Corunna Star Recovers to Shine Again
By
Tom Markowski
Special for Second Half
June 3, 2017
ZEELAND – Noah Jacobs of Corunna is another in a long line of tremendous distance runners to come out of this state.
Among the names he’s chased include Olympian Dathan Ritzenhein of Rockford and Grant Fisher of Grand Blanc.
Jacobs, a senior headed for University of Wisconsin, was the two-time defending Lower Peninsula Division 2 Finals champion in the 3,200-meter run and last year he added the New Balance two-mile national championship.
This past fall Jacobs won the Division 2 cross country championship with a time of 15:28.00.
Unbeknownst to him, this year would be different. Challenges always present themselves, but Jacobs was shaken by what he had to face as he began to prepare for the 2017 track & field season.
In February, Jacobs was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his left tibia. A stress fracture is more severe. Fortunately for Jacobs, the injury stopped just short of a fracture.
Still, for five weeks he had to shelve his training and deal with the mental anguish of knowing it would be a long, painstaking road back to the MHSAA Finals, if indeed he could return.
A few weeks ago, Jacobs noticed his times were getting back to where they were a year ago. On Saturday, he fought off fierce competition and defended his LP Division 2 Finals titles in the 3,200 (9:11.63) and added a first-place finish in the 1,600 run with a time of 4:14.03 at Zeeland East to complete was has been a courageous comeback.
“Last season I was blessed with great health,” Jacobs said. “This year I was battling. I was losing races, to some good runners. I didn’t have that same kick. I had to break that mental barrier.
“(In February) I was a mental wreck. My teammates and my family kept me going.
“It was around Regional time, in early May, I was running in two or three quality meets. I kind of got my routine back. I got to use the race situations I used to use. The last two weeks have really been good. (My leg) is not perfect. People asked me how it is, and I have one word for them – ready. I’m ready.”
Jacobs had to fend off a couple runners coming into the second-to-last turn to win the 1,600.
“I took the lead with about 250 meters left,” he said. “I knew they wanted it. It could have been a tenth of a second, it could have been five seconds. I don’t know.”
His win in the 3,200 held more drama. He led with 600 meters to go before Shuaib Aljabaly of Coldwater put forth a burst of speed to pass Jacobs by two meters.
“I knew that I had to draft (early in the race),” Jacobs said. “I’ve raced (Aljabaly) before. I didn’t worry about him running. I just had to attack the last half. I had to push and push and push.
“I had a couple of coaches with 100 meters to go screaming at me. When he took the lead, I had to fight, fight. It’s happened before.”
Jacobs overtook Aljabaly with 50 meters left and won by 21 hundredths of a second.
Home cooking
One thing that can top winning an MHSAA Finals title is winning one at home.
Zeeland East won its first boys track & field team title with a score of 71 points. Coldwater placed second with 42.
East had clinched its 1,600 relay team took first as well.
Coach Ralph Neal, in his seventh season, said everything went right for his team.
“It was an amazing day,” he said. “I can look back at two years ago and what we were trying to build. I saw enough talent. I saw the field events. I saw the relays. We had all these pieces that came together. Nothing went wrong today. It’s what a coach dreams about.
“It is special winning it at home. (Athletic director) Tim Ritsema pulls his hair out to get this (event) going.”
Junior Brenden Knoll placed second in both the discus (176 feet, 7 inches) and shot put (55 feet) to earn his team 16 points. He said the formula to winning was basic.
“We put in the work, every day,” he said. “I just had my mind right. I put everything else aside. It feels real good. These are the reasons you work so hard.”
Getting serious pays off
John Adams III of Ferndale never qualified for the MHSAA Finals until this year. Last year he started running track for the first time, to stay in shape for football. That reasoning paid off as Adams, a 5-foot-10, 160-pound slot back and defensive back, will attend Olivet College in the fall with every intention of competing for a starting spot on the football team.
Fearless, Adams competed in the 100 dash, and he certainly wasn’t one of the favorites. That didn’t bother him. With a time of 10.94, Adams placed first in the 100.
“I won because I worked the hardest,” he said. “I didn’t take track seriously until this year. When I got beat in the (Oakland Activities Association) meet (May 11), that’s when it hit me. I finished third. It was hand-held time, and it was really close. I’m not sure anyone knew who won. I didn’t want that to happen again.”
Special days
Sunday is Noah Caudry’s 18th birthday. It’s likely he’ll remember the day before his 18th birthday better in the years to come.
Caudry of Lake Odessa Lakewood won the 110 and 300 hurdles, and helped his team place fifth in the 400 relay even though it didn’t compete in the fast heat.
His time in the 110 (14.05) was a personal best. He’s a three-time champion in that event.
“This is my specialty,” he said of the 110. “I was hoping for (the three consecutive titles). I was hoping to get in the 13s, but I’ll take a PR.”
