Boys Finals: Hurdles Conquered
June 2, 2012
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
With the number of elite athletes Lake Orion, Auburn Hills Avondale and Lansing Catholic have featured over the last many years, it was somewhat surprising that none had won an MHSAA boys track and field championship.
All three can check that goal off the list after earning first-place trophies for the first time Saturday.
Here's our breakdown of the best from the Boys Finals meets. It's impossible to include every highlight, of course. But feel free to comment below and tell us what we missed.
Headliner
Lansing Catholic senior Zack Zingsheim gets the edge over Union City’s Chris Maye just as his team finished just ahead of Maye’s for the Division 3 championship. Zingsheim won the 800 in 1:55.97 and also ran on first-place 800, 1,600 and 3,200 relays as the Cougars finished with 68 points and their first MHSAA team championship. The Georgetown University recruit previously has been part of one MHSAA championship relay and also won the Division 3 cross country title in the fall.
Record setters
LP D2/Pole vault – Jaime Salisbury, Marine City – 16-1
(previous was 16-0.5, set by Fowlerville’s Max Babits in 2010)
LP D2/800 relay – Lansing Sexton (Kendall Jackson, Adrian Sanchez, David Washington, Anthony Goodman) – 1:27.99
(previous was 1:28.11, set by Auburn Hills Avondale in 2011)
LP D2/200 dash – Kassius Kelly, Livonia Clarenceville – 21.36
(previous was 21.70, set by Muskegon Orchard View’s Clinton Allen in 2005)
LP D4/Discus – Jacob Patrick, Litchfield – 190-0
(previous was 170-1, set by Maple City Glen Lake’s Andrew Kemp in 2004)
LP D4/Long jump – Adam Abbott, Detroit Cristo Rey – 22-3.75
(previous was 22-1, set by Centreville’s Kevin Singleton in 2000)
UP D1/300 hurdles – Kenner Broullire, Manistique – 39.74
(previous was 40.01 set by Menominee’s Jason Hofer in 2004)
UP D2/High jump – James Sutton, Newberry – 6-3.5
(previous was 6-3, set by Munising’s Rick St. Amour in 2001)
UP D3/Discus – Brett Branstrom, Rock Mid-Peninsula – 154-8
(previous was 149-1, set by Rapid River’s Richard Poma in 2003)
UP D3/1,600 relay – Crystal Falls Forest Park (Alex Takala, Mark Hallman, Jake Divine, Derek Aberly) – 3:36.32
(previous was 3:37.51, set by Rock Mid-Peninsula in 2007)
Tales of the Trophy
LP D1: Despite just one first place, in the 1,600 relay, Lake Orion held off Grand Blanc to win its first MHSAA team championship, with 50 points. Grand Blanc scored 44, with wins in two relays. Lake Orion also finished runner-up in two relays.
LP D2: Auburn Hills Avondale got wins from Kyle Redwine in the 100 and Nathan Chapman in the 400, plus a relay win, to edge Lansing Sexton 47-40 at the top of the standings despite two Big Reds relay wins.
LP D3: With five event wins, including three in relays, Lansing Catholic also won its first championship – but in commanding style. The Cougars scored 68 points, 23 more than runner-up Union City.
LP D4: After tying for the championship last season, Albion left no question with 49 points, 13 more than Muskegon Western Michigan Christian. Albion swept the relays, with Nolen Mitchell on three of them, and he also tied for first place in the 400.
UP D1: Marquette claimed its third straight championship, this time out-pacing Gladstone by 15 points. Marquette won only three events, but got points from 14 entries.
UP D2: St. Ignace continued its reign with a third-straight championship, putting up 112 points to Stephenson’s 85. Parker Simmons won both the 100 and 200, and the team also won three field events.
UP D3: Pickford has had streaks of dominance before, but won its first championship Saturday since 1992. Jordan Lavinge was part of both event wins, taking first in long jump and running on the 800 relay.
So long, seniors
Drake Johnson, Ann Arbor Pioneer – Won the LP Division 1 championship in the 110 hurdles for the third straight season.
Garret Zuk, White Lake Lakeland – His win in the 3,200 at the LP Division 1 Final was his first in track and field, but he also won the Division 1 cross country title in the fall.
Austin Sanders, Ypsilanti – Sanders had the top-seeded LP Division 1 times in both the 100 and 200, and made good by winning both.
Jake McFadden, Clare – Won both the 110 and 300 hurdles at the LP Division 3 Final to give him four championships total in his career.
