The event will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. and 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Friday and from 8 to 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday at Under Armour’s Global Headquarters in Baltimore.
Lucas Carlson, who specializes in emergency medicine for MedStar Health, will be providing physicals for his second year and is looking forward to the two-day event.
“Last year was the first year we did it. We had a great time. It was a much larger event than we originally anticipated,” Carlson said. “We’re super excited.”
As of Wednesday afternoon, 765 of the 800 openings were filled.
Not every athlete passes through unscathed and the staff, which includes around 25 Under Armour teammates and about 25 MedStar Health professionals volunteering their time, will be there to provide assistance.
“There are a couple that come through that they don’t initially pass the physical, it’s really a screening exam to make sure that they don’t have any risk factors or a cardiac condition that would put them at risk if they were playing sports, but in reality it’s also a way that things can get caught,” Carlson said. “So if they did have some sort of cardiac condition or risk factors we help to get them a follow up to make sure that those are checked out and in some cases that could pick up something that otherwise wouldn’t have gotten picked up at all.”
In addition to the physicals, there will be sports bra fittings and health education.
“Our MedStar Health community health program is going to be onsite providing different resources, everything from CPR and EED information to blood pressure checks and any community resources that they might need,” said Carissa Colangelo, director of athletic training services for greater Baltimore.
Unlike last year, when schools were bussed in, the process was simplified.
“We allow people to sign up for whatever time was convenient for them personally versus breaking it down by school,” Colangelo said. “We know that transportation and cost are two of the biggest things for getting physicals, needing to get on site and so having this event where we are bringing everything to one location and providing everything they need for free is a huge asset to the community.”
Under Armour’s involvement is also critical for the event’s success.
Under Armour’s Blake Maciel, Director of Project Rampart, which elevates Baltimore student athletes and improves academic outcomes through the power of sport, remembers last year’s event fondly and is eager to help young athletes this year.
“The idea for this Back-to-School event came from conversations our Community Impact team had with local coaches, athletic directors, parents, and school leaders,” he said in an email. “We heard that getting sports physicals can be a real challenge for working families juggling back-to-school demands. We saw a chance to help by partnering with MedStar Health to provide the necessary sports physicals and using Under Armour’s platform to make it an exciting experience for all.”
Have a news tip? Contact Craig Clary at cclary@baltsun.com and x.com/ClaryCraig.
]]>She overcame the adversity and scored 35 goals with a team-leading 13 assists. She made the All-County first team for the second straight season after piling up 58 goals as a junior and she amassed 154 career goals in her four varsity seasons.
She was also a four-year varsity guard on the basketball team and was honored as the 2025 Towson Times Female Co-Athlete of the Year. She shares the award with Dulaney junior Kimani Dennis.
Schmidt injured her hip in a 12-10 victory over Towson on March 21 and didn’t want to come out of the game.
“I played through it and my coach was a little iffy about it, but I was like, ‘Come on guys it’s Towson, I’ve got to play,'” Schmidt said.
“She’s tough as nails and she is certainly someone that never wants to be on the sideline and she struggled having to do that, but gosh she was such an amazing teammate coaching the other girls,” Dulaney coach Kristi Korrow said.
On the field, she was content feeding cutters or beating defenders.
“I love them both. If I’m scoring, it’s usually off of a 1-v-1 and if I’m setting people up, it’s because I see them in the middle and I lead them and they get there and get a good pass and get a goal,” she said.
With three freshmen in the starting lineup, she provided veteran leadership and helped lead the team to an 11-5 mark.
“She is one of those players that when she is on the field she makes everybody around her better,” Korrow said. “She gives everybody more confidence and she struggled to do that a little bit from the sideline, but she was such an amazing teammate, like really encouraging.”
One her most memorable games was a 14-13 victory over Catonsvillle in the regional semifinals after the Lions trailed by five goals in the second half.
“She took charge in that game,” Korrow said of Schmidt’s six-goal performance. “She just kind of put the team on her back. Everybody just kind of got a little nervous, but Heidi just kept her focus and put the team on her back and said, ‘You know, we’re not losing this game.'”
“That was like one of the most fun games I’ve ever played in high school other than the state games I’ve been to,” she said. “That game was so fun, just like, at one point I really thought like we were going to lose, like it was like the worst feeling ever, but that was when everyone was like, ‘No we are not losing this game. We’ve got to focus, we’ve got to lock in.’ And we did and that was a really, really fun game.”
Schmidt will continue her lacrosse career next season at Dickinson College.
Her prep basketball career may be over, but she made her senior year a memorable one despite having to shift from shooting guard to point guard at times.
“I got nervous playing point guard,” she said. “It’s not my favorite to play because I’m not as confident, but I think it helps me out in the long run for sure.”.
She didn’t get a break on the defensive side of the court.
“She was our defensive go-to, our defensive spark,” Dulaney coach Courtney Lewis-Orr said. “Some people can’t guard on the open court, but she can, like in a full-court press, just her by herself. You can tell her to face-guard someone and she will do it, lock her girl down and get it done.”
“It was fun, definitely stressful at times, but it also helped me out with my footwork in lacrosse,” Schmidt said. “It definitely was helpful.”
