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.)
VanderSchaaf Brothers Help Marquette Pull Away for UPD1 3-Peat
By
Jason Juno
Special for MHSAA.com
June 4, 2023
KINGSFORD – The Marquette boys had a little more breathing room Saturday than last year.
They defeated Kingsford at the Upper Peninsula Track & Field Finals by just one point a year ago, but were 20 points better than the Flivvers this time around to claim a third-straight Division 1 championship.
Marquette finished with 134 points, Kingsford had 114, third-place Sault Ste. Marie 90 and fourth-place Gladstone scored 51.
Like the team, Marquette’s Carson VanderSchaaf won an event for the third straight year – the 3,200-meter run. He finished in 9:55.25, edging Sault Ste. Marie freshman Gabe Litzner by less than a second.
“I ran a little bit quicker last year, but (in) a little more favorable conditions,” VanderSchaaf said. “It’s pretty hot out, and I’m not quite feeling the best today.”
He might have had two U.P. titles Saturday, but his brother Colin, also a senior, gave Carson a runner-up finish in the 1,600 by less than two seconds.
“My brother outkicked me in the 1,600,” Carson said.
Colin won it in 2021, Carson in 2022 and now Colin in 2023.
Colin also won the 800 for Marquette on Saturday, edging teammate Cullen Papin by six hundredths of a second.
Marquette also won the 400 and 1,600 relays. Nate Benninger, Adam DuVall, Wyatt Lakenen and Kyler Sager made up the 400 relay team with Kai Chouinard, Ben Rayhorn, Papin and Colin VanderSchaaf on the 1,600 relay.
Sault Ste. Marie’s Carter Oshelski won two U.P. titles, in the 200 and 400 dashes. He outpaced runner-up Colin VanderSchaaf in the 400.
“In the 400, I just tried to stick with the top guy and try to beat him down the stretch,” Oshelski said. “And then the 200, I sprinted it all.”
Kingsford won the 800 relay (Cole Myllyla, Jack Olson, Conor Quick and Michael Floriano) and Sault Ste. Marie placed first in 3,200 relay (Caleb Klier, Logan Haskins, Cody Aldridge and Litzner).
Iron Mountain’s Will Fairchild was also a double winner, taking both of the hurdles races. Floriano took first in the 100 dash.
The Flivvers were strong in the field events. Noah Johnson won the discus, tying the U.P. Division 1 Finals record at 160 feet, 5 inches (with Terry Martin of Manistique). Cardel Morton won the long jump and Garrett Veale the shot put. Darrent Butler claimed the high jump for Menominee’s only event win on the day, and Sault Ste. Marie’s Rayce Rizzo took the pole vault.
In the Division 1 adaptive events, Marquette’s Jim Bennett won the 100, 200 and 400 and Sault Ste. Marie’s Johnny Osborn took first in the shot put.
PHOTOS (Top) Marquette's Colin VanderSchaaf crosses the finish line first in the 1,600 relay Saturday. (Middle) Kingsford's Michael Floriano, second from right, edges Sault Ste. Marie's Carter Oshelski in the 100. (Below) Iron Mountain's Will Fairchild, left, and Gladstone's Luke Bracket are step for step with each other in the 300 hurdles. (Photos by Cara Kamps/RunMichigan.com.)