State Title

South River senior Jen Whitfield got hooked on pole vaulting in her freshman year, and she's been clearing the cross bar ever since. Competing in the indoor and outdoor seasons for four years, she has won one state title (her sophomore year in indoor) and has finished second at states in each of her first three years of outdoor. She would like nothing better than to come away with that elusive outdoor state title this spring. Whitfield has also won a number of county titles in indoor and outdoor and has the school record in both seasons - leaping 9 feet, 7 inches in indoor and 9-6 in outdoor.

COLLEGE PARK -- Close no more. After falling one run short of a state title last year, the Chesapeake-Anne Arundel softball team was on a season-long mission to make things right this spring. Sophomore pitcher Lauren Gibson made sure with a dominating performance on the mound, throwing a no-hitter, and second baseman Kelly Hickman provided a two-run double in the first inning that gave the No. 2 Cougars a 2-0 Class 4A state title win over Damascus. It's the sixth state championship and first since 1993 for the Cougars, who have reached the title game in three of the past four years.

Chris Wagner missed an indoor state championship in the 800-meter run by four-hundredths of a second last year. Then, in the 800 at outdoor states, he held the lead until the final half-lap before fading and finishing eighth after entering the race as the top-seeded runner in his class. Those are two reasons why the Fallston senior has little trouble finding motivation this year. "I kept remembering those two races in particular," Wagner said. "I'd have flashbacks ... at the end of a hard practice this winter.

GIRLS PERFORMER OF THE YEAR Letecia Wright indoor trackWestern The senior used her outstanding speed and athleticism to become the catalyst for the Doves this season, filling the void left by the graduation of last season's Performer of the Year Theresa Lewis and first-team All-Metro pick Shalaiyah Sommerville. Wright won four gold medals to help Western win the City title, and then duplicated that performance at the regional meet. At the state championships, she tied a meet record with her time of 7.08 seconds in the 55-meter dash, and also won the 300 and placed third in the 55 hurdles.

Two years ago, Eastern Tech's girls soccer team brought home a state championship, and coach Kim Williams sees some key similarities between then and now as the Mavericks prepare for another title game Saturday. "Both teams have a really high work ethic," Williams said. "They work hard every day. They put 150 percent effort into their practices, and they try their best to do the same thing in the games." The No. 10 Mavericks will face No. 2 River Hill, last year's Class 3A champion, for the title Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Broadneck High.

Part of the family mythology is that two-time All-Metro striker Adom Crew's uncle, Carl, ran second in the 100-yard dash to Jesse Owens in high school in Ohio."

Top-ranked Centennial used its strong net game last night to dominate visiting Gwynn Park of Prince George's County, 15-1, 15-7, 15-9, and win the Class 2A, South Region volleyball championship.The Eagles (16-2) advance to the state tournament for the fourth straight time and the eighth time in the 1990s. Going after their ninth state title, the Eagles have won eight titles in the past 10 years and have won the most championships in state tournament history.In Wednesday night's state semifinal at CCBC-Essex, the Eagles will play No. 11 Hereford.

Class 3A finalNo. 1 Northeast (23-2) : vs. No. 6 North Carroll (20-2)Time: 7Site: Randazzo ParkOutlook: Top-ranked Northeast will be after a state-record ninth state title against North Carroll, which has won six. Solid pitching from seniors Stacy Smith and Deana Benner and a balanced offense led by senior shortstop Amanda Shifflett carried Northeast to the top of the metro rankings and the state championship game. The Eagles survived a 2-1 semifinal scare against Thomas Stone on Tuesday, when North Carroll blanked No. 15 Fallston, 4-0, in the other semifinal behind senior Lisa Tunney's three-hitter.

AROUND THE AREAPreseason Top 151. River Hill1998 record: 19-1Skinny: The Hawks graduated only two players and return All-Metro striker Adom Crew and All-Metro defender Elliott Marquis from their No. 1-ranked team, which won its second straight Class 2A state title. What effect will moving to Class 3A have on their state title aspirations?2. Archbishop Curley1998 record: 17-1-1Skinny: The Friars return seven starters, including three All-Metro players, from a No. 2-ranked team that recorded a school-record 17 shutouts.

Broadneck's Kevin Peterson and his teammates had a number of factors to overcome in yesterday's Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association's District Five state qualifier tournament -- the weather and 29 other teams.The Bruins, lead by Peterson's 2-over-par 74, managed to shrug off the gusty wind and wet conditions en route to a two-stroke win over Westminster for the tournament championship at Geneva Farm Golf Club in Street.Broadneck shot a four-player combined score of 324 to edge out the Owls' total of 326."

