Performance of the Week: Oak Park's Nonah Waldron
April 29, 2022
Nonah Waldron ♦ Oak Park
Track & Field ♦ Junior
Waldron has won every hurdles race she’s run for Oak Park – and that streak likely won’t be broken any time soon. Waldron ran a season-best 42.91 seconds in the 300-meter hurdles and also won the 100 hurdles in 14.35 at Saturday’s Dexter April Showers meet. She’s the reigning Lower Peninsula Division 1 champion in both races and also has a win in the 400 meters this season.
Oak Park has won the last three LPD1 girls team championships and six of the last seven, and Waldron also ran on the runner-up 800 and fourth-place 400 relays at last season’s Finals. After high school season ended, she won the 100 hurdles at the Nike Outdoor Nationals in Oregon. Waldron tried basketball growing up and then moved into cheer, gymnastics and power tumbling before beginning in track in seventh grade.
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2021-22 Honorees
April 21: Theryn Hallock, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central soccer - Report
April 14: Kaitlyn Pallozzi, Farmington Hills Mercy softball - Report
April 7: Mason Docks, Williamston basketball - Report
March 24: Mya Petticord, Ypsilanti Arbor Prep basketball - Report
March 16: Charley Bayer, East Grand Rapids diving - Report
March 9: Ja'Marcus Smith, Detroit Mumford wrestling - Report
March 2: David Schaberg, Holt bowling - Report
Feb. 24: Adelaide McRoberts, Kingsford swimming - Report
Feb. 17: Christopher Kavanaugh, Petoskey hockey - Report
Feb. 10: Ira Jenkins, Whitehall wrestling - Report
Feb. 3: Emma Stewart, Salem gymnastics - Report
Jan. 28: Tyler Ray, Pinckney swimming - Report
Jan. 21: Elle Craven, Traverse City Central skiing - Report
Jan. 14: Nevaeh Williams, Mount Clemens basketball - Report
Dec. 2: Lucas Dunn, Chelsea football - Report
Nov. 25: Riley Nugent, Plainwell swimming - Report
Nov. 18: Harper Murray, Ann Arbor Skyline volleyball - Report
Nov. 11: Abby VanderKooi, Muskegon Western Michigan Christian cross country - Report
Nov. 4: Arianne Olson, Holland West Ottawa cross country - Report
Oct. 28: Jack Guggemos, Okemos soccer - Report
Oct. 21: Sachiv Kumar, Northville tennis - Report
Oct. 14: Kate Brody, Grand Blanc golf - Report
Oct. 7: Lilly Nelson, Negaunee tennis - Report
Sept. 30: Stella Chapman, Ann Arbor Pioneer swimming - Report
Sept. 23: Riley Hough, Hartland cross country - Report
Sept. 16: Josie Bloom, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep volleyball - Report
PHOTO Oak Park's Nonah Waldron crosses the finish line first during a 2021 Final. (Photo by Ike Lea/Run Michigan.)
Hovey Leads Hart to Historic 3-Peat, Onsted's Ross Joins Prestigious 4-Win Group
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
June 1, 2024
KENT CITY – Addison Hovey was a dual threat Saturday for the Hart girls track & field team.
The junior standout used blazing speed, combined with remarkable leaping ability, to help spark the Pirates to a third-straight title at the Lower Peninsula Division 3 Finals, held at Kent City High School.
Hovey captured wins in the 100 and 200, while also winning the high jump for a second straight year.
“Winning high jump was my main priority, and then top eight in the 100 and 200,” Hovey said. “But I’m honestly so surprised because I knew there were really good girls in those two events.
“I’m just really proud of how much work I’ve put in this season, and it showed today and paid off.”
Hart became the first Division 3 girls team to win three consecutive championships. The Pirates finished with 53 points, while Onsted (40) was runner-up and Olivet (38) took third.
“It means the world to me and my team,” Hovey said. “No team in Division 3 had won three years in a row, so that’s huge. We lost one of our really good athletes, and she was a big part for us, so we knew there was going to be some pressure coming into this. I’m really proud of my teammates. The girls stepped up and helped me.”
Last season’s 3,200 winner, Jessica Jazwinski, was unable to compete for most of this season.
“I really didn't expect this part way through the season,” Hart coach Calvin Ackley said. “Especially because a couple distance runners, one went out, and one was coming back from injury. Traditionally, we’ve been distance, distance at Hart. I never thought I’d see the day we would be dominating in sprints. That’s been exciting, and my coaches are fantastic.”
Hovey out-jumped Kalamazoo Christian’s Ellie VanDusen by eclipsing 5-foot-6 to tie the LPD3 Finals record. Hovey also recorded a personal-best time of 12.27 in the 100 and ended her day with an impressive 25.60 in the 200.
“I was so tired, but I just gave it my all,” Hovey said. “It was the last event of my last meet. Hopefully I feel better tomorrow.”
Ackley said Hovey’s improvement over the past few years has been remarkable.
“Absolutely amazing day,” he said. “She’s come a long way from a freshman kind of unsure of herself to an absolute beast.
“She’s an amazing athlete and has a great attitude. She doesn't worry about the little things that don't matter. She just focuses on what she needs to do, and she carried the team today. She just keeps progressing, and she’s a great basketball player, but a fantastic track athlete.”
Junior Emmry Ross also shined, winning all four of her events to single-handedly place Onsted second as a team. She racked up repeat victories in the 400 and 800, while also claiming titles in the 1,600 and 3,200 – becoming just the seventh girl all-time (and third in the Lower Peninsula) to win four events at an MHSAA Finals.
“Honestly, I went into today pretty nervous,” Ross said. “I was more nervous last night than I was today because today I just went in with the mindset of, ‘Do my best. You got here. You deserve this.’ I worked really hard this season, and I just went in and had confidence. It turned out to be a really good day, and it was fun because I got to run in the rain.”
Ross said running four events wasn’t grueling because of her preparation.
“I train for it,” she said. “I ran those four (events) at Regionals and two other meets before that, so I was used to it. It wasn’t a challenge because I’ve done it before.”
While those two combined to win the majority of Saturday’s individual running events, Kalamazoo Christian freshman Elli VanDusen (110 hurdles) and Olivet sophomore Emily Peters (300 hurdles) claimed titles as well. Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (400), Olivet (800) and Jackson Lumen Christi (1,600 and 3,200) won the relays. Montrose freshman Addyson Stiverson (shot put) and Grayling senior Rylan Finstrom (discus) were first in the throws, Wyoming Potter’s House Christian junior Sohanny Gonzalez-Castillo won the long jump and Homer junior Emma Wildt won the pole vault.
PHOTOS (Top) Hart celebrates its third-straight Division 3 championship Saturday at Kent City. (Middle) Onsted’s Emmry Ross crosses the finish line for one of her four individual victories. (Click for more from Jamie McNinch/RunMichigan.com.)