Coach of Year
Mike Ballard, Annapolis: Ballard guided his Annapolis girls team to its first county championship, ending Old Mill's reign of 13 consecutive titles. Following two straight runner-up finishes, the Panthers made it over the top with team balance. The third-year coach, a 1985 Annapolis alumnus, said toppling the perennial-power Patriots was no easy task. "They always kept finding a way to win," said Ballard. "The last couple years, it's been close, but they just always seemed to find the points. This year, we were able to put it all together." Annapolis followed that with a fourth-place finish in the Class 3A-4A East regional -- a point out of second -- before taking 11th in the state meet.
Boys Top Performer
Victor Thillet, junior, Old Mill: Once again, Thillet established himself as one of the area's premier distance standouts. The 5-foot-4, 115-pound athlete, who last summer won national Amateur Athletic Union titles at 1,500 and 3,000 meters, captured county and region titles in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 and winning a Class 3A-4A state crown in the 1,600 (4 minutes, 34 seconds). He was inches from winning a state title in the 3,200, losing by 0.3 second, and won at the always competitive National Guard meet, taking the 3,000 in 9: 22.8. He is preparing to run at the Nike meet in Ohio before tackling the outdoor season.
The boys team
Mike Brady, senior, Arundel: Called an exceptionally hard worker by Wildcats coach Ira Queen, Brady capped his final indoor season with county (6.6 seconds) and region (6.7) championships in the 55. He also ran anchor on the Wildcats' county champion 1,600 relay team and region runner-up 800 team, helping Arundel to seconds in the county and region.
Jay Broglie, Archbishop Spalding, senior: The MIAA individual champion at 600 yards in 1: 13.6, Broglie was first or second in his specialty in all league meets. He also was a top performer on the mile and 2-mile relay teams.
Paul Comas, senior, Annapolis: The Harford County transfer proved himself the state's premier high jumper, winning county (6 feet, 2 inches) and Class 3A-4A state (6-6) championships in the event; he was third at the National Guard meet. He was a standout hurdler, winning a county title in the high hurdles (8.1) and placing fifth in the region, state and National Guard meets.
Bernie Edwards, senior, Severna Park: After winning the county 800 championship last spring, Edwards had another stellar season. He was runner-up in the Class 3A-4A East region 800 (2: 04.5) and third with the same time at states.
K. O. Gray, senior, Southern: The Bulldogs senior showcased his talents this postseason in two events. In the Class 2A-3A West region meet, he tied for first in the 300 (37.0) and took second in the 55 (6.8), helping Southern to a sixth-place finish. A week later at the Class 2A-3A state meet, he took third in the 300, losing by 0.1 second.
Dan Liden, junior, Old Mill: Liden rose to new heights this winter, literally. After winning a share of the county pole vault championship last year, he claimed it this time, winning with a 12-0 vault. His 11-6 was third at the Class 3A-4A state meet.
Jeremy Moore, sophomore, Northeast: Already the area's dominant shot putter, Moore took the county championship with a throw of 44-0, more than a foot longer than the second-place distance. He was second in the region (43-4 1/2) and third at the Class 2A-3A state meet with a 47-11 heave.
Ben Morris, senior, Annapolis: Morris stayed injury-free this winter and put together a stellar season, taking runner-up in the county in both the 1,600 (4: 45.1) and 3,200 (10: 18.1). He also finished third in the region in both events before crossing the line seventh in the 1,600 at the Class 3A-4A state meet. Yet another highlight was a second-place finish in the 3,000 at the National Guard meet.
Mike Rolland, senior, Broadneck: Rolland was second in the region in the 500 before claiming a Class 2A-3A state championship in that event, winning in 1: 09.4. He was nearly as strong in the 800, finishing second in the county (2: 04.9) with one of the state's top 10 times this season. He was eighth in the region, tied for seventh at the Class 2A-3A state meet and third at the National Guard meet.
Dorion Watkins, senior, Broadneck: This high jump standout had a postseason to remember, winning a Class 2A-3A West regional championship (6-2) before taking third at the Class 2A-3A state meet (6-0). His efforts helped the Bruins finish eighth in the region and a surprising fifth in the state, where they outscored all but one county team.
Brandon White, senior, Old Mill: White won county championships in both the 300 (36.7) and 500 (1: 10.5) and was fourth and seventh in those events, respectively, at the Class 3A-4A state meet. His 500 time of 1: 09.9 at the National Guard meet was the 22nd fastest time recorded this season in the state. He was eighth at the state meet in the 55, an event in which he topped out this season at 6.5. White was also an All-County wide receiver in football.
Girls top performer
Kelly Zuknick, junior, Archbishop Spalding: ding: Her first season of cross country apparently made the former soccer player "much stronger," her coach said. She was undefeated in the Catholic League in the mile and 2-mile this winter, winning championships in each. She also won the 3,000 (10: 47) at December's Pangaea Invitational, beating out fellow All-Countian Katie Sloan, and won the mile and 2-mile at the Towson Relays, posting a season-best 11 minutes, 32 sections in the latter. One of her season's highlights was finishing seventh (5: 18) in the mile in the competitive Adidas D.C. Invitational at George Mason University.
