“Slow and steady wins the race.” This antiquated advice from Aesop certainly doesn’t apply to a group of six girls at Middletown High School:  seniors Megan Kelly and Stephanie Bidle, sophomores Erin Smith, and Camille Coston, and juniors Zoe Wolfe and Jennifer Desimone. All were leaders for the MHS girls indoor track team at the Maryland State Championships in Landover, Md on Feb. 18 and 19, which featured exciting victories in a variety of events for MHS indoor track. The quartet of Kelly, Bidle, Desimone, and Wolfe have been a juggernaut for the MHS indoor track team in the 4×400 relay all season long, with Smith and Coston filling in on several occasions with similar success.  Their lowest finish in a meet was second place at the MPSSAA 2A West Regional Championships. Of course, they were determined to repeat this success at the state championships. And succeed they did. They produced a time of 4:11.80, good for second place against a field of 11 other teams from across the state, and finished almost 5 seconds ahead of the third place team from Liberty High School. The girls have also excelled in sveral individual events throughout the season. Wolfe qualified to run in the 300, 500, and 800 meter events, and placed sixth, third, and first, respectively. Kelly, Desimone, and Coston were entered into the 55 meter hurdles, and all finished within the top 20. Kelly led Middletown with her fifth place finish, followed by Desimone in twelfth place, and Coston in sixteenth. Smith also shone in her main event for Middletown, the pole vault. She has gained acclaim as one of the best pole vaulters in Frederick County, and her performance in Landover helped to secure this reputation. Clearing a height of 10’ 6”, Smith earned a second place finish. She was joined by teammate Megan Hoffman in fifth place, who vaulted 8’. A rising star for MHS also presented herself at the meet. As a freshman, Felicia Clements made it to the State Championship for the high jump event, and placed fourteenth. This accomplishment alerted MHS fans to look for her to continue to make a larger impact as she gains experience. Not to be outdone by the powerhouse that the girls have developed, the MHS boys indoor track team had some impressive finishes as well. Continuing the string of victories in relays for MHS was the 4×800 relay team comprised of Brent Leber, Jacob Hargett, Brandon Folio, and Alex Mekkelson. The boys ran a time of 8:45.15 to take eighth place. Sophomore Brent Leber stood out in the 3200 meter race with a fourth place finish and a 10:20.20 time, giving the boys indoor track team a formidable competitor in distance events. Rounding out the top finishers for the MHS boys were Hank Smith and Eric Schnarrs, whose achievements during regular season shot put events were sustained with second and fifth place finishes, respectively. Smith threw for 45’ .5”, similar to his performance in last year’s State Championship, when he threw for 46’ 7.5”. Though the MHS indoor track season has come to a satisfying close, the superior level of success shown in a variety of events gives fans plenty to look forward to for the spring season, when the weather, like the MHS track team, is sufficiently warmed up.