Finals Preview: Last Chance to Catch These Stars
May 31, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
More good stories emerge from MHSAA Track and Field Finals day than perhaps any other during our school year.
And arguably the most significant this entire spring will be final good-byes to some of the top female athletes ever to compete in this sport.
Grosse Pointe South twins Hannah and Haley Meier, Detroit Country Day’s Kendall Baisden, West Bloomfield's Erin Finn and Reed City’s Sami Michell are among standouts who will compete in an MHSAA event for the last time Saturday.
Read more about them below in our breakdown of the team favorites and key individuals at all seven MHSAA girls championship meets. Of course, we can’t mention everyone here who may do big things this weekend – but we’ll have coverage of every meet as well on Second Half beginning late Saturday night.
Click for meet information including all qualifiers and also Saturday night for results as they come in. And check out MHSAA.tv for live streaming coverage of running events from both peninsulas. (NOTE: "Top ranked" aren't listed for U.P. divisions because the coaches association does not produce U.P. rankings for this sport.)
LP DIVISION 1 at East Kentwood
Top ranked: No. 1 Grosse Pointe South, No. 2 East Kentwood, No. 3 Rockford.
Grosse Pointe South: The two-time reigning champion can continue building on an impressive run with perhaps its most dominant team of the last three seasons. The Blue Devils have six qualifiers in field events, 10 in individual races, and all four relays come in with top-eight qualifying times – including the national record holders in the 3,200 relay (Kelsie Schwartz, Ersula Farrow, Haley Meier and Hannah Meier), who ran an 8:48.29 last season. Hannah Meier owns two more LP Division 1 Finals records (more below).
East Kentwood: Senior Mariah Davis is one of the state’s top throwers and has two of the team’s eight field event qualifying berths. The team also will compete in three relays, but only three individual races – although freshman Sekayi Bracey has the top qualifying time in the 100 and 200 (more below).
Rockford: Distance running remains the name of the game for the Rams, who have seven individual race berths and also will run all four relays – with three posting qualifying times among the top eight in Division 1. Rockford also qualified five times for field events.
Southfield-Lathrup’s Keianna Ingram: The senior high jumper set the meet record of 5-9 last season and qualified at Regionals this spring at 5-8.
Jackson’s Cierra Pryor: She too set a meet record last season as a junior with a long jump of 19-0, and jumped 18-9 at her Regional. Pryor also tied for the second-fastest qualifying time in the 100, 11.9 seconds.
East Kentwood’s Sekayi Bracey: Just a freshman, Bracey has the fastest qualifying times in the 100 (11.7) and 200 (24.2), and both would be Finals records in Divisions 2-4. She’ll need to cut just a few tenths of a second to break Shayla Mahan’s all-Finals record of 11.5 in the 100, set in 2006, but about half a second to catch Mahan’s all-Finals 200 record of 23.74. Bracey also qualified third in long jump at 18-2.75.
Grosse Pointe South’s Hannah and Haley Meier: The much-celebrated twins should add a few more accolades in their final MHSAA Final. Hannah, set the all-Finals record in the 800 of 2:07.37 in 2011 and also set the all-Finals record of 4:42.6 in the 1,600 that spring. She has the third-best qualifying time in the latter this weekend, and Haley has the second-fastest.
West Bloomfield’s Erin Finn: This senior also has established herself as one of the nation’s top high school distance runners, and enters her last MHSAA Final with the fastest qualifying times in the 1,600 (4:49.3) and 3,200 (10:25.4). She set the all-Finals record in the latter last season with a time of 10:17.86.
Other returning individual champions: Jae’vyn Wortham, Harrison Township L’Anse Creuse (discus, qualified this spring number one in discus and tied for 16th in shot put).
LP DIVISION 2 at Ada Forest Hills Eastern
Top ranked: No. 1 Ada Forest Hills Eastern, No. 2 Dearborn Divine Child, No. 3 Williamston.
