While senior Yelnats Calvin set the tone for sprinting success at Lansdowne High as a junior last winter, Kemondre Robinson finally decided to follow in his classmate's speedy footsteps.
"I saw him winning all these races, and it made me want to do just as well." said Robinson, who captured the coveted 55-meter dash title at the Baltimore County track championships Jan. 24 at the Fifth Regiment Armory.
The title came one year after Robinson failed to place in the top-six in the event.
Fueled by his improved dedication and commitment this season, Robinson can now be called a champion.
"I feel like I've worked harder and I come to practice all the time," he said.
"From the first day he practiced with us, he was really focused on his workouts," Lansdowne coach Andrew Parker said. "He was focused on doing the best that he can."
Before the race, in which he dethroned Catonsville High's defending 55 county champ DeAndre Lane by .01 seconds, the Viking star psyched himself up by listening to music.
"I felt like I came out of the box real good, and if I get a lead, my acceleration is good enough to push me through," Robinson said.
Although Robinson was successful accelerating in the fastest race of the meet, Calvin traveled a much more difficult road to claim a county title in the 300 just a year after he finished second in the same event.
That he did it from a slower heat makes the feat even more special.
"I didn't want to give up the lead," said Calvin, who also finished second in the 500 from a slower heat a year after winning that race. "I was just running for time today."
Calvin and Robinson scored all 28 team points, which placed the Vikings sixth overall in the meet won by Hereford for the third straight year.
They could have garnered even more points along with senior classmates Davon Mullins and Dominick Mullin, but they were the victims of bad luck in the 800 relay.
"We got disqualified for a minor uniform violation," Parker said. "One uniform had a stripe on the shoulder. We would have placed second."
Had Lansdowne earned the eight points for second place, it would have matched last year's fifth-place finish.
Results
Lansdowne boys (6th, 28 points)
55-dash: Kemondre Robinson, 1st (6.73).
300 meters: Yelnats Calvin, 1st (37.70)
500 meters: Yelnats Calvin, 2nd (1:12.40)