Oakland Mills graduate Jen Atkins has become the most prolific scorer in the history of UMBC's women's swimming program.
The No. 1 or No. 2 swimmer on the women's team for four years, Atkins is a former school record holder in both backstroke events and has posted the fastest times for the Retrievers this season in the 200- and 500-yard freestyle. Since 1991, she also has been part of four school-record relay teams.
Atkins' biggest win of the season came Dec. 10 against West Virginia. In the final event, she anchored the 400-free relay, coming from way behind to take the lead in the last five yards and win by almost a second. That gave the Retrievers a 124-117 victory over the two-time Atlantic 10 champions. She also won the 200 back at the meet.
Saturday, Atkins won the 200 back and the 200 free as the Retrievers (9-4) lost to Navy in their final regular-season meet.
A biology major, Atkins is a straight-A student.
Russo recovering
Hammond girls basketball coach Joe Russo hopes to get out of the hospital this week after undergoing surgery to repair a shattered tibia suffered in a fall two weeks ago.
In Wednesday's operation, doctors at Howard County General Hospital rebuilt the bone in Russo's lower leg, using pieces of the bone as well as ocean coral. They also placed his leg in a graphite brace and attached the brace to the bone with six screws.
"I'm feeling a lot better," said Russo, who was in excruciating pain for days after he fell from a 16-foot ladder in the Hammond High gym on Jan. 20.
Russo began physical therapy the day after surgery. Although he will not be able to put weight on the leg for three months, he began walking with the help of a walker.
For Russo, a media specialist at Hammond, two weeks of inactivity have made him edgy. "I've never been down, flat on my back in bed, so long in my life. If I can't get back to school next week, I hope to at least come back to coaching."
Racing toward the regionals
With only three weeks left until the regional playoffs, most of the girls basketball teams appear headed for postseason play.
Defending state Class 2A champion Hammond is holding onto second place in the South region. Unbeaten Chopticon has a firm grip on the top-seeded spot while the Golden Bears have the second position all but sewn up.
In third, Fairmont Heights leads Glenelg by the slimmest of margins with Potomac, fifth; Surrattsville, sixth; and Lackey, seventh. Atholton is eighth with a remote chance to pass Surrattsville and grab that final playoff berth. But in ninth, Oakland Mills appears too far back to catch up.
In the Class 1A South region, Wilde Lake is gaining on Brunswick, which now holds the top spot by less than two-tenths of a point. The Wildecats, looking for their first regional championship since 1976, have a solid lead over third-place Catoctin.
In Class 3A East, a few teams have not reported scores to the regional chairman, so it's hard to tell much beyond the top three spots. Poly leads with Mount Hebron, second and Broadneck, third. Defending state champ Howard and Centennial are battling Carver, City and Northern for the last three regional berths.
Title quest
Glenelg Country School begins its quest for its first girls basketball tournament title Thursday at 4 p.m.
In the semifinals of the Association of Independent Schools B Division tournament, the top-seeded Dragons host the winner of today's game between fourth-seeded Beth Tfiloh and fifth-seeded Seton Keough. If the Dragons win, they advance to the championship Saturday night at 8 at the College of Notre Dame.
High game
The big numbers returned in county girls basketball action last week with eight 20-plus performances.
Centennial's Kish Jordan scored 30 points Friday night in the Eagles' 43-40 near-miss against Hammond to go with 25 in a 45-39 upset of Wilde Lake on Wednesday.
Hammond's Kellye Townsend had 25 and Tameka Harrison, 24 in the Bears' 61-58 win at Glenelg Wednesday.
Howard's Mona Jackson had 23 in Friday's 52-51 loss to Mount Hebron. In the same game, the Vikings' Alisha Mosley had 21 including the game winner, matching her total from Wednesday's win over Atholton.
Lauren McHargue scored 20 in Oakland Mills' first league victory Friday, 48-45 at Atholton.