump in the county meet, and this year, the triple jump. She won both the long and triple jumps in the 2A regional meet then placed third in triple in the 2A state meet (34 1 1/2 ). She also led off the Cougars' foursome that won the 400 relay in the county meet.

* Jenny Gaines, Bel Air, Jr. -- She was undefeated in the high jump until she reached the state meet. She won the county meet and regional meet and placed seventh in the state 3A meet, clearing 5-0 in each.

* Amy Goetzinger, John Carroll, Soph. -- Perhaps the most versatile athlete among county girls, she won the long jump (15-10) and 300 hurdles (47.7) in the county meet. In the Catholic League championships May 28, she won the long jump and both hurdle events and took second in the triple jump. She owns five school records.

* Delicia Haynes, Edgewood, Soph. -- In the 100 hurdles, her only defeat this year came when she fell over the seventh barrier in the state 2A finals. She won the county and 2A regional and had a best time of 16.6. In the state meet, she ran on Edgewood's team that placed second in the 400 relay and fourth in the 800 relay.

* Tiffany Higgins, Edgewood, Soph. -- In county meet, she won the shot put by a margin of almost 2 feet and placed second in the discus. She won the shot in the 2A North regional with a county-leading toss of 30-10.

* Susan Kirn, North Harford, Jr. -- She was the only athlete to win three individual events in the county meet, capturing the 100, 200 and 400. In the state meet, she placed sixth in the 400 in 60.03, a full two seconds faster than the next-fastest county girl. She also won the 400 in the 2A regional.

* Rebecca Lesesne, Edgewood, Jr. -- For the third straight year, she was the dominant girls sprinter in the county, with season bests of 12.7 in the 100 and 26.6 in the 200. She missed the county meet but won the 200 in the 2A regional meet. At states, she anchored the Rams' foursome that placed second in the 400 relay and fourth in the 800 relay.

* Sarah Thomas, Bel Air, Sr. -- Two years ago, she was the county and regional champion in the shot put. This year, she completed a comeback by winning the county title in the discus. Her best mark of 96-8 1/2 earned her the 3A North regional title.

1994 ALL-HARFORD COUNTY TRACK TEAM

Boys Performer of the Year: Terry Vail, Bel Air

Girls Performer of the Year: Cindy Wolf, Fallston

Coach of the Year: Bob Johnson, C. Milton Wright

BOYS

Name ... ... ... School ... ... ... ... Year

Mike Wood .. ... Havre de Grace ... ... Sophomore

Scott Davies ... C. Milton Wright .. .. Senior

Brian Harris ... C. Milton Wright .. .. Senior

Terry Vail .. .. Bel Air ... ... ... .. Senior

Ephraim Dorsey ... Fallston ... ... ... Senior

Mike Gibson ... .. Havre de Grace .. .. Senior

Kory McBride .. .. C. Milton Wright ... Senior

Charles Woodward ... Bel Air ... ... .. Junior

Will Hanks .. ... .. C. Milton Wright ... Junior

Steven Shaw .. .. .. North Harford .. ... Sophomore

Tom Wirth ... ... .. Fallston ... ... ... Senior

GIRLS

Rebecca Lesesne ... ... ... Edgewood ... ... Junior

Susan Kirn ... ... .. .. .. North Harford .. Junior

Cindy Wolf ... ... .. .. .. Fallston ... ... Freshman

Michelle Apland ... ... ... Bel Air ... .. .. Junior

Delicia Haynes .. .. .. ... Edgewood .. .. .. Sophomore

Amy Goetzinger .. .. .. ... John Carroll .. .. Sophomore

Becky Bystry ... ... ... .. Fallston ... .. .. Sophomore

Jenny Gaines ... ... ... .. Bel Air ... ... .. Junior

Tiffany Higgins ... ... ... Edgewood .. ... .. Sophomore

Sarah Thomas ... ... .. ... Bel Air ... ... .. Senior