Offensively, she had one of her more memorable games on senior night when she scored 15 points.
“Senior night was really fun,” she said. “We were all really excited because the team we played against wasn’t the best team, but we all had a lot of fun that night.”
Her versatility on the court impressed her coach.
“Her speed was definitely a big plus,” Lewis-Orr said. “Her aggressiveness and her leadership on the court, she hustles, she gets rebounds, she makes good strong moves to the basket and good Euro steps to the basket. She does that really well.”
Schmidt was also a captain on the basketball team that finished 19-7.
“We knew when [center] Kiri (Faimanifo) transferred we had big shoes to fill along with our point guard not playing this year, like we knew it was going to be a tough year, but I think we all kind of knew since four of us were seniors we really wanted to make it far,” Schmidt said. “We knew we had to step up and really focus and I think we did a good job of that this year.”
Korrow was also happy to attend some of her basketball games and was impressed.
“She is the hardest working player on the court, up and down, like again, she is that ultimate team player, super competitive, hates to lose and really pushes everybody around her,” Korrow said. “It was cool to watch her on the court kind of taking on that different role and I think that helped her leadership skills, having to make adjustments and kind of having to take charge in a different way and I think that’s going to benefit her in the college game.”
Although she admitted she was emotional after her final game on the basketball court, the memories from her final season will be everlasting.
“This season was definitely a good one,” Schmidt said. “I think we had a lot of fun this year, compared to the other years,” she said. “I think the four seniors we just really had a lot of fun because we knew it was our last year and I think that made all the difference.”
“She will definitely be missed as our floor general next year,” Lewis-Orr said.
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]]>In the winter, that arm was showcased for the indoor track team, where she finished fourth at states and was a county and regional champion and set the school’s indoor record.
Her ability to shine in both sports helped her earn the 2025 Towson Times Female Co-Athlete of the Year award. She shares the honor with Dulaney senior Hannah Schmidt.
“She definitely has pure strength and talent,” track coach Emily Kachik said. “She’s probably one of the strongest kids, not just girls, like strongest kids I’ve ever seen. She just has so much power.”
That power was at its peak at the regional championship meet when she threw a school-record 37-feet, 6.25 inches to pass Stephanie Caples in the record books.
“I told myself I needed to break 35 [feet] because I was at the point in the season where I was already in the 30s, which was a plus from last year when I was at 28 and I wasn’t as consistent, so I was consistent with the 34 and 35, so I was like ‘I need to break 35 and I was getting a little frustrated,'” Dennis said. “I remember my coaches told me just give it your all, you are already qualified for states and do whatever you can and make this your best throw and I definitely did feel extra strong and I could see by the time I threw my hands up, the ball was still in the air, so I knew it had to be a good throw.”
What followed after the historic throw was even more special. Caples, who set the record (35-11) in 1991, came to visit from North Carolina to celebrate the achievement.
“It definitely was a surprise to me. I was shocked that she was so happy to come back and visit me,” Dennis said. “She brought the news, so I got a chance to be on the news, so that was a really big opportunity that I was so happy to have and I was just so appreciative that she was super supportive, she was so happy to pass the baton and it was a great experience.”
Although she didn’t compete for the outdoor track team, where Kachik admitted she would been a strong discus thrower, she did have an influence on her brother, Kelan Dennis.
In high jump, he was a Baltimore County and regional champion and placed fifth at states. He was also persuaded to throw shot put late in the season and qualified for states.
“I think one of the coaches just kind of threw him in there (shot put) and like me being the record holder definitely played a part in it, so I was able to help him with his technique and everything,” Dennis said. “I do think that I had a bit of an influence and he seemed like he was comfortable to go out and throw even though he had never done it before.”
Kelan Dennis was named Towson Times Co-Male Athlete of the Year along with Towson distance running standout Theo Brown.
Kimani Dennis has only thrown shot put for three years, but her storied softball career started at age 10. She has played softball in the summer for the LT Blazers since then and currently plays for the Blazers’ Red travel team.
Her career at Dulaney started as a freshman and she established herself immediately, helping the Lions reach the state championship game which they lost.
Current Dulaney coach Dave Barwick recalled that season and the Lions’ 7-2 postseason victory over Broadneck was one of his fondest memories of Dennis that season.
“She played an amazing game defensively, all-around game and that was two years ago,” he said. “That sticks out in my mind even though she has had much better games, but for a freshman to play in that situation and she did so well and we beat Broadneck down at Bachman to go to the state final two years ago.”
In Dulaney’s 21-2 victory over Hereford in a battle of unbeatens, Dennis hit a home run and had four RBIs and scored four runs. She also made two diving plays to each side that showcased her dynamic arm.
The arm is so strong Barwick is hesitant to have her throw to incoming freshman
“I’m almost afraid to have her throw the ball to them,” he admitted. “That’s how hard she throws.”
Offensively, Dennis led the 20-4 Lions in average (.516), on-base percentage (.667), home runs (six), RBIs (29), runs (33), doubles (nine), triples (tied with two) and walks (19).
Winning the school’s first Baltimore County championship since 2007 was her favorite highlight.
