Performer of the Year
Pun Chittchang,
South Carroll
With flames on her socks and a temporary Superman tattoo on one leg, the University of Maryland-bound senior put on a memorable performance at the Class 3A state track and field championships at UMBC.
In the long jump, Chittchang became the first girl in state-meet history, from small schools to big ones, to better the 20-foot mark, winning the event with a record leap of 20 feet, 1 1/2 inches. Two days earlier, in the triple jump, she had been the first girl in two years to clear 40 feet in the states, winning that event in 40-1.
Chittchang also won Carroll County championships in both the long and triple -- setting county records. She also surprised many by winning the 200 meters in near-record time in only her first season of competitive sprinting.
She then followed that up a week later with victories in all three events at the Class 3A West regionals.
At 5 feet 5, Chittchang doesn't fit the mold of the prototypical long-legged, lanky jumper. Even so, Cavaliers jumping coach Donna Fleming said Chittchang makes the most out of what she has.
"If you were to look at her body build, you wouldn't guess that she was a jumper," said Fleming. "She's not real tall, and long legs do help in triple and long. But she's able to compensate with her speed and power. She has powerful legs, and that helps to carry her through."
They've lifted her into the annals of state track and field history.
Chittchang was also named The Sun's Carroll County Outdoor Track Performer of the Year.
Coach of the Year
Long Reach
It's no coincidence that Thomas' teams always seem to be in the hunt for a state title.
For the second straight year, and fourth time in his nine-year coaching career, Thomas guided his team to a state championship, leading Long Reach to the Class 2A crown to go along with earlier Howard County and region titles.
The Lightning was the only Baltimore-area team to win a state title this season.
After losing double-state champion Thema Napier following last season, Thomas and his assistants shuffled the lineup and came up with another winner. He defers much of the credit for the team's success to the rest of the staff.
Kiara Adams,
Westminster
Though slowed by a weightlifting injury to her wrist early in the season, the junior recovered to win Carroll County, Central Maryland Conference, Class 4A East region and Class 4A state championships in the shot put, capturing the latter with a heave of 36-11 3/4 .
The Sun's Carroll County Indoor Track Performer of the Year last winter lost in just two meets all season (the Westminster Invitational and Meade Stampede), throwing consistently over 36 feet.
Despite the injury, she said that her involvement in competitive Olympic-style weightlifting has helped her development as a shot-putter, giving her the extra strength to more than make up for her relative lack of size.
Jacqueline Allen,
Old Mill
This multi-talented senior excelled wherever the Patriots needed her on the track.
Allen won her second straight Anne Arundel County championship in the 100 (12.4) before winning the 100 (12.1) and taking runner-up in the both the long jump (16-6) and triple jump (34-11 1/4 ) at regionals.
At the Class 4A state championships, she was fourth in the 100 (12.2) and sixth in both the 200 (25.87) and triple jump (36-6 3/4 ), scoring all of Old Mill's team points.
The Georgia Southern-signee also scored valuable points for the Patriots throughout the regular season, including a win in the 200 (26.6) at the Knights Invite at North County High.
Tia Burley,
Western
The University of Maryland-bound senior set a school record in winning a Class 4A state championship in the 300 hurdles (44.03).
She also won a state title in the 400 (56.9) and finished third in the high hurdles (15.2) while helping the Doves finish second overall.
Earlier, she claimed four gold medals at the Baltimore City Championships, including both hurdles, and led Western to a dominating team victory over Mervo.
She also took first place in both hurdles and the 400 at the regional championships.
As was the case indoors, Burley took turns running legs on three of Western's relay teams, all of which won city titles.
She will rejoin teammate Toni Jefferson at Maryland next season.
Teyarnte Carter,
Long Reach
This quick junior consistently proved herself to be one of the metro area's top two sprinters.
She claimed Class 2A state championships in the 200 (24.74) and 400 (55.92) and took second in the state 100 (12.1). She has now won eight individual gold medals in three years of state-meet competition.
Carter also won the 100, 200 and 400 at the Howard County and region meets -- tying the 21-year-old county meet record in the 200 -- as well as tripling at Sherwood.
She broke Kisha Jett's county record with a winning time of 11.42 in the 100 at the Howard University Relays, also winning the event at the Beltway Classic.
