Preview: Don't Miss This Grand Finale
May 31, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Pick a division – any of seven Saturday – and you’re bound to find a senior standout finishing his career at the MHSAA Boys Track & Field Finals.
Michigan high schools regularly graduate star-loaded classes in this sport – but with reigning champions headlining lineups all over the Lower and Upper Peninsula this weekend, this grand finale guarantees to be memorable.
Below is a look at some of the teams and individuals to watch at Saturday’s boys meets. All events begin at 9 a.m. local time on both peninsulas.
Click for meet information including all qualifiers. Check out MHSAA.tv for live streaming of running events from both peninsulas, available with subscription and beginning at 10 a.m., and come back Saturday night for results as they come in and coverage of all seven meets on Second Half.
LP Division 1 at East Kentwood
Top Regional team scores: 1. Grosse Pointe South 142, 2. East Kentwood 139.5, 3. Alpena 130, 4. Plymouth 125, 5. Macomb Dakota 114.
Team forecast: East Kentwood has won the last two LPD1 championships and seven of the last 10. The Falcons look like significant favorites again with the fastest Regional times in the 400, 800 and 1,600 relays, top-five times in five individual races and contenders in at least three field events.
Detroit Renaissance’s Dylan Brown: The junior sprinter ran the top Regional time in the 200 (21.69) and second-fastest in the 100 (10.75) and also runs on two contending relays. He was part of the winning 800 relay and finished fifth in the 200 last season for Detroit Martin Luther King.
Ann Arbor Pioneer’s Nick Foster: The senior distance standout is looking to add to last season’s championships in the 3,200 and as part of the 3,200 relay. His 9:16.60 in the 3,200 was the third fastest in LPD1 Regionals this spring, and he ran the fastest 1,600 (4:12.87).
Lansing Waverly’s Keshaun Harris: The reigning 300 hurdles champion is seeking to sweep those races after finishing a close second as well in the 110 race last spring. He had the fastest LPD1 Regional time in the 110 (14.23) and sixth-fastest in the 300 (38.71).
Rockford’s Noah Stallworth: After coming in fifth in the 100 and eighth in the 200 as a junior, Stallworth had the fastest 100 (10.54) and second-fastest 200 (21.79) at LPD1 Regionals and runs on 400 and 1,600 relays that both were the third fastest in qualifying. He was part of the 400 relay champion in 2017.
LP Division 2 at Zeeland
Top Regional team scores: 1. Dearborn Divine Child 193, 2. Zeeland West 157, 3. Corunna 139.67, 4. Parma Western 130, 5. Yale 118.
Team forecast: The LPD2 Finals have seen 15 schools win the championship at least once over the last 16 seasons. Zeeland West might the favorite this time, after also winning in 2014, with big scoring possible in the hurdles, middle and distance races, long jump and at least three relays.
Otsego’s Alex Comerford: Last season’s 3,200 champ will look to finish his high school career with a pair of titles after running the second-fastest LPD2 Regional time in that race (9:25.94) and fastest in the 1,600 (4:18.41) – although he faces strong competition in Corunna senior Ben Jacobs and East Grand Rapids junior Evan Bishop.
Tecumseh’s Jacob Denison: The 400 winner last season as a junior had the sixth-fastest LPD2 Regional time in that race (50.25) but the second-fastest in the 200 (22.29) and also runs on an 800 relay that should contend.
Saginaw’s Tony Martin: The reigning long jump champion went over 26 feet during a regular-season meet, which would break the all-Finals record by two feet. He won his Regional at 21-10.25, the second-best jump in LPD2 Regional competition behind the 22-3.5 of Hudsonville Unity Christian junior Isaac TeSlaa.
Coldwater’s Dylan Targgart: Coming off a sweep of the throws last season as a sophomore, Targgart had the best tosses in both the shot put (61 feet) and discus (166-8) at LPD2 Regionals. He should make a run at the LPD2 Finals shot put record of 61-8 set by Ogemaw Heights’ Anthony Zettel in 2011.
LP Division 3 at Jenison
Top Regional team scores: 1. Berrien Springs 174.5, 2. Warren Michigan Collegiate 161, 3. Caro 148, 4. Adrian Madison 139.5, 5. Madison Heights Bishop Foley 134.
Team forecast: Similar to LPD2, this division has seen nine schools take turns winning the last nine championships (although three schools have come in second at least twice during that time). Berrien Springs was the runner-up a year ago and should put up some points – but keep an eye out for Pewamo-Westphalia and Saugatuck. P-W should contend in the throws, sprints, middle distance and at least two relays, while Saugatuck – the Division 4 champion or co-champion three of the last six seasons – has the favorites in both distance and hurdles races.
Saugatuck’s Brad Dunn: After taking third in the 110 and fifth in the 300 hurdles last season, Dunn had the top LPD3 Regional times in both this spring as a senior at 14.66 and 40.18 seconds, respectively.
