DyeStat Outstanding Performers
Western Maryland 1998

BOYS

Keith Jenkins, Frederick – Led the WMD charts in the triple jump (49-5.75, MD 3, US 19), long jump (22-11, MD 5), and 400 meters (50.4h), and was second in the 100 (10.8h, MD 15). Captured the Penn Relays triple jump title and is the only Western Maryland boy ranked nationally in the DyeStat Elite. Keith now moves on to Augustine College in North Carolina, a national power in Division II.

Mike Page, Fort Hill – Double WMD sprint champion (10.98, MD 14, and 22.42, MD 20) and member of Fort Hill’s leading 4x200 relay team. Led Fort Hill to the Class 2A West regional and State championships.

Bruce Dotson, Fort Hill – Double WMD distance champion in the 1600 (4:23.44, MD 2) and 3200 (9:43.64, MD 5) and fourth in the 800 (1:59.87, MD 16).

Tom Miller, Urbana – Used the summer Junior Olympics competition to move up to Number 1 in Maryland in shot put (57-0.75).

Greg McCormick, Middletown – precocious freshman came on late in the season to win the class 2A State championship in high jump (6-6, MD 2). Greg also won the national AAU Junior Olympics 15-16 decathlon title at Hampton VA in August.

Derek Dye, Middletown – tied for WMD first in high jump (6-6, MD 2) and third in long jump (22-2, MD 11). Derek leaves Middletown as the Knights’ alltime point scorer in track and field and with school records in high jump (6-8) and long jump (22-2); he is heading to University of Maryland Baltimore County on track and academic scholarships.

Matt Peters, South Hagerstown – First in WMD in discus (157-11, MD 4) and second in shot put (54-6.5, MD 3).

Hunter Cross, North Hagerstown – First in WMD in high hurdles (14.4h, MD 4) and second in 300 intermediate hurdles (40.5h, MD 26).

Erik Necciai, Linganore – WMD first in the 800 (1:58.41, MD 8) and second in the 1600 (4:24.55, MD 4). The Virginia Tech bound runner also won Indoor All America honors with a fifth place finish at the National Scholastic Indoor championships in Boston in March.

Kathy Messner, Catoctin – WMD leader in four events, nationally ranked in two, national indoor high jump champion, winner of 12 gold medals in Maryland state meets over 4 years. Her track career was interrupted by a hamstring injury in May and a near-fatal auto accident in June. But she ends her HS career with one of the most illustrious records in WMD and MD history. The scorecard for 1998: 100 (12.2h, MD 10), 200 (24.9h, MD 7), high jump (5-8, MD 2, US 27), long jump (19-6, MD 1, US 17), triple jump (36-4.5, WMD 2, MD 8).

Megan Verdeyen, North Hagerstown – WMD and state leader in shot put (41-1) and discus (131-5), and state class 2A champion in both events.

Randy Buzzell, Middletown – WMD leader in the 1600 (5:07.80, MD 3) and 3200 (11:19.46, MD 6) and second in the 800 (2:20.8, MD 12). State class 2A champion in the 1600.

Pun Chittchang, South Carroll – Bumped Kathy Messner to second in triple jump (38-5, MD 1, US 66) and was WMD second in long jump (19-2, MD 4, US 32), while winning both events in class 3A at the State Meet.

Natalie Dye, Middletown – Won her second straight 2A state championship in pole vault (10-3, MD 4, US 80) and earned indoor All-American status with third place at the NSI in Boston in March; has won every meet in WMD since the inception of high school girls pole vault 2 years ago. Also seventh in long jump (16-0.5)

Thomas Johnson HS Relay – The 4x400 relay team kept setting school records all year, but were denied a state championship by Douglass-PG. So the Patriot girls kept training and went to Raleigh in June for the NSO and raced to a WMD and MD leading time of 3:53.22 (US 44). TJ also led WMD in the 4x200 relay (1:43.50, MD 2).

Lisa Lushbaugh, Thomas Johnson – anchor of the championship Patriot relay teams as well as second in the 200 (25.70, MD 15) and second in the 400 (58.61, MD 15).

Urbana HS Relay – The up and coming Urbana team saved the best for last by winning the 4x800 relay at the Class 2A State Meet in 9:37.10, fastest of the year in both WMD and MD.