Coaching McDonogh?s track and field team in two different athletic leagues, Jeff Sanborn has a lot on his radar.
McDonogh?s boys team competes in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Conference, so Sanborn has to worry about the likes of Mount St. Joseph, Gilman and Loyola. With the girls in the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland, he keeps tabs on Seton Keough.
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McDonogh opens its season today at 3:30 p.m. with the boys hosting Archbishop Spalding and the girls hosting John Carroll.
“Mount St. Joe is the team to beat. They have such depth,” Sanborn said. “We are going to have to be very competitive against them.”
The Gaels will look for another big spring from sophomore Duane Parker, who helped lead them to the MIAA indoor championship this winter with wins in the 300 meters, the long jump and the triple jump.
Robby Ford likely will generate the brunt of McDonogh?s points this spring. Sanborn described Ford as the team?s decathlete and leader. Strong in the pole vault, high jump and both hurdle events, Ford will be the nucleus of the Eagles? team.
While McDonogh?s boys are hoping to surprise some people this year, its girls team is right up there with Seton Keough. The Gators edged McDonogh in the IAAM A Conference indoor championships. But with back-to-back IAAM championships in indoor and outdoor track last year, as well as three consecutive championships inthe spring, McDonogh is attempting to take back what was theirs.
Senior Erin Brooks and junior Colleen Shea took the lead for Seton Keough at the indoor championships and will look to do the same this spring. McDonogh?s success will hinge on the performance of distance runner Francis Kellerman, sprinter Chante Sandiford, and runner/jumper Brooke Staton.
“We have a number of good kids coming back this spring, and three seniors will be leading us,” Sanborn said.
