Performance: Lakeland's Grace Stark
June 2, 2017
Grace Stark
White Lake Lakeland sophomore – Track & Field
The Eagles’ speedy standout has made significant strides – literally – this season, cutting more than a second off her fastest 100-meter hurdles time from 2016. How much she’s improved in that race gained the most notice at Friday’s Oakland County Championships when Stark won in 13.54 seconds, earning the Michigan Army National Guard “Performance of the Week.” If she can repeat that time at Saturday’s Lower Peninsula Division 1 Finals, she’ll break the all-Finals record set by Ann Arbor Pioneer’s Candice Davis in 2003.
Stark’s fastest 100 hurdles time as a freshman was 14.64 seconds, and she also ran 11.82 in the 100 dash. She approached the dash personal record as well at the Oakland County meet, winning in 11.86. She’s undefeated in both the 100 dash and 100 hurdles this season, plus won a Regional title in the 200 in a personal-record 24.99 seconds. Stark owns Lakeland’s records in the 100, 100 hurdles and 200 and as part of the 400 and 800 relays, the last two helped of course by a number of talented teammates, including a strong senior class finishing up this weekend.
After developing bursitis in a hip over the summer, Stark took six weeks off from training. She upped her workouts to near-normal in December and competed indoor before showing her advancing speed on the outdoor track. Also a gymnast during elementary and middle school, Stark focuses solely on track now but said her time on the mat helped her improve physically and become more disciplined. She carries a 3.9 grade-point average, showing discipline and determination in the classroom as well.
Coach John Kababik said: "Grace is the fastest sprinter that I have coached in 40 years of coaching Lakeland girls track. What makes her so good is not only the talent she was born with, but the single-minded determination to be the best. She runs track both in season and out as a club runner. Grace was very good as a freshman, but she has improved by a full second over the last year in the hurdles. For sprinters to improve that much is not common. She came into high school fast, but she’s getting better due to the fact she’s so conscious of her technique. She’s just driven. She wants to be better, and she’s so knowledgeable that she’ll talk to me about former Olympic champions and the techniques they used. Grace will continue to break records and improve because that is who she is: that is part of her personality."
Performance Point: “I think I had a better start that day,” Stark said of the Oakland County hurdles race. “I got out to the first hurdle, and actually I’ve been working on my arms – working on not raising over hurdles, but keeping them low and right in front of me. … I thought I’d pulled off a good time, but I didn’t know it was good enough for a state record. I hit the last hurdle, and I didn’t know how much that slowed me down.”
Give it up for Gail: “Gail Devers (a U.S. Olympic gold medalist in 1992 and 1996), she did the 100 and she did the hurdles too, and she’s the big person I look up to. I’ve been told she has a similar body structure to me, so I thought, well, she’s my height, she did the hurdles and the dash, so she’s very similar to me. And she’s someone I’ve been told to watch by my coaches."
Mat time pays off: “(Gymnastics) made me stronger, my whole body. I did a lot of sprints toward the vault table, and I thought that helped. And the technique we had; it taught me a lot about discipline, helped me prevent injuries, all the workouts that we did.”
Fun to be fast: “I like the pressure of (racing). I like being out on the line, going off and being in the race. I like the thrill of it, really. Not knowing who is going to win, how the race is going to turn out. And giving all of yourself to something you care about is really fun.”
Difference in the details: “I take time with things, make sure they’re done right before I finish them. I think that reflects in both (athletics and academics) how I get stuff done. I’m very critical of myself. If it’s not done almost perfect, I find something to work on or something to fix.”
- Geoff Kimmerly, Second Half editor
Every week during the 2016-17 school year, Second Half and the Michigan Army National Guard will recognize a “Performance of the Week" from among the MHSAA's 750 member high schools.
The Michigan Army National Guard provides trained and ready forces in support of the National Military Strategy, and responds as needed to state, local, and regional emergencies to ensure peace, order, and public safety. The Guard adds value to our communities through continuous interaction. National Guard soldiers are part of the local community. Guardsmen typically train one weekend per month and two weeks in the summer. This training maintains readiness when needed, be it either to defend our nation's freedom or protect lives and property of Michigan citizens during a local natural disaster.
Previous 2016-17 honorees:
May 25: Brendon Gouin, Gaylord golf – Read
May 18: Hannah Ducolon, Bay City All Saints softball – Read
May 11: Mason Phillips, Salem track & field – Read
May 4: Lillian Albaugh, Farwell track & field – Read
April 27: Amber Gall, Shepherd track & field – Read
April 20: Sloane Teske, East Grand Rapids tennis – Read
March 30: Romeo Weems, New Haven basketball – Read
March 23: Jaycie Burger and Maddie Clark, Pittsford basketball – Read
March 16: Camden Murphy, Novi swimming & diving – Read
March 9: Ben Freeman, Walled Lake Central wrestling – Read
March 2: Joey Mangner, Chelsea swimming & diving – Read
Feb. 23: Isabelle Nguyen, Grosse Pointe North gymnastics – Read
Feb. 16: Dakota Hurbis, Saline swimming & diving – Read
Feb. 2: Foster Loyer, Clarkston basketball – Read
Jan. 26: Nick Jenkins, Detroit Catholic Central wrestling – Read
Jan. 19: Eileene Naniseni, Mancelona basketball – Read
Jan. 12: Rory Anderson, Calumet hockey – Read
Dec. 15: Demetri Martin, Big Rapids basketball – Read
Dec. 1: Rodney Hall, Detroit Cass Tech football – Read
Nov. 24: Ally Cummings, Novi volleyball – Read
Nov. 17: Chloe Idoni, Fenton volleyball – Read
Nov. 10: Adelyn Ackley, Hart cross country – Read
Nov. 3: Casey Kirkbride, Mattawan soccer – Read
Oct. 27: Colton Yesney, Negaunee cross country – Read
Oct. 20: Varun Shanker, Midland Dow tennis – Read
Oct. 13: Anne Forsyth, Ann Arbor Pioneer cross country – Read
Oct. 6: Shuaib Aljabaly, Coldwater cross country – Read
Sept. 29: Taylor Seaman, Brighton swimming & diving – Read
Sept. 22: Maggie Farrell, Battle Creek Lakeview cross country – Read
Sept. 15: Franki Strefling, Buchanan volleyball – Read
Sept. 8: Noah Jacobs, Corunna cross country – Read
PHOTO: (Top) White Lake Lakeland's Grace Stark clears a hurdle during a race this season. (Middle) Stark begins to break away from the pack. (Action photos courtesy of the White Lake Lakeland athletic department; head shot courtesy of the Oakland Press.)
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.)