He came close in his final meet, but Emmett Engelhardt’s goal of winning a state championship during his high-school career eluded the Washington-Liberty senior runner.
At this season’s outdoor Class 6 state championship boys track and field meet in Virginia Beach, Engelhardt finished second in the 1,600-meters in a 4:13.98, one of his top high-school times in the race.
The winning time was 4:10.72 by junior Trent Daniels of Gainesville High.
Also at the meet, Engelhardt placed sixth in the 800 in 1:55.52, with the winning time at 1:53.83.
“It was disappointing not to win a state title, but I ran a good smart race, so I was happy with my effort and finish,” Engelhardt told ARLnow about the 1,600. “I closed strong at the end, but Trent pulled away a little.”
Engelhardt was one of the top track-and-field and cross-country (fall season) runners in the state as a junior and senior. He challenged to win state championships in both sports.
Engelhardt ran the anchor leg on W-L’s sixth-place 4×800 relay at this season’s outdoor state meet. He did not run in the 3,200-meters at the state, because meet rules limit the number of races runners can enter.
“I thought I had a better chance to win the 1,600,” Engelhardt said.
Engelhardt won the 3,200 at the 6D North Region meet in 9:26.09. His 2025 outdoor season also included a second in the 800 at the region meet and firsts in the 800 and 1,600 at the Liberty District championships.
“I want to thank my coaches and teammates at W-L,” Engelhardt said. “We created a culture here of hard work and ambition.”
Added Washington-Liberty coach John Bacon: “Emmett was a great team leader. All the guys looked up to him. If he said run, they would run.”
Engelhardt will run cross-country and track-and-field in college at American University.
Also in the state meet for the W-L boys, senior Carson Owens was fourth in the 400 (48.35) and 11th in the 200 (21.85); senior Ian Crowley was seventh in the 300 hurdles (39.58), ninth in the 110 hurdles (14.87) and 10th in the triple jump (43-1/2); and senior Charles Gent sixth in the pole vault (13-3).
For the Wakefield Warriors boys team at the state, Travon Buckner was fifth in the triple jump (45-5 3/4), Liam Keish seventh in the 800 (1:56.21), Ben Chapius sixth in the long jump (22-9) and 13th in the high jump (6-0) and Jackson Gray 11th in the pole vault (13-3).
For the Washington-Liberty girls at the state meet, junior Gabi Netwall was second in the 400 (56.52), seventh in the long jump (18-2 1/2), 19th in the 200 (25.65) and ran on the fifth-place 4×400 relay (3:56.01).
“Emmett and Gabi both wanted to win state titles — that’s the way they are,” Bacon said. “Both gave great efforts and ran good races.”
For the Wakefield girls, Grace Armitage was 10th in the 300 hurdles (45.5), 11th in the 100 hurdles (15:34) and 14th in the triple jump (34.7).
For the Yorktown Patriots girls, Ellen Malloy was 12th in the 1,600 (5:08.76) and Kaiya Ovando 12th in the discus (105-7).
In the team scoring at this spring’s Class 6 state meet, the W-L boys placed 10th and the girls were 18th. The Wakefield boys were 23rd and the girls 32nd.
O’Connell Runner wins Maryland race: In other high-school track and field news, Bishop O’Connell runner Johnny O’Donnell won the 800-meter race in 1:53.37 at the Roadrunners Last Chance and Maryland Private School Meet recently.
Also from O’Connell at the meet, sprinter Cam Bowser was fourth in the 100 (10.7) and 200 (21.0.6), with Avery Mosley 12th in the 200 (21.95).
O’Connell’s 4×100 relay, which included Mosley and Bowser, finished second in 47.07. Andrew Fthenos and Kadan Siodlarz also ran on that relay.