All of her times improved over last year.
Del'Rhea Godwin,
Glen Burnie
Glen Burnie coach Aaron Walker said his senior loves competition. Unfortunately, she didn't have a lot of it this season.
Godwin won a Class 4A state championship in the high jump (5-6), and captured titles in the long jump, triple jump and high jump at both the Anne Arundel County and regional meets.
She was also second in the triple (38-9 3/4 ) and third in the long (18-1 3/4 ) at states, and third in the county and region 200.
At the prestigious Penn Relays, she was runner-up in the large schools high jump (5-6 1/4 ), and led all Americans.
She finished her high school career with six county championships and broke school records in the triple and high jumps.
Tia Richardson,
Centennial
The Eagles senior wrapped up a remarkable high schoool career by posting the best shot put of any metro-area girl at the state meet, taking runner-up in Class 2A (38-1 3/4 ).
That followed wins at both the Howard County (37-10 1/4 ) and region championships in the shot.
The three-time defending Howard County and region champ did not lose a shot-put competition, other than states, during the past three years.
She was also a standout in the discus, taking second in the county (109-6) and seventh in the state (113-1), with a distance that would've earned her a top-three finish in any other class.
Richardson is also a standout in basketball.
Eboni Henderson,
Woodlawn
The senior captured a Class 3A state championship in the 300 hurdles (44.7) and took fourth in the 200 (25.57). That followed victories in both hurdle events and the 200, at the Baltimore County and Class 3A, North regional championship meets.
Her 38 points in the county meet were more than all but five teams in the competition.
She also won the high hurdles at the Howard University Relays.
Henderson, who carries a 3.0 grade-point average, ran season-bests of 14.2 in the high hurdles and 65.7 in the 400 hurdles, a time that qualified her for Penn Relays.
Colleges interested in her include Morgan State, Coppin State, Norfolk State, Hampton University and Temple.
Jessica Hester,
Westminster
Battling most of this spring with teammate Katie Selby, the Owls' discus standout stepped up late in the season to capture championships in the Carroll County (110-9) and Class 4A state (115-11) meets.
The sophomore also took third behind twin sister Emily in the regionals, and finished third at the Central Maryland Conference meet in Frederick.
She was one of three Westminster discus throwers to finish in the top five at the state meet. To coach Jim Shank, the intense competition among teammates helped push Hester.
"It would've been easy to take her place as No. 2 on the team, but she didn't want to settle for that," said Shank.
Toni Jefferson,
Western
The University of Maryland signee won a Class 4A state championship in the 200 (24.74) and earned silvers in both the 100 (11.9) and long jump (18-4), helping the Doves to a second-place team finish.
The senior, making her second All-Metro appearance, also won Baltimore City and regional championships in the 100, 200 and long jump, leading Western to team titles at both meets and bringing to a close a stellar four-year career that saw her go undefeated in those events at both post-season meets.
She was a mainstay on Western's successful sprint relay teams and will rejoin teammate Tia Burley next season with the Terrapins.
Stephanie Kuehne,
Dulaney
The talented junior was runner-up in the high jump, clearing 5-4, and fourth in the triple jump (36-9) at the Class 4A state championships at UMBC, leading the Lions to a fourth-place team finish.
She was especially dominating against local competition, winning the triple and long jump at the Baltimore County championships and capturing the triple and high jump at the Class 4A North regionals.
Kuehne also was a double winner at the Mount St. Joseph Invitational (high and triple), and after a brief slump, got her high jump back up to 5-6 just before the state meet.
She is set to compete in the high jump at the Foot Locker National Championships in Raleigh, N.C., on Friday and Saturday.
Kacie Remeto,
McDonogh
Remeto, a sophomore, won the 800 (2:23.2) and 1,600 (5:11.3) -- the latter a meet record -- at the state Private Schools Championships, and captured the 1,600 at the Catholic League meet in a personal-best 5:09.2.
She ran perhaps her best race of the season in a losing effort, taking second in the 1,500 at the Knights Invite, a neck behind Archbishop Spalding's Kelly Zuknick. Remeto also ran a 10:29 in the 3,000 at Penn Relays, and took second in the mile at the Golden South meet in Orlando, Fla.
