Track And Field

Boys Brett Harman Westminster, baseball The senior right-handed pitcher defeated Huntingtown of Calvert County and Centennial in last week's Class 3A state semifinals and final, respectively. In the two games combined, Harman struck out 18, walked one and allowed 11 hits to raise his season record to 10-1. He had 113 strikeouts and 16 walks in 76 innings, with an 0.56 ERA. In the 2-0 win over Huntingtown on May 22, Harman struck out 10, walked one and allowed five hits. In Saturday's 4-1 victory over Centennial for the Owls' first state baseball title, Harman struck out eight, walked none and allowed six hits.

In August 2004, Michelle Newman tried out for the volleyball team at Eastern Technical High by day and cooled off in front of the television by night, watching the Athens Olympics. Having played recreational basketball, soccer and softball, and impressed by the events at Olympic Stadium, Newman made a mental note to try track and field in spring 2005, at the end of her freshman year. Two years later, Newman, now a junior, is one of the best horizontal jumpers the Baltimore area has ever seen.

Herbert Nicholls, a senior from the Washington suburbs, is about to earn a degree in community health. Reggie Carter, a freshman from Philadelphia, plans to major in business management. Both Morgan State sprinters, however, are minoring in their sport's history. They'll be serious players in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference track and field championships, which began yesterday and continue through tomorrow, at Hughes Stadium. There may be no stopping Norfolk State, which is poised to repeat an unprecedented sweep of the cross country, indoor track and outdoor titles.

SEVILLE, Spain -- With his churning legs a blur and his feet flashing gold, Michael Johnson did it again.Johnson shattered another world record last night -- this time, breaking the 400-meter mark with a sensational clocking of 43.18 seconds at the world championships.In clipping 0.11 of a second off the record of 43.29 set by Butch Reynolds in 1988, the confident, highly focused Johnson gave a performance reminiscent of his 200-meter triumph at the 1996 Olympics. With his all-gold shoes flashing on the Atlanta track, he clocked an astounding 19.32, cracking his 200 world record by 0.34.

Performer of the YearPun Chittchang,South CarrollWith 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.

EUGENE, Ore. -- Rules and injuries made this a national meet without a prime-time showdown, but yesterday's finale of the USA Track and Field Championships was a compelling show for the brunch-hour crowd of 8,913 at Hayward Field.From the 9: 50 a.m. start of the pole vault, which included a U.S. record of 19 feet, 9 inches by Jeff Hartwig, to the 1: 20 p.m. finish of the women's 5,000 meters, in which Regina Jacobs became the meet's only double winner, this was the sport at its up-tempo best.

With the bigger schools taking the day off, the second day of competition at the state track and field championships has in recent years belonged to teams from Howard County, particularly perennial state power Oakland Mills.By that measure, the beginning of yesterday's Class 1A and 2A meets at UMBC held true to form, with teams from three Columbia-area schools putting themselves in prime positions for today's meet conclusion.The Scorpions' boys, winners of five state title in six years, sit fourth with 14 points, behind only Williamsport (35)

BaseballBrewers: Optioned P Horacio Estrada to Triple-A Louisville.Devil Rays: Recalled OF Randy Winn from Triple-A Durham.Indians: Recalled P Rich DeLucia from Triple-A Buffalo.Reds: Recalled IF Aaron Boone from Triple-A Indianapolis.Yankees: Designated C Mike Figga for assignment.BasketballKings: Geoff Petrie, vice president for basketball operations, was named NBA Executive of the Year.CollegesAtlantic Coast Conference: Named Georgia Tech's Mark Teixeria (Mount St. Joseph's) Rookie of the Year.

BaseballAstros: Purchased contract of OF Ryan Thompson from Triple-A New Orleans.Cardinals: Agreed to terms with P Nick Stocks.Devil Rays: Recalled P Alan Newman from Triple-A Durham.Indians: Recalled P Tom Martin from Triple-A Buffalo. Designated OF Mark Whiten for assignment.Mariners: Recalled P Robert Ramsay from Triple-A Tacoma.Marlins: Recalled C Ramon Castro from Triple-A Calgary. Promoted C Nate Reese from Single-A Brevard County to Calgary.Rangers: Transferred P Eric Gunderson from 15-day to 60-day DL.Reds: Called up C Jason LaRue from Triple-A Indianapolis.

Most people mistake Ryan Olkowski for a basketball player. At 6 feet 4, 150 pounds, he has the height and agility to play seriously, but doesn't anymore. This 19-year-old Penn State sophomore from Perry Hall uses his athleticism on the track instead.Last week, after six jumps, Olkowski claimed a silver medal in the long jump at the Junior Pan Am Games in Tampa, Fla. He captured second with a leap of 24 feet, 2 inches, but at a price: a swollen, bandaged leg after spiking himself earlier in the meet.