“The county championship against Eastern Tech, that was a really fun game,” Dennis said. “We had a lot of energy. We came out with just a whole bunch of energy, you could hear it through the dugout, we were really excited to play that game and have the opportunity to play for the county championship.”
Losing to Sherwood, 2-0, in the state semifinals, was one of her toughest moments.
“In the beginning, I knew we had the talent, we had everything, we had pitching, we had speed, we had hitting and we had lockdown defense, so I knew that we were going to go far,” she said. “I feel like we definitely could have played a better game against Sherwood in the semifinals, but even though we did not win, we still put up a good fight and lost by two, so I’m really excited for next year.”
Head coach Barwick is also looking forward to having his All-Metro and All-County third baseman back with several of her accomplished teammates.
“She is a pretty modest girl. There can’t be anybody nicer,” Barwick said. “She is very competitive, but she is all about the team. Through the years, she’s never really concerned about how many home runs she has, triples, RBIs, her batting average, she’s not concerned with that, she just plays the game and that’s important.”
“I feel like the season was really fun,” Dennis said. “Everybody was comfortable, we all had chemistry because we all knew each other.”
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]]>His excellence in both sports helped Dennis become the 2025 Towson Times Male Co-Athlete of the Year. He shares the award with Towson’s Theo Brown.
Current varsity coach James Dickey was the JV coach when Dennis came to the school as a freshman.
“To see his maturation process from a kid on JV to what he turned into in his senior year has just been amazing to watch,” Dickey said. “His game has really grown and developed. That’s a tribute to his work ethic. He wanted to be better and he was a gym rat. Every chance he got he would be in the gym or outside working on his mid-range just trying to get better.”
Dennis knew he had work to do to play on the varsity level.
“I remember first time walking into basketball tryouts being a little timid,” he recalled. “I wasn’t really able to dribble, I wasn’t really as athletic, but I chose all the work throughout the summer trying to get a handle, being out there for hours, sometimes like days and weeks in a row with my brothers, that really helped with the transition. My two older brothers always pushed me to be better.”
Dennis also has a younger athletic sister, Kimani, who played softball and threw shot put for the indoor track team and was named Towson Times Female Co-Athlete of the Year along with Dulaney’s Heidi Schmidt.
Dennis led the Lions with 20.4 points a game and he averaged 3.4 rebounds, but even when he wasn’t scoring in stretches he found ways to turn things around quickly.
In a 69-38 victory over Perry Hall, Dennis was scoreless in the first half and the Lions only led by three. He scored 17 in the second half and had two momentum-building dunks to propel the Lions.
“You got to play through it,” he said. “As a leader on the team, if you’re down and your slacking, everybody else is going to feel like it’s fine and that’s how you get losses that you don’t need.”
Dickey had advice for him and he responded.
“I told him, ‘Don’t press, just allow the game to come to you. If you can’t get to the hole, work on your mid-range. If your mid-range isn’t on, get to the free throw line, those kind of things get you going, seeing the ball go through the basket and then your confidence is on,'” he said.
His confidence was way high in a game against Century when he beat a double-team with a step-back 3-pointer to send the game into overtime and they eventually won.
“We drew up a play, but we just had to improvise because they are a good team and they read it,” Dennis said.
One of his favorite memories was an early-season win over Towson and it wasn’t because of the 31 points he scored.
“I could feel the floor shaking, so it was just like that environment where it is so ecstatic and tensions are high and you have to go to war with your brothers and that’s my type of game,” he said.
In addition to his strong work ethic, he upgraded his training.
“I definitely had to bench a lot more and I had to work with conditioning, but also plyometrics, that’s what really put my game to another level,” Dennis said.
“He was a very impactful player,” Dickey said.
His dunks often inspired the fans and his teammates.
“I would say it’s kind of natural, don’t get me wrong, I could always dunk, but there was times when I had to like practice it to become a lot more consistent,” he said.
Dennis will continue his basketball career at Howard Community College.
As a junior, his outdoor track season was cut short because of a broken ankle. This year, he jumped his PR of 6-feet-4 inches at a regular-season meet at Hereford on April 1st.
Which did he like better — dunking or jumping 6-4?
“Give me a 6-4 high jump,” said Dennis, who narrowly cleared 6-8 at one practice. At the Hereford meet it was a teammate who propelled him to his PR.
“Competing against my guy Jesse (Dulaney teammate Faulkner), I think we were pushing each other because we were both tired at like 6-feet after running and stuff, so just that competition between two teammates just pushed us to keep going.”
“After he jumped 6-4, he was like. ‘I’m going to break the school record,’ which he didn’t get a chance to do,” coach Emily Kachik said.
Dennis also competed in shot put, long jump, 100 meters, 4×100 relay and 4×200 relay.
Kachik knew she had a talented athlete on the outdoor track team after coaching his sister indoors where she broke the school record and won county and regional titles in shot put — so later in the season she gave Kelan a chance to throw the shot put.
“It’s crazy because we were just talking about it and coach was like you never did your skills testing for shot put and I’m not going to lie, like I was like dodging it all season because I didn’t want to do it, but then she brought me to the pit and then it just started going well,” said Kelan, who finished third in regionals with a PR of 43-feet, 11 inches and qualified for states where he finished 16th.
