Preview: History Awaits Next Contenders
June 2, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Hundreds of Michigan's top high school athletes will compete Saturday at seven MHSAA Track & Field championship meets taking place either in the Grand Rapids area or Kingsford in the Upper Peninsula.
While some of the favorites in the boys meets are familiar past stars, many more contenders than in recent years will be attempting to write their championship stories for the first time.
See below for some of the teams and individuals who should be among those in the championship mix at Saturday's boys meets. Click for meet information including all qualifiers and come back Saturday night for results as they come in, and check out MHSAA.TV for live streaming of running events from both peninsulas, available with subscription.
LP Division 1 at Hudsonville Baldwin Middle School
Top Regional scores: Rockford 165½, Macomb Dakota 148½, East Kentwood 140.
Rockford: If the Rams are going to improve from 32nd last season and win their first MHSAA title, the points will come from a solid pair of distance runners in sophomore Cole Johnson – seeded first in the 1,600 (4:17.59) and second in the 800 (1:55.20) – and senior Isaac Harding, who is seeded second in the 3,200 (9:18.54). Those two also run on the fifth-seeded 3,200 relay (7:58.07), and Rockford also could get a nice points boost from senior pole vaulter Jonny De Haan (14-0).
Macomb Dakota: The Cougars also are seeking their first MHSAA title and tied for 44th a year ago, but should get a jump on the pack in field events with junior pole vaulter Cale Snyder (14-0) and senior long jumper De’Shon Collier (21-10½) in the mix for top places. Collier also is a contender in the 100 (10.96) and 200 (22.21) and as part of the fifth-seeded 400 relay (42.86).
East Kentwood: The Falcons fell back to second place last season but have won this meet five of the last seven and are the likely favorite again. Junior Khance Meyers ran the fastest 100 (10.58) at any Division 1 Regional by 15 hundredths of a second and has the fourth-fastest seed time in the 200 (21.69) and third-fastest in the 400 (49.32). He also runs on the top-seeded 800 relay (1:27.40). Junior Andre Welch is another contender, entering with the fourth-best Regional long jump (22-4½), and senior Isaiah Ledesma is in the mix for a high place in shot put (50-7¾).
Oxford’s Connor Bandel: The reigning shot put and discus champion should make a run at all-Finals records in both throws (64-½ in shot put and 210-1 in discus); he’s thrown 67 and 204, respectively.
Wayne Memorial’s Montel Hood: He finished fourth in the 400 as a junior but enters Saturday with the top seed in that race (47.42) with a time only 42 hundredths of a second off the LP Division 1 record of 47.0 run by East Kentwood’s Ricco Hall in 2011.
Jackson’s Anthony Owens: He missed the championship in long jump as a junior last season by four inches, but his Regional leap of 24 feet was the best in LP Division 1 by nearly a foot and only an inch shy of the all-Finals record of 24-1 jumped by Flushing’s Jeff Kline in 2009 – and Owens has gone 24-8.
East Lansing’s Kentre Patterson: The Trojans’ junior has launched into the elite this spring, posting the top Regional times in the 110 hurdles (13.94) and 300 hurdles (38.68).
Ann Arbor Pioneer’s Terius Wheatley: The son of Dearborn Heights Robichaud legend Tyrone can finish his high school career on the MHSAA champions list as well, entering with the top seed in high jump (6-8) and second (23-½) in long jump.
Southfield’s Delan Wynn: The Bluejays’ senior had a nice meet in 2015 with an eighth place in the 300 hurdles and a third as part of the 400 relay, but enters this weekend with the top seed in the 200 (21.49) and second in the 300 (38.84).
LP Division 2 at Zeeland
Top Regional scores: Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 172, Grand Rapids Christian 152 2/3, Chelsea 150.
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s: The reigning champion is loaded with sprint speed; junior Kahlee Hamler has the top seed in the 100 (10.78) and junior Richard Bowens ranks third in that race (10.95) and fourth in the 300 hurdles (39.29). Junior Shermond Dabney is seeded third in the 300 (39.24) and second in the 110 hurdles (14.55), and senior Tyler Cochran is fifth in the 400 (50.06). Hamler is part of the top-seeded 400 relay (43.41) and with Bowens on the top-seeded 800 relay (1:28.67), and Bowens and Cochran are on the fourth-seeded 1,600 relay (3:26.03). Bowens won the 300 hurdles last season.
