The 2009-2010 school year has been the best in recent memory for CHS track and they look to carry the momentum of their strong cross country and indoor seasons into this spring.

With the girls team taking home the top spot in the county for the fourth time in five years, it is safe to say that CHS has become something of a county powerhouse of late. Thanks to seniors Maryam Fikri, Alex Giedd and All-American Katie Wolf, the girls have become one of the most dominant teams in the state, and are among the best in CHS history.

“We began to talk about it as a dynasty,” coach Scott Silverstein said. “All the girls on this team weren’t on that first team five years ago, so it shows that they can continue to have success.”

The boys, after several years in the Montgomery County gutter, have begun to emerge as strong contenders for the county title, finishing fourth overall during the indoor season.

“These boys are really well balanced,” Silverstein said. “They are the best team since I got here.”
The balance of senior leadership and strong underclassmen contributions has served CHS well this year.

While the girls boast some of the state’s finest runners, a new crop of underclassmen are poised for a breakthrough season and will be ready to fill in when needed. Most notable among the underclassmen girls are sophomore Charlotte Bourg and junior Taylor Caulk.

The boys on the other hand, while significantly less top heavy with seniors, still feature a few star runners. Among those are seniors Sei Masuoka and Tarek Elhage, who finished fifth in the state in the two-mile.

“Seniors and underclassmen will make an equal impact on this season,” Ethage said. “We have very strong veteran runners but we also have many talented younger runners that can keep up with the senior runners.”

CHS track’s lethal combination of star power and depth leaves them in an excellent position to build on two already outstanding seasons. Both the boys and girls squads are approaching this season with every bit of the intensity and dedication that led them to strong finishes earlier in the year.

“We prepare the same way with hard workouts,” Silverstein said. “When things work you keep doing the same things.”

The Bulldogs’ first meet will be Wednesday, March 23 at home against Blair.