On your mark, get set, go!
For those involved or interested in the springtime’s high school outdoor track-and-field seasons throughout the metro area, the campaign is about to explode with many big events in coming days and weeks.
Once spring breaks conclude for the various school systems, track-and-field schedules annually become significantly crammed full of multiple meets throughout the areas until schools close for the summer.
The outdoor season consists of many more meets and participants than the winter’s indoor season. Plus, there are additional events in outdoor meets, one being the discus throw for girls and boys.
The length of some of the races are different during the outdoor season. There are 100, 200, 400 and 800-meter races instead of the 55, 300, 500 and 1,000. There also are more hurdle and relay races during the outdoor campaign.
“There is a lot more to the outdoor season for all of the athletes,” said Jim Connor. He has been the head coach of the indoor and outdoor girls and boys teams at Arlington private school Bishop O’Connell for a number of years.
One of the biggest upcoming outdoor meets will be hosted by O’Connell on Saturday, March 28. The four-school Arlington County meet will be held there, beginning at 9 a.m. The winner will earn neighborhood bragging rights.
The Yorktown Patriots girls team and the Wakefield Warriors boys won the county meets during the indoor season.
“The athletes always look forward to the county meets,” Yorktown coach Emily Stewart said.
The county meet is one of the biggest hosted by an Arlington school during the outdoor season. It has been held for decades.
Following the county meet, some of the O’Connell athletes will later participate in the Carolyn Legard Relays held the same day at Woodson High School in Fairfax. This will be the 29th year for the relays.
On Tuesday, April 14, O’Connell will host the O’Connell April Classic.
Maybe the oldest outdoor high-school meet in the extended metro area is the 82nd Handley Invitational at John Handley High School in Winchester. It will take place Saturday, April 11.
The meet draws teams from many jurisdictions.
Another longstanding meet in Northern Virginia is the 43rd Draper Invitational at St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes private school in Alexandria. It will be held this year on Wednesday, May 1.
The 20th Quince Orchard Cougar Relays at Quince Orchard High School in Maryland also is Saturday, March 28.
Other upcoming meets are the Fairfax Home School event at Westfield High on Saturday, March 28; the Wolverine Classic at Woodgrove High in Purcelville on Friday, April 10; on Saturday, April 11 are the Wildcat Invitational at Centreville High in Clifton, the Ramtastic Invitational at Robinson Secondary School and the Colonial Forge Showcase at Colonial Forge High in Stafford; the Northern Virginia Invitational at South Lakes High is Friday, April 17; the Twilight Classic at Dominion High in Sterling is Friday May 1 as is the Gar-Field Twilight Invitational at Gar-Field High in Dumfries; and the long-running Penn Relays will be held April 23-25 at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.
Participants from hundreds of high-school teams throughout the metro area annually send athletes to compete in the Penn Relays.
In May and June, the many public and private school meets are held at various locations, including state championship competitions. The athletes and teams use the meets in March, April and May to prepare for the postseason.
Milestat.com provides a complete list of all high-school meets throughout the metro area, both regular season and postseason.
