BALTIMORE — For the past four weeks, Kent County High School senior high jumper Rah ‘Zir Wilson has consistently cleared 6 feet, 4 inches.
On Thursday, May 21, which was day one of the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association track and field championships, 6-4 was all that was needed for Wilson to win gold for Class 1A schools.
His nearest challenger was Clear Spring junior Daniel Apiou with a height of 6-2.
Four others cleared 6 feet even.
“I honestly walked into the stadium [at Morgan State University] feeling like Rah ‘Zir would win, and I knew once he cleared his first jump there was no stopping him,” KCHS coach LaKesha Hoxter told The Evening Enterprise.
She said Wilson “has worked so hard to get to this point and he’s been consistent. … It’s been a privilege to witness.”
Did we mention that Wilson stands only 5 feet, 9 inches.
And that conditions on Thursday were less than ideal — cool and rainy.
Wilson is Kent County High School’s first outdoor track and field state champion since 2000, when seven-time state champion Francis Ciganek won gold in the 800 and 1600 meters.
Wilson’s state title makes him 4-for-4 in championship meets this spring — winning the North Bayside Conference, Bayside Conference and state-qualifying 1A East Region meets in successive weeks, all with a height of 6-4.
At the North Bayside meet on April 30 at Cambridge-South Dorchester High School, Wilson established a meet record.
He set the school record of 6-8 on April 9 in the Trojans’ only home meet of the season.
Wilson was the co-silver medalist last year with a high jump of 6 feet even; the winning jump was 6-2.
As a sophomore during the indoor track season, Wilson was the bronze medalist at states with a jump of 5-10.
At that same meet on Feb. 20, 2024 at the Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex in Landover, KCHS senior Larry Steward established a Class 1A indoor record with his winning high jump of 6 feet, 4.25 inches.
Steward and Wilson took advantage of the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association’s new dual-sport option that allows athletes to play two sports in the same season. Basketball was their primary winter sport.
