Winter Sports Preview: Kenwood High School

kicks off its winter sports season this week with hopes of making strides following progress made last season.

The boys and girls basketball team achieved .500 records last year and are now looking to contend with the rest of the county.

The indoor track team brings in many talented athletes that participated in the outdoor season last spring and the cross country team in the fall.

In addition, the wrestling program expects to improve with a young squad that includes four wrestlers who placed second in the Baltimore County junior varsity tournament last season.

Here is a preview of each of those teams:

BOYS’ BASKETBALL:

Coach: Chris Kelly

Last Season’s Record: 12-12

Top Returning Players: Jonathan Richardson (Sr., F, 6-7), Travis Jenkins (Sr. , G, 5-7), Yasir Young (Sr., F, 6-5).

Top Newcomers: Dana Johns (Jr., G, 5-10), Treshon Boston (Sr., G, 5-11), Chris Coston (So., G, 6-1), Keith Moody (Jr., F, 6-3), James Brogdon (Jr., F, 6-3), Trevis Buckhanon (So., F, 6-7), Treavon Wright (Jr., F., 6-4).

Outlook:  The Bluebirds have high hopes of building on last season’s 12-12 record, which included . That run came one year after Kenwood went 4-16.

Jenkins is the leading returning scorer as the senior guard averaged 10.4 points, 2.1 assists and 2.8 steals per game. Richardson, who averaged 8.2 points and 8.1 rebounds per game as a junior, will anchor the front court.

However, Kelly also expects to receive contributions from many of the expected 11 newcomers that made the final roster.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Coach: Chanel Wright-Greene

Last year's record: 10-10

Top Returning Players: (Sr., C, 6-0), Cierra Wilson (Jr., G, 5-2)

Top Newcomers: Jalisa Poole (Fr., G)

Outlook: Kenwood returns three starters from last year's 10-10 team. Tatum averaged 12 points and 13 rebounds per game and is being recruited by several Division II teams such as Bowie State and Chowan University. Wilson is an energetic guard who averaged 8 points and 4 assists per game and has been Kenwood’s top defensive player the last two years.

Janaye Eaddy is a hardworking power forward. She is a junior with great leadership and capable of contributing more points and rebounds to the varsity squad. Lexus Satterfield, Kierra Streams and Dashawna West are potential starters for this year's team and they all will contribute versatility and depth for the Kenwood squad. Jalisa Poole is a sharp shooting freshman who will see plenty of playing time on varsity.

WRESTLING

Coach: Robert Knudsen

Top Returning Wrestlers: Anthony Pelekakis (Sr., 126), Kevin Delossantos (Sr., 132), Jordan Boller (Jr., 160/171).

Top Newcomers: Ryan Feeheley (So., 106), Najee Benu (Jr., 138), Stephan Burden (So. 225), Nyonbu Farley (So., 160).

Outlook: Kenwood expects the program to grow . This season the Bluebirds' roster has a mix of veterans and some surprising newcomers from last year’s JV squad. Pelekakis, Delossantos and Boller have each been with the program for four years with Boller placing sixth in the county tournament and qualified for regionals last season.

Among the newcomers are Feeheley and Benu, who each placed second in the JV county tournament—their only loss on the year.

Burden placed fourth in the JV county tournament, while Farley captured the JV title at 160. All but one of Farley’s win came via pin.
Junior Tyreic Davis (182), seniors Nick Oxendine (192), and Noah Wheat (142) and 119-pound junior Faith Sieunarine—the only three-year female wrestler in Kenwood history—round out the roster.

INDOOR TRACK

Coach: Mark Planamente 

Top Returners:
Boys—Shawn Strasdauskas (Sr., distance), Eric Ulrich, (Sr., sprints/high jump), Devonne Wearins (Sr., shot put), Jacob Hux (Sr., hurdles, high jump, mid distance.
Girls—Jada Boyd (Jr., distance), Rachel Bauer (So., distance), Bethany Herold (Sr., high jump, hurdles), Linia Sankar (So., sprints), Shaneara Terry (sprints).

Top Newcomers:
Boys—Jaleel Feggins (So., sprints), A’donta Wallace (Jr., sprints), Michael Jeter (So., shot put), Willie Johnson (Jr., mid distance), Andrew Powis (Jr., pole vault, distance).
Girls—Alexis Moog (Sr., sprints), Shannon Foster (Jr., high jump, pole vault, sprints), Diamond Hunter (Jr., sprints), Rayven Ray (Sr. ,sprints), Amy Genovese (Sr., shot put), Kaitlynn Armstrong (Fr., pole vault, distance).

Outlook: Plamanete continues to recruit more and more athletes to the program that includes many holdovers from the outdoor track season last spring and the cross country team in the fall. The Bluebirds also have two boys and four girls signed up to compete in the pole vault, a new event for the program this year which Planamente believes will help his team compete with Dulaney and Hereford for a county title.

Kenwood has more than 90 student-athletes on the team this season, providing it with as much depth as they have had in recent memory. Planament said he expects the boys’ strength to be their middle distance runners such as Hux and Strasdauskas.

Among the key performers on the girls’ side will be Foster and Moog, cheerleaders that decided to run track after their impressive outdoor campaign. Foster has the school high jump and triple jump records and Moog has the sprint medley and 400 meter school records. 

Boyd looks to increase her school records for indoor in the 800 and the 3,200 this year.