College Championships Abound in Maryland

There were three different college conference championships held in Maryland this past weekend: the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships, the Capital Athletic Conference Men’s & Women’s Swimming Championships and the Maryland JUCO Basketball Championships.

Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex hosted the MEAC Championships this year. The Championships started on Thursday and wrapped up on Saturday. The weekend belonged to the Hampton women and the Norfolk State men. Both teams earned identical scores of 161.5 points to win the conference title.

Inside or Out, Winter Sports Thrive in Maryland

The ice and snow our region received this past weekend was a welcome sight for some athletes, but it didn’t leave other athletes out in the cold, either. On Saturday, the University of Maryland track and field team hosted its annual Terrapin Invitational indoor track and field meet at the Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex. Twenty-three collegiate teams competed in the all-day event.

Team Terry on Track

It was inevitable that Terry’s efforts to reel in more of the lucrative youth tournament market would take him around the track. Particularly when the facilities and access in Maryland are so attractive for regional competitions. It was only a matter of time before a major governing body like USA Track and Field came calling, and that’s where Terry and Tweety were this week when soccermania started to swirl.

The site visit took them first to Landover, where the Prince George’s County Sports and Learning Complex is located on 80 acres next to FedEx field. As the name indicates, the facility is all about showcasing scholastic athletes in a four star setting.

While it includes a natatorium and Bermuda grass football/lacrosse fields, the arena and indoor/outdoor competition tracks make it the Holy Grail of youthful harriers. The Prince George’s facility, constructed with public and private sector resources, is managed by the National Capital Park and Planning Commission. It is being considered for the 2013 Masters Indoor Championship.

The arena, with its field house, 200 meter Mondo track, fitness room, gymnastics facility, and aquatics center – all linked by an atrium and overhead observation areas — is a knockout in the “wow” factor. Add all the onsite parking and nearby interstate access and you can see why Terry was so eager to show it off.

Morgan State is in the hunt to land the 2012 Junior Olympic Championships. The rambling urban campus with its stadium and 400 meter Mondo track (that’s the same surface used in the Olympics) traditionally hosts the Maryland State Track and Field championships in the spring.

As luck would have it, Team Terry has leave for Virginia Beach for the final presentation of the bids to USATF right after we learn about the 2022 World Cup. The good news is the governing body will make their decisions about both events on December 3rd. So hopefully we’ll be celebrating a lot the first week of December.

In any case, we know the visitors were greatly impressed with what Maryland has to offer. It won’t be the last time we are considered for major track and field tournaments.