Kachik appreciated coaching both of the siblings and only wished she had them for more than one track season.
“They have their small reactions and their emotional moments what they consider a lack of success or a moment where they could have succeeded a little bit more, but then both of them have lots of mental strength, like ‘OK now I’m going to jump higher, now I’m going to throw further, so they are pretty incredible,’ ” Kachik said.
He got shot put tips from his younger sister on his kick step and technique and made the transition late in the season.
“They included me in something just a couple weeks before [postseason] and our our coach was with me every day just trying to perfect technique just so we could get there, so it [making states] definitely does mean a lot,” he said. “Last season, I couldn’t really compete and I came back and my condition was a lot better.”
Track may still be on the horizon, but he definitely will be playing basketball at Howard Community College with fond memories of his high school career.
“You always want to win a state championship, but at the same time in my head It was like high school ball is temporary, but at the same time you have so many memories that can also carry you on and it just like puts in the work for college.”
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]]>“In 7th grade our Boy Scout troop did like this 40-mile hike in one day and some people run it, so for the last 10 miles I ran it with people that were going to win and also some Midshipmen from the Naval Academy and that really inspired me to start running a bit,” Brown said. “That coincided with COVID. I would go out and do the same three to four mile loop every day. It was terrible training in terms of getting fit, but it was a lot of fun so that’s how I started running.”
Brown, who shares the Athlete of the Year honors with Dulaney’s Kelan Dennis, turned his running into winning with his General teammates and as an individual.
He was on the 2023 state championship cross country team when he finished 28th in 17:11.23 in the race won by teammate Kieran Mischke.
In Brown’s final season, he ran a personal record 16:09.4 at states and finished fourth on the Hereford High course. He helped lead the fall harriers to Baltimore County and regional titles with individual first-place finishes.
The over-a-minute decrease in time at Hereford in states from junior to senior year may be attributed to his final race in outdoor track at the state championships.
“He was in seventh place in the [3,200] going into the last two laps and he ended up finishing fourth and he really closed hard and I told him at that time that I thought that was his breakthrough race and it really was because at that point he just took off and he just got better over the summer and had a fantastic cross country season, county champion, regional champion, fourth at the states.”
Brown remembered that 3,200 race fondly.
“I think that was the first time where I think I gave it everything I had and that was the first time where I found my final gear,” he said.
The senior had all the gears revved up during the indoor track season when he finished first in the 1,600 in the Baltimore County championship meet and won the county, regional and state championships in the 3,200 (9:44.15).
He victory at states in the 3,200 was 28 seconds faster than his time as a junior and he was the first Towson runner to win a state title in that event since Jeff Smith in 1973.
“The 3,200 was definitely a goal,” Brown said. “I think after cross country I kind of had my sights set on the 3,200 at the championship meets, but that mile at counties indoor, that just came about from me pushing myself kind of thing.”
When Brown reflected on his favorite races from his career, one of them involved teammates Hunter Parsons, John Fields and Evan Cline after winning the 4×800 relay at the 2025 Pikesville Track Classic.
“Our 4×800 ran and we did pretty solid, like we ran like 7:56, but I think that was the relay that I’m most proud of,” he said.
His favorite individual memory came in the Montgomery Invitational indoors when he won the 3,200 in 9:32.39.
“I was racing Kieran White (third) and Eric Kantala (second) and they really pushed me and we went out pretty slow, but we closed a lot faster and that was another race where I really pushed myself to my limits and that kind of set a good marker for the rest of the season,” Brown said.
It was a sizable difference from the diminutive Brown, who was on the JV as a freshman.
“You wouldn’t have known it’s him,” said Stange, referring to a photo from freshman year. “He just got big and tall and strong and just got better and better and better. Theo just kind of grew along the way and got stronger along the way. I think part of it too was just how much he enjoyed running and that made it easier for him to do the work and build the aerobic base that enabled him to do the things that he was able to do this season and last year too.”
“I was like pretty late to kind of develop, so by like sophomore, junior year I really started to grow and that’s when I started to see the most improvement and I did a bit of weight training as well,” said the 5-feet-11, 150-pounder.
He also developed because of upperclass runners like Mischke, Ryan Waller and Jack Mansfield.
“These guys kind of raised me and it was awesome being in their presence,” Brown said.
“Not only were they great runners, but they were also just great people. They are very kind, generous and forgiving, so I appreciated their leadership and their mentorship.”
In addition to athletics, he excelled academically and was awarded the Mildred Murray All-Academic Athletic Award and Scholarship.
He will attend the University of Penn in the fall and study Bio-Engineering while running for the club team.
“It kind of started when I watched Ironman from the Marvel movie and I saw like the suits and that kind of got me started thinking about like the robotic stuff and than I kind of got more interested in the Bio-aspect actually through running,” he said. “It’s kind of what I wrote some of my essays about like thinking about how and why we move and thinking prosthetics that function with the human body as opposed to against it.”
He was certainly Towson’s iron running man and will remembered for his accomplishments for years to come.