Chris Maye, Union City – Carried his team to second place in the LP Division 3 Final with wins in the 100 and 200, a second in the long jump, and as a runner on the winning 400 relay. He won three titles as a junior.
Click for links to all results.
PHOTOS: (Top) Williamston's Austin Loewen (left), Alma's Chaz Bradshaw (center) and Niles' Brandon Partee were among those competing for the Division 2 championship at 110 hurdles. Loewen won the race. (Middle) Auburn Hills Avondale's Kyle Redwine won the 100 and his team won its first MHSAA championship. (Photos courtesy of RunMichigan.com. Click to see more.)
With 2nd Place in Final Race, Newberry Clinches 1st in Final Team Standings
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
June 2, 2024
KINGSFORD — The race for the Upper Peninsula Division 3 boys track & field championship came right down to the wire Saturday as Newberry edged St. Ignace 96-92 for top honors.
Third-place team finisher Lake Linden-Hubbell won the day’s final race, the 1,600-meter relay, in 3 minutes, 41.94 seconds, and Newberry hung on to edge St. Ignace by two steps for second place and its first title in eight years.
Newberry, which was runner-up to Munising last year, was clocked at 3:43.07 in the 1,600 relay on this sunny and mild late afternoon. The Saints finished nine hundredths of a second later.
“We knew we had to beat St. Ignace to win,” Newberry senior Kennedy Depew said after finishing the anchor leg. “This was my last race ever. I knew I had to give it my all. That’s also why I knew I had to scratch from the open 400. I would have been in four events. I think scratching from the 400 helped me save some energy. We weren’t satisfied with runner-up last year, which makes this year’s championship all the more satisfying.”
Classmate Gabe Luck provided Newberry with its lone individual first with a heave of 44 feet, 1¾ inches in shot put.
“We had a lot of injuries this year,” Newberry coach Drew Schultz said. “For all the obstacles we had, we wouldn’t have it any other way, having two of the best athletes decide it in the last race. I’m extremely proud of our guys. To win it that way is just insane. I’m proud of all our eastern-end kids.”
Depew also was runner-up in the 100-meter dash in 11.63 seconds.
Senior Jon Ingalls, who ran the last leg for the Saints, won the 110 hurdles (16.39) and 300s (42.89) and helped them place second in the 400 relay (45.94).
“Both hurdles were decent,” Ingalls said. “Those weren’t my best times, but it feels good to grind out a few more wins.”
Senior Owen Lester also provided the Saints with a victory in pole vault (12-6).
LL-H got firsts from senior Gabe Popko in discus at 153 feet, 4¼ inches, and classmate Matt Jokela in the 400 (51.09). Jokela also took third in the 100 (11.65).
“Real good hydration and confidence are keys,” Jokela said. “I think having confidence helps a little. I usually don’t go too hard out of the blocks. Then, I usually try to go as hard as I can in the last 200.”
Chassell junior Kalvin Kytta claimed three firsts, taking the 800 in a personal-best 2:03.62, 1,600 (4:39.58) and 3,200 (10:27.32).
“Three wins, I’m pretty happy with that,” he said. “The 800 went real well. Overall, I’m very happy with my performance today.”
Fourth-place Bessemer set UPD3 Finals records in the 400 relay (45.3) and 800 (1:34.64). Powers North Central previously set the record in the 400 (45.34) two years ago and Rock Mid Peninsula had held the 800 record since 2001 when it ran a 1:35.1.
“We shaved two seconds off in the 800 relay which feels good, and our handoffs in the 400 were good all year,” Bessemer senior Landon Peterson said. “Our school record in the 400 is 44.98, which is something we’ve done three times this year. Running on a rubber track gives you a much better grip, which helped us a lot today.”
Bessemer senior Tom Trudgeon became a four-event winner, also taking the 100 (11.46) and 200 (23.85).
Crystal Falls Forest Park freshman Vic Guiliani won high jump (6-0), and sophomore Michael Rexford went 19-9 in long jump, providing Escanaba Holy Name with its first U.P. Finals title since the school reopened in 2021.
PHOTOS (Top) Newberry runners celebrate taking second place in the 1,600 relay, allowing them to finish ahead of St. Ignace for the team title in Upper Peninsula Division 3. (Middle) Chassell's Kalvin Kytta and Cedarville/DeTour's Ethan Snyder lead the pack of 1,600 runners. (Click for more from Cara Kamps/RunMichigan.com.)