Chelsea: Senior Bailey Edwards is seeded among the top four in both the 100 (10.98) and 200 (21.91 – seeded first), and senior Noah Van Reesema is seeded among the top eight in both hurdles races including second in the 300 (38.45). Sophomore Tom Oates should also score coming in fifth in the 1,600 (4:24.60), and all four relays qualified led by the sixth-seeded 400, eighth-seeded 1,600 and second-seeded 800 (1:29.72).
Zeeland East: The Chix, last season’s runners-up, should contend again with plenty of scoring power and after also winning a Regional. Junior thrower Jonathan Berghorst is seeded among the top seven in both discus and shot put, while sophomore Corbin DeJonge could reach the podium in both hurdles races. Junior John Groendyk and sophomore Dan Cramer give East two contenders in the 800, and both join DeJonge and Khylin Barton on the top-seeded 1,600 relay (3:23.61). Barton, Cramer and Groendyk also run on the fifth-seeded 3,200 relay (8:10.34).
Algonac’s Morgan Beadlescomb: The senior distance star is expected to add at least one more MHSAA title to the 1,600 championship won last season; Beadlescomb is seeded first in both the 1,600 (4:13.12) and 3,200 (9:25.54).
Lake Odessa Lakewood’s Noah Caudy: The reigning champion in the 110 hurdles, now a junior, is seeded sixth in that race (14.7) and the 300 (39.67).
Corunna’s Noah Jacobs: The Cavaliers’ junior is coming off the 3,200 championship in 2015 and has the second seed to Beadlescomb in that race (9:30.77) and third seed in the 1,600 (4:21.72).
St. Johns’ Steven Linton: After winning the 400 last season, the Redwings senior is pursuing two more titles seeded fifth in the 100 (11.01) and sixth in the 200 (22.40) to go with his top seed in the 400 (49.69).
Mason’s Justin Scavarda: The Bulldogs senior thrower won discus a year ago and was third in shot put, and comes in with the longest Regional tosses in both this time at 180-3 and 61-8, respectively.
Freeland’s Nathan Whitting: The reigning high jump champion tied for the third longest Regional jump, 6-5, and also runs on a relay.
Fruitport’s 3,200 relay: Seniors Kody Brooks, Seth Glover and Noah Hendricks and sophomore Cameron Oleen ran a Regional time of 7:56.24, which was more than nine seconds faster than the rest of the division and only six seconds off the meet record run by Zeeland East last season.
LP Division 3 at Comstock Park
Top Regional scores: Frankenmuth 145½, Clinton Township Clintondale 144, Dundee 143½.
Frankenmuth: The champion as recently as 2011, Frankenmuth tied for 29th a year ago but could have enough individual contenders to make a run led by junior Dan Stone, seeded second in discus (160-10) and third in shot put (55-2). Junior Grant Bronner also will need to be significant; he’s tied for fourth in the high jump (6-4), seeded 10th in the 110 hurdles (15.53) and 13th in the 300 hurdles (41.8), one spot behind senior teammate Jonathan Worden (41.5)
Hillsdale: The Hornets, runners-up last season, also had one of the top Regional winning scores two weeks ago and have competitors in 12 events. Among those who could be key are sophomore Devin Van Dusen, who is seeded fourth in the 100 (11.1) and 200 (22.6), and senior Brock Eves, who is fifth in the 1,600 (4:24.03) and also qualified in the 3,200. Van Dusen also runs on the third-seeded 1,600 relay (3:29.32).
Sanford Meridian: The 2014 champion was fourth last year and should be able to score in bunches led by Christian Petre, who is seeded second in the 100 (11.06) and first in the 200 (22.40) and runs on the top-seeded 400 relay (43.79) and third-seeded 800 relay (1:31.67). He’s the reigning champ in the 100. Senior Monte Petre also has top-10 seeds in the sprints and runs on the eighth-seeded 1,600 relay.