“He’s done things that I’ve never seen,” said Stange, who has been coaching for 34 years. “This is a kid that was really the whole package.”
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]]>
Dulaney, which lost in the Class 3A state semifinals to Sherwood, 2-0, had four players named All-County in Division I. Perry Hall, who lost to Eleanor Roosevelt, 12-11, in the Class 4A state quarterfinals, had three on the Division I team.
In Division II, Hereford, who fell to Damascus, 11-0, in the Class 2A state quarterfinals, had two on the Division II team. Loch Raven led Division III with six players on the squad.
Division I
Madison Carl, Perry Hall
Savannah Carl, Perry Hall
Kimani Dennis, Dulaney
Addison Dunlap, Perry Hall
Shawna Dyer, Eastern Tech
Beatrice Gamble, Towson
Lila Gordon, Dulaney
Gracie Himmelman, Eastern Tech
Mia McGarvey, Carver A&T
Molly Mohr, Towson
Amy Montgomery-Snoke, Catonsville
Morisa Muffoletto, Sparrows Point
Madison Schupple, Dulaney
Chloe Renaldo, Dulaney
Kylie Tran, Catonsville
Division II
Bailey Allen, Western Tech
Amani Bartee, Parkville
Nicole Camacho, Western Tech
Lauren Clement, Hereford
Mia Cleveland, Franklin
Scarlett Cornwell, Franklin
Kenisha Gelpi, Dundalk
Morgan Hall, Hereford
Kayla Hill, Kenwood
Jayda Hurt, Landsdowne
Zoe Oats, Landsdowne
Julianna Thomas, Western Tech
Maddie Young, Landsdowne
Alexa Welsh, Patapsco
Makayla Woods, Dundalk
DIVISION III
Tamaurii Becoat, Overlea
Hailey Bohrer, Pikesville
Emma Booth, Loch Raven
Madison Bull, Loch Raven
Marshay Campbell, Loch Raven
Destiny Distance, Loch Raven
Morgan Edmond, Loch Raven
Hailee Fields, Milford Mill
Yaya Franklin, Owings Mills
Abigail Gillespie, Loch Raven
Autumn Haislett, Chesapeake
London Matthews, Chesapeake
Lily Mondell, Pikesville
Yazmin Williams, Chesapeake
Khloe Wallace, Owings Mills
Rayne Scott, Overlea
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]]>The Lions had five players honored on the first team, while Towson and Hereford had three each and Catonsville had one.
Towson, which lost in the Class 3A state championship game to Severna Park, combined to have the most players (eight) selected on the first and second teams.
All-County first team
Attack
June Barber, Towson, junior
Reese Pinnell, Perry Hall, junior
Kate Roberson, Catonsville, junior
Heidi Schmidt, Dulaney, senior
Midfield
Sarah Crowley, Dulaney, junior
Finlay Harmon, Towson, senior
Lulu Shive, Hereford, sophomore
Max Yeakel, Dulaney, senior
Defense
Tessa Hollander, Hereford, junior
Makaya Kurcoba, Perry Hall, junior
Hannah Mazhari, Towson, junior
Becca Melito, Dulaney, senior
Goalie
Grace Berquist, Hereford, junior
Torunn Spencer, Dulaney, sophomore
All-County second team
Attack
Mya Abt, Perry Hall, junior
Leila Franklin, Towson, junior
Lily Franklin, Towson, junior
Taylor Handler, Catonsville, freshman
Allie Marzullo, Hereford, junior
Midfield
Maggie Kubofcik, Catonsville, senior
Leile Mazhari, Towson, senior
Maddy Rudolph, Perry Hall, junior
Madden SySantos, Towson, sophomore
Defense
Mia Edwards, Dulaney, junior
Riley Hall, Hereford, senior
Elin Melendick, Catonsville, freshman
Reese Updike, Perry Hall, junior
Goalie
Emily Bowers, Dulaney, junior
Katie Gobell, Hereford, sophomore
Honorable mention
Midfield
Sophie Blevins, Perry Hall, junior
Brooks Day, Perry Hall, junior
Kwynn Gough, Perry Hall, sophomore
Caitlin Keppler, Dulaney, junior
Kaitlyn Welsh, Catonsville, sophomore
Defense
Alayna Byrnes, Perry Hall, junior
Belen Ras Moren, Perry Hall, junior
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]]>Towson, a state finalist for the second straight year, led the first team selections with seven players with Hereford (five), Dulaney (four), Catonsville (three) and Franklin (two) also represented.
Catonsville topped the second team with eight selections, followed by Hereford (four), Dulaney (three), Towson (two) and Franklin (two).