The Liberty boys soccer team was as close as it could get to a state title last year without winning it, losing the Class 2A championship to James M. Bennett on penalty kicks. For senior forward Marc Gillen, it provides added incentive to take his final high school season one step further and bring home the program's second state title. In his third year on varsity, Gillen, a captain, leads the Lions (10-1) with 10 goals and four assists. Last year, Gillen also played basketball, lacrosse and tennis, but his focus this season is on soccer.

5 Consecutive state playoff appearances by Sparrows Point. The Pointers reached the state title game four times in that stretch. 9 Consecutive shutouts Archbishop Spalding posted to close the 2008 season, including the IAAM A title game. 10 Starters back from Glenelg's Class 1A state title team.

0 Runners the Severna Park boys put in the top 10 in the Class 4A state title race - but the Falcons finished second overall. 2 Consecutive state championships the River Hill girls have won. 3 Top-10 finishers the Atholton boys had en route to winning the Howard County championship. 7 Seconds separating the Bel Air boys' top three finishers in the Class 3A state title meet - a big reason the Bobcats finished second overall. 49 Points Century's girls beat South Carroll by in the Carroll County championship race.

BOYS TRACK Performer of the Year Shannon Glover Meade The senior had a big performance at the right time in the Class 3A state meet. He won the discus in 152 feet, 7 inches to give the Mustangs 10 key points and clinch the state title (the Mustangs were subsequently stripped of the crown due to having an ineligible performer). Glover took third in the shot put and won the discus at the East regional meet. That came after winning the discus and finishing fourth in the shot put the county meet.

Franklin's Jordan Eades has always been known as a big-game pitcher, and in Tuesday's Class 3A state semifinal against Urbana, she might have put on her best performance. Eades kept the Hawks (15-5) off balance for eight innings and knocked in the go-ahead run in the decisive eighth as sixth-ranked Franklin pulled away for a 7-4 victory at Bachman Sports Complex in Glen Burnie. Franklin (20-2) will play for its first state title against Northern-Calvert, a five-time state champion, Saturday in College Park.

Graham Bazell * Atholton * The senior is perhaps the best distance runner in the state. He won the Class 3A state title in cross country and took the 1,600-meter crown indoors. Bazell combines with teammate Michael Lynch to give the Raiders a formidable duo in distance. Eric Franklin * Archbishop Curley * He played a big role in the Friars winning last spring's Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association team title. The senior was undefeated in the 110-meter hurdles last spring. Justin Gross * McDonogh * The junior won the 55-meter hurdles plus the long and triple jumps during the MIAA indoor title meet and can also run relays.

Kristen Brown * McDonogh * She is one of the area's most versatile track athletes. The junior helped the Eagles to an easy championship indoors and can do a mix of jumps, sprints, relays and hurdles. Jenna Cimino * Hereford * Cimino is coming off a strong indoor track season, during which the senior ran on two relays and won the 800- and 1,600-meter runs at the Class 3A state meet. Her versatility gives the Bulls a boost, especially against bigger teams. Katie Harman * River Hill * The senior overcame injuries to hit her stride during the winter and became one of the metro area's top distance runners.

The sixth-ranked River Hill girls basketball team jumped on Parkside early and never relented in the Class 2A state semifinals yesterday at UMBC's RAC Arena. The undefeated Hawks went on a 24-2 run to end the first quarter and didn't look back, building a 30-point halftime lead en route to a 78-39 victory over the Wicomico County team. River Hill (27-0) will try to win its second state title in four years against No. 4 City at 1 p.m. today. "We're excited about the fact we get to advance to the 2A finals again," River Hill coach Teresa Waters said.

COLLEGE PARK -Just like that, at the most opportune time, it all came together for the No. 1 Lake Clifton boys basketball team in yesterday's Class 3A state semifinal against a pesky Seneca Valley team that wouldn't go away. The strong will on defense, clutch perimeter shooting and dazzling work in transition - things the undefeated Lakers have displayed all season. The flash, led by senior guard Jason Sharp, came in the closing minutes of the third quarter and extended into the fourth, and it was just enough to get the Lakers past the Montgomery County school, 63-54, to move one win away from a state title and undefeated season.

South River senior Jen Whitfield got hooked on pole vaulting in her freshman year, and she's been clearing the cross bar ever since. Competing in the indoor and outdoor seasons for four years, she has won one state title (her sophomore year in indoor) and has finished second at states in each of her first three years of outdoor. She would like nothing better than to come away with that elusive outdoor state title this spring. Whitfield has also won a number of county titles in indoor and outdoor and has the school record in both seasons - leaping 9 feet, 7 inches in indoor and 9-6 in outdoor.