The City girls battled through injuries to turn in a strong performance and win the Baltimore City indoor track title for the first time in school history in the championship meet at the 5th Regiment Armory on Wednesday night.

City finished with 149.5 points and beat out defending champion Poly (131). Kayla Barnes paced the Knights with her victory in the 300 meters (42.21 seconds). She also ran a leg on the victorious 800-meter relay team.

Diamond Wellons gave City its other individual win, taking the high jump (4?feet, 6 inches), as the Knights scored points in a variety of events, and those numbers added up.

“We couldn't ask for any more,” City coach Mike Hamilton said. “They ran hurt [at times], and they were real troupers.”

For the boys, Digital Harbor won in a variety of places and cruised to the victory with 115.6 points, topping defending champion Poly (82).

A blizzard wiped out last year's meet, and the event could not be rescheduled after the storm, with the regional and state meets coming shortly afterward. Digital Harbor last won in 2014. Poly swept the boys and girls team titles when the event took place two years ago.

Digital Harbor was led by junior Ablel Gebreselase. He won the 1,600 (4:51.50), then took the 3,200 (10:35.31) before finishing third in the 800 several minutes later.

Gebreselase had never run before last winter, focusing more on soccer, but did well in running when he started. He said it took about a month to really catch on, and now he loves it.

“It was a good decision,” he said. “I like the winning. When I started winning, I really liked it.”

Gebreselase had a strong fall season running cross country, winning the Baltimore City championship and later taking 17th place in the tough Class 4A state meet.

“He's very disciplined and very committed,” Digital Harbor coach Lutalo Bakari said. “He does just what we ask him to do.”

Bakari said his team worked hard in practice since the start of the season, and this meet is where everything paid off. Up next, the regional and state meets.

There were a number of other standout performances at this year's meet, most notably from Will Henderson of Poly, who won three individual events in the first part of the meet.

Henderson took the 55 hurdles in 7.63 seconds. He also scored a victory in the 55-meter dash (6.51) and showed won the high jump (5-10).

He later ran the anchor leg on the 800 relay and turned in a blistering performance, but the Engineers already were too far back and finished second.

Versatility has become Henderson's calling card the past few years, and he'll get to show it when doing track at Penn State next year. Henderson started in track as a distance runner, but coach Rashi Pinckney had other ideas.

“I looked at him, and I saw a sprinter,” Pinckney said. “I saw it right away. He can do a lot of things.”

Pinckney's instinct proved correct. In addition to the open 55 and the 55 hurdles, Henderson also can handle the long, triple and high jumps, and said being able to do different events is a plus.

“It helps me a lot,” he said. “It keeps my body in shape, and I can take the momentum from one event to another.”

Henderson won the Class 3A state title last winter in the 55 meters. This year, he's hoping to repeat in that event and take home the top spot in the 55 hurdles and the long jump.

Rachel Barrows of Poly turned in one of the evening's top individual performances, scoring victories in the 800 (2:42.10), 1,600 (5:57.13) and the 3,200 (13:22.21), an effort that kept the Engineers close.

Western sophomore Kayla Hackett scored two victories, winning the 55 hurdles in 8.72 seconds and the 500 meters in 1:27.28. Poly's Mekhi Closson also won twice on the boys side, taking the 500 (1:08.66) and the 800 (2:06.34) while tying for second in the high jump.