IAAM News By Gene Williams
Championship Meet Results: www.atheltic.net
Championship Video Highlights: https://chasingthestandard.com/2026/01/iaam-miaa-indoor-track-and-field-championships-2026
Maryvale proved it’s hard to beat a team with scoring punch in a variety of events, claiming its sixth A Conference indoor track team title on Friday at the 24th Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex in Landover.
The Lions scored 150 points while preventing McDonogh (123) from earning its fourth straight and twelfth overall crown.
Archbishop Spalding (98), Mount de Sales Academy (58), Notre Dame Prep (56.5), Roland Park Country School (35), John Carroll (32.5), Bryn Mawr (19) and St. Mary’s (14) followed the leaders.
“I am a proud coach, unashamedly proud of our girls,” said Jason Miller, now in his 22nd year at the Lions’ helm. “We didn’t put emphasis on team goals early on this season. We just said ‘Keep doing what you’ve been doing.’ And we hoped for a level higher for the championship meet.”
That hope became reality.
Although Maryvale won just two of the 15 events, Miller’s club scored with multiple athletes in a dozen of the other finals.
After Chloe Thomas’ early 55-meter hurdle win, the Lions’ triumph was capped by taking the 4×400 relay to ignite a celebration.
Miller gave high praise to a crew of his assistants.
“Hands-down they are some of the best coaches in the game,” he said. “It is an honor to coach alongside them every day.”.
Maryvale opened the meet with a second place behind NDP in the 4×800 relay.
Thomas, runner-up London Simons fourth-place Lia Stewart gave the Lions a whopping 23 points in the 55 hurdles.
Thomas also added third-place laurels in the 55, and was a key member of the winning 4×400 relay.
Maryvale stadounts in the 4×800 wereb Addison Schoch, Kate Gerbereux, Natalia Sidor, and Cecilia Collins while Mallie Herb, Tori Andrews, Cara Vickery and Lucy Bannon took charge in the 4X200 and Thomas, Simons, Alana Andrews and Bijou Blum were the 4X400 leaders.
The versatile Simons was also second in the long jump, one spot ahead of teammate Sydney Elder, the triple-jump runner-up over third-place Carlee Thoner.
Hope Simms’ seventh-place effort in the triple was icing on the cake for the Lions.
Layla Omopariola (2nd), Maleah Johnson (3rd) and Makayla Ogbe (4th) added another 19 points to the Maryvale cause while pole-vaulter Maddie FitzGerald and high-jumper Shiloh Green earned third-place honors for the new champions.
A personal-best run Alana Andrews in the 500, good for second place, was another feather in Maryvale’s cap.
As good as the Lions were from a team perspective, Notre Dame Prep’s Lucy Myers was the individual star of the meet by anchoring the Blazers’ winning 4×800 relay with Maggie Mullen, Claire Shin and Hannah Koontz.
She then swept the 1600, 800 and 3200 runs for a combined four miles of high level racing, to complete what NDP coach Jim Lancaster dubbed the “unholy quadruple.”
The 3200 outcome was in doubt with less than two of the 16 laps to go as Myers trailed Mount de Sales’ 2025 A Conference cross country champ Fiona Smith by 15 meters. Although Smith maintained her pace, the Blazer star’s kick pushed her to a seven-second win, 11:25.05 to 11:32.10.
Lancaster said that Myers “gutted it out” to overcome the talented Sailor junior.
McDonogh earned its second-place team status by scoring in all 15 events, including wins in four field events.
A double-win effort went to Laila Harris in the long and triple jumps, Julianne Downs soared to the top in the pole vault and Destiny Nwanna prevailed in the shot put for the Eagles, who were second in the 4×200 relay.
Spalding’s overall third place was secured by fleet feet as the Cavaliers won four speed events.
Ari Easley won the 55, and ran a leg on the 4×200. Alexandra Collier placed first at 300 meters, was second in the 55 and added a leg on the 4×200. Karise Manley was the 500 winner. Collier and Easley were also part of the winning 4×200 relay with Kate Law and Taylor Seymore.
Seymore picked up a second gold in the high jump.
“This was a good meet, highly competitive,” said Lancaster. “Maryvale used its depth,” to take home the winners’ bowl.
