



Here are The Baltimore Sun’s All-Metro girls outdoor track and field teams for the 2025 season:
Athlete of the Year
Destiny Coleman, Woodlawn, junior
Seeing how fluidly Coleman clears a hurdle before sprinting to the finish, it’s hard to fathom that there was a time when she wasn’t too fond of the event.
“Actually, I was afraid of hurdles,” she said. “But my coach saw something I didn’t, and he told me one day I was gonna practice hurdles and I never stopped.”
“She showed a lot of aggression, a lot of natural ability,” Woodlawn coach Joey Young said. “I’m big on hurdles, or specialty events with the kids. I ended up teaching her how to three-step in one practice. She learned it in two hours. She was a natural. I felt like it was something she could easily pick up on.”
Her fears soon subsided, and Coleman began sprinting toward record times.
She won the Class 4A state title in the 100-meter hurdles in 13.25 seconds, smashing the previous state meet all-class record of 13.64, though she won’t get credit because of the windy conditions the day of her race.
She also finished as state runner-up in the 300 hurdles and third in the 100-meter dash. She ran on Woodlawn’s state-title winning 4×100- and 4×200-meter relays and the runner-up 4×400 team — which Coleman takes more pride in.
“I feel like every time we win a state title or break a record, I feel like it’s more than just breaking a record. It’s not only an individual thing, it’s a team thing,” she said. “What we accomplish as a team is way better.”
Coleman was a state champion last year in the hurdles but became more dedicated to her craft after a spectacular indoor performance. At The Armory Hispanic Games in New York, Coleman won the 55-meter hurdles in 7.75 seconds, which was the best time in the United States at the time.
She gained more national attention in April at the Mt. SAC Relays, winning the top high school division of the 100 hurdles in 13.37 seconds, beating the top-rated runners nationally.
“I had a lot more dedication this year both mentally and physically,” she said. “Last year, I wouldn’t say I was new, but I was new to hurdles. I wasn’t maybe taking it as serious as I should’ve. But after the Hispanic Games, that’s when I was like, ‘OK, I got to lock in. If I’m setting these times at the beginning of the season, just imagine what I can do if I keep working at it.’ ”
Coleman started running AAU in eighth grade during the heart of the pandemic. She said that her mother gave her the choice of going into high school if she wanted to keep running AAU or join a school team.
“I wanted to try something new,” she said of her choice to join Woodlawn. “It would be a different opportunity to meet people and do something different.”
Heading into her senior year, Coleman said she’s drawn interest from Texas Tech, LSU, Mississippi and Florida State. She said her college choice will come down in part to her relationship with her future coaches.
“If you have a good personality, and whether you just want me because I’m fast or you can train me to be better than I am now,” she said.
Coach of the year
Bernard Williams, McDonogh
McDonogh is in the midst of an Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland dynasty.
That’s never easy for a new coach to walk in to, yet Bernard Williams was able to continue the success Phil Turner established before departing last offseason.
Williams led the Eagles to their fourth straight IAAM A Conference championship.
“To be honest, it was a lot of pressure,” Williams said. “We had a reputation for winning the conference the last three years. I had never been head coach before, so I was real apprehensive at first, but I realized we had a good support staff.”
Williams and his staff built a well-rounded team. McDonogh fielded the area’s best sprinter as well as All-Metro first-team selections in mid-distance, throws and pole vault.
There were also stars in hurdles, jumps and distance.
“All of those girls made us look good,” Williams said. “With Kelsey (Coley) and Morgan (Heard) taking one-two in hurdles, Julia (Norris) winning shot and discus, and then other people like Caroline (Birdsall), who did great in pole vault, but also did great in long jump and triple jump and on 4×4. That senior group pulled together in all different events and made it happen.”
First team
Caroline Birdsall, McDonogh, senior
Birdsall cleared 11 feet to win the pole vault at the IAAM A Conference championships. She won the event at four meets this season and had a best vault of 11-9 1/4 at the Penn Relays.
Madisyn Bobb, Harford Tech, senior
Bobb was a key piece of the Cobras’ Class 2A state team championship. She won the state title in the 200 (24.7 seconds) and was the runner-up in the 400 after winning the event at regionals. She was also the state runner-up in the 100 hurdles.