Saugatuck’s Corey Gorgas: After sweeping the 1,600 and 3,200 last season as a junior, Gorgas is favored to do so with the top LPD3 Regional times of 4:19.24 and 9:43.98, respectively – although 800 favorite Jeremey Kloss from Harbor Springs should be right there with him in the 1,600, as should Caro star Yami Albrecht.
Grandville Calvin Christian’s Caleb Schutte: The senior sprinter won the 100 last year and was on the winning 400 relay as a sophomore. He enters this weekend with the second-fastest LPD3 Regional time in the 100 at 11.01 and the fastest in the 200 at 22.24.
Berrien Springs’ Sam Spaulding: The reigning high jump champ won his Regional at 6-2, which ties him for fifth among all LPD3 Regional performances. He’s gone 6-5 this senior season, which would put him one inch shy of the best qualifying mark.
Kent City’s Giovanni Weeks: Another reigning champion looking to go out on top is Weeks, who won the 200 last season and finished just behind Schutte in that race (22.34) and also in the 100 (11.08) at the Regional. His winning Regional long jump of 21-3.5 was fourth in the division for all Regionals.
LP Division 4 at Hudsonville Baldwin Middle School
Top Regional team scores: 1. Lutheran Westland 172, 2. Southfield Christian 158, 3. Addison 155.25, 4. Maple City Glen Lake 138, 5. Kalamazoo Hackett 135.
Team forecast: Hackett won its first MHSAA Finals championship in this sport last season, and Addison could become a first-time champ with at least one competitor in all but one race and three of five field events. Hillsdale Academy could be that team this weekend too with favorites in at least three events and a solid contender in a fourth. Breckenridge is another possible first-time champion with the possibility of earning big points in the throws, distance races and sprint relays.
Kalamazoo Hackett’s Heath Baldwin: After winning the 110 hurdles and long jump last year, Baldwin will make a run at four championships in his last high school meet. He had the second-fastest LPD4 Regional times in the 110 (15.06) and 300 hurdles (40.63), tied for the fourth-highest high jump (6-3) and also won his long jump at 20-0.5.
Hale’s Patrick Harris: The champion in the 400 the last two years just missed qualifying in that race but will cap his high school career running the 200 and on a relay.
Sand Creek’s Alec Muck: The senior sprinter is one of the biggest stars competing, regardless of division, as he looks to add to his five championships including with a fourth straight in the 200. His 200 Regional time (22.85) came in fourth overall for LPD4 and his 100 time of 11.04 ranks second as he looks to win that title for the third straight season. He’s also part of the fastest 400 relay (44.44) coming off LPD4 Regional competition.
Carson City-Crystal’s Daniel Smith: The reigning shot put champ had the second-longest toss during LPD4 Regionals at 51-11.25, but again must contend with another senior, Breckenridge’s Brennan Waslusky (54-9.5) after finishing second to him at that meet two weeks ago.
UP Division 1 at Kingsford
Top Regional team scores: 1. Gladstone 79.5, 2. Ishpeming Westwood 56, 3. Marquette 55.5.
Team forecast: Gladstone will attempt to break Marquette’s four-year hold on Upper Peninsula Division 1 after coming in third a year ago. The Braves had 10 event champions at their Regional to Marquette’s four in the same meet.
Gladstone’s Adam Bruce: The 3,200 champion in 2017 as a sophomore, Bruce will try to finish his senior season with a distance sweep after posting the fastest 1,600 (4:40.73) and second-fastest 3,200 (10:29.38) at UPD1 Regionals.
Marquette’s Raphael Millado: The senior standout won both the long and high jumps last season and enters with the best UPD1 Regional showings in both at 19-11 and 6-2, respectively. He also had the fourth-fastest 200 qualifying time (24.12).
Escanaba’s Dayton Miron: The reigning pole vault champion enters this weekend’s meet tied with the second-highest vault at a UPD1 Regional (11-0), and he’ll also cap his junior season running on three relays.
Gladstone’s Calvin Thibault: The sophomore sprinter/hurdler could end up the star of this meet. He won the 110 and 300 hurdles last season and had the fastest UPD1 Regional times in those races two weeks ago at 15.40 and 41.25, respectively. He also paced the UPD1 qualifiers in the 100 (11.49) and 200 (23.64).
UP Division 2 at Kingsford
Top Regional team scores: 1. Newberry 74, 2. Ishpeming 65, 3. Norway 52.5.
Team forecast: Ishpeming is the reigning champion and has won four of the last five UPD2 titles, with Newberry defeating the runner-up Hematites to claim the championship in 2017. They competed in and won separate Regionals two weeks ago, but on paper Newberry appears to have the upper hand.
