PHOTO GALLERY: Perryville sweeps region track and field meet

The 2014 1A east region champion Perryville boys track and field team.

The 2014 1A east region champion Perryville girls track and field team.

    Perryville swept the 1A east region track and field titles Saturday at Kent Island.
    The Panther girls claimed their third straight region championship. Perryville (204) edged second place Cambridge-South Dorchester by five points.
    Sierra Montz paced the Panthers with first place finishes in the high hurdles, intermediate hurdles, and triple jump. She placed second in the long jump.
    Perryville claimed two of the four relay events. Taesha Andre, Angelica Conway, Alysa Conway, and Autumn Estep teamed to take the 4 x 200. Estep, Tori Antoshak, Alysa Conway, and Andre combined to win the 4 x 400.

    Jordan Dodson had three second place finishes in individual events – the 800, 1600, and 3200. She also finished second in the 4 x 800 relay with teammates Estep, Krissy McDuff, and Antoshak.
    Andre will also be participating in four events in the state meet. She was second in the 400 and fourth in the 200.
    Hailey McDonald and Brooke Doane advanced in two individual events. McDonald was second in the high jump and third in the pole vault. Doane placed second in the triple jump and fourth in the long jump. Doane, Angelica Conway, Christen Dodson, and Alysa Conway were third in the 4 x 100 relay.
    Perryville's remaining state qualifiers: Alysa Conway (second in the 200), Paiton Kelly (second in the pole vault), Teri Wennersten (third in the high jump), Estep (third in the 400), Antoshak (third in the 800), Natalie Owens (fourth in the pole vault), Erika Scheppelmann (fourth in the high jump), Kayla Losoya (fourth in the intermediate hurdles).
    The top four finishers in each event qualify for the state meet which will be held Thursday and Saturday at Morgan State University.
    Several other Perryville athletes contributed to the win by scoring points: Jillian Miller was fifth in the shot put and eighth in the discus and Angelica Conway (sixth in the 400), Mollie Lipka (seventh in the intermediate hurdles), Losoya (seventh in the long jump), and Danielle Drennen (seventh in the triple jump).
    Manchester Valley figures to be the Panthers' toughest competition at the state meet.
    Bohemia Manor's Colleen Schoch won the discus and was second in the shot put. Teammate Tara McDonald was fourth in the 1600.

RELATED: Click HERE to view the season's track and field photos.

    It was the fourth straight region crown for the reigning two-time state champion Perryville boys. The Panthers (160) downed Colonel Richardson (120.5) with Bohemia Manor third with 112 points.
    Cam Cunningham and Shawn Montz each triumphed in a hurdles events for Perryville's two first place finishes. Cunningham won the high hurdles and was second in the 300 hurdles. Montz won the 300 hurdles and was third in the high hurdles.
    Adam Thornton, Elijah Johnson, and Caleb Stevens each qualified for states in two individual events. Thornton placed second in both the 1600 and 3200. Johnson was second in the long jump and fourth in the triple jump. Stevens finished fourth in the 1600 and 3200.
    The remaining Panthers who qualified for the state meet in individual events: Jeff Pollard (second in the shot put), Cameron Crosler (second in the pole vault), Tyler McCall (second in the 800), Corban Porch (third in the pole vault), Ben Kuhn (third in the discus), Justin Harreld (fourth in the pole vault), and Ben Douty (fourth in the 800).
    Douty, Melvin Dowdy, Mitchell Johansen, and McCall teamed to finish third in the 4 x 400 relay. Zach Buckson, Montz, McCall, and Johnson were fourth in the 4 x 200 relay. Douty, Josh Rowley, Johansen, and McCall placed fourth in the 4 x 800.
    Other Perryville point scorers: Logan Kelly (fifth in the shot put and seventh in the discus), Cunningham (sixth in the high jump and eighth in the long jump), Dowdy (fifth in the 300 hurdles), Crosler (sixth in the triple jump), Buckson (seventh in the 400), and Toby DiMauro (seventh in the high hurdles). Johnson, Montz, Ryan Norris, and Randy Wenck just missed out on a state berth with a fifth place finish in the 4 x 100 relay.
    Bohemia Manor's Ty Franks captured the 800, 1600, and 3200 and teamed with Chandler Brooks, Damion Puzzo, and Luka Salata to win the 4 x 800 relay. Brooks was third in both the 1600 and 3200. Tyear Castle triumphed in the pole vault. Alex Lafountaine placed second in the 400.
    Perryville will have an uphill climb in its bid for a third straight state title, but the Panthers and Bohemia Manor will be big factors.
    In the 2A competition, Rising Sun's Heather Martin won the pole vault. Four Tiger boys qualified for the state meet – Josh Anderson (third in the shot put), Alex Kerns (fourth in the discus), Isaiah Vass (fourth in the high jump), and Marquis Topp (fourth in the triple jump).
    North East's Susan Travis captured the discus. Teammate Sarah Kubat was third in the shot put and fourth in the discus. The Indians' Dean Palmer won the pole vault and was third in the 400. Alec Preisch placed second in the discus. Crystal McCollum was fourth in the 800 and qualified in two relays. She teamed with Briana Bruckart, Erin Palmer, and Hannah Bubar to finish second in the 4 x 800. McCollum, Elania Birch, Bruckart, and Palmer placed fourth in the 4 x 400.
    Elkton's Zyphere Ruffin recorded a win in the 300 hurdles and was second in the long jump. Ruffin, Jashaun Stalk, Malachi Peterson, and Joshua Hampton-Morris finished third in the 4 x 400.
    The Elkton girls advanced with a third place finish by the 4 x 400 relay team comprised of Makayla Peterson, Jessica Pottenburgh, Caitlyn Krier, and Amy Carroll.