Pre-meet calculations had the Potomac School Panthers finishing second in the state competition. In order to move up and win, the girls high-school track and field team needed season-best performances from multiple individuals, while the favorite might have to stumble in some areas.
Both occurred, propelling the Panthers to the Division I private-school state championship with 116 points, just four more than runner-up and favorite St. Catherine’s of Richmond.
Three big factors in Potomac School’s title were season-best performances in the running events by many individuals, the same by one participant in winning the long-jump, and the disqualification of St. Catherine’s winning 4x100 relay.
The meet was held in Richmond.
“We had St. Catherine’s finishing 26 points ahead of us when we scored the meet [on paper] before hand. We thought we had a good shot at finishing second, and maybe first if things really went well and fell our way,” Potomac School coach Jason Dwyer said. “Our girls hit everything and exceeded what was expected of them in many events. Everyone delivered in a big way.”
The Panthers scored the large majority of their points in the running events.
“We were so strong in the running events that gave us a chance,” Dwyer said.
In two of those races, Reagan Exley was a double winner in the 800 (2:19.18) and the 1,600 (5:09.12), and she ran on the winning 4x400 relay (4:10.5) along with Kate Tuttle, Tenley Overdeck and Mackenzie Fulgham.
Fulgham won the 400 (56.87) and was second in the 200.
In two other races, Maya Davis won the 100-meter dash (12.46) and was third in the 200.
Tuttle was second in the 800 and 1,600, Genevieve Harris was third in the 1,600 and seventh in the 3,200, Arielle Kouyoumdjian was third in the 3,200, Overdeck was eighth in the 400 and Brooklyn Williams eighth in the 100.
The 4x100 relay was fifth and the 4x800 seventh. Overdeck, Williams, Megan Rowe, Elizabeth Rossotti, Ella Lu, Emmy Holland, Brooke Parry and Kate Choi ran on those two relays.
Maya had the team’s best finish in field events by winning the long jump with a personal best distance of 17-feet, 2-inches. She had not been seeded among the top eight prior to the meet.
“Maya had a great performance in that event. That was an example of what we did in this meet,” Dwyer said.
Michelle Horton was fifth in the triple jump.
The Oakcrest girls were 10th in the meet, led by a third in the long jump by Katie Kennedy, a fourth in the pole vault by Sally Mohler and a fourth in the 800 and fifth in the 400 by Zoe Burke.
The Flint Hill girls were 11th, with Chanel Harvey second in the shot put and ninth in the discus, Clara Stevens fifth in the shot and Helena Nester sixth in the 300 hurdles and eighth in the 100 hurdles.
NOTES: After 14 years coaching both girls and boys cross country and track and field at Potomac School, Dwyer is stepping down from those positions. His boys cross country team won a state championship this past fall while the girls finished third. His teams also won or placed high in conference country and indoor and outdoor track and field meets during the 2022-23 campaigns. Dwyer was honored for his efforts by being chosen as the state’s coach of the year. “It has been a great year overall,” Dwyer said.