Rebecca Burgee, Southern-AA, senior
Burgee was a three-time gold medalist at the 2A state meet, winning the 400 (56.57), 800 (2:19.17) and anchoring Southern’s winning 4×400 relay. She also ran on the runner-up 4×800 relay.
Elena Cooper, McDonogh, senior
Cooper, a Stanford commit, was the IAAM A Conference long jump champion. Her top jump of 20 feet, 10 inches at the East Coast International high school meet was the best in all of Maryland this season.
Elise Cooper, McDonogh, senior
Cooper, a Texas commit and the area’s premier sprinter, won IAAM A Conference titles in the 100 (11.88), 200 (23.84) and 400 (53.75).
Dana Doubek, Broadneck, sophomore
Doubek had the best pole vault in the area and second best in Maryland, clearing 12 feet at the Golliday Invitational. She won Anne Arundel County and 4A East Region titles and finished third at states.
Bianca Durant, Howard, senior
Durant won the 3A 200 meters in a personal record time of 23.82 seconds. She was also state runner-up in the 100. She was the 3A South Region champion in both events.
Winter Evans, Harford Tech, senior
Evans won 2A state championships in the 100 (12.18) and 100 hurdles (14.01). She was also the 2A East Region champion and state runner-up in the high jump. Her season-best height of 5 feet, 5 inches was the best of any metro-area jumper.
Eliza Fox, Hereford, junior
Fox won the high jump in six meets this season, including the Baltimore County championship and 2A North Region championship. Her best jump this season was clearing 5-4.
Alicia Hall, Oakland Mills, senior
Hall excelled in the triple jump. Her 3A state championship-winning distance of 39-9 1/4 was the fourth-best distance in Maryland, according to athletic.net. She also secured Howard County and 3A South Region championships among her seven wins.
Julia Norris, McDonogh, senior
Norris was the area’s top thrower this season. She won IAAM A Conference championships in shot put and discus. Her top marks of 42-0 (shot put) and 134-2 (discus) were each the fourth best in Maryland, according to athletic.net.
Sylvia Snider, Hereford, senior
Snider closed out her highly decorated distance running career with a 2A state title in the 3,200 (10:57.6). She added a state runner-up finish in the 1,600 and third-place finish in the 800.
Ava Staley, Winters Mill, sophomore
Staley was one of the area’s best high jumpers this season. Her best jump was clearing 5-4 to win the 2A West Region championship. She was the Carroll County champion and finished fourth at states.
Marella Virmani, River Hill, junior
Virmani finished as 3A state runner-up in the 1,600 and was third place in the 800. She was Howard County champion in both events and the South Region champion in the 800. She was also a key piece of the Hawks’ state record-setting 4×800 relay.
Second team
Tessa Altshuler, South Carroll, freshman
Destiny Baker, Harford Tech, senior
Sedona Clarke, Broadneck, sophomore
Kelsey Coley, McDonogh, senior
Alexandra Collier, Spalding, junior
Devin DeGannes, Dulaney, senior
Maddie Drylie, Hereford, junior
Ariyah Edwards, City, senior
Aurlani Irvin, Woodlawn, sophomore
Madisen Morgan, Harford Tech, senior
Fiyinfoluwa Popoola, Western Tech, senior
Sydney Rhodes, Howard, senior
Ava Snyder, Liberty, freshman
Ogechi Uzoukwu, Western Tech, senior
Lauren Virmani, River Hill, junior
Final Top 15 poll
Rank, team
1. McDonogh
2. Woodlawn
3. Oakland Mills
4. Harford Tech
5. Hereford
6. Howard
7. Broadneck
8. Crofton
9. Maryvale Prep
10. Century
11. Western
12. Mount de Sales
13. River Hill
14. Severna Park
15. Southern-AA
Others considered: Atholton, Centennial, City, Randallstown, Western Tech
Have a news tip? Contact Anthony Maluso at amaluso@baltsun.com, 567-230-6024, x.com/TonySunSports and instagram.com/TonySunSports.