Oak Park Gets Win that Matters Most
June 1, 2019
By Dean Holzwarth
Special for Second Half
KENTWOOD – The Oak Park girls track & field team won the final event of Saturday’s MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 1 Finals.
That victory in the 1,600 relay was the Knights’ lone victory of the meet. However, a lack of individual winners didn’t prevent them from going back-to-back as overall champions.
Oak Park’s depth was on display as it scored 74 points to win the Finals at East Kentwood High School. Detroit Renaissance took runner-up with 71 points, while Rockford was third with 69.
The Knights have won five Division 1 titles over the last six years.
“A complete team win, and we were solid across the board,” Oak Park coach Brandon Jiles said. “I think it’s the first championship we’ve won where we’ve only won one event, but they placed in everything else so it worked out for us. It was a great meet.”
Oak Park won the 1,600 relay with Jayla Jones, Tamyra Todd, Kourtney Kennard and Chloe Vines in a meet record-breaking time of 3:45.13.
“I’m so humbled and excited,” Vines said. “I’m proud of myself because there are times I don’t think I’m capable of doing certain things, but my teammates trusted me. The girls with me are all underclassmen and they are so motivational and inspiring. They make me want to do great.”
Jiles believed his team had the talent and depth to win even without notching first-place finishes.
“We were really balanced across the board this year,” Jiles said. “We weren’t exceptional in anything, but we were really good in a lot of things.
“It’s a little bit sweeter when you can win a tight battle with two other great teams. Renaissance was outstanding in sprints, and Rockford was amazing with their distance and overall team. I have a lot of respect for those teams, and we had to get the best out of our kids to even think about winning.”
Rockford senior Ericka VanderLende won the 1,600 (4:41.00) and 3,200 (10.24.57) and finished runner-up in the 800.
“I was really happy to complete all three events and not completely fall apart at the end, so I could get all the points I could for my team,” VanderLende said. “I was really happy to get two PRs (personal records) and then just come back and finish strong in my last race ever for Rockford.”
VanderLende won the 1,600 a year ago and placed runner-up in the 3,200.
“I just wanted to give it my best effort and go home knowing that I did all I could and laid it all on the line,” VanderLende said.
Her run at three titles was spoiled by Grand Haven senior Gabby Hentemann, who clocked a winning time of 2:08.70 to win the 800.
Hentemann, a senior, missed last year’s Finals due to a foot injury.
“I was in a boot cheering for my teammates last year after suffering a stress fracture,” Hentemann said. “It was a very painful and long recovery, so being able to just race today was a huge opportunity.
“It was very emotional for me to come back and win because my coaches and teammates watched me struggle the past year mentally and physically to recover from this injury.”
Detroit Renaissance freshman Kaila Jackson had an impressive debut and claimed a victory in the 200 (24.04), while finishing runner-up in the 100.
“I wanted to push myself harder after the 100 so I could win the 200,” Jackson said. “Most people get angry, but I build my anger up and take it out on the track. It was a great experience for my first state meet with the crowd and all the other runners. We pushed each other, and it was amazing.”
Jackson’s teammate, Leeah Burr, won the 400 in a time of 54.17.
White Lake Lakeland’s Grace Stark repeated in the 100 hurdles (13.43).
Other individual winners included: East Kentwood’s Qe’Neisha Young (100), Troy’s Lauren Fulcher (300 hurdles), East Kentwood’s Belle Okoroafo (discus), Dexter’s Nicole Bow (pole vault), Okemos’ Jasmine Clerkley (shot put), Mona Shores’ Elizabeth Knoll (high jump) and Walled Lake Western’s Kennedy Jackson (long jump).
PHOTOS: (Top) Oak Park celebrates its fifth Lower Peninsula Division 1 championship over the last six seasons. (Middle) Rockford's Ericka VanderLende capped her high school career with two more individual titles. (Photos by Carter Sherline. Click to see more from RunMichigan.com.)
Grosse Ile's Molnar Wins Title in 2nd Sport, EGR Top Team for 2nd-Straight Year
By
Steve Vedder
Special for MHSAA.com
June 3, 2023
ADA – The only common denominator that Kaitlyn Molnar can think of between her two sports is that brief feeling of pure freedom as she soars through the air.
The big difference, of course, is that one comes in a swimming pool and the other while hurling herself along a long jump pit.
