Concord Conquers LP D4 Convincingly
May 31, 2014
By Chip Mundy
Special to Second Half
HUDSONVILLE – Concord distance runner Jesse Hersha imagined the Yellow Jackets would win the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 4 track and field championship as far back as last summer.
Or just about the time he heard that Nolen Bright-Mitchell was coming to Concord from Albion High School, which had closed its doors because of budget issues.
“Last spring, we were already thinking we were going to be really good and we had a shot to win the state title,” Hersha said. “Later that summer, I heard a rumor that Nolen was coming, but they were trying to keep it on the down low.
“I asked my dad - he’s the coach - and he just said, ‘He is.’ I was like, ‘Yea, we’re going to win the state title.’ ”
Concord did it convincingly, too. The Yellow Jackets finished with 78 points, far ahead of the 46 registered by defending champion and runner-up Saugatuck.
Bright-Mitchell was as good Saturday as Hersha was with his premonition last summer. After winning the 200 last year for Albion, Bright-Mitchell swept the 100 and 200 and ran on Concord’s winning relay teams in the 800 and 1,600. He set LP Division 4 records in the 100 (10.7 seconds) and 200 (21.62), and the 1,600 relay also set an LP Division 4 record in 3 minutes, 24.19 seconds.
Bright-Mitchell, wearing a blue shoe on his left foot and an orange one on his right, will attend Grand Valley State University in the fall. But he hasn’t forgotten his Albion roots.
“I wore my Albion warm-ups in every meet we had,” he said. “But I love Concord. It’s a great community with great teachers and a great school.”
It was the second MHSAA championship in five years for Concord, which won the 2010 title.
“It’s been a really good year, and we accomplished a lot,” Concord coach Mark Hersha said. “We had a vision for it at the beginning of the year, and it’s really good to see the guys put it all together.”
Coach Hersha also received a bonus as he watched his son Jesse win his first individual track title as he took the 3,200 in 9:38.54.
“That was kind of nice, too,” Mark Hersha said. “It was a fast 1,600, so it was disappointing he was third. He cooled down a little bit, and it was courageous to go back out there and run again in the 3,200.”
Jesse Hersha, just a sophomore, already is a two-time individual champion in cross country.
“My whole high school career has kind of been like an only-distance track team, but now we’ve had a lot more people to come out from the baseball team and everything,” he said, “and a couple of Albion guys, especially Nolen.
“You have to give a lot of credit to Nolen for winning four events.”
Bright-Mitchell had some help on the relays as was joined on the winning 1,600 relay team by Lonelle Langston, Chase Hinkle and Zach Hudson, another Albion transfer.
The winning 800 relay team also included Brett Lehman, Langston and Chevy Burk. Langston also was seventh in the high jump, Lehman was eighth in the 100 and Burk was 11th in the long jump.
Concord also placed fourth in the 400 as Lehman, Hinkle, Treyvon Miller and Langston finished in 44.77 seconds.
Another Albion connection is on the coaching staff as former Albion coach Mike Jurasek and his assistant Dan Davis serve as volunteer coaches. Jurasek is a Concord graduate, and Coach Hersha welcomed him to the staff.
“From a distance, we’ve all seen the success he’s had at Albion and stuff like that,” Hersha said. “It’s kind of almost a miracle to see the things he does with kids – his personality, the way he prepares himself to prepare them – again, there’s a reason why he’s successful.
“Everything about him is a model of excellence, and it’s been a blessing all year long to have him. He doesn’t only help with the guys but with the girls, too.”
Saugatuck had only one individual champion, but it came with some flash. Freshman Blake Dunn won the 300 hurdles in 40.22 seconds, while David Dykstra of White Cloud took the 110 hurdles.
There were two LP Division 4 state records broken in the field events. Curtis Bell cleared 15 feet, 1 inch to set a record and win the pole vault, while Tyrell Hall of Marion soared 12-11.75 to win the long jump.
Other winners in the field events were Tucker Scharf of Unionville-Sebewaing in the discus (148-6), Tyler Crenshaw of Brown City in the shot put (51-8), and Hunter Weeks of Homer in the high jump (6-7).
In the running events, Austin Sandusky of Morenci won the 400 in 50.48, Bryce DeGrammont of Mio took the 800 in 1:58.09, and Luke Anderson of Harbor Beach captured the 1,600 in 4:17.49. The 400 relay went to Southfield Christian, and Muskegon Western Michigan Christian took the 3,200 relay.
PHOTO: Concord’s Nolen Bright-Mitchell (4) set LP Division 4 Finals records in both the 100 and 200 Saturday in Hudsonville. (Click to see more from RunMichigan.com.)
Kalamazoo Central Headlines LPD1 Finals with 1st Championship since 1965
By
Steve Vedder
Special for MHSAA.com
June 2, 2024
KENTWOOD – Garrett Weeden figures that condensing a four-year dream to a single, all-or-nothing throw is not the easiest way to win a state championship.