Grand Rapids West Catholic’s Carl Myers: The reigning shot put champion is seeded first in both throws as a senior with a 164-6 in the discus and 61-8½ in the shot put; he could approach the meet record in the shot put of 63-9½ set by Allendale’s Zach Hill in 2009.
Hesperia’s Nate McKeown: The reigning champion in the high jump went 6-10 at his Regional and could take a shot at the meet record of 7-0 set by Frankenmuth’s Andrew Dodson in 2005; McKeown also has the top seed in the long jump at 21-3 after finishing fifth in that event last season.
Reed City’s Nate Fasbender: After winning pole vault last season as a junior at 14-0, Fasbender went 15-0 at his Regional, three inches higher than the next best competitor in the division.
St. Louis’ Evan Goodell: He placed eighth in the 3,200 a year ago, but enters with the fastest Regional times in that race (9:36.87) and the 1,600 (4:19.86).
Macomb Lutheran North’s Zach Stadnika: The reigning 110 hurdles champion placed in three events in 2015 and will compete in a different combination of three Saturday; he’s seeded ninth in the 110 (14.83) and first in the long jump (22-3) and also will compete in high jump.
Grandville Calvin Christian’s Abe Visser: The reigning 3,200 champ is seeded third both in that race (9:44.46) and the 1,600 (4:21.22).
LP Division 4 at Grand Rapids Houseman Stadium
Top Regional scores: Saugatuck 215, Ubly 155, Marcellus 153.
Saugatuck: The Indians are going for their second straight title and third in four seasons after tying with Concord for first in 2015. Junior Blake Dunn is one of the top all-around athletes in Michigan and a reigning champion in the 300 hurdles; he’s seeded first in that race (39.49) as well as the 110 (14.94) and runs on two relays. Junior Xavier Cardona has top-seven seeds in both throws, and a strong group of distance runners should help carry the load. Freshman Corey Gorgas, sophomore Keegan Seifert and junior Zachary Pettinga have the second, third and fourth seeds, respectively, in the 3,200, and Pettinga also is seeded sixth in the 1,600. The 3,200 relay is seeded fourth.
Concord: The other reigning co-champion has competitors in nine events, led by junior Montez Brewer; he’s seeded first in the 100 (10.98) and runs on top-five-seeded 400 and 800 relays. Senior Chase Hinkle is seeded ninth in the 200, and senior Kamron McDonald and junior Jacob Randall are both tied for fourth in the high jump (6-1).
Saginaw Nouvel: After tying for 40th in Division 3 last season, Nouvel could make a move on its first boys track & field title since 1989. Senior Jacob Gray is seeded fourth in discus (139-1) and seventh in shot put (47-4½), and junior Robi Stuart is second in shot put (52-3½). Junior Matt Bartels also could pick up some points, seeded third in the 1,600 (4:36.95) and fifth in the 3,200 (10:15.47). The 400 and 800 relays are seeded fourth and eighth, respectively.
Merrill's Jacob Kulhanek: The reigning pole vault champion, now a senior, qualified with a 13-3, fifth highest in Division 4 but only three inches below four competitors tied for the top height.
Evart’s Santana Scott: He was sixth in the 1,600 and second in the 3,200 as a junior, and both races will have new champions Saturday; he has the top seeds in both at 4:27.93 and 9:59.92, respectively.
UP Division 1 at Kingsford
Top Regional scores: Marquette 93, Houghton 73, Negaunee 44.
Marquette: The Redmen returned to the top last season with their fourth title in six seasons but after two without finishing first. They have to be the favorite again paced by reigning 1,600 and 3,200 champion Lance Rambo; he’s seeded first in the 1,600 (4:23.42), 3,200 (10:03.46) and 800 (1:59.90). Senior Patrick Burmeister is seeded first in the 100 (11.51) and second in the 200 (23.48), and senior Payton Muljo is first in the shot put (48-7). Marquette’s 1,600 relay (3:37.64) and 3,200 relay (8:21.47) also carry top seeds. Muljo won shot put last season.