Ada Forest Hills Eastern: The Hawks have a solid collection of qualifiers with three in field events and nine in individual races. But they’ll make their points in the relays – all four enter with qualifying times among the top five in their respective races, keyed by the top-qualifying 400 relay. FHE’s 400 team ran a 48.8 at its Regional, the best of any Division 2 team by nearly a second and only 11 hundredths off Detroit Renaissance’s Division 2 Final record of 48.69 set in 2000.
Dearborn Divine Child: A large group of frontrunners makes the Falcons the possible favorite again – they tied for first last season, won outright in 2010 and finished runners-up in 2011. All four relays qualified among the top eight overall in the division, with the 800 and 1,600 relays running the fastest Regional times. Paige Patterson (more below), Mallory Myler and Kayla Gandy enter Saturday with a combined four top qualifying times in their respective events – among 10 individual race qualifications total for the team.
Williamston: This is one of the younger Hornets teams of late, but they could improve on last season’s sixth-place finish with five qualifications in field events plus three relay berths. All three relays ran qualifying times 10th or better in the division.
Kendall Baisden, Detroit Country Day: The Yellowjackets’ senior is one of the most decorated champions in MHSAA history. She won the 400 last season in a meet-record 54.58 seconds to go with two individual championships as a freshman and three more won as a sophomore. She posted the third-best 200 Regional time in Division 2 at 25.6 and the 10th-best in the 400, 59.8.
Paige Patterson, Dearborn Divine Child: Also a senior, Patterson is favored to finish with two more MHSAA championships after winning the 200 last season in 24.91. She tied for the top Regional time in that race, 25.1, and also enters with the best 400 Regional time of 57.6 after finishing third in that race at last season’s MHSAA Final.
Janina Pollatz, Grand Rapids Christian: The senior is the reigning pole vault champion, going 11-3 last season. She tied for the second-best Regional vault at 11-2 and also leaped the second-best long jump of 17-2.
Kathryn Mills, Eaton Rapids: The Greyhounds junior is hoping to win the high jump for a third straight season and tied for the best Regional jump of 5-4. She also tied for the 15th-best Regional time in the 100 hurdles, 15.9.
LP DIVISION 3 at Comstock Park
Top ranked: No. 1 Frankenmuth, No. 2 Benzonia Benzie Central, No. 3 Hopkins.
Frankenmuth: The reigning champion won by nine points last season and again is loaded with scoring potential. Eight qualifiers are ranked among the top 12 in their respective events based on Regional performances – thrower Ashley Frahm, hurdler Sydney Bronner and sprinter Angie Ritter all are expected to contend in multiple events. The 800 relay ran the fastest Regional time in the division, 1:47.2, and all four relays ran times that ranked among the top 12 in those races.
Benzie Central: Last season’s runner-up should score big with its relays – all four posted Regional times among the top 10 in the division, and three of four posted times among the top five division-wide. Benzie Central also has seven individual race qualifiers and three in the field events.
Hopkins: After tying for 10th last season, Hopkins too could make a big jump thanks to relays. All four enter this weekend with Regional times that ranked among the top six for the entire division. Hopkins also has six individual race qualifiers and three in field events.
Sami Michell, Reed City: A senior, Michell last season became just the second girl and fourth athlete boys or girls to win four MHSAA individual titles in a single Finals meet. The University of Michigan recruit suffered a knee injury during volleyball season but should threaten her Division 3 record in the 100 hurdles of 13.84 (she ran a 13.9 at the Regional) going for her fourth title in that race; Michell also ran a division-best 45.2 in the 300 hurdles at the Regional and owns the all-Finals record in that race of 42.23. She also had the second-fastest 200 time in the division and will attempt to defend her two long jump Finals titles.
Brianna Dinneen, Buchanan: The Bucks senior should make a run at finishing her career as the elite sprinter in Division 3 history. She ran an 11.9 in her 100 Regional, better than the MHSAA Final record of 12.09 by Keyria Calloway of Detroit Crockett set in a 2006 semifinal. Dinneen’s 200 Regional time of 24.9 is just off the Division 3 Final record of 24.82 set by Laingsburg’s Julie Johnson in 2002. Dinneen also qualified in the long jump and 400.