Jeffrey S. Neral, a 17-year veteran Baltimore County police officer, died Sunday at Good Samaritan Hospital after being injured in a motorcycle accident. The Abingdon resident was 42. Officer Neral, who was riding his 2009 Harley Davidson south on Old Harford Road, was thrown from the motorcycle after it nearly collided with another automobile. He was born in Lancaster, Pa., and raised in Hollidaysburg, Pa. He was a 1986 graduate of Hollidaysburg High School, where he had excelled at varsity track and field.

Erick Zarzecki Pikesville, lacrosse Zarzecki, a second-year starting goalie, anchored the Panthers' run to the Class 2A-1A state title with 12 saves in an 8-7 win over two-time defending state champ Glenelg in the state semifinal and followed it up with 17 saves in a 6-5 win over Queen Anne's. Zarzecki will attend Cabrini College in Pennsylvania next year to play lacrosse and study business and marketing. Others considered: : Kenneth Bivens, St. Frances, baseball; Jeff Crosswhite, River Hill, baseball; Kelly Dayton, Friends, baseball; Matt Gregoire, South River, lacrosse; Dylan Taylor, Severna Park, baseball; Mike Trionfo, Calvert Hall, baseball Kourtney Salvarola Broadneck, softball The junior pitcher led the No. 1 Bruins to their first Class 4A state championship, getting a 5-2 win over North Carroll in Saturday's title game, to complete a 20-0 season.

Atholton track standout Graham Bazell battled a mysterious illness for part of the spring season that caused him to experience pain in his legs and suffer from fatigue. He was told by doctors that he had a low level of potassium. The solution? Eat bananas. He began eating three a day and found himself getting better. Rounding back into form, Bazell didn't slip on any banana peels at the state track and field championships Friday night at Morgan State. He ran away from the field to win the 3,200 meters in a Class 3A-record time of 9 minutes, 13.27 seconds.

Right-hander Jordan Eades (14-2) pitched seven innings, gave up one run off four hits and struck out 10 as the No. 6 Franklin softball team beat Catonsville, 2-1, Wednesday in the Baltimore County championship at CCBC-Essex. The Indians (16-2) trailed 1-0 heading into the seventh inning. With one out, Mary Sabota walked, then Kim Dorsey hit a single to center. With runners on second and third, both scored on a wild pitch for the win. Holly Granger had the only extra-base hit, a double, for the Comets (10-5)

Pat Downey Loch Raven, wrestling Downey, a sophomore, is undefeated in the 160-pound weight class this season. He pinned his Eastern Tech opponent in a minute Thursday and then pinned three more competitors on his way to the final of the Overlea Invitational Tournament last weekend. Those three pins were achieved in 16 seconds, 47 seconds and one minute, respectively. He then defeated previously unbeaten Daniel Johnson of Carver, 25-9. Downey, 16, is a transfer from Mount St. Joseph. In explaining his wrestling ability, he said: "It's my sport, my best sport.

Olympics Track and field 8 p.m. [chs. 11, 4]: Track and field takes center stage for the next few days. Today, there are a fistful of finals, including the men's 110-meter hurdles, the men's 400 meters and the women's 200 meters.

Boys Woody Wlodarczyk C. Milton Wright, baseball The three-year starting catcher led the No. 3 Mustangs to the Class 4A state final for the second time, the previous time being in 2006. Wlodarczyk went 4-for-7 with two doubles, a triple, three runs scored and three RBIs in this year's state tournament. On Friday in the state final, a 7-6 loss to Sherwood of Montgomery County in eight innings, Wlodarczyk was 2-for-4, including a double that tied the score in the fifth. Wlodarczyk, who is headed to Harford Community College, led his team in batting average (.513)

BOYS Patrick Blair Calvert Hall, baseball Blair has been the catalyst of the three-time defending Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference champion and top-ranked Cardinals (25-7). In two playoff wins last week that put the Cardinals in today's A Conference championship at Ripken Stadium, Blair led the way. In an 11-1 rout of St. Paul's on Wednesday, Blair, last year's first-team All-Metro shortstop as a sophomore, had a single, double and triple and scored two runs.

The Bishop McNamara runner who collided with Atholton wheelchair athlete Tatyana McFadden in a race earlier this month will miss her conference championship meet because of injuries suffered in the incident. Bishop McNamara track and field coach Keith Chapman confirmed last night that Monica Mason will not compete in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference title meet at Good Counsel tomorrow and Saturday. She sustained left leg and knee injuries after colliding with McFadden at the end of a heat in the 200-meter race at the Howard County Track Classic May 3. McFadden ran into Mason moments after the race ended.

With hydraulic lifts pumping and air blowers whirring under a carpet of artificial turf, the Naval Academy unveiled a high-tech new field house yesterday where its varsity athletes can train, club teams can play and midshipmen can stay in shape. Located on the southeast edge of campus near the Severn River, the $50 million Wesley A. Brown Field House succeeds the Academy's Halsey Field House as the home for six varsity teams and as a centerpiece for fitness training and physical education for all midshipmen.