Tag Archives: track and field

Indoor Track team sets new records

by Coach Smith

This year’s Patterson Indoor Track and Field team has been marked by records and milestones.

The boys’ team has set several school records. The 4 x 800 relay team of Joel Lukoo, Zawadi Dungi, Rancel Corporan Lagombra, and Vema Maneno set a school record. The 4 x 400 relay team of Zawadi Dungi, Joel Lukoo, Rancel Corporan Lagombra, and Marshall Mallory also set a school record and are 5 seconds away from making it to the high school indoor track national championships. Joel Lukoo set a school record in the 500 meters. Vema Maneno set a school record in the mile and a half mile and is 5 seconds away from making it to the high school indoor track national championships.

The girls’ team is very close to its first ever trophy for being in the top 3 teams in Baltimore City. They have the best distance runners in the city. Najah White AKA “Little Nae” and Nathalia Espino are the best 2 milers and milers in Baltimore City. Nyagarare Kuiy, Libni Colocho, and Annaelle Letono round out a very strong distance contingent. The relays are very strong. The 4 x 200 relay team of Dereon Taylor, Dayvia Weaver, Kamayah Daniels, and Indira Solomon is rapidly improving. The 4 x 800 relay team of Najah White, Nyagarare Kuiy, Dayvia Weaver, and Nathalia Espino are on the cusp of winning a medal in Baltimore City Championships. Mark January 22nd on your calendar for Baltimore City Indoor Track and Field Championships at the 5th Regiment Armory. It will be a historic occasion.

(Photos: Coach Smith)

Track and field team has another record-breaking year

by Coach Smith

The Patterson track and field team had another record-breaking season this school year.

“I feel like the team is on track to take over the city in the next few years and is changing the way people are going to look at Patterson.”, said team member David Wagner.

The foundation of the team’s march to success is discipline and hard work.

Martin Bakondjo has broken every freshman school distance record that we have.  Joel Lukoo is the cornerstone of all of our relays. Quintine Nterere has broken the school’s 800 meter record. Najah White won a gold medal in the Baltimore City Track and Field Championships in the 2 mile. Nathalia Espino broke the school’s freshman record in the 800 meters.

Najah White has given special shout-outs to the boys’ track team for dramatic improvement from the indoor to the outdoor track season. Marshall Mallory also gave a special shout out to sophomore distance sensation Vema Maneno. He has broken the school’s sophomore records in the mile and 2 mile and broke the school record in the half mile.

Marshall Mallory captured the essence of the team’s success when she said, “Our team is mostly filled with very young athletes [overwhelmingly freshmen and sophomores that have to compete against juniors and seniors because there is no junior varsity within track and field] compared to the people that we’re competing against and we’re getting closer and closer to these schools’ times. In almost one to two years, if we keep doing how we are doing, Patterson track and field will be on top.”

This march to the top started in the classroom.  Consider that seven of our student-athletes have a 4.0 GPA or better: Martin Bakondjo (4.2), Marshall Mallory (4.2), Libni Colocho (4.0), Joel Lukoo (4.0), Quintine Nterere (4.0), Indira Solomon (4.0), and Dayana Cruz-Banegas (4.0).

The star of the future for Patterson Track and Field is Da’Shawn “Day Day” Stackhouse. He has broken the school’s freshman records in the 400 and 800 meters. Additionally, he is Baltimore City’s fastest freshman in the 400 meters.  He is less than a second away from qualifying for nationals. In the years to come, Patterson Track and Field will take over the city and as stated before, our march to success starts in the classroom.            .
                                                    

Clippers track and field team makes history at City Championships

(Photo by Kylayah Davis/Patterson Press)

By Coach Smith

The Patterson track and field team made history at the Baltimore City Indoor Track and Field Championships on Thursday, January 25 at the Prince George’s County Sportsplex. Najah White AKA “Little Nae” won 2 gold medals. She won a gold medal in the mile and rebroke the school record. Then, an hour later, she won a gold medal in the 2 mile.

Additionally, many of our other runners also broke school records. The girls 4 x 400 meter relay team of Ahmawanyah Lewis, Najah White, Dayvia Weaver, and Quintine Nterere broke the school record. Additionally, Rancel Corporan Lagombra broke the school record in the 500 meters. The boys 4 x 800 meter relay team of Joel Lukoo, Vema Maneno, Aaden Hopkins, and Rancel Corporan Lagombra broke the school record. And the boys 4 x 400 meter relay team of Aaden Hopkins, Joel Lukoo, Marshall Mallory, and Rancel Corporan Lagombra broke the school record.

Our track and field team is comprised mostly of freshmen and sophomores. In the next year or two, Patterson track and field will take over the city of Baltimore.