At the Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex, Marella Virmani set a personal record in the 800 meters (2 minutes 14.24 seconds) and the 1,600 (4:53.71, the fastest time in Maryland this spring), placing first in both. Lauren Virmani had a personal record and placed third in the 1,600 (4:56.90) and second in the 3,200 (10:54.51). The freshman twins also competed on the 4×800 relay team that won gold (9:33.41). The two helped earn a combined 49 of the Hawks’ 62 points.
River Hill Coach Donnie Richmond calls the Virmanis “the Wonder Twins” but was quick to note that they are not a solo act.
“Although [the Virmanis] scored a lot of essential points,” Richmond said, “the team came together to support and to build around them to win a team title. We’re very thankful with the way it came about.”
Northern finished second with 55 points. Springbrook was third with 47.
“This is really big for us as a team,” River Hill senior Soleil Henrickson said. “Us encouraging each other throughout the entire season brought us all together as a family.”
In the 3A boys’ meet, Thomas Johnson (56 points) narrowly beat Frederick (51.75). Digital Harbor finished third with 42.
In the 4A boys’ meet, Bowie bounced back from a tough indoor season to win its first outdoor state title since 2014.
“These boys didn’t win anything [in the indoor season] — we got beat every single week,” Coach Dana Samuel said of the Bulldogs, who finished sixth at the indoor state meet. “But they stood up and they came back and made a commitment to say, ‘This is what we want.’ They did the work every single week, and they showed up and they got better and better.”
After the team struggled in the winter, Samuel preached mental toughness. She told her athletes that they needed to be consistent with their thought process and to be undeterred by negative thoughts.
The message resonated as the Bulldogs (61 points) outpaced Seneca Valley (48) and Severna Park (43.5).
“Her message to us,” senior J’Marcus Hines said, “was basically: ‘We’re going to keep our heads down. We’re going to let teams talk.’ We worked at practice every day; we did what Coach told us to do. We just trusted her, and it guided us to where we are.”
Hines, who transferred to Bowie from Hammond, was on two winning relay teams — the 4×200 (1:27.13) and the 4×400 (3:16.94) — and finished second in the 300 hurdles (39.30).
Bowie could return next season as a favorite; its championship-winning roster is slated to lose just one senior.
On the 4A girls’ side, Urbana won with 82.5 points. C.H. Flowers was second with 63, followed by Blake with 57.