The Hagerstown CC national qualifiers went wheels up to Lubbock, Texas late last week (March 7^th-8^th, 2025) for the NJCAA D1 Indoor Track and Field Championships at Texas Tech University. Five students in all made the trek down south to test their abilities against the nation's best. The students punching their tickets in their respective specialties included Aidan Faith (high jump), Michaela Gross (5K), Michaela Carney (Pole Vault), Furious Trammel (200M), and Jacob Scallion (800M).

Aidan Faith entered Nationals ranked 2^nd in the country at the NJCAA level for high jump. She went up against a tough group of jumpers but in the end placed 4^th and earning All-American honors with a final jump of 1.62 meters (5'3"). This is the 3^rd consecutive year for HCC to have an All-American high jumper as Faith joins fellow friends and teammates, Josey Reineman and Gaby Cook to complete the trio. Coach Andy Reid has done an incredible job with the jumpers in the past 3 years and it is a testament to the work ethic and determination each athlete put in to achieve the success reigned down upon them.

Michaela Gross finished in 20^th place of the 5K with a very respectable time of 19:06. What does not get discussed enough is the elevation difference endurance athletes will compete at in Texas as it was over 3200 feet (above sea level). So, the fact that Michaela displayed as much grit as she did to almost break the 19 minute mark was extremely impressive.

Michaela Carney finished 16^th in the pole vault finals with a jump of 3.05 meters (10'). This was Michaela's 2^nd time qualifying for indoor nationals in as many years. She will move onto the outdoor season with momentum on her side as she has already met the standard for Nationals with her indoor jump of 10'6".

Furious Trammel clocked a 21.58 200M out of lane 3. The qualifying time for the 9-man final heat was 21.14 which he narrowly missed. Known for his 400M ability, Trammel showed that he too can qualify nationally in events that he does not particularly specialize in. He looks to also carry this head of steam into outdoor season in hopes of honing his craft for a better outcome the second time around.

And finally, Jake Scallion finished 31^st in the 800M run with a time of 1:58.26. In a blistering field that required a 1:53 to advance to the 9-man final, he yielded respectable results and knows he is on the upward trajectory heading into outdoor season. A 2-time national qualifier in his own right, Scallion is poised to lead the team as a sophomore captain and guide the younger athletes along the way.

Head Coaches, Mike and Maria Spinnler have put together quite the well-rounded team here in the 2024-25 season and it is not simply a group of one-trick ponies. 5 different events were represented by 5 different athletes in Lubbock this past weekend and it appears they are striving for more as March rolls into April. This team is hungry and I would not be shocked to see that number double as May 15^th approaches for the Outdoor National Championships in Hutchinson, Kansas.

Well done, Hawks! Way to make the town of Hagerstown proud!!

#WelcometotheNest