But that was the unlikely storyline for Weeden in Saturday's shot put at the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 1 Finals at East Kentwood. With one throw left for him in the shot put, the Zeeland East senior was staring at a runner-up finish behind Walled Lake Central leader Tyler Marrogy, whose toss of 58 feet, 2 inches had topped the field.
What's worse is that Weeden freely admits there were past moments during his throwing career when he wouldn't have exactly – well, let's say – risen to the occasion.
All that was rushing through Weeden's mind before he stepped up with a last-ditch throw of 59 feet to win the event. Weeden has been in the hunt for a Finals title in the past, with a ninth place in the shot (and a sixth in the discus) a year ago, but the main prize had always eluded him. That is, until his last throw Saturday.
"I know I needed around a 58-4 and that I had thrown a 59-1 once at an indoor meet," said Weeden, whose previous outdoor best was a 57-7. I wasn't thinking about technique or anything, I just got into it and threw. I just put it all out there.
"I used to be the kind of guy who didn't do well in situations like that. But I've gone to a lot of big meets that have given me confidence. I just knew I needed to step up and do it."
While Weeden's clutch throw was one of the best stories from the individual portion of the meet, Kalamazoo Central narrowly won a wild three-team race for first place. The Maroon Giants finished first with 41 points, just ahead of 39 by Clinton Township Chippewa Valley and 38 by Belleville. Grand Haven was fourth with 29 points, and Ann Arbor Huron had 26.
Kalamazoo Central coach Tyler Germain, whose team won its first Finals title since 1965, said he told his athletes the victory was possible.
"I told them maybe because I knew they could compete," he said. "I told them anything can happen, We just went out and competed; we ran real well. We weren't overconfident or anything, but we have a good, competitive group that I've seen grow up."
Kalamazoo Central wound up placing in six events, with a first by junior Jeremy Dixon in the 100 (10.72).
Four-year senior Latay'vion Braxton admitted that while his teammates listened closely to their coach's prediction, there was at least a trickle of doubt in the runners' minds at the start of the season.
"I don't think I felt like it was really in the plan," he said. "I don't know that we thought it would happen. But some of us grew up together, and we thought maybe this was the time to do it."
Among the most dominating showings in the meet were a pair of firsts in the 200 (21.36) and 400 (46.76) by Chippewa Valley's Shamar Heard. The University of Tennessee-bound Heard finishes an outstanding career with three Finals titles in the 200, two in the 400 and one in the 100. He also helped the 1,600 relay to a first (3:17.51) on Saturday.
"After my breakout year as a sophomore, I knew what I could do," he said. "I quit the 100, but still won as part of a (relay) team. It's been a challenge mentally and physically, but with repetition you learn to trust the process."
Among the other victories was a first place in the pole vault (15-3) by East Kentwood sophomore Reece Emeott, the son of Falcons coach Dave Emeott. Reese said he's been dreaming of a state championship in the pole vault since attending his father's offseason pole vault camp as a middle schooler.
"That's always been the goal; I've been working toward it since I was a little kid," he said. "I was the No. 1 seed, and I've been unbeaten the last couple months so I thought I'd have a chance. I just needed to be consistent. I knew I was good enough. I just had to execute."
Grand Haven senior Seth Norder won the 1,600 (4:03.01). He was the runner-up in that event two years ago and then spent more time in the 3,200 in 2023. Seven of the eight runners in the 1,600 ran personal bests, including Norder.
"I didn't like where my speed was so I worked on it," he said. "I knew this was a good field as the guys who finished second and third will be teammates with me at Michigan State next year. I thought I ran well."
Northville senior Brendan Herger gained a huge measure of satisfaction when he won the 800 (1:50.08). He finished runner-up in the event a year ago when he lagged down the stretch. This year Herger found himself in much the same situation, but lessons learned a year ago led to different results Saturday.
"I thought I had it last year, and it was a big disappointment," said Herger, who will compete in the upcoming New Balance nationals. "But that was only fuel for the fire this year. (Finishing second) actually helped me. This year I closed faster."
Relay winners on Saturday included Holland West Ottawa in the 800 (1:25.53) and 400 (41.35) and Northville in the 3,200 (7:44.52).
Individually, Schmar Gamble of Belleville won the 110 hurdles (13.85), Leonardo Peralta-Castro of Lincoln Park the 300 hurdles (37.93), Thomas Westphal of New Baltimore Anchor Bay the 3,200 (9:07.56), Isaac Quincy of Canton the long jump (23-3¾), Brock Fergison of Sturgis the high jump (6-10) and Clinton Allen of Grosse Pointe North the discus (177-3). Anchor Bay junior Luke Bowman won the adaptive 200, 400 and shot put events, and South Lyon freshman Owen Moerdyke won the adaptive 100 race.
PHOTOS (Top) Kalamazoo Central celebrates its first Finals championship Saturday since 1965. (Middle) Northville’s Brendan Herger pulls away for the win in the 800. (Click for more from John Brabbs/RunMichigan.com.)