Superior Dome Gives Jumpstart to Spring
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
April 27, 2017
MARQUETTE — Most Upper Peninsula track coaches will tell anyone the weather always is perfect in the Dome.
After all, the temperature is constantly in the 70s and there’s no wind, rain or snow to contend with inside Northern Michigan University’s Superior Dome. And most people agree it was better than competing outdoors last week
Engadine junior Ashtyn Buss was among a group of student-athletes to get a taste of competing in both environments during the Superior Central invitational on April 17.
Buss won girls shot put at 37 feet, 5½ inches inside the Dome, but failed to place in discus, which took place in the great outdoors against a stiff breeze with temperatures hovering near 30 degrees.
“It was pretty important to get a meet in,” she said. “It was very much a relief to be in here for shot. It’s nice and warm in here, but it was sure cold out there for disc. My shoulder tightened up, and I scratched.
“I had good distance on some of my throws, but I kept throwing out of bounds. I can learn from this.”
Cedarville sophomore Caroline Freel, who anchored the winning 1600-meter relay, also stressed the importance of her school’s team getting a meet under its belt.
“This gives us a gauge of where we’re at,” she said. “It was very much a relief to be indoors. Track season up here is known for its unpredictability.”
Although most distance runners are used to running in the cold, Chassell sophomore Lela Rautiola was also glad to be running indoors.
“It helps to get this meet in,” said Rautiola, who won the 1,600 run in 5 minutes, 59.54 seconds. “My lungs are burning from the air, but it’s better than being outdoors today.”
Bark River-Harris coach Katina Demers was mostly thankful the Broncos had a chance to compete.
“It’s so important to get something under our belts in April,” she said. “This was a good learning experience for the younger kids. We’re also very thankful this was indoors. It was very cold outside. I’m surprised they held discus today because of the elements.”
Outside temperatures warmed to the upper 40s the next day (April 18). Rain, however, developed during the course of that day.
Many spectators attending the Marquette Invitational that next day commented about the weather conditions and were glad to have the opportunity to watch track & field competition indoors.
Some distance runners, however, may have preferred to be outdoors on a day during which conditions were more favorable than 24 hours earlier.
Sault Ste. Marie senior Aaron Kinsella may have been among them after winning the 3,200 in 11:12.67.
“That was a pretty good effort by Aaron,” said Sault boys coach D.J. Baars. “He was running all alone and he ran tough. We thought his time might have been a little faster. Aaron said it was hot in here.”
The series of indoor track meets at the Dome concluded with the Ishpeming Invitational on April 19.
Although the sun made an appearance, temperatures had dropped about 10 degrees from the previous day.
Manistique senior Kelsey Dehanke enjoyed the comforts of competing indoors while winning the girls high jump at 4-foot-10.
"It’s a relief to be indoors,” said Dehanke, who plans to attend Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Green Bay after high school to major in dental hygiene. “It’s just easier on the leg muscles. I don’t like sitting around in the cold.”
This marked the second meet this season for the Newberry girls, who were runners-up in an outdoor quadrangular meet at St. Ignace the day before.
“It’s important to get meets in this early, but the wind was so cold at St. Ignace,” said Newberry sophomore Madison Grigg, who led off the winning 800 relay. “It’s much better being in here.”
The Ishpeming boys and Munising girls were crowned champions among the Division 2 schools competing in the finale at NMU.
Marquette swept both ends of its invitational, which featured Division 1 schools, and the Bessemer boys and Lake Linden-Hubbell girls earned top honors among the Division 3 schools in the Superior Central Invite.
“Getting meets in early is huge, especially where we’re located,” said Bessemer coach Mark Mazzone. “We often don’t get outside until late April or early May."
PHOTO: Upper Peninsula athletes compete during an April meet at Northern Michigan University's Superior Dome during the start of the 2016 season. (Photo by Paul Gerard.)
Divine Child Piles Up Points Across Several Events to Earn Podium Climb
By
Scott DeCamp
Special for MHSAA.com
June 2, 2024
HAMILTON – After Dearborn Divine Child’s girls track & field team had captured its first MHSAA Finals title in 11 years Saturday at Hamilton’s Hawkeye Stadium, head coach Danny Foster rattled off the names of the coaches on his staff.
Makes sense: The Falcons earned their latest championship largely through a group effort.
