The Allderdice Dragons continued their dominance of the City League track and field championships as the boys won for the 15th consecutive year and the girls won for the 12th time in the past 13 seasons.
The Dragons won decisively as the boys notched 198 points, with Obama Academy finished in second with 131. The girls racked up 250 points with Obama Academy tallying 76 in second place.
The success didn’t happen overnight. According to longtime boys coach Ed Flynn, the foundation was built months earlier during cross country season, where athletes bought into not only the program’s goals but each other.
“We travel a lot,” Flynn said. “Every weekend we go to invitationals. The kids are on the bus together. Meets can last eight, nine, maybe 10 hours. We have a team tent, and when you’re not competing, you’re supporting teammates. That brings everybody close together.”
Flynn, now in his 46th season coaching, said that camaraderie is essential in a sport like track and field.
“I take them on a weeklong trip to Deep Creek, Md., every August,” Flynn said. “We rent a house. We take around 28 kids, 14 boys, 14 girls, do two-a-day workouts, splash around in the lake, travel around all the sites down there, and the kids really enjoy it. We’re going on a trip to Manhattan for the Manhattan (University Cross Country Invitational). And again, it’s about building a family of athletes who are working together.”
One of those athletes in the Allderdice family is Dav’Veion Lee, who stole the show in hurdles winning the 100 (15.95) and the 300 (41.51). Kayden Juwala finished third in the 300 hurdles (42.87).
Flynn said he was impressed with how hard Lee worked.
Lee said being mentally prepared was his key to success and his teammates helped play a role as they always cheered him on.
“It’s very important because sometimes right before my race, I have self-doubt,” Lee said “I’m trying to be in the right mindset and my team is always cheering me on saying, ‘Let’s go Dav’Veion, let’s go Shady, you got this, get out of your head.’ They clap me for me. And then if I win, win or lose, they’re still there no matter what, always in my corner cheering me on.”
Lee made Allderdice history, breaking Elijah White’s 300 hurdles record.
“The person who set the record, I grew up with,” Lee said. “He was helping me and mentoring me, telling me what to do, saying don’t stutter between hurdles and just run. I did, and I didn’t even realize I broke it until after. I started jumping up and down and hugging my teammates.”
Past record holders mentoring the upcoming athletes surely plays a role in Allderdice’s tradition of winning.
Lee, who is also a football player for the Dragons, said teamwork is important for both sports.
“For track, it’s very similar to football,” he said. “We love to compete at practice. We all work hard. We all want it. We just love to compete. One thing about our team is we just have heart. Even if some teammates don’t get it, we still work hard.”
The boys showed their heart as Dragons earned seven first plays finishes. The girls collected nine.
Abdul Jawula (52.33) earned a first-place finish in the 400 with teammates Henry Marriott (52.61) and Aran McNutt (53.8) right behind him in second and third.
McNutt won the 800 (2:00.94) with teammates Thomas Aldous (2:10.40) and Marriott (2:15.23) finishing in second and third.
Flynn said he’s proud of McNutt after recovering from an injury to win the 800.
Reeve Flotta delivered an impressive showing, finishing first in the 1,600 (4:40.23) and the 3,200 (10:09.81). Max Brumley finished in second in the 1,600 (4:42.07) and third in the 3,200 (10:31.3). Idris Doha placed third in the 1,600 (5:07.23), and Marc Lebita placed second in the 3,200 (10:24.77).
Amara Faty placed first in the triple jump (39-0.75), second in the long jump (20-5.50) and third in the high jump (5-4). Demonte Smith Wiggins placed third in the triple jump (36-11.50).
Allderdice’s Patrick Germaine, Kofi Opoku-Dakwa, Marc Lebita and Thomas Aldous, won the 3,200 relay with a time of 9:12.06.
“Since my freshman year, they always made it,” Lee said of the 3,200 relay team. “They know what they have to do when it comes to compete in the city championship. They went out there and they gave everything and they easily got it.”
For the girls, Seena Teshome won the 400 (1:01.53) with Bailey White (1:04.83) finishing second.
White finished in first in the 800 in 2:32.90 as Ceci Passero finished in third 2:39.72. White is a team leader and also the record holder for career points in Allderdice girls basketball.
“Bailey’s been a leader in track and field,” Flynn said. “She was my captain in cross country. She was the captain of the basketball team. She does everything you ask of her and more. She meets with the kids and invites them to run with her. I’m sure she’s the same way in basketball. She’s a tremendous leader.”
Annie Hoffmeier broke a 26-year-old City League record with a 11:35.98 in the 3,200. She also won the 1,600 with a time of 5:31.99.
“I actually thought that was amazing because she’s only a sophomore,” Lee said. “We all ran over to congratulate her. Breaking that as a sophomore, that’s ridiculous.”
Selah McGinley (5:51.73) and Olevia Steinhauser (6:12.26) were second and third in the 1,600 and McGinley (12:32.08) and Tianna Tompkins (13:12.13) were the next placers in the 3,200.
Jamera Green earned first in the 100 hurdles (17.25) and 300 hurdles (48.36). Green also came in second in the long jump (15-4.50) and third in the high jump (4-6).
Maymouna Faty (18.07) and Annabelle Oberbarnscheidt (19.21) followed Green in the 100.
The team of Teshome, Taylor Ham, Oberbarnscheidt and White won the 1,600 relay (4:23.08) and Leah Alpert, Sasha Coupland, Ceci Passero and Zoe Densmore won the 3,200 relay (11:28.27).
Kailynn Manson placed first in the high jump (4-10) and also came in first in discus (82-8). Kaleah Sharif earned second in the discus.
“Kailynn Manson was a double winner in some of the unusual events, the high jump and the discus,” Flynn said. “You wouldn’t think that a championship thrower would also be a jumper, but she’s a spectacular athlete.”
Reigene Rockymore came in second in shot put (29-8).
“The boys and girls do workouts together,” Flynn said. “The hurdlers work together. The distance runners work together. The jumpers work together. We just don’t have the number of coaches you might find in the suburbs.”
They put in the work together, which leads to winning together.
“I am so proud of them all,” Flynn said. “They work very hard. They work together. We joke around and have fun. Having fun is an important part of sports.”
Lee is happy to be at the top of the City League for another year, showing everyone what Allderdice is made of.
“It feels good because a lot of people just doubt us because we’re just a city school and they think city schools can’t compete,” Lee said. “But as we keep going on, breaking records, adding more titles, I feel like we should be mentioned as a top team for track.”
He added that after putting in so much work, winning feels so rewarding.
“Sometimes you’re tired. There are days when you’re tired and don’t want to do anything, but then you still have to do it,” Lee said. “Then when the championship comes and you win, you just feel good and just keep adding titles. It honestly just feels great.”
Flynn is excited for the future as Lee returns along with multiple underclassmen who are next in line.
“We had over 35 boys and 35 girls this year,” Flynn said. “When you get 60 to 80 kids at practice regularly, it creates a lot of camaraderie. I’m losing a lot of seniors, especially on the boys side, but we have great sophomores and freshmen ready to step up.”
The Dragons will retool and prepare to defend their City League title next season. However, their work is not finished. The state championships are right around the corner.
“My plan is just stay focused, just keep working and work hard every day because the state is definitely different,” Lee said. “I remember sophomore year I was scared, did not know what to do, didn’t run my fastest at all. But this year I know what I have to do to compete.”