It was a good weekend at Morgan State University for track and field athletes from Aberdeen and Perryville high schools at the Maryland State Track and Field championships.

Perryville senior Cody Richardson led the way, winning the lone state title among the locals, while a handful of other top five performances highlighted the action.

After placing fourth in the 110 hurdles in 15.25, Richardson won the Class 1A state title in the 300 hurdles in 39.01. Richardson also turned in an 11th place effort in the long jump.

Senior teammate Anthony Hayden had solid results, placing second in the 1,600 run in 4:24.77 and third in the 800 in 1:58.93.

Another Panther senior, Steven Thornton, also had a good meet, placing third in the 3,200 run in 10:10.60 and fourth in the 1,600 in 4:33.56.

Perryville junior Karl Palmer was fourth in the 100 dash in 11.47 but missed the 200. Palmer had one of the fastest preliminary times and likely would have placed and scored in the top eight.

Other individual point scorers for Perryville were sophomore Joe Peaker, fifth in the triple jump, and sophomore Darryl Johnson, sixth in the shot put.

Sophomores Taylor DiMauro and Kyle Plata were 11th and 12th, respectively, in the pole vault, while junior Jon DiNatale was 14th in the 1,600 run.

The Panther boys also scored points with three relay teams. The 4x100 relay was fourth in 44.71. Members were junior Eddie Escobar, freshman Ethan Griffin, Peaker and Palmer.

The 4x400 relay team of Richardson, Steven Thornton, Palmer and Hayden was sixth in 3:29.91 and the 4x800 team of junior John Thornton, Steven Thornton, senior John Immel and Hayden was seventh in 8:29.66.

The boys placed third in the team standings with 62 points, behind champion Carver Vo-Tech's 108 and runner-up Catoctin's 74.

Panther girls are 4th

The Panther girls also had a top five effort, placing fourth with 43 points. Freshman Jordan Dodson had the best individual finish with a second in the 800 run in 2:18.71. The winner ran 2:18.63. Dodson also finished fourth in 59.10.

Sophomore Kaylee Haberkam was third in the high jump at 4'-8" and fifth in the 1,600 run in 5:27.46.

The Panthers scored twice in the pole vault, with sophomore Molly Crothers clearing 9'-0" for third and junior Katie Hild vaulting 8'-6" for fifth.

Senior Sam Price was ninth and 11th in the 100 and 300 hurdles, respectively, and sophomore Megan Harnish was 13th in the triple jump.

The Panthers earned a second place finish in the 4x800 relay in 9:57.01. Members were Haberkam, Dodson, Harnish and senior Becca Ports.

That same foursome placed sixth in the 4x400 relay, while Price, Hild, sophomore Keanna Stinson and freshman Madison Montgomery were 10th in the 4x200 relay.

Cruz paces Eagles

Aberdeen's Damien Cruz presented a final demonstration of his remarkable kick in the 3A 200 dash. The senior surged from eighth place on the final straightaway to take second in 22.47. He applied his kick earlier in the meet to finish second in the 400 in 49.40, and he helped the Eagles to a second-place finish in the 4x200 relay. The team of Russell Lee, Jermaine Mabon, Cruz and Chavez Cheatham clocked 1:30.14, just missing the Harford record of 1:29.9 that has stood since 1954.

The Aberdeen boys finished seventh among 3A teams, and the girls team was fifth.

Sophomore Jimmia McCluskey led the Eagle girls with two second-place finishes, a third and a fifth.

She placed second in the long jump at 17'-5", third in the 100 at 12.41 and fifth in the 200 in 25.81. She also teamed with Nia Alleyne, Kayla Ball and Kirsten Bond to place third in the 4x200 in 1:44.21. Bond placed fifth in the long jump at 16'-11" and Alleyne was seventh in the triple jump at 35'-3/4". Shawnta Bradford added a point with an eighth place in the shot put at 34'.