Hereford senior Sylvia Snider had been waiting for this day for a long time.

Snider has been one of the most decorated distance runners in Baltimore County and across the region during her for years running for the Bulls, but one prize had always eluded her: an individual state gold medal.

On Friday, she left Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex after the Class 2A indoor track and field state meet with not one gold medal, but two.

Snider was one of five area athletes to win multiple events when the 2A and 3A state meets were finally contested Friday after being delayed by weather.

Although Hereford’s girls were edged by Century by two points for the team title, Snider was excited to claim her long-awaited golds. She won the 2A girls 1,600 meters in a personal-record 5 minutes, 6.83 seconds. She came back later in the day and won the 3,200 in 11:29.19. She also took fifth in the 800.

“I’m very excited. I was hoping for the team win but I’m very excited about the gold medals, especially the way the past couple years went,” she said.

Combining cross country, indoor track and outdoor track, Snider has placed in the top three in nine individual state championship races, including finishing second seven times. On Friday, she was finally the one to cross the line first.

“I’m just so excited and so happy I finally had the motivation to push myself to get there,” she said.

Her 1,600 win was a little bit of revenge, as she beat out Centennial’s Riley Herdson, who overtook Snider late in the fall’s cross country state championship race. Snider said it’s a great “friendly competition” that could have another chapter in the spring.

The outdoor season is one Snider said her whole team will be motivated for after finishing two points behind Century for the team title Friday.

Snider’s Hereford teammate Ben Wheeler not only won two state championships but did so in record fashion. Wheeler won the 2A boys 300 and 500, setting a class record in each race.

He acknowledged that records weren’t on his mind when he entered the facility Friday. Only winning was.

“Honestly no, the state records were just a bonus for today,” he said. “I knew I was capable of these times. I’ve done it before at some banked tracks, but PG is a bit different. The competition is really big here and I’m glad I was able to do it.”

Wheeler won the 300 in 34.64 seconds and the 500 in 1:04.3, a time that ranks as the fourth fastest by a Maryland athlete this winter, public or private school in all classes.

While it was the second straight 500 championship for the junior, he said he had some extra motivation after finishing second in the 300 last year.

“It was really motivating. Last year I think I had the top seed in the 300, so to get second was a little disappointing,” he said. “To come back and set the 2A record and get the win was awesome.”

Also for Hereford, junior Maddie Drylie cleared a personal-best 11 feet to win the 2A girls pole vault. The Bulls also got a second place in the boys 800 and third in the 1,600 from freshman Eli Aitken. Eliza Fox took third in the girls high jump.

Century girls win 2A title: Much like it’s been all season, any time a Century runner took their place at the starting line, an army of green was behind them or lined along the track, loud and proud as they cheered on one of their own.

“We always say at Century that we are a family,” distance coach Stephanie Nagle said. “They were supportive of each other the whole time, and everyone is just beyond proud of them.”

By the end of Friday night, everyone was cheering, taking pictures and shedding tears as the Century girls indoor track and field team edged out Hereford for the Class 2A state title.

“After we were so close at regionals against a tough team like Centennial, I knew that if we could come in and get some extra points, that would be the gamechanger, and they did just that,” Nagle said, referencing her team’s narrow loss at the 2A West Region meet.

The Knights finished with 72 points after 13 events, edging out Hereford, which finished second with 70. Centennial (62), Randallstown (52) and Frederick Douglass-PG (44) rounded out the top five.

— Timothy Dashiell

Oakland Mills boys claim 3A crown: For Oakland Mills, eight laps stood between the elation of victory and the agony of defeat. After 12 highly competitive events, the Scorpions led Digital Harbor by 4.25 points entering the third and final heat of the 4×400 relay at Friday’s Class 2A/3A state championships.

With the Rams possessing the top qualifying time and as the event’s presumptive favorite, the Scorpions needed a top-two finish to hold off Digital Harbor. It took every ounce of energy from their go-to four seniors: Isaac Ramsey, Gabriel Murray, Keshon Tate and Solomon Small, some of whom were competing in their fifth event of the day.

“Time and time again when I need them, every time they come through,” Oakland Mills coach Chris Brewington said. “I was going to live or die with those guys.”