Amber Way, Charlevoix: The sophomore’s 10:51.8 in the Regional 3,200 would best the Division 3 Final record in the race of 10:57.16 set by Nicole Bush of Wyoming Kelloggsville in 2004. Way also should contend in the 1,600 after running that race in 5:10.4 at the Regional.
Raquel Serna, St. Louis: The Sharks senior is a solid favorite in the 1,600 with the division’s best Regional time of 4:58.6, and she too ran a Regional time in the 3,200 that would break the MHSAA Division 3 Final record – 10:53.6. She also should score in the 800.
Other returning individual champions: Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port’s Kayla Deering (shot put, qualified this spring number one in that event and 18th in discus), Schoolcraft’s Kara Craig (high jump, qualified this spring tied for 10th), Leroy Pine River’s Devyn Powell (400, qualified this spring second), Manistee’s Annie Fuller (800, qualified this spring second, sixth in the 1,600 and fourth in the 3,200).
LP DIVISION 4 at Hudsonville Baldwin Street Middle School
Top ranked: No. 1 Beal City, No. 2 Sand Creek, No. 3 Traverse City St. Francis.
Beal City: Reigning high jump champion Addie Schumacher should again play a big role as Beal City works to move up from third last season. She tied for the second-best high jump at Regionals and tossed the sixth-best shot put. Only two relays qualified – but both with the third-fastest Regional times in the division – and the team also boasts four more field events qualifications and nine in individual races.
Sand Creek: These Aggies have fewer qualifiers than Beal City, but more expected to score big points. Senior Elizabeth Herriman is the defending shot put champ and had the best toss at Regionals both in that event and discus. Senior Natalie Perry ran top-five division-wide Regional times in both the 1,600 and 3,200, and the 400 and 800 relays turned in times that ranked second in the division.
Traverse City St. Francis: A pair of top individuals and strong relays could push last year’s runner-up to the top. Reigning 400 champ Lauren Buckel posted the fastest Regional time in that race and the second-fastest in the 200, and freshman Holly Bullough ran the second-fastest 800, fastest 1,600 and second-fastest 3,200 in the division. The 800 relay was Division 4’s fastest, and the 1,600 and 3,200 relays were among the top four.
Miranda Johnson, Ottawa Lake Whiteford: The junior has a shot at breaking at least two division records – her 18-3.25 long jump at the Regional would beat the current record by 3.5 inches, and her 12.2 100 would beat the current record by two tenths of a second. She also had the fastest Regional time (25.8) in the division in the 200.
Chantel Davenport, Athens: A senior, she’ll go after the 100 hurdles record of 15.14 set in 2009 – Davenport ran 15.1 at the Regional. She’s also the favorite in the high jump and posted the second-best long jump behind Johnson last weekend.
Ashley White, Detroit Edison Academy: Five sprinters should make a run at that 100 record, but White joins Johnson among those who bested that 12.4 time at Regionals. White, a junior, ran a 12.3 and also posted the third-fastest time in the 200.
Kirsten Olling, Breckenridge: The reigning 3,200 champion has the top Regional time (11:19.4) coming in and the second-fastest in the 1,600 (5:17.9).
Other returning individual champions: Hillsdale Academy’s Shaley Albaugh (800, qualified first this spring).
UP DIVISION 1 at Kingsford
Marquette: The Redettes are loaded for a third-straight MHSAA team title and fifth in six seasons. They have the top qualifying time in the division in all four relays plus the top qualifier in one field event and five individual races. Freshman Lindsey Rudden comes in as the favorite in the 800 (2:21.86), 1,600 (5:15.2) and 3,200 (11:53.21). That 800 time would approach this meet’s record, and the 1,600 time would break it easily. Sophomore Shayla Huebner won the 400 last season and enters with the best Regional time in that event and the second-fastest in the 800.
Negaunee: The reigning runner-up fell seven points shy last season but is led again by senior Ashley Veale, the 2012 champion in both the 100 and 300 hurdles who also will run the 100 and 200. Her 100 hurdles Regional time (16.54) was the best in the division.
