Tri State
Future of tri-county MVAL uncertain
Grim: 'at this point, right now, we're kind of in limbo'
By Kevin Spradlin
TriStateRunnur.com
HAGERSTOWN, Md., Jan. 9 -- The rivalry between Frederick County high schools Linganore and Gov. Thomas Johnson is rich, storied and fierce in each of the sports offered.
But on at least one issue, the indoor track coaches for the Lancers and Patriots stand ready to defend the same thing. At stake is the future of the Monocacy Valley Athletic League. It appears to be moving toward an uncertain future - and might not exist at all in the very near future.
John Grim, longtime Linganore track coach and former athletic director, and Nick Snyder, of TJ, said Saturday during the Frederick County-Carroll County quadrangular meet at Hagerstown Community College that indoor track and cross country coaches from the MVAL's Piedmont, Chesapeake and Antietam conferences -- representing Frederick, Carroll and Washington counties -- need to band together and submit a new, acceptable proposal that will maintain the integrity of high-quality competition.
A change which started at the beginning of the current academic year all but eliminated intra-county leagues. Previously based on classification as determined by the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association, the Piedmont (Frederick County) Antietam (mostly Washington County) and Chesapeake (Carroll County) conferences are largely distinguished by county borders.
"I don't think anyone really wants to have county meets two weeks in a row," said Snyder, who directed Saturday's nine-hour meet XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The advantage to intra-county competition, Snyder said, is seeing "different faces."
"There's something special about the county championship meet," Snyder said. "You're racing against the best the county has to offer. But if you're doing that two weeks in a row, it kind of diminishes the importance of it."
But that's exactly what happened in cross country last fall and what is set to occur during next week's conference championships - the county and conference champions both will be crowned and, in most every case, it's against the same old competition.
"I don't know the status," said Dan Replogle, co-coach at Winters Mill. "Of the options I can think of, I prefer we to go one large, combined meet. That would include all (two dozen) schools. I'm speaking primarily for cross country. I guess for indoor track, that might be a little unwiedy. I'm not sure what my opinion on that would be."
Though Replogle said he's not sure why it's reached this point, "I assume that (the MVAL) won't dissolve," he said.
But the willingness to presume anything might very well be part of the problem. Grim said the first issue at hand is the need to have coaches decide on a format and present it to their respective athletic directors - then to county athletics supervisors and principals for approval.
"We need to decide what we want to do," Grim said. "The quality is as good as it's ever been. The MVAL for indoor track, as well as cross country, seems to be nonexistent, with the exception of Carroll County's league."
It comes down, then, to a conversation among colleagues. At least, at first.
As an administrator and a coach, Grim acknowledges there has "for quite some time, been some communications breakdowns on all levels," Grim said. "We need to decide if we want to have a conference which includes intra-county competition or we don't. At this point, right now, we're kind of in limbo."
Lee Palmer, a fifth-year track coach at Walkersville High School, called the current situation "unfortunate."
"It almost feels like it's dissolving a little bit," Palmer said. "It's almost a useless league to have right now. It used to be a nice mix of Frederick, Carroll and Washington county teams."
Palmer believes it's a goal to see inner-county competition.
"The athletic directors just want to keep their counties together," Palmer said. "I've been told Carroll County basically wants to keep their schools together for whatever reason. It kind of forces all the other counties to go their own way. That, to me, is what hurts it a little bit."
Palmer agreed with Grim about it possibly being a communication issue. He spoke of a "disconnect" between coaches and athletics directors at the school and county levels.
"Hopefully, with some talk between everybody, we'll get it figured out," Palmer said.
Palmer said it's important to keep in mind what's best for the student-athletes -- and in his mind, the more competition, the better.
Email Kevin at run@mountainMDmarathon.org.
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