Ramsey started things off, followed by strong pushes from Murray and Tate. Then, the fate of the entire race — and thereby the state title — rested in Small’s hands. The anchor leg, Small was frustrated with his earlier performance by not placing in the 800. However, he didn’t let that blunder define him and aptly responded in the most critical moment. Small fended off furious comeback attempts from Severna Park’s anchor, building distance in the final 100 meters and crossing the finish line second.

The Scorpions’ relay team put forth its best time of the season — 3 minutes, 25.7 seconds — and survived a historic performance from the Rams (3:23.24) that broke a state record. Oakland Mills returned to the mountaintop as 3A state champions with 64.25 points, beating out Digital Harbor (62). It is their 11th indoor state title, which is an MPSSAA boys record.

— Jacob Steinberg

Johnson highlights Digital Harbor’s runner-up finish: LaMont Johnson had a record-setting day that helped Digital Harbor finish second in the 3A boys team standings, just 2.25 points shy of Oakland Mills.

Johnson set a 3A record by winning the 300 in 34.39 seconds. He won the 500 in 1:06.47.

“Truthfully, I was very, very nervous coming into the day. I was very nervous due to the fact I was off most of my season due to injury. I felt I was falling behind,” he said. “By the glorious grace of God I made it to states. My main goal, I didn’t just want to win, I wanted to run a fast time. What I did for the 300, I knew I was going up against some tough guys. I’ve beat them before and I just said, ‘Let’s do it again.’ By the end, I won and had a state record.”

By the last event of the meet, Digital Harbor was behind Oakland Mills. Not only did the Rams need to win the 4×400 relay, but they needed the Scorpions to finish no higher than fourth place.

Johnson and the Rams ran the race of their lives. LaMont Johnson, Trent Johnson, Jevonte Williams and Marquis Johnson won the race in a state all-class record 3:24.11. It does, however, give Johnson and his team extra motivation to defend its outdoor state title in the spring, in what’s sure to be an entertaining rematch.

“Today was an eye-opener,” Johnson said. “We had our eyes opened many time this season, but this showed us there’s always bigger fish. We’re going to catch this fish and reel it in. We’re ready to dominate outdoor season. No one is really satisfied with coming in second.”

Also for the Rams, Williams finished second in the 55 hurdles and Tristan Gray was second in the shot put.

Anne Arundel runners go the distance: Two of the area’s best boys distance runners come from Anne Arundel County and each put on a show again. Southern’s Eric Penkala and Old Mill’s Tsedeke Jakovics each claimed a pair of gold medals.

Penkala, who won three state championships last winner, claimed first again in the 2A 1,600, setting a 2A record of 4:17.17. He also won the 3,200 in 9:44.91. He missed out on another triple crown, finishing third in the 800.

Penkala said there was a bit of pressure coming in after what he accomplished last year.

“Definitely, because obviously you got a target on your back,” he said. “Of course the nerves came in. You just gotta overcome them a little bit and trust the process. That’s exactly what I did.”

Jakovics doubled up, winning the 3A 800 (1:56.48) and the 1,600 (4:16.04, a 3A state record).

Despite this being just the latest in a series of state wins dating back to last year, the future Princeton Tiger says he’s always aiming to improve.

“I’m learning, running is definitely a learning experience. You’re constantly learning,” he said. “For the mile, I haven’t been the best at pacing myself, so coming into a meet like this, just going after the record was something I was glad I was able to do.”

He’s also proud of being able to claim a pair of championships after brining home just the 800 title last year.

“I would say last year, I got a title in the 800 but I didn’t think I could really get a title in both, in the mile out here,” he said. “It helps me realize I’ve gotten stronger as a runner.”

Other champions: Two other Baltimore County athletes and one from the city won state titles Friday. Three relays also took gold medals.

Randallstown’s Danielle Perez held off Century’s Cailyn Stine to win the 2A girls 300 in 41.32 seconds, 11-hundreths of a second ahead of Stine.

Perez also finished second in the 55-meter dash and teamed with Zina Muturi, Niyona Watson and Trinity Jordan to win the 2A 4×400 in 4:05.62.

Towson’s Theodore Brown capped off a strong senior season by winning the 3A boys 3,200 in 9:44.15. Brown also teamed with Jack Dobrosielski, John Fields and Evan Cline to in the 3A 4×800 in 8:14.2.

City’s Ariyah Edwards won the 3A girls 55 hurdles in 8.22 seconds and Dunbar’s team of Keith Meekins, Tyon Fowlkes, Jermain Parker and William Carranza won the 2A boys 4×800 in 8:14.93.

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