Chelsea Jacques, Calumet: Last season as a freshman she set the meet record in the 100 (12.55), and she ran a 12.59 at this spring’s Regional. She also ran the second-best Regional time in the 200, 27.08, after winning the Finals championship in that race as well in 2012.
Jessica Young, Gladstone: The senior is expected to defend her discus title with the top Regional throw (107-3) by more than a foot, and she’s also a contender in the shot put.
UP DIVISION 2 at Kingsford
Iron River West Iron County: The Wykons bring a deep team coming off a third-place finish last season and a Regional title this month. They have at least one qualifier in every event, with Megan Miatech the favorite in both the discus and shot put and Cassilyn Pellizzer the top 300 hurdler at Regionals in the division.
Manistique: The Emeralds finished eighth in Division 1 last season but won their Regional in Division 2 and have the top relay in three races based on Regional times. Freshman Holly Blowers is one to follow – she enters with the best 800 (2:32.04), 1,600 (5:32.3) and second-best 3,200 (11:31.76) times from Regionals.
Hannah Palmeter, Ironwood: The senior is the reigning champion in the 800 and ran the second-fastest Regional time in the division, 2:37.13, ranking behind only Blowers.
UP DIVISION 3 at Kingsford
St. Ignace: The winner of the last three Division 2 championships is running in Division 3 this season. Senior Sarah Cullip won three individual titles last season and owns four overall; she ran the fastest Regional time in the division in the 800 (2:30), 1,600 (5:36) and 3,200 (12:30), and will also pole vault. Another big scorer could be junior Rachel Hetherington, whose times in the 100, 200 and 400 all ranked among the top five from the division’s Regionals.
Brimley: Despite finishing 37 points behind St. Ignace at their Regional, Brimley has to be considered a contender again after winning this Final the last two seasons. Junior Tabitha Graham likely will be the biggest contributor Saturday. She is the reigning high jump champ, has the second-fastest Regional time in the 400 and also is a contender in the long jump. Sophomore Emily Chartrand is the reigning champion in the 3,200 and had the second-fastest Regional time in the division.
Jamie Dompier, Chassell: The senior already holds a meet record in the 200 of 26.36 and ran a 26.21 at the Regional. Her Regional time in the 100 of 12.45 would break the Final record of 12.5 set in 2003. She also had the division’s fastest Regional time in the 400 (102:33).
Engadine’s Aspen Hood: She should approach a meet record as a freshman – her 47.94 in the Regional 300 hurdles would’ve broken this Final’s record of 48.07 from 2009. She also ran the fastest Regional time in the 100 hurdles (16.3) and the second-fastest in the 200 (26.29). She won the 300 hurdles last season as an eighth grader.
Rudyard’s Savannah Dugan: The junior won the Division 2 discus and shot put last season, setting a meet record in the former of 122-10.25. She had the best Regional throws this spring in both events in Division 3.
Other returning individual champions: Rapid River’s Neena Brockway (discus, qualified eighth in that event and shot put this season), Lake Linden-Hubbell’s Sarah Audette (pole vault, qualified tied for second in that event and 11th in high jump this season.)
PHOTO: Ottawa Lake Whiteford’s Miranda Johnson uncoils on a long jump on the way to winning the Lower Peninsula Division 4 championship last season. (Click to see more at HighSchoolsSportsScene.com.)
Balanced Divine Child Celebrates Again
June 1, 2013
By Greg Chrapek
Special to Second Half
ADA – Quality depth is a big key to success in high school track and field.
And over the past four years, no Lower Peninsula Division 2 girls track team has boasted the depth of Dearborn Divine Child.
That depth proved to be the key once again at Saturday’s MHSAA Final at Forest Hills Eastern. Scoring points in 10 of 15 events, the Falcons captured their third team title in the past four years.
Divine Child finished with 81 points while host Forest Hills Eastern finished second with 53.