Houghton: The top-seeded 800 relay (1:34.81) and strong field events should put Houghton into the mix. Senior Brad Ohtonen is seeded first in the discus (129-1¾) and second in shot put (44-7), and senior Hunter Richards is tied for first in high jump (6-0) and fourth in long jump (19-1½). Junior Casey Lentowich in the 110 hurdles (16.30) and sophomore Clayton Sayen in the 400 (52.21) also bring top seeds. Ohtonen won discus last season.
Kingsford’s Trevor Roberts: The standout junior won the long jump and 100 last year; he’s seeded fourth in the 100 (11.68), sixth in the 200 (32.91) and runs on two seeded relays including the favored 400 relay (45.49).
Kingsford’s Brandon Kowalkowski: Last season’s high jump champion is two inches off the top Regional performers at 5-10 and also runs on the 400 and 800 relays.
UP Division 2 at Kingsford
Top Regional scores: Ishpeming 97½, Iron Mountain 56, Iron River West Iron County 48.
Ishpeming: The Hematites have competitors in 16 events, including top-seeded senior Andrew Poirier in the 300 hurdles (46.61) and the top-seeded 800 relay (1:38.72). The 3,200 relay (9:46.91), 400 relay (47.36) and 1,600 relay (3:49.72) all are seeded second, as are senior Nick Coment in long jump (18-6½), junior Isaac Olson in the 200 (24.72) and junior Daren Guichin in the 1,600 (4:53.86).
Iron Mountain: Senior Nate Carey could lead the Mountaineers to their first title since 2000; he’s part of the top-seeded 3,200 relay (9:19.39) and is top-seeded in the 1,600 (4:52.88) and 3,200 (10:47.2). Junior Aaron Bolo had the top Regional high jump at 5-11, and senior Tanner Huotari has the top seed in the 800 (2:11.7).
Ironwood’s Isaac Aukee: The reigning pole vault champion, now a senior, comes in at 8-6 but went 11-6 last season.
UP Division 3 at Kingsford
Top Regional scores: Rapid River 76, Powers North Central 71, Pickford 67.
Powers North Central: The Jets look like a possibility for a first title since 2005 with a number of top seeds; senior Brendan Gatien is tops in shot put (47-2) as is senior Morgan Cox in the high jump (6-0, tied) and both the 400 (46.91) and 1,600 relays (3:40.73). Senior Bryce Holle, the reigning champion in the 400, is seeded second in that race (52.65) and also qualified in the 800.
Rapid River: The reigning runner-up has competitors in 14 events and enough high seeds to make a run at a first title since 2003. Senior Dan Blair is top-seeded in both the 800 (2:07.24) and 1,600 (4:37.24).
Munising’s Brett Hannah: One of two who starred in leading Munising to the title last year, Hannah is the reigning champ in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200. He will run all three plus the 400 (52.44), the only race in which he’s seeded first.
Crystal Falls Forest Park’s Billy Ragio: Last season’s pole vault champion set the meet record at 13-3½ as a junior and two weeks ago had the top Regional vault in the division at 12-6; he’ll also run the 100.
PHOTO: Orchard Lake St. Mary's celebrates its championship last season in Lower Peninsula Division 2.
Coach Taught Athletes to Enjoy Sports
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
May 16, 2018
There are to be no ties worn Saturday at the memorial service for George Richardson. He didn't like funerals, so Algonac Muskrats and Michigan State Spartans gear is encouraged.
And while some sadness is inevitable, people should be having fun telling stories of the longtime Algonac coach, who made it his mission to make sure all his athletes – whether in middle school or high school, in cross country, track, basketball or football – enjoyed themselves while under his tutelage.
“He enjoyed life, and he lived it to the fullest,” said Algonac cross country and girls track & field coach Dan Shafer, a longtime friend of Richardson’s. “George would want it to be a happy time, not a sad time. We won’t ever really be able to measure the impact he had, just because it’s so vast and over so many decades. He had a great impact on our community. To say that Algonac will miss him, that’s an understatement.”
Richardson, who was battling cancer, died on April 26. He was 76 years old and is survived by his wife of 50 years, Diane, his two children, Anthony and Lynn, his mother Martha, and his sister, Mother Maria of Jesus. The memorial service will be from 7-9 p.m. at Algonac High School, and the family has asked any expressions of sympathy take form of contributions to the Algonac athletic department.