Manistique’s Schyler Andersen: The junior standout will make a run at four individual titles with the fastest UPD2 Regional time in the 400 (52.61), top discus throw (140-10), second-best shot put (43-0) and second-fastest 200 (23.70). His best at the 2018 Finals was a fourth place in shot put.
Gwinn’s David Duvall: After taking eighth in the 110 hurdles a year ago as a freshman, Duvall could make a big jump entering this weekend with the top UPD2 Regional times in the 100 (17.72) and 300 (45.35) and the second-best long jump (17-7.5).
Newberry’s Jaylen James: He’s ready to lead Newberry’s team title hunt after helping two relay champs a year ago. He enters with the best UPD2 Regional long jump (18-10), 100 (tie – 11.49), 200 (23.15) and running on the favored 800 relay (1:38.53).
Manistique’s Alex Misniakiewicz: The junior got close last season with two second places and a third in individual events. He enters this weekend as the top qualifier in the 800 (2:10.51), 1,600 (4:44.94) and second-best in the 3,200 (10:49.24).
UP Division 3 at Kingsford
Top Regional team scores: 1. Rapid River 105, 2. Bessemer 86, 3. Brimley 72.5.
Team forecast: Bessemer last season won its first championship in this sport since 1951 and should be in the mix again with the top performers from all UPD3 Regionals combined in nine events. Rapid River was the runner-up in 2018 after two straight titles in 2016 and 2017.
Bessemer’s Uriah Aili: The reigning champion in the 3,200 will make a run at winning at least three races as a senior with the top UPD3 Regional times in the 800 (2:02.41) and 3,200 (10:09.5) and second-fastest in the 1,600 (4:44.49). He also qualified in discus (103-3).
Cedarville’s Thomas Bohn: His 4:33.24 a year ago is the meet record, and he’s ahead of Aili in that race coming into this weekend at 4:43.81. Bohn, a junior, also will run the 3,200 (11:01.82) and 800 (2:07.84).
Bessemer’s Tyler Busch: The reigning shot put champion will look to repeat as a senior, entering with the best toss from UPD3 Regionals at 46-6.
Stephenson’s Montel Glover: The top UPD3 Regional performer in the 100 (11.30), 200 (23.85) and 400 (51.39) won all three of those races in UPD2 the last two seasons, and he’ll also run on a 1,600 relay with a chance at a title.
Bessemer’s Jamie Jett: He’ll look to add to his 2018 110 hurdles and 800 relay championships as a junior, entering this weekend with the top UPD3 Regional times in the 110 (16.76) and 300 (44.11). He’s also running the 200 (24.60) and competing in long jump (18-1.5).
PHOTOS: (Top) Stephenson’s Montel Glover, right, finishes just ahead of L’Anse’s Foster Miller in the 200 at last season’s UP Division 2 Finals. (Middle) Sand Creek’s Alec Muck powers through for one of his sprint championships in LP Division 4 last spring. (Click to see more from RunMichigan.com.)
Robichaud 3-Sport Legend Wheatley Selected to National High School Hall of Fame
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 11, 2024
The playing career of 1991 Dearborn Heights Robichaud graduate Tyrone Wheatley remains one of the most storied in Michigan high school sports history. His prestige gained during that early stage of his athletic stardom has been recognized nationally as well, as Wheatley was one of 12 honorees announced today as this year’s inductees into the National High School Hall of Fame by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).
Wheatley – who grew up in Inkster and is currently the head football coach at Wayne State University – will be inducted as one of 11 honorees selected for the 41st Hall of Fame class at a ceremony during the NFHS summer meeting July 1 in Boston. The rest of the class is made up of three more athletes, four coaches, two former state association administrators and a game official. Wheatley was nominated by the Michigan High School Athletic Association.
Wheatley will become the Hall of Fame’s 10th inductee from Michigan, joining the MHSAA’s first full-time Executive Director Charles E. Forsythe (inducted 1983), River Rouge boys basketball coach Lofton Greene (1986), Warren Regina athletic director, softball and basketball coach Diane Laffey (2000), Fennville basketball and baseball standout Richie Jordan (2001), Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett boys and girls tennis coach Bob Wood (2005), Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook hockey standout Jim Johnson (2007), Owosso football, basketball and baseball all-stater Brad Van Pelt (2011); Vermontville Maple Valley baseball national record holder Ken Beardslee (2016) and retired MHSAA Executive Director John E. “Jack” Roberts (2022).
To the greater public, Wheatley surely is best known as a star running back for University of Michigan who went on to play 10 seasons in the NFL for the New York Giants and Oakland Raiders. However, he is arguably most glorified in Michigan high school athletics for his accomplishments on the track, where as a junior in 1990 he became the first (of still only two) athletes to win four individual events at an MHSAA Lower Peninsula Finals – placing first in the 100 and 200-meter dashes, 110-meter hurdles and long jump. He led Robichaud to the Class B team title that day, scoring 40 of its 49 points. Wheatley completed his high school career in 1991 with three more Class B individual track & field championships and nine total over his final three seasons; he was injured in the 100 during that senior-year meet and could not run his final race to attempt another four-title day.