“We are a team of one and we have demonstrated that throughout the year,” Divine Child coach Anthony Mifsud said. “This is our third title. We did it in 2010, we shared it last year and this year we won a third one. I’m just very happy for the girls. To score points in 10 of 15 events is extraordinary.”
Leading the way for the Falcons was a senior class small in number but big on production.
“Our seniors really came through,” Mifsud said. “Paige Patterson has been a 16-time all-stater during her four years. She was on the 2 by 200 and 4 by 400 relay teams that have been undefeated the past two years.”
“Mallory Myler also has been on the 4 by 200 and the 4 by 400 the last two years. Ashley O’Neill, our thrower, finished seventh in the shot. Those have been our three, main seniors.”
Host Forest Hills Eastern was fueled to its second-place finish by strong performances in the relays. The highlight of the day for the Hawks came in the 400-meter relay when the team of Alli Gutschow, Sam Reno, Camron Nelson and Jaclyn Goble turned in a Division 2 Finals record time of 48.4 that broke a 13-year old record set by Detroit Renaissance.
“We set our goals high at the beginning of the year,” Gutschow said. “We always had an eye on this. To win it on our home track and to set the state record on our home track, especially with the seniors on the team, is special. I feel privileged and lucky to be a part of this.”
Reno also was one of three seniors on the winning relay team.
“It just feels awesome,” Reno said. “It feels real great, especially to win it and set the record at home.”
Detroit Country Day shared last year’s team title with Divine Child, and the Yellowjackets were again a major factor.
Saturday marked the end to one of the most successful high school careers in Michigan history, and Country Day senior Kendall Baisden closed it out in a big way.
Baisden won the 400-meter dash for the fourth time and won the 200-meter dash for a third straight year.
“It feels pretty good,” Baisden said. “To win the 400 all four years and the 200 my last three years shows that throughout my high school career I was pretty consistent. I just wanted to stay focused today.”
Baisden will continue her track career at UCLA next season. The journey to become one of the finest sprinters in state history began in the fourth grade.
“I started running track back in the fourth grade at Saint Regina in the CYO league,” Baisden said. “Today was kind of bittersweet. I have loved coming to the state meet. It’s my favorite meet of the year along with the (Oakland) county meet. It was real special coming here for the last time.”
Remus Chippewa Hills junior Megan O’Neil was one of the busiest athletes at Saturday’s meet. By the end of the day, few athletes were as tired as O’Neil – but all of her work resulted in a pair of championships.
After beginning the day by running a leg in the 3,200 relay, O’Neil then won the 1,600-meter run in a time of 4:52.21.
“I just wanted to go as hard as I could go in the final 800 meters,” O’Neil said.
O’Neil then her sights on the 800-meter run. After winning her second race of the day, O’Neil ended her day running the 3,200.
“I think I finished in last in the 3,200 meter,” O’Neil said. “By the two mile, I was pretty much dead. I do like the order of the races. In the 4 by 800 you run pretty clean and you are running for your team. In the 1,600 it’s more of a tactical run, but then you sprint at the end. The 800 is real fast. They should call it a dash and not a run.”
A standout on the Chippewa Hills cross country team, O’Neil will take some time to rest before gearing up for the cross country season.
“I think I will take it easy and take a little break before starting to build a base for the cross country season,” O’Neil said. “A lot of cross country runners don’t like running track, but I love running track and I love running cross country. I don’t put a label on what is my favorite race; I just set my mind to running and try to do the best I can in each event.”
Mason sophomore Meg Darmofal, another talented runner during the cross country season, also added a track title to her resume as she won the 3,200-meter run.
“It felt awesome,” Darmofal said. “It was everything that I was working for and it feels awesome. I took off with a lap left and it felt good. I had a good mentality. If you tell yourself you are going to win, you are going to do it.”
PHOTOS: (Top) The Dearborn Divine Child girls track team poses with their third MHSAA championship trophy won over the last four seasons. (Middle) Detroit Country Day's Kendall Baisden sprints to the finish line on the way to winning the 400-meter dash. (Photos by Greg Chrapek.)