Also a two-time defending Association of Independent Schools cross country champion, she will compete at the Foot Locker National Championships on Friday and Saturday in Raleigh, N.C.
Chanel Lattimer,
McDonogh
After missing much of the season with a stress fracture, the talented sophomore recovered to win the 400 (59.1) at the Catholic League Championships.
Lattimer then came back a week later to capture the 100 and 200 at the state Private Schools State Championships on her home turf.
She also was runner-up in both the 100 and 200 at the Catholic League Championships, losing each by one-tenth of a second to Notre Dame Prep's Megan Schwartz.
The dean's list student made her mark in relays, as well, running the anchor leg for McDonogh's 400 relay team that won numerous big meets, including a private schools state championship.
Lori Tvarkunas,
Glenelg
The pole vaulter had a senior season to remember, capping her high school career by breaking the state meet record for all classes, clearing 11-2. The feat came a day after Calvert's K.C. Allen became the first girl ever to clear 11 feet at a state meet, giving Tvarkunas extra inspiration.
"She really wanted to beat Allen and get the state record," said Gladiators coach Mike Selmer. "This time, she really nailed it."
The South Carolina-signee nearly cleared 11-5 in her final attempt, and bested her Class 1A winning vault of a year ago by 23 inches.
Also at states, she took fifth in the 300 hurdles, sixth in the high hurdles, and ran a leg on the sixth-place 400 relay.
Tenke Zoltani,
Dulaney
A freshman, Zoltani already has established herself as a dominant force among metro area distance runners.
She captured Class 4A state championships in the 1,600 and 3,200 with personal-best times of 5:07.57 and 11:10.2, respectively. She also swept both races at the Baltimore County and Class 4A North region championships, and established meet records in her first five invitationals.
She is scheduled to compete in the 1,600 and 3,200 relay at the Foot Locker National Championships in Raleigh, N.C. , on Friday and Saturday.
"She's probably the smartest runner we've had in a while," said Dulaney coach Don Metil. "She's determined not to lose."
Kelly Zuknick,
Spalding
Running pain-free this season after struggling with shin splints in the past, the junior captured Catholic League championships in both the half mile (2:19.9) and 2- mile (11:28.5), each in personal-best times.
She also took second in the mile (5:10.4) and anchored the winning 1,600 relay team.
Zuknick also won the 3,000 at the Colonial Relays in Williamsburg, Va., with a personal-best 10:30, and anchored the school-record-setting 1,600 relay (4:12.7) at the prestigious Penn Relays, running her leg in a team-best 61.3.
At the state private schools meet, she won the 2-mile, was second in the mile and half-mile, and anchored the winning 1,600 relay team.
The All-Metro girls track teams
First team
Name School Yr.
Kiara Adams W'minster Jr.
Jacqueline Allen Old Mill Sr.
Tia Burley Western Sr.
Teyarnte Carter Long Reach Jr.
Pun Chittchang S. Carroll Sr.
Del'Rhea Godwin Glen Burnie Sr.
Eboni Henderson Woodlawn Sr.
Jessica Hester W'minster So.
Toni Jefferson Western Sr.
Stephanie Kuehne Dulaney Jr.
Chanel Lattimer McDonogh So.
Kacie Remeto McDonogh So.
Tia Richardson Centennial Sr.
Lori Tvarkunas Glenelg Sr.
Tenke Zoltani Dulaney Fr.
Kelly Zuknick Spalding Jr.
Second team
Name School Yr.
Markisha Bennett Arundel Sr.
Maureen Carr So.-AA Sr.
Anne Handel Annapolis Sr.
Bri Herring Wilde Lake Jr.
Rolanda Howard Long Reach So.
Becky Kuchera W'minster Sr.
Colleen Lawson N. Carroll So.
Erin Masterson Annapolis So.
Lee McDuff River Hill So.
Cynthia Nicholls Long Reach Jr.
Megan Schwartz N. D. Prep Jr.
Katie Selby W'minster So.
Katie Sloan Glen Burnie Sr.
Danielle Stoddart Oak. Mills Jr.
Laurie Twardzik Dulaney Jr.
Meghan Walsh Hav. de Gr. Fr.
Note: The All-Metro girls track teams were selected by Rich Scherr after consultation with The Sun staff and area coaches.