All-County first team
Attack
Hudson Arrup, Towson, junior
Constantine Bellios, Dulaney, sophomore
Brady Manakil, Hereford, senior
Alex Tyler, Towson, senior
Midfield
Ben Hipszer, Catonsville, junior
Max Kosmides, Towson, junior
Emerson Manser, Franklin, senior
Ian Smith, Hereford, sophomore
Defense
Sam Azbill, Catonsville, senior
Nolan Davis, Dulaney, senior
Zach Mangiafico, Towson, junior
Jack Nowlan, Towson, senior
Graydon Young, Hereford, senior
Short stick defensive midfield
D’Lani Grayson, Dulaney, senior
Will Heacock, Towson, junior
Faceoff specialist
Cam Lewis, Catonsville, junior
Braden Luria, Franklin, senior
Long stick midfield
Zach Baker, Hereford, junior
Max Cooper, Dulaney, junior
Goalie
Luke Barnett, Hereford, senior
Jackson Harris, Towson, senior
All-County second team
Attack
Ryan Dannenfelser, Dulaney, senior
JP Dement, Catonsville, senior
Brody Donovan, Towson, junior
Ryan Ho, Franklin, senior
Griffin Walter, Hereford, junior
Midfield
Colin Fox, Catonsville, senior
Jacob Murray, Dulaney, senior
Lucas Rivera, Catonsville, senior
Defense
Grayson Kirby, Catonsville, senior
Henrik Moen, Catonsville, junior
Ryan Nash, Hereford, senior
Short stick defensive midfield
Ethan Costa, Hereford, sophomore
Tanner Hutchins, Franklin, junior
Katahdin McClure, Hereford, sophomore
Colin Murray, Catonsville, junior
Long stick midfield
Colin Kosmides, Towson, junior
Will Turner, Catonsville, senior
Goalie
Jake Carlson, Dulaney, junior
Rory Gibbons, Catonsville, senior
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]]>The Towson Times reviewed several of those standout performances from teams and individuals during the past school year.
An autumn to remember
Of the three seasons, the fall was the most productive for elite teams.
The Towson girls soccer team won Baltimore County and regional championships and went all the way to the state title game where they lost to Severna Park.
Before they got to the regional playoffs, the Generals won the Baltimore County championship in double overtime, 1-0 over Sparrows Point, on a goal by Katherine Lohse. The sophomore drilled a left-footed shot three minutes into the second 10-minute overtime that deflected off a defender and into the net.
The Generals were led by senior All-Metro first team defender Koto Davis, who was the anchor of the defense for the 15-2 squad that produced 12 shutouts. Davis scored 10 goals and had nine assists and had the uncanny ability of turning defense into instant offense.
“She is the best player in the county; it’s not close,” Hereford coach Brad Duvall said. “She was the reason they won, she’s everything. She’s been for three years prior and she’s been like that for a long time. We knew about it, but there is not much you can do about it.”
Dulaney volleyball coach Cary Lyon knew he had something special on his hands when wins kept piling up until they won 18 straight matches, including county and regional championship games.
“I don’t know that we have any superstars. I’ve got five or six outsides. I guess my team is smart, knows how to play defense and serve,” he said.
Cami Reed, Ellie Leone, Devin DeGannes and Brook Adams led the attack and Diana Easton and Serafina Reckhamp shared the setting, while the defense was anchored by libero Eileen Lee.
The 18-1 season ended with a loss to Thomas Wootton in the state quarterfinals.
The Towson field hockey team captured the Baltimore County championship with a 2-1 victory over Hereford.
After falling behind by a goal early, Towson’s Kate Wahler scored twice in the second half. Wahler, a captain and one of 17 Towson seniors, scored the tying goal just under two minutes into the second half when she intercepted an attempted clear and notched the unassisted tally.
“It was a really good late pass to open space and that put us in a position without any defenders and I had a good breakaway and was able to pull it around the goalie and score,” Wahler said.
The game-winning score came on a penalty shot by Wahler with 10:25 left in regulation.
The Towson boys cross country team had an outstanding postseason, winning the Baltimore County and 3A North region titles, while placing second in the Class 3A state cross country championships.
Senior Theo Brown was the top runner for the Generals, winning counties and regionals individually, and finishing fourth in states.
The Towson girls cross country team also had a banner season, winning counties and regionals. Alexandra Lohse placed second in regionals for the Generals.
The Dulaney boys got an outstanding season from junior Oliver Katz, who was second in the county and region and third at the state meet.
Winter winners
It wasn’t a championship game, but in mid-December the Loch Raven boys basketball team proved its worth in a 62-39 victory at Catonsville. The Raiders scored 23 straight points and forced 18 turnovers in the first half. Loch Raven was led by Earl Jordan (15 points), Dwayne Williams (14) and Brandon Vaughn (11).
The highlight game of the winter was Towson girls basketball’s 54-49 victory at Milford Mill that ended the Millers’ 11-game winning streak.
Milford Mill led 18-4 before Towson responded with a 23-2 run. The Millers rallied in the second half and cut the lead to 48-47 with 2:39 left in the fourth quarter, but Sophie Pleszkoch made two free throws and added a basket to push the lead to five.
Pleszkoch, who scored a game-high 22 points, had confidence when she was at the line late.
“I wasn’t that nervous because I can rely on my teammates,” she said. “Obviously there was some nerves, but I knew it would be OK. Even if I missed they would still have my back.”
Towson’s season ended in a 43-36 loss to Dulaney in the regional semifinals, but Dulaney was eliminated by Milford Mill in the regional final.
