The No. 6 Digital Harbor boys and Poly girls each had a little too much for their opponents and came away with track and field championships at the Baltimore City title meet on Saturday at Mervo.
Digital Harbor was able to secure victories in relays, sprints, distance and field events, a big reason why the Rams won the team title for the second time in three years and made coach Lutalo Bakari a happy man.
"We had a whole team this year," he said. "That's our tradition, though. We build on the tradition of trying to cover every event."
The Rams finished with 149 points, winning eight of the 18 events – three of which were relays – and that was enough to hold off City (131.5).
"We work hard and that pays off," Bakari said.
For Digital Harbor, Tyler Dash won the 400 (49.18), took second in the 800 and anchored the victorious 1,600- (3:24.06) and 3,200-meter (8:22.43) relay teams. Stephon Torrence earned a victory in the 110 hurdles (14.40), defeating three-time defending champion Robert Miller of City.
Miller then paid Torrence back in the 300 hurdles, winning in 38.33, but the Digital Harbor hurdler took second and gave the Rams eight points in that event.
Montice Stephens won the long jump (20-9) and ran on the winning 400 relay team (43.64). Carlos Davis also took part on the same relay team – and won the 200 (22.80).
Ablel Gebreselase captured the 3,200 in 10:41.14 and also finished second in the 1,600. He also helped on the winning 3,200 relay team.
For the girls, Poly used outstanding efforts from Deja Stevenson and Ijeoma Ike-Amaechi, who combined to win seven events as the Engineers finished with 197 points to beat City (188).
Stevenson won the 100 hurdles (15.07) and 300 hurdles (43.20) as well as the triple jump (38-9) and long jump (18-2.5). Ike-Amaechi pulled off the triple crown of distance victories by taking the 800 (2:28.23), 1,600 (5:39.39) and 3,200 (12:59.16).
Teammate Nadia Hackett earned Poly's other victory, which came in the 400 (57.61). The Engineers claimed eight wins overall.
City used victories from Kayla Barnes in the 100 (12.60) and 200 (25.48) and Kaylynn Butler in the shot put (33-7) and the discus (81-10) to remain close to Poly.
Malik Jackson of National Academy Foundation and Dunbar's Anthony Manianci also won two events each. Jackson captured the 800 in 1:59.03 and won the 1,600 in 4:44.54 while Manianci won the shot put (41-1) and discus (123-6).