Wheatley’s meet records of 13.7 seconds in the 100 at the 1991 LP Class B Final and 23-10¾ in long jump in 1989 still stood when the four-Class track & field format was retired after the 1999 season. He also remains the only athlete to win the 100 three times at the prestigious Mehock Relays in Mansfield, Ohio, also finishing first in the 110 hurdles and 200 and runner-up in the long jump at that meet in 1991.
Wheatley was similarly accomplished on the high school football field, leading his team to a state championship in 1990 and earning a Parade All-America honor. Over three varsity seasons total he ran for a combined 4,257 yards and 67 touchdowns, including 2,010 yards and 33 scores on 208 carries as a senior in 1990 – the latter despite playing quarterback half of that season (and throwing five touchdown passes). He played quarterback, running back, defensive back, punter, kicker and returned kicks, and he scored 252 points over 13 games as a senior and 484 over 38 career games.
Wheatley also was a standout on the basketball court for Robichaud, averaging 14 points and 16 rebounds per game as a senior in earning all-state recognition in that sport as well.
“My city where I come from, Inkster, means the world to me. I grew up in an incredible era of sports in Michigan (with successful University of Michigan and Detroit pro teams) … but if you ask me who my idols were, they were the guys I grew up with playing on the playground,” Wheatley said. “After you come from a basketball game where you see Jarvis Walker drop 30, or Earl Jones running the last 200 of a race backwards … you hear people talk about them, you hear their reverence about them, and I just wanted to be put in the conversation of the best to come out of Inkster, forget the state. I can tell you this for sure: I’m not the best athlete to come out of Inkster, just the person who got the recognition. And my foundation was built watching, taking notes, preparing, working out and just trying to be one of the guys.
“(Robichaud was) the step. Because without Robichaud … Michigan, the NFL, me coming back to coach, it doesn’t happen,” Wheatley said. “Without the Robert Yaucks (his football coach at Robichaud), the Coach (Leit) Jones (his Robichaud track coach), the Coach (Mercer) Brysons, the (coach) Wade Cooks, the (coach Jeff) Flounorys, the Millie Hursins (his academic advisor) of the world, this doesn’t happen. Without my high school teammates, none of this happens. So it’s not just a step. What’s the saying – the first impression is the lasting and best impression? Robichaud was it.”
Wheatley returned to Robichaud as its varsity football coach in 2007 and led that team to a 9-2 record and the MHSAA Playoffs for the first time since 1994 – after Robichaud had finished 0-9 the previous season. He has served as an assistant football coach at four college programs including U-M and Syracuse, and with the Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars and Denver Broncos.
He also served as Morgan State University's head coach from 2019-21 and just completed his first season as head coach at Wayne State, which finished 3-8 – an improvement of two wins from 2022 and the program’s best record since 2019.
Wheatley graduated from University of Michigan in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology. He and wife Kimberly have five children: Tyrone Jr., Terius, Tyrique, Tiana and Tamari. Tyrone Jr., an offensive tackle, played this past season for the New England Patriots.
“Many of us who grew up in Michigan grew up as fans of Tyrone Wheatley because of what he accomplished at the college level – but his legendary story begins at Dearborn Heights Robichaud, where his outsized athletic ability was on full display in every sport he played,” MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl said. “Michigan has produced several professional athletes in a variety of sports and nearly 50 Olympians in track & field alone, and what Tyrone Wheatley achieved as a high school athlete remains a standard few have approached. We are ecstatic that he will deservedly take his place among the all-time elite high school athletes nationally as well.”
The National High School Hall of Fame was started in 1982 by the NFHS. The 11 individuals were chosen after a two-level selection process involving a screening committee composed of active high school state association administrators, coaches and officials, and a final selection committee composed of coaches, former athletes, state association officials, media representatives and educational leaders. Nominations were made through NFHS member associations. Also chosen for this class were athletes Joe Mauer (Minnesota), Takeo Spikes (Georgia) and Dot Ford Burrow (Mississippi); sport coaches Paula Kirkland (South Carolina), Gary Rankin (Tennessee), Roy Snyder (Pennsylvania) and Ronald Vincent (North Carolina); former state association administrators Mike Colbrese (Washington) and Marie Ishida (California), and baseball/football game official David Core (Oklahoma).
For more on this year’s Hall of Fame class, visit the NFHS Website.
PHOTO Tyrone Wheatley crosses the finish line first during one of his nine MHSAA Finals track & field championship victories. (MHSAA file photo.)