Ranking All 3A State Meet Records by Breakability


Linganore's Carter Holsinger is the defending state champion in the pole vault, and he cleared a height better than the current 3A state meet record at the 3A West regional meet on Thursday. (Photo by Craig Amoss)

Examining and acknowledging state meet records helps put excellent performances into context. We preview every meet record at the 1A state meet and how likely it is to fall based on the performances from the season to date. Most of the leaders in the events will qualify for the state meet from regionals.


The Key

0 stars - This one might stand for awhile.

1 star - Looks safe for this year.

2 stars - Someone might have an outside shot.

3 stars - There's a decent chance someone challenges it.

4 stars - At least one person has a good shot.

5 stars - It would almost be surprising if it *wasn't* broken.


55 dash

Boys: 6.37 (Devon Smith, Westlake, 2009/Ronald Darby, Potomac, 2011) - 2 stars

Huntingtown senior Anthony Smith has gotten close to the record (6.42 season best), but with four events on his plate for the state meet, another jump into the mid-6.30s might be a stretch.

Girls: 7.00 (Funmi Alabi, Long Reach, 2008) - 1 star

This one came very close to falling two years ago when Frederick's Jaida Smith ran 7.01.


300 dash

Boys: 34.58 (Kenard Harris, Westlake, 2008) - 1 star

The 3A East regional meet set up a fantastic state meet showdown between Long Reach's Djavan White and Huntingtown's Anthony Smith, both who ran 3A-leading times of 35.27. It's still a large jump down to 34.58, however.

Girls: 39.29 (Shania Collins, Huntingtown, 2014) - 1 star

Only one girl, Mount Hebron's Sierrah Matthews, has come within a second of the 3A state meet record.


500 dash

Boys: 1:04.71 (Will Zahorodny, Damascus, 2008) - 2 stars

Could a fellow Hornet take down Zahorodny's state meet record? Tamrat Snyder won regionals in the 500, 800 and 1600; will he go for the title in all three events or put more focus on one or two of the races?

Girls: 1:13.30 (Nyjari McNeil, Franklin, 2018) - 2 stars

The aforementioned Matthews is the defending state champion and ran close to (1:13.85) the current state meet record at the Virginia Showcase. It won't be quite so simple, however, coming off the 300.


800 run

Boys: 1:56.14 (Jordan Leon, Milford Mill, 2015) - 3 stars

As mentioned above, Snyder has shown the ability to run much faster than the meet record (1:55.08 season best). However, it could also very well be his third race of the day.

Girls: 2:17.00 (Sally Glynn, Walter Johnson, 1995) - 1 star

Both the 3A and 4A state meet records in the girls 800 were set back in 1995 when Glynn ran 2:17 and Annapolis' Kristen Nicolini ran 2:14. 


1600 run

Boys: 4:17.50 (Chris Heydrick, River Hill, 2014) - 2 stars

When converted from the mile, Chopticon's Zachary Wedding has one of the top 1600 times in the state (4:18.52, from his performance at the Montgomery Invitational). However, cutting off another from his personal best second fresh off the 4x800 would be a daunting task.

Girls: 5:02.06 (Emily Mulhern, Urbana, 2015) - 1 star

Northern junior Oakley Olson owns a 5:00 outdoor personal best in the 1600, but might not be incentivized to go all-out in any one event as the Patriots try to once again rack up plenty of points throughout the four distance races.


3200 run

Boys: 9:25.53 (Michael Lynch, Atholton, 2009) - 3 stars

River Hill senior Anish Nanjappa is undefeated in the 3200 this season and has run 9:30 or faster twice. A strong field that includes Zachary Wedding (9:32 season best) and Centennial's Jacob Cole (9:35 at regionals behind Nanjappa) could make for conditions good enough for the record to be broken.

Girls: 10:59.21 (Emily Mulhern, Urbana, 2014) - 1 star

There is a good matchup brewing between Northern's Hannah Mack - the defending indoor state champion - and Manchester Valley sophomore Rubie Goffena, but neither have run faster than 11:16 so far this winter.


55 hurdles

Boys: 7.20 (Dondre Echols, Potomac, 2012) - 0 stars

Loick Amouzou is one of the top hurdlers in the state, but Echols' record will stand another year.

Girls: 7.73 (Tishonna Watson, Surrattsville, 1990) - 0 stars

See above.


4x200 relay

Boys: 1:28.99 (Westlake, 2008) - 1 star

This record-setting relay included 55 meter record holder Devon Smith and 300 meter record holder Kenard Harris; the 3A record is more than two and a half seconds faster than the fastest 3A team has run this year.

Girls: 1:42.29 (James H. Blake, 2019) - 1 star

The Blake girls' record will likely live to see another year, as no 3A team has run under 1:45 so far this year.


4x400 relay

Boys: 3:25.31 (Westlake, 2008) - 0 stars

The Westlake boys were absolutely on fire in 2008.

Girls: 3:52.15 (Franklin, 2018) - 0 stars

The Franklin girls currently lead all of 3A, but are well off their own meet record from the 2018 state meet.


4x800 relay

Boys: 8:04.53 (Chopticon, 2019) - 1 star

Without junior Dylan McMahan (who did not run at regionals), the Chopticon boys are still state title contenders, but probably not likely to challenge their own record from last season.

Girls: 9:39.56 (Walter Johnson, 2003) - 1 star

The Northern girls ran 9:55 at regionals, but are the only 3A team to have run under ten minutes so far this indoor season.


Shot Put

Boys: 60'5.75 (Jim Joyce, Gaithersburg, 1979) - 1 star

With four boys having thrown over 50 feet this year, the 2020 3A boys shot put field looks strong, but it will still take a massive improvement to challenge one of the older state meet records on the books.

Girls: 44'10.50 (Delia Sipe, Urbana, 2017) - 1 star

From a 40-plus-year-old record to one whose ink is barely dry, both 3A shot put records are fairly safe. No 3A girls have cleared 40 feet in the shot put this year.


High Jump

Boys: 7'0 (Scott Dunham, Central, 1980) - 1 star

Charlie Hoston's 6'9 jump at regionals on Thursday takes this record from zero stars to one star, but it's still another four inches to tie Scott Dunham's 40-year-old record.

Girls: 5'8.25 (Toni Aluko, Paint Branch, 2003) - 0 stars

Three girls enter the state meet having cleared 5'2. Suspenseful? Possibly. New 3A record? Probably not.


Pole Vault

Boys: 15'0 (Bradley Hollowell, Stephen Decatur, 2011) - 3 stars

Defending state champion Carter Holsinger became the first Maryland boy to clear 15 feet in the pole vault at the Frederick County Championships, then raised his personal best to 15'2 at regionals. A state meet record performance is certainly within reach.

Girls: 13'4 (Olivia Gruver, Franklin, 2015) - 1 star

Hereford junior Elizabeth Schriver is the only girl in Maryland to have cleared 12 feet, but that still puts her 16 inches off of the current state meet record.