Although the Dulaney boys basketball team lost to Towson in the first round of the regional tournament, the Lions did have a banner win in early February when they improved to 14-4 with a 69-38 victory over Perry Hall.
The Lions led by three points at halftime, but went on a 21-2 run in the second half to pull away for the win. Drew Ranck and Kelan Dennis had 17 points each and Ranck had a game-high 11 rebounds.
Dennis, who had a pair of dunks, had 12 points and a blocked shot and Ranck had two blocked shots in the third quarter when the Lions ramped up their defense and forced six Gator turnovers.
The indoor track season was highlighted by Theo Brown and the Towson boys. After winning the 3,200 at counties and regionals, Brown topped off the season by capturing the state championship.
The Generals won the county and regional titles and Brown won gold in the 1,600 and 3,200 at counties.
Although it didn’t happen on the track, basketball court or wrestling mat, Loch Raven High celebrated the induction of 10 new members into the school’s Hall of Fame.
This year’s 2024 class included; athletes Christina Bhanos, ’93 (volleyball, basketball, lacrosse), Melissa Compton-Pasko ’91 (field hockey, basketball, lacrosse), Tara Vinje Kahnert ’89 (volleyball, basketball, lacrosse), Sammy Knapp ’13 (soccer, indoor track, basketball, lacrosse). RJ Meyer (posthumuously) ’94 (football, wrestling, baseball), Jim Railey ’83 (football, basketball, lacrosse), Shannon Towner ’95 (volleyball, basketball, softball), Suzy Waire ’92; (soccer, basketball, lacrosse); coach David Kreller (cross country, basketball, track) and service award Chip Shugrue ’75.
Spring sprouts multiple championships
For the second year in a row, the Towson boys lacrosse team reached the Class 3A state championship game — and for the second straight year they lost to Severna Park.
This year’s Towson squad won the Baltimore County title, but it’s quest for another regional title was nearly sidetracked by Catonsville in the regional final.
Towson trailed by a goal with 20 seconds left when Hudson Arrup turned a pass from Alex Tyler into a game-tying behind the back goal with seven seconds left. Arrup scored the game winner in overtime to lift the Generals to a 6-5 victory.
“I’m shocked we are still playing. I really thought our season was over,” Arrup said after the game.
Stellar defense in the state semifinals led to an 8-3 triumph over Marriott’s Ridge.
Catonsville was also victim of a late goal loss against the Dulaney boys lacrosse late in the regular season.
Dulaney junior long-pole defender Max Cooper intercepted a pass and raced the length of the field to score the game-winning goal with 18.9 seconds left and give the visiting Lions a 10-9 victory.
“I don’t really remember it,” he said. “I kind of blacked out a little bit at the end there, but I end up on the ground and the ball is in the net.”
Like the boys, the Towson girls lacrosse team reached the state championship game, where they were also eliminated by Severna Park, 10-6, in the final. The Generals finished 14-3 and won county and regional titles.
One of the Generals’ highlight wins was a 13-7 victory over Hereford after leading by a goal at halftime.
The Generals got balanced scoring, with June Barber (four goals), Leila Franklin (three goals, one assist), Finlay Harmon (three goals), Leila Mazhari (two goals, two assists) and Allie Kennedy (one goal, two assists) leading the way.
Madden SySantos won 18 of 25 draws overall, including the final eight in the second half.
The Dulaney softball team saved its best for last as pitcher Madison Schupple pitched four straight shutouts in the postseason. Her first gem came in a 10-0 victory over Eastern Tech in the Baltimore County championship.
Her most impressive was a 5-inning perfect game in a 13-0 victory over Catonsville in the regional final. All seven of Schupple’s strikeouts came in the first four innings, including three straight in the top of the first.
Schupple’s best weapon that day was a rise ball that continued baffled Catonsville’s hitters.
“We just can’t lay off of it,” Catonsville coach Ry Harvey said. “She was just on it today. She was impressive.”
Chloe Renaldo, Kimani Dennis, Avery Remeto and Schupple had two hits each for the Lions.
After blanking Marriott’s Ridge in the state quarterfinals, the Lions were eliminated by Sherwood in the state final, 2-0. Lila Gordon had a double and two hits and Schupple struck out 10 and allowed one unearned run in the loss.
“Madison pitched great, to keep a team like that to two runs you are doing something,” Dulaney coach Dave Barwick said.
Have a news tip? Contact Craig Clary at cclary@baltsun.com and x.com/ClaryCraig
]]>Towson’s boys had the highest finish at the state championship meet held at Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex on May 22 through 24, finishing 11th in the Class 3A standings with 24 points.
Hunter Parsons placed third in the 800 meters (1:56.53) and Theo Brown was third in the 3,200 (9:35.68) to lead individual finishes. Parsons improved from 17th in 2024 and Brown moved up a spot from last year’s states. The 4×800 relay quartet of John Fields, Brown, Evan Cline and Parsons was third in a time of 7:58.25. That same group won the 3A North Regional.
Cole Weihs joined Fields, Parsons and Bronte Morton on the eighth-place 4×400 relay. Morton, a junior, also placed fourth in the 100 (10.82). Morton qualified for states by taking second in the 100 at the region meet where the Generals placed third with 92 points. He also qualified by taking second in the 200 (22.29).