The girls team
Jackie Allen, junior, Old Mill: One of the state's best all-around track performers, Allen won county crowns at both 55 meters (7.2 seconds) and 300 (43.1), running the latter for the first time this winter. She captured Class 3A-4A Central regional championships in the 55 (7.3) and pole vault (8 feet). She was fourth in the 55 and eighth in the 300 at the Class 3A-4A state meet. She also took third in the 55 at the National Guard meet.
Maureen Carr, senior, Southern: Following an All-County campaign in cross country last fall, Carr was a strong second in the county in both the 800 (2: 31.3) and (5: 28.3). At the Class 2A-3A West regional, she was fifth in the 800 (2: 27.0) and sixth in the 1,600 (5: 28.2).
Rachel Crandall, junior, Southern: Crandall developed into one of the area's premier high jumpers, as evidenced by her postseason successes. The junior was third at the Class 2A-3A West regional (5-0), a mere 2 inches off the lead, and tied for fourth (5-0) at the state meet.
Melanie Dawson, junior, South River: She was strong in her event this season, winning a county championship in the pole vault (8-6) by a foot over the next closest competitor. She finished second at the Class 1A-2A East regionals (8-0) -- helping South River to a second-place team finish -- and tied for ninth at the state meet (7-6).
Delrhea Godwin, senior, Glen Burnie: The county's premier high jumper was a big reason the Gophers finished fourth in the region and fifth in the state. After winning the county championship (5-0), she also won the Class 3A-4A Central region (5-6) and took third at the Class 3A-4A state meet (5-0). She also won at the prestigious National Guard meet (5-6).
Erin Masterson, sophomore, Annapolis: She strengthened her reputation as one of the area's premier distance standouts by winning county, region and Class 3A-4A state (2: 25.0) titles in the 800, as well as county (5: 24.1) and region titles in the 1,600. She also finished fourth in 1,600 at the Class 3A-4A state meet and fourth in the 1,500 at the National Guard meet.
Robyn Mincher, senior, Annapolis: One of the county's most versatile all-around athletes, Mincher -- who has secured a full lacrosse scholarship to American University -- was a key ingredient in the Panthers' county championship season, running everything from the 200 to the 800. She captured a county title in the 500 (1: 23.5).
Katie Sloan, senior, Glen Burnie: The Sun's cross country Runner of the Year continued her dominance in distance events this winter, winning county (12: 06.6) and Class 3A-4A Central region (11: 58.3) championships in the 3,200, as well as winning that event at the Dickinson Invitational (11: 42.47). She had comparable success in the 1,600, taking third in the county (5: 30.8), first in the region and third in the state (5: 22.9). She was third at the Dickinson 1,600 and fifth in the National Guard 1,500.
Susan Sperduto, senior, Glen Burnie: Sperduto was the class of county shot putters, capping her final indoor season with championships at the county (37-7 1/2) and Class 3A-4A Central (38-1 1/4) meets before taking runner-up at the Class 3A-4A state championships (35-6 1/2). She won at the Dickinson Invitational (38-1) and was second at the National Guard (36-10 3/4).
Eva Tukarski, sophomore, Arundel: Tukarski won championships in the 55 hurdles at both the county (8.9) and Class 3A-4A Central region (9.2) meets and took sixth in that event at the Class 3A-4A state meet. She also opened eyes in the 300, taking third in the region (43.9) and fifth in the state (44.0).
Grace Wetzel, Archbishop Spalding, junior: ior: Chasing teammate Kelly Zu- knick is what Wetzel did all winter, in both the mile and 2-mile. As unapproachable as Zuknick was out front of MIAA races, so, too, was Wetzel in second place. The 1-2 performances gave Spalding 36 points to start with in four meets.
Tara Witmer, senior, Broadneck: Witmer finished third in the Class 2A-3A West regional 500 (1: 21.3), coming in 0.2 second out of first. She then was 15th in the event at the Class 2A-3A state meet.
Final track polls
Boys top 10
(Final three-way tie)
1. Old Mill
Mount St. Joseph
Woodlawn
4. Oakland Mills
5. River Hill
6. Westminster
7. Arundel
8. Mervo
9. Meade
10. Dulaney
Other teams considered: North County, Annapolis, Calvert Hall, Broadneck, Milford Mill.
Girls top 10
(Final two-way tie)
1. (tie) Dulaney
Western
3. Annapolis
4. Westminster
5. Long Reach
6. Glen Burnie
7. River Hall
8. Glenelg
9. Arundel
10. Archbishop Spalding
Other teams considered: Perry Hall, North Carroll, Catholic, Mount Hebron, Old Mill.
How the poll was conducted: The Baltimore Sun poll was compiled weekly by the sports staff after observing events and consulting with coaches.
Team Selection
The Baltimore Sun 1998-99 All-Anne Arundel County boys and girls indoor track and field teams were selected by Rich Scherr after consulting with The Sun staff and area coaches.
Pub Date: 3/09/99