It’s fitting that even in death Richardson is giving to Algonac athletics, as he gave more than any amount of money could cover during his life.
Richardson, a Detroit native, graduated from Michigan State University in 1963 and spent his first two years out of college teaching in Battle Creek. In 1964, he took a job as a physical education teacher at Algonquin Middle School in Algonac, and he remained in that position until retiring in 1999. He also began coaching in 1964, and his final season as a coach was the spring of 2017 when he coached the middle school boys track & field team at Algonquin.
His coaching duties included football, basketball, cross country and track at various levels.
“He was a guy, and I’ve heard several people say this, he never had a bad thing to say about any kid he taught or coached,” said Shafer, who began coaching at Algonac in 1977. “He loved kids and loved working with kids, and the kids loved him back.”
One of the main reasons the athletes loved Richardson was his way of making practices fun while still preparing them to succeed in their sport.
“He’s very motivating, but he makes sure not to push the young kids too far,” said 2016 Algonac graduate Morgan Beadlescomb, a four-time MHSAA Finals champion in cross country and track. “He really focuses on teaching his athletes to enjoy running rather than being serious competitors at 11 years old, making sure they don’t burn out. He was very, very good at making all of us enjoy running. All the cross country kids loved running. We’d end practice sometimes and play two-hand touch football. We were doing little things you wouldn’t expect, and we all enjoyed it and didn’t really know we were working out.”
His approach helped feed athletes into the high school programs who were ready and excited to compete.
“We had a lot of success in track and cross country, and that’s something he should get a lot of credit for,” Shafer said. “He got them enthused about the sport, but didn’t run them to death to the point they were hating it. He really pushed that enthusiasm for the sport. Winning is great, but improving and having fun, that’s the key. Those kids would come out because they liked cross country in middle school, and because they liked track in middle school. He knew his stuff, too. He could coach all the events.”
Without Richardson, Algonac’s middle school cross country program may not have continued to exist. Shafer said that when the funding for the coaching position was cut in the 1990s, Richardson continued doing it for free to keep the program alive.
“He was a very giving person,” Shafer said. “I haven’t heard anybody say a negative word about him.”
Beadlescomb, who won the MHSAA Division 2 cross country titles in 2014 and 2015, and the MHSAA Division 2 1,600 meter titles in 2015 and 2016, now runs at Michigan State. Shafer said Richardson was always very proud of Beadlescomb, and that he had alerted him to the future star when Beadlescomb was just a sixth grader.
“George called me the first day of middle school practice; he said right from the get go, ‘I think he said he’s going to be your best runner ever,’” Shafer said.
Richardson and Beadlescomb have kept in touch, and Beadlescomb said they last talked a little more than a month ago.
“He stayed in touch, even when I was in college, and that was also something special,” Beadlescomb said. “He was always very supportive. I feel like he had some influence on everybody. He was their coach in one way or another.”
Even when he wasn’t coaching, Richardson was a constant presence at Algonac athletic events, whether it be standing along the fence during football games or volunteering his time at a track or cross country meet.
He was always there for Algonac, and while Shafer said he doesn’t know how many people will show up for the memorial service, he expects it will be a special night.
One person who will be there is Beadlescomb, who said he wouldn’t miss it despite being in the most crucial part of his track season at MSU.
“He’s the reason that I’m at Michigan State,” Beadlescomb said. “He’s the reason that I’m running competitively, essentially. I owe it all to him. He’s the reason that I’m able to run and still like to run. It’s important to me. I definitely need to be there.”
Paul Costanzo served as a sportswriter at The Port Huron Times Herald from 2006-15, including three years as lead sportswriter, and prior to that as sports editor at the Hillsdale Daily News from 2005-06. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Sanilac, Huron, Tuscola, Saginaw, Bay, Arenac, Midland and Gladwin counties.
PHOTO: Coach George Richardson, far right and back row, takes a photo with his 2016 Algonquin Middle School boys track & field team. (Photo courtesy of the Algonac athletic department.)