File:Track 2016,Rosie Cicmanec, Ceara Broks from The Frederick News Post, February 23, 2016.jpg

Brunswick High School Track and Field

Railroaders' infectiously upbeat high jumper claims 1A state title By Greg Swatek, Frederick News Post, Feb 23, 2016 LANDOVER — Rosie Cicmanec’s athletic ability, as readily apparent as it is, might not be the greatest gift she brings to Brunswick High’s track and field team. “I have been doing this a long time. Forty-six years. I have never met anyone as positive as Rosie,” said one of her coaches, Lee Zumbach, who watched her become Brunswick’s first state indoor girls high jump champion at Monday’s Class 2A-1A meet at the Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex. Her winning leap measured 5 feet, 2 inches, a mark she is now consistently hitting if not surpassing. She nearly cleared 5-4 Monday before clipping the bar with the edge of her heel on a couple of attempts. “There’s never a down word, never a grumble,” Zumbach continued. “She uses her bad days to get better, but her bad days are few and far between.” It can be infectious. Cicmanec’s teammate, Ceara Brooks, a fellow sophomore, finished second to her in the high jump at the state meet largely because Cicmanec is there to offer constant support and encouragement. “I love having her here with me,” Cicmanec said. Brunswick junior Alex Anukem, who nearly won the 1A boys high jump title, is a big fan of Cicmanec’s, too, and incorporates elements of her routine into his, particularly when it comes to form. “She has a very good back arch [going over the bar],” Anukem said. Even supposed rivals who compete against Cicmanec on a regular basis are not immune to the power of her positivity. As Middletown senior Felicia Clements walked passed Cicmanec near the end of the competition, a tense time for most, the two smiled and slapped fives. Clements’ best leap of the day was also 5-2, good enough for second place in the 2A girls high jump. “She is really good,” Cicmanec said of Clements. “Her technique is awesome.” There is a genuine bounce in Cicmanec’s step, and it doesn’t seem at all contrived. She doesn’t complain when she has to help shovel snow out of the school’s high jump pit or endure another outdoor practice during the indoor track season when the temperature typically hovers at or below freezing. If it helps the team, Cicmanec is on board. In fact, she seems more interested in discussing and celebrating the success of others than her own. “I’ll go up to her after she wins and say, ‘Congratulations!’” Zumbach said. “She’ll say, ‘Thanks.’ And that will be it.” Cicmanec doesn’t win because she has a burning desire to be the best or can’t stomach the thought of losing. She wins because she is just more athletically gifted than most of her contemporaries. At Brunswick Middle School field day, Cicmanec tried many of the events that comprise a track meet for the first time and wound up winning most of them. “I thought, ‘Maybe I should give this a try,’” she said. When she got to high school, she adapted to the high jump very quickly and won her first state title last spring during the outdoor season, clearing the bar at 5-2. She went on to set her overall personal record of 5-6 during this indoor season at the Dwight Scott Invitational. When asked why she feels it’s important to be so positive, Cicmanec said, “We are such a small school. We don’t really win a lot of things. I think everybody gets down about that a little bit. We are the only 1A school in Frederick County. We don’t get many chances to win. So, I think it helps us to do better.” Cicmanec’s victory was nearly part of a historic day for Brunswick track and field. The Railroaders have never swept the boys and girls high jump titles at a state meet, but Anukem nearly made it happen, losing in a jump-off to Boonsboro’s Isaiah Elzie. Both jumpers cleared the bar at 5-10 before it was raised to 6-0. After each failed three times at that height, the bar was lowered to 5-11, and the two had a jump-off to determine the 1A boys champion. Both missed their attempts at 5-11. Then, Elzie cleared his first attempt back down at 5-10 before Anukem missed. “I was pretty nervous,” Anukem said. “I think my foot hit it on the way up.” Other Frederick County results of note included the second- and third-place finishes, respectively, for Catoctin’s Julien Webster in the 3,200 and 1,600-meter runs, and the fourth-place finish for Middletown’s Marquis Lauer in the 55-meter dash.