Leighton Latest of Family Hurdling Stars
By
Wes Morgan
Special for MHSAA.com
June 7, 2016
Mendon’s Mary Leighton has been gliding over hurdles for the Hornets for three years now, dominating most Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph Conference races, as well as an assortment of invitationals.
That’s nothing new for the Leighton clan, which boasts a lineage of talented hurdlers. But there’s something about Mary that’s different.
No one in Division 4 in the Lower Peninsula has gone faster than her in the 100-meter hurdles. Not after Saturday. The junior not only claimed a school-record time of 14.93 seconds en route to an MHSAA championship at Grand Rapids Houseman Field, she set an LP Division 4 meet record, beating Michelle Davis’ time of 15.05 for Reading in 2014.
Older sister Grace, who finished fourth at the LP Division 4 Finals in the 100s and sixth in the 300s as a senior in 2014, owns the Mendon 300 hurdles record, which Mary is closing in on. Older sister Caitlin previously had the 100 hurdles school record … until Saturday. Their mother, Sharon (maiden name Beebe), once had the records in the 100 hurdles at Mendon.
Mary Leighton was half a second away from Caitlin’s record midway through this spring, and she was confident she’d pass her sibling.
“I’m looking forward to beating it. I don’t think there’s going to be a party,” she said, mostly in jest, of her sisters not wanting to give up their record-holding status.
“People say it’s in the blood, but I think I was around it so much, it just kind of rubbed off on me. I have them to look up to, so it’s much easier for me. My form has definitely gotten a lot better. I can three-step now instead of four-step. The less steps you have, the faster you can get over the hurdle and the faster you can finish the race.”
Leighton, who was Finals runner-up in 2015, set her sites on a 15-flat time in the 100s by the time this year’s meet rolled around. She surprised herself by going even faster Saturday.
She beat the field by nearly a second. It was a flawless effort, which included a great start and a complete attack of the middle stretch of hurdles.
As soon as Leighton crossed the finish line, she covered her face with her hands in disbelief of the runaway victory and the time on the scoreboard.
“It hasn't really hit me yet on how I did,” a stunned Leighton said hours after the performance. “I just tried to focus on getting through semis so I actually had a shot.”
Her qualifying time was 15.54, which was a good sign of things to come.
“I was so nervous but I felt better and better the more I ran,” she said. “I didn't even know my time until after the 800 relay. I figured I broke (a record) because all the Mendon parents were just so happy, but I never could have imagined I broke the state record as well. I focused on how I could improve all season and my work paid off. I didn't want to take second again. My sister didn't care I broke her record; she was too happy. I am very happy with my performance and can't wait to see how much I can improve next year.”
Leighton added another all-state finish when she joined Emma Eberstein, Jenna Gales and Kaley Smith for a runner-up effort in the 800 relay (1:47.82), finishing just over a second behind champion Fowler. Her third top-eight finish was a fourth-place run of 47.87 in the 300 hurdles.
That wasn’t a school record, so Leighton has something to shoot for next spring.
Wes Morgan has reported for the Kalamazoo Gazette, ESPN and ESPNChicago.com, 247Sports and Blue & Gold Illustrated over the last 12 years and is the publisher of JoeInsider.com. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph and Branch counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Mary Leighton covers her face in joy and surprise after a lengthy win in the 100-meter hurdles Saturday at Houseman Field. (Middle) Leighton prepares to clear another hurdle flanked by a pair of opponents. (Photos by Brett Beier.)
Motivated Fowler Continues Dominance
June 1, 2019
By Steve Vedder
Special for Second Half
HUDSONVILLE – It might not be the most talented team from a program that has dominated small-school girls track for nearly a decade.
But this year's Fowler team ranks among the best in terms of motivation.
It took a first place in the final event of Saturday's Lower Peninsula Division 4 Finals, but the Eagles successfully repeated as meet champions with a narrow eight-point win over runner-up Pittsford at blustery Baldwin Middle School. The title was Fowler's third in four years and fifth since 2011.
The difference between the latest championship and the previous four wasn't necessarily about talent, coach Jill Feldpausch said. It was more about motivation.
"We are a very motivated team," Feldpausch said following a wild meet that included three weather delays totaling more than five hours. "We're always a target, but winning the state title was our goal. We knew it wouldn't come easy, but it's one of the most hard-working teams we've had."
Fowler finished with only two first places, both by Alyssa Vandegriff, but added three seconds, a third and two fourths.
Vandegriff won her second consecutive 100-meter hurdles title (15.17) and also took first in the high jump (5-2). She said her expectations for back-to-back titles is much the same pressure as what her teammates faced.
"It's probably harder the second time. There is pressure on you to keep things up," said Vandegriff, who was second in the 100 hurdles as a sophomore and will run at Central Michigan University next spring. "A lot of it depends on the competition, and it fluctuates. Sometimes you wake up and you're just not feeling it."
Feldpausch said the stick-out feature of this team was that the girls picked each other up.
"Every team is special, and we haven't gotten everything we've wanted," she said. "That comes and goes with teams. But with this team, someone is always picking up someone else. We had 11 girls run today, but there were 20 on the bus."
Royal Oak Shrine's Ellie Kendell was a double winner in the 3,200 (11:21.58) and 1,600 (5:11.93). Bridgman's Mikaela Owen won the 200 (25.93) and 100 (12.46).
Other field event winners were Lyndsi Wolfe of Fulton in the discus, Frankfort's Tara Townsend in the pole vault, Maggie Stevenson of East Jordan in the shot and Ally McLouth of Addison in the long jump.
Other winners were Scout Nelson of Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart in the 800, Annie Laurenz of Breckenridge in the 300 hurdles and Annie Gunderman of Portland St. Patrick in the 400.
Pittsford won the 400 and 800 relays, while Sacred Heart captured the 1,600 and 3,200.
PHOTOS: (Top) Fowler’s Alyssa Vandegriff runs through the finish in repeating as 100 hurdles champion Saturday. (Middle) Royal Oak Shrine's Ellie Kendell charges to one of her two race championships. (Click to see more from RunMichigan.com.)