By Mike Loveday

The Frederick News Post is reporting that Thomas Johnson's Marquis Woodyard has committed to college.

According to the article, the 5-foot-10, 185-pound safety committed to play football for James Madison University.

Woodyard is the third Patriot to commit to college this year. Teammates Nick Forbes (California) and Jeremy Grove (East Carolina) committed earlier this summer.

As a junior last season, Woodyard won two state Track & Field championships at the Maryland outdoor championships on May 23.

Woodyard won the 110-meter hurdles in 14.19-- the win was his first career state championship. Later in the day, he won his second title with a victory in the 300-meter hurdles. Woodyard was also a member of the 4x400-meter relay team that finished third. Woodyard's contribution helped the Patriots to the Class 4A state championship.

ESPNRise encourages comments from its users. Leave a comment below. Mike Loveday covers high school sports for ESPNRISE.com. Mike can be reached at Michael.Loveday@espn.com

Thomas Johnson's Marquis Woodyard, a rising senior, was named the 2008-09 Gatorade Maryland Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year. Woodyard is the first Gatorade Maryland Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year to be chosen from Governor Thomas Johnson High School.  

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the track, distinguishes Woodyard as Maryland's best high school boys track & field athlete.  Woodyard is now a finalist for the  Gatorade National Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year award.

The 5-foot-10, 175-pound junior hurdler clocked a time of 14.19 seconds to win the 110-meter hurdles and broke the tape in the 300-meter hurdles in 38.69 at the Class 4A state meet this season, leading the Patriots to the state champoinship as a team.  An Honorable Mention All-Met selection as named by The Washington Post, Woodyard also anchored the third-place 4x400-meter relay quartet that finished in 3:23.78 at the state meet.  His time of 37.63 in the 300-meter hurdles at the Frederick County Track & Field Championships ranked No. 30 in the nation among prep competitors at the time of his selection.

Woodyard has maintained a 3.14 weighted GPA in the classroom.