Parsons (1,600) and Brown (3,200) each won their events at regionals.
Other qualifying performances at regionals came from Weihs (third in 400), Parsons (fourth in 400), Fields (second in 800) and Cline (fourth in 1,600).
At the Baltimore County championship meet held at Woodlawn, Overlea took the boys title with 88.5 points, beating out second-place Towson (65).
The 4×800 relay squad consisting of Weihs, Fields, Parsons and Cline were the only champions. They posted a time of 8:11.54. Weihs, Fields, Parsons and Morton were on the second-place 4×400 relay team.
Individually, Morton (100), Parsons (800) and Brown (3200) earned runner-up finishes and Fields (800, third) and Morton (200, fourth) had strong efforts.
At the 3A state meet, Dulaney’s boys was 20th with 12.5 points. Leading the scoring for the Lions were Kelan Dennis, who tied for fifth in high jump (6 feet, 2 inches). Jai Nettles was sixth in the 110-hurdles (14.92), Jeremiah Dailey was sixth in discus (143-5) and Oliver Katz was eighth in the 1,600 (4:27.87).
The Dulaney boys were fourth at the 3A North regionals with 87 points.
Dailey won discus (148-9) and was second in shot put (45 feet), while Dennis won high jump (6-1) and was third in shot put (43-11). Nettles was second in the 110 hurdles (15:07) and third in the 300 hurdles (41:52).
Katz set a personal record in taking second in the 1,600 (4:25.37). He also finished second in the 3,200 (9.33) and won the event at the Baltimore County meet, where he was also fourth in the 1,600.
Dennis won the high jump (6-2), while Dailey was second in discus (139-6) and third in shot put (46-1.5).
The Loch Raven boys didn’t score at the Class 1A state meet, but they did place seventh in the South Region meet with 47 points.
Sophomore Henry Kowai won the pole vault (12-feet), following his gold-medal effort in the event at the county meet when he scored the Raiders’ only 10 points with a jump of 11-6.
John Wohlgemuth was second in the 3,200 at regionals and qualified for states with a time of a shade over 11 minutes. Juaquim Lunn was third in discus (118-8) and Jaamal Reynolds was fifth in the 110 hurdles (16:36). Both qualified for the state meet.
Dulaney, Towson girls solid in postseason
The Dulaney girls highlighted the postseason by finishing second in the Class 3A North Region championships. At states, the Lions got 16 of their 17 points from Devin DeGannes and placed 16th.
DeGannes provided the excitement for the Lions as the senior placed second in the high jump (5-2) and long jump (17-5). Ameerah Taylor added the other point by taking eighth in the high jump with a person-record leap of 5 feet.
After placing a disappointing eighth at counties, the Lions bounced back and scored 115 points at regionals and only trailed champion Westminster (130.5).
DeGannes won high jump and long jump and was second in triple jump (34-8.75). Taylor was third in high jump.
Amara Cobb was third in discus (87-8) and third in shot put (31-4) and Lucy Smithberger placed third in the 400 (59.88).
The 4×400 relay team of Smithberger, Mia Christopher, Kaita Hill and Keegan Clarke was second (4:10.81) and the 4×800 team of Catherine Campbell, Christopher, Nicole Lin and Clarke was second (10:15.63).
The top showing from the Loch Raven girls came from senior Luiza Depkin in the Class 1A South Region meet. She won the pole vault (6-6) and qualified for states.
Towson’s girls also had a solid postseason highlighted by taking third behind Woodlawn (128) and Hereford (109) with 56 points at the Baltimore County championships.
Senior Cecilia Van Lierop had her magic moment in the 800, winning the event in 2:22.55. She was also on the first-place 4×800 relay team (9:52.68) with her younger sister, sophomore Catherine Van Lierop, Phoebe Miller and Alexandra Lohse.
Lohse was also third in the 3,200 (11:22.21) and third in the 800 (2:24.48). Her younger sister, Katherine, was second in the 1,600 (5:13.26).
Towson’s 4×100 relay team of Tatiyana Chase, Deborah Ojeme, Davina Oyefusi and Ava Coffee was second (50.24) and the 4×400 quartet of Coffee. Alexandra Lohse, Cecelia Van Lierop and Oyefusi was third (4:07.35).
At regionals, the Generals were fifth with 75 points. The 4×400 relay team of Alexandra Lohse, Coffee, Catherine Van Lierop and Oyefusi was first (4:07.67). They qualified for states where they finished sixth (4:01.97).
The 4×800 relay team of Katherine Lohse, Catherine Van Lierop, Cecilia Van Lierop and Alexandra Lohse was first (9:47.87) at regionals and the same quartet was fifth at the state meet (9:36.07).
Top regional individual performances came from Alezandra Lohse (1,600, second and 800, fourth), Cecelia Van Lierop (800, third) and Lilyann Richard (3,200, third).
Towson scored eight points at the state championship and were 23rd in Class 3A. Cecilia Van Lierop was eighth in the 800 (2:19.08).
Have a news tip? Contact Craig Clary at cclary@baltsun.com and x.com/ClaryCraig.
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