Charlevoix Courier – Sports – Prep track: Area athletes garner 15 medals
Area athletes garner 15 medals

Monday, June 1, 2009 1:32 PM EDT

No state champions, but medals aplenty for area athletes Saturday at the Michigan High School Athletic Association state track and field championships.

Petoskey claimed three medals — all in relays — and set a school record in the Division II meet at Zeeland Schools.

Charlevoix came away with a pair of medals at the Division III meet at Comstock Park High School.

And Harbor Springs, Inland Lakes, Ellsworth and Pellston earned a combined 10 medals in the Division IV meet at Grand Rapids Forest Hills Eastern.

Six straight for Gladstone track – DailyPress.net | News, Sports, Jobs, Escanaba Information | The Daily Press
KINGSFORD – It was a bit more challenging this time, but the Gladstone boys gained their sixth straight Upper Peninsula Division 1 track title Saturday, outlasting Marquette 101-88.

The second-place Redmen scored 74 points in the distances, contributing to Gladstone’s narrowest margin of victory during its championship reign.

“This is the sweetest one of all,” said Braves’ coach Gary Whitmer. “We knew it was going to be close. Marquette is just so strong in the distances.”

Video: Rockford’s Birkmeier sets pole vault record – MLive.com
Video: Rockford’s Birkmeier sets pole vault record

Pioneer girls finish 3rd at Division 1 girls track meet – MLive.com
Pioneer girls finish 3rd at Division 1 girls track meet

Rich Rezler | The Ann Arbor News, May 30, 2009 9:26 p.m.
Pioneer’s Ariel Roberts clears the bar in the girls high jump. Roberts finished third in the event. – (Alan Warren | The Ann Arbor News)
Brighton’s Megan Clifford battle with Pioneer’s Amanda Maher-Balduf in the girls 100 meter hurdles. – (Alan Warren | The Ann Arbor News)
Lincoln’s Noriah Williams competes in the girls 200 dash. – (Alan Warren | The Ann Arbor News)

KENTWOOD – Nine hours after it all started, the Division 1 girls track and field championship hinged on the final 400 yards of the final event.

That’s when Romulus senior Christienne Linton, the star of the MHSAA finals held Saturday at East Kentwood High School, blew past the field for the 1,600-meter relay title and Rockford slipped ahead of Pioneer in the final stretch. And with those results added to a day-long tally, the teams finished an identical 1-2-3 in the final standings at one of the most tightly-contested state finals in history.

Chelsea’s DeTroyer defends her 400 title at Division 2 girls state track meet – MLive.com
Chelsea’s DeTroyer defends her 400 title at Division 2 girls state track meet

Jeff Arnold | The Ann Arbor News, May 30, 2009 8:55 p.m.

ZEELAND – All day, Olivia DeTroyer attempted to talk herself out of defending her Division 2 400 meter dash state championship.

The Chelsea High School junior’s nerves wreaked havoc on her, throwing her on an emotional roller coaster ride that didn’t cease until the starter’s pistol sounded Saturday afternoon.

But as she ran, the sense of calm that had eluded Detroyer all day finally sank in. And after she crossed the finish line slightly ahead of Middleville Thornapple-Kellogg’s Emily Ordway, all of the pent up feelings inside of Detroyer suddenly came out.

She dropped to the ground and began to cry as the accomplishment of her second straight 400 championship began to sink in.

Milan’s Kyle Anderson celebrates birthday with victory in 3,200 – MLive.com
Milan’s Kyle Anderson celebrates birthday with victory in 3,200

Jeff Arnold | The Ann Arbor News, May 30, 2009 8:50 p.m.

ZEELAND – Kyle Anderson has run enough distance races to know that anything can happen on any given day.

So rather than focusing on the seeds in the boys’ 3,200 run, the Milan senior settled into the pack intent on running his race. And by the time he made his move, the rest became a matter of trust.

Turns out, it turned out to be the perfect championship strategy – on his 18th birthday no less.

Minutes after Milan teammate Jordan Tomecek captured a state championship in the 3,200, Anderson completed the Big Red title sweep in the event with a title of his own.

“God gave me the strength and I just tried to remain consistent,” Anderson said. “Then, I ran scared the last couple of laps. I was terrified.”

St. Phil’s Sherzer wins in hurdles | battlecreekenquirer.com | The Enquirer
St. Phil’s Sherzer wins in hurdles

The Enquirer • May 31, 2009

Several local track and field standouts came through with outstanding efforts in the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Finals meets that took place across the state on Saturday.
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Those earning first-place finishes at the state meets were:

• At the Division 4 finals at Grand Rapids Forest Hills Eastern, St. Philip’s Liz Sherzer was first in the 100-meter hurdles in a meet-record time of 15.14 (Whitney Troop of Reading held the old record of 15.30 in 2008); and Homer’s Nikki Wurster won both the 1,600 run in 5:08.16 and the 3,200 run in 11:28.61.

• And, at the Division 3 finals at Comstock Park High, Albion’s Amelia Bannister won the 100-meter dash in 12:36 and the 400 dash in 56.84; and Albion’s 400 relay team was first in 50.51 with a unit made up of Marcola Ridley, Tre Washington, Amelia Bannister and Carly Moore.

As a team, the Wildcats placed third with 39 points.

Albion boys win team crown | battlecreekenquirer.com | The Enquirer
Albion boys win team crown

The Enquirer • May 31, 2009

Albion High captured another state title in boy’s track and field Saturday as it placed first with 61.50 points at the MHSAA Division 3 Finals at Comstock Park High.
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Second place was Allendale with 43 points. Also, locally, Maple Valley was fourth with 42, Bronson had 10 points and Union City had 6.50.

Albion came through with three first-place efforts, and Maple Valley had two:

• For Albion, Ryan Hopson was first in the long jump with a leap of 22-10.50; Todd Atchison was first in the 200-meter dash in 21.86; and the Wildcats’ 800-meter relay unit of Patrick Dewalt, Ryan Hopson, Dion Mitchell and Todd Atchison was first in 43.82.

• For Maple Valley, Jeff Burd was the champion in the 400 dash in 49.38; and the Lions’ 1,600 relay foursome of Rob Morse, Josh Hall, Nick Thurlby and Jeff Burd placed first in 3:23.86.

cadillacnews.com
Seniors win track titles

Cadillac News

What a way to finish.

A pair of area seniors finished their prep track and field careers the best way – on top.

Pine River senior Rachel Whitley and Northern Michigan Christian senior Nathan DeKam were each a champion at the MHSAA State Track and Field Finals Saturday in the Grand Rapids area.

In the Division 3 meet at Comstock Park, Whitley won the 800-meter run in 2 minutes, 16.09 seconds.

“I am very excited,” Whitley said. “It look a lot of hard work and not a lot of people have that opportunity to I am very grateful.”

Whitley and another runner took off fast in the race to smartly stay ahead of the pack.

Linton’s day boosts Romulus | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press
Linton’s day boosts Romulus

By MICK MCCABE • FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER • May 30, 2009
KENTWOOD — The girls Division 1 team state championship came down to what happened after Christienne Linton grabbed the baton on the final leg of the 1,600-meter relay.
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“We knew once Linton got it, things would be pretty much sealed,” said Romulus coach Wade Cook.

Linton took the baton in second place and by the time she was finished, Romulus had its first state title and she had a hand in every one of its points.

Romulus totaled 38 points while Rockford was second at 37 and three-time defending champ Ann Arbor Pioneer was third with 36 points.