Caudry is a remarkable person. He graduated with a 3.94 grade-point average and plans on entering optometry school after earning a degree in biology.
New event, new success
Junior Cameron Oleen was a half-miler since he began running track at Fruitport two years ago.
This season, it was suggested Oleen run the 400 dash. He’d never run it before but thought he’d give it a shot.
“I really like it,” he said. “It’s the most difficult race. I can pace myself in the 800. In the 400 you have to run as fast as you can all the way through it. You could pace yourself in the first 300 meters and then die in the last 100. You might as well run as fast as you can the first 300.”
It would be difficult to argue that point with Oleen. He won the 400 with a time of 49.21 seconds.
“It’s conditioning,” he said. “The 800 helps me train for the 400.”
Oleen also competes in cross country and basketball. He added that running cross country helps him maintain the proper conditioning for the other two sports.
PHOTO: Corunna's Noah Jacobs, far right, stays a step ahead of Coldwater's Shuaib Aljabaly during Saturday's 3,200 at Zeeland. (Photo by Janina Pollatz/RunMichigan.com.)
Marquette Rises to Match Challengers
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
June 2, 2018
KINGSFORD — The Marquette boys continued their hold on the Upper Peninsula Division 1 track title Saturday, winning for the fourth straight season with 110 points.
Houghton edged Gladstone 86-76 for runner-up honors.
“Competition in D-1 was the tightest I’ve seen in a long time,” said Marquette coach Kyle Detmers. “It was very competitive. It was a battle until the 3,200 when it was just a seven-point difference between us and Houghton.
“It was just packed. I haven’t been in a D-1 Track Finals that was this competitive to the end.”
Senior Garrett Rudden helped the Redmen gain some separation by placing third in the 3,200-meter run in 10 minutes, 14.41 seconds and helping the winning 1,600 relay (3:35.87). Teammate Garrett Zueger took fourth in the 3,200 (10:28.68) and helped the Redmen take the 3,200 relay (8:30.74).
The Redmen had a double winner in junior Raphael Millado, who captured high jump (6-2) and long jump (19-6).
“Raphael has jumped as high as 6-6 and more than 21 feet (in long jump),” said Detmers. “The wind swirling around down there may have affected the jumping events. We also had a guy (Ethan Martysz) pull up with a hamstring injury in the 100 and pull out of the 200, but the guys fought through it. Drew Thomas taking second in the 110 hurdles and Garrett’s second in the 1,600 were huge for us, and Matt (Pillifant) was seeded seventh and placed fourth in pole vault. We stayed steady and scored in all the field events. I’m thankful for the guys’ resilience and ability to pick each other up. Every point mattered.”
Houghton senior Clayton Sayen won four individual events, taking the 100 (11.47), 200 (23.19), 400 (51.25) and 800 (1:59.31), in the last edging Negaunee senior Colton Yesney (2:00.24).
“It was fun,” said Sayen, who plans to continue his track career at Michigan Tech. “I rely on my speed for everything. I’m thankful for our coaches who always knew that was best for me. Without their guidance, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve what I did. I also want to make a special shout-out to Seth Helman. Running against him in the 800 was a bittersweet moment. He’s my closest friend; I’m really going to miss the time we had together. I’m thankful for the competition we had.”
Houghton coach Dan Juntilla said he was pleased with the team’s effort.
“Our guys gave it their all, but Marquette was a little too deep for us,” he added. “I’m real proud of the guys. Seth and Clayton had a great day, and placing second in the 3,200 relay set the tone. Plus, taking three places in pole vault gave us some big points.
“We’re looking forward to having our new facility next year and really excited about what the taxpayers of Houghton did for us.”
Yesney, who plans to continue his running career at the University of Michigan, won the 1,600 in a school-record 4:23.49 and 3,200 (9:54.43), missing the U.P. meet record by four tenths of a second.
“I’m a little bummed out,” he said. “I thought I had the record. I could envision myself getting the school record in the 1,600. Usually, when that happens it works out well. I thought I had (Sayen) in the 800, but he has that sprinter’s speed and just enough endurance to get it done.
“I’m really looking forward to going to U-M, running for one of the best programs in the nation and running against some of the best runners in the nation.”
Gladstone’s leader was freshman Calvin Thibault, who won the 110 hurdles (16.12) and 300s in a school-record 40.04 seconds.
“I knew what was at stake with us being so close to Marquette (before the 300s),” said Thibault, who’s battling an asthmatic condition. “My family and girlfriend (junior Hannah Christe) were here, and I thought about them during the race. Hannah makes sure I get enough rest and energy to run. At the beginning of the season, I didn’t think I’d be able to do this well, especially in the 300 hurdles. I didn’t know what to expect.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Marquette’s Raphael Millado clears the bar on one of his high jumps. (Middle) Houghton’s Clayton Sayen, left, outkicks Negaunee’s Colton Yesney to win the 800. (Photos by Cara Kamps. Click for more at RunMichigan.com.)