The Grosse Ile junior added a state long jump title to a state diving championship at Saturday's Lower Peninsula Division 2 Track & Field Finals at Forest Hills Eastern. The long jump win came after Molnar won a Division 3 diving title in the fall and followed a fifth-place finish in the long jump as a sophomore.
While the necessary talents for both sports may seem incompatible, Molnar sees one significant similarity.
"I just love that feeling of being in the air," she said after a jump of 18-feet, 5 inches. "You just take off and go as high as possible. It takes a lot of focus, but I love the long jump.
"It was kind of a surprise, but it was nice to pull it off. (Jumping and diving) are about foot placement and keeping your head up."
While Molnar's individual exploits were impressive, East Grand Rapids successfully defended its team title with 50 points, 16 better than runner-up Sturgis. Mason, New Boston Huron and Otsego tied for third with 26 points. Tecumseh was sixth with 24.
EGR coach Mike Dykstra said the loss of four major point scorers from last season was overcome by depth and young talent stepping up to fill in gaps. But if you had asked the 19-year coach two months ago if the Pioneers had a realistic shot a back-to-back titles, he would have hedged.
"Maybe," he said. "We had some good competitors back and a lot of talented young kids trying to fill in spots. Today, I think the (90-plus degree) weather was helpful in a way because it made us focus on the weather as the enemy. It helped us focus on ourselves. It was kind of a blessing in a way."
Among the Pioneers champions was the 3,200 relay team (9:28.17) and the 1,600 relay (3:58.18), while junior Drew Muller repeated in the 1,600 (4:56.01) and senior Camryn Bodine won the 800 (2:11.53).
"There definitely was more pressure this year," she said. "People look out for me just as I look for them. There was awesome competition both years, but I'm happy because I had better times this year. It took a lot of work behind the scenes."
New Boston Huron senior Elizabeth Anderson had a big day that included winning the 400 (55.38). She also was second in both the 100 and 200 and part of the 1,600 relay team. Anderson followed last season's championships in the 200 and 400 and runner-up in the 100. But by at least one measurement, this season was an improvement, she said.
"It was better this year because my times were better," said Anderson, who will run track at Michigan State next season. "I just felt heathier and wanted to finish my season strong. I really wanted to win the 400 because it's my favorite event. That was my goal the whole year. I trained all year to do it."
Other LPD2 champs included Keyanna O'Tey of Sturgis, who won the 100 (11.84). O'Tey said winning the Regional made her realize she could become a Finals champ.
"It's a mindset; I have confidence in myself," she said. There's a lot going on with me right now, but the right people said they have confidence in me and that gave me a positive mindset."
Saginaw Swan Valley's Lyberty Brandt won the high jump in 5 feet, 5 inches. Brandt was second as a junior with a leap of 5-3.
"This was a chance to redeem myself," said Brandt, who swept every high jump event she entered this season. "My dad said this was going to be the year and I just said, 'whatever.' When I went 5-4 in my first event this year ,I thought maybe I could do this. I just trusted myself, the confidence just came."
Marysville junior Janae Hudson won the shot put with a toss of 42 feet, 7 inches. That followed a 10th in the shot and a third in the discus a year ago. Hudson said the improvement was a matter of fine-tuning technique. She compares throwing the shot to golf in that even the smallest changes can result in a large reward.
"There were very few days when I wasn't working on that," she said. "It was a lot of little things in technique. You fix one little thing and you're better. You have to have the determination to have a good season."
Other champs were the Cadillac 800 relay (1:44.76) and the 400 relay of Berrien Springs (49.32).
Ella Jenkins of Warren Regina won the 100 hurdles (14.64), and Annabelle Densmore of Charlotte the 300 hurdles (45.06). Natalie VanOtteren of Grand Rapids Christian won the 3,200 (10:57.20), Allison Shelton of Ortonville Brandon the pole vault (12 feet) and Haley Guerrant of Otsego the discus (136-11). Sturgis' Jillian Romanyk competed in the adaptive 100 (30.53) and shot put (13-7).
PHOTOS (Top) East Grand Rapids closes in on the 1,600 relay championship Saturday. (Middle) New Boston Huron's Elizabeth Anderson leads the field in the 400. (Below) The Pioneers celebrate their championship. (Photos by Dave McCauley/RunMichigan.com.)