Led by freshman Aubrey Wilson and a cast of point-winners, Divine Child seized the Lower Peninsula Division 2 championship by totaling 46 points. Yale was runner-up with 39 points, followed by East Grand Rapids in third (36), Romulus Summit Academy North fourth (33), and Saginaw Swan Valley fifth (25).
“It’s the best feeling in the world, especially when you know what your young people have went through to get to this point – the belief, the hard work,” said Foster, who is in his first season at the Divine Child helm but has coached for more than three decades, much of that time spent in the Detroit Public School League.
“I mean, to understand and know what they go through, it’s awesome. They are a talented group, dedicated to what we do, to what we believe. The girls team, the boys team, we’re all one team and that’s how they’ve worked all year. They come to work.”
Wilson certainly made a mark in her debut season. She took first place in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.33 seconds and runner-up in the 200 (25.15). Wilson also ran a leg on Divine Child’s second-place 800 relay team and fifth-place 400 relay quartet.
Junior Kathryn Kurtinaitis also scored valuable points for the Falcons with her runner-up finish in the 400 (57.92).
Divine Child’s depth made a difference. The Falcons placed first and fourth in the 100, second and seventh in the 200, and eighth in the 1,600 relay.
“It’s incredible. I can’t believe we made it. It’s unbelievable. I’ve been dreaming about this night (for a long time). I’m really happy right now,” Wilson said. “(Winning the 100) was so unexpected. I mean, my start (was not ideal). It was a little wobbly, but I’m proud that I kept going through and I trusted the process.
“The way I got here is that I practiced and I worked at it. I wouldn’t be here today without my motivation from my teammates especially, going to practice every day, cheering me on. It was an incredible season. I’m really happy how it ended.”
Saginaw Swan Valley junior Sydney Kuhn also was very pleased with her day.
Kuhn raced to first-place finishes in the 200-meter and 400 dashes. She ran 24.89 in the 200 and a personal record of 55.06 in the 400, plus she anchored the Vikings’ 1,600 relay team that placed fourth.
“It’s been a great season and just a lot of fun,” said Kuhn, who did not play basketball this year because her focus was on track. “Last year I struggled with a (stress fracture) injury, but this year it’s just been amazing. I’ve PR’d, like, every race I’ve ran so it’s just been a lot of fun.”
For East Grand Rapids senior Drew Muller, who won her third straight Finals title in the 1600-meter run, “fun” was the operative word of her final track season with the Pioneers.
Muller won the 1,600 on Saturday with a season-best time of 4:51.49. She also anchored East Grand Rapids’ first-place 1,600 and 3,200 relay teams and placed sixth in the 800.
Muller was part of MHSAA Division 2 title teams for East Grand Rapids in 2022 and 2023. She was also an individual Finals champ in cross country and part of a team that captured a state title in that sport.
“Individually, I had an OK season, so it felt good to kind of end if off in high school at East in a really good spot,” said Muller, who has signed with University of Virginia.
“I wanted to end on, like, a good attitude and savor all the fun high school moments. Super excited to race next year in college, but I’m going to miss this team so much. I have probably stuck with running because of this team. I’ve been trying to savor every senior moment.”
Chelsea senior Leila Wells also made the most of her final high school track meet. She collected her second 100-meter hurdles title in three years with a PR time of 14.92 despite being seeded fifth in the event. She did not compete at the Finals last year because of an ankle injury.
Wells is taking her athletic talents to Virginia Tech, where the 5-foot-7 shooting guard will play basketball.
“It’s been a whole year, so I was kind of hungry and had that fire to be back all season,” Wells said. “Actually being here was amazing. I came in seeded fifth from the Regional, so I was really passionate about running my best time today.”
Other event champions Saturday included: Goodrich’s Layla Jordan in the 800 (2:09.92), St. Johns’ Ava Schafer in the 3,200 (10:39.77), Yale’s Sadie Dykstra in the 300 hurdles (45.00) and long jump (18-½), Eastpointe’s Kalia Monroe in shot put (45-6), Marysville’s Janae Hudson in discus (140-3), Hastings’ Bella Friddle in high jump (5-5), and Ortonville Brandon’s Allison Shelton in pole vault (11-9).
Summit Academy North won the 400 relay (48.75) and the 800 relay (1:40.95). Coldwater junior Brianna Barle won the 100 and 200 adaptive race championships.
Foster gave a shout-out to his four “awesome” seniors and stressed that Divine Child’s team title came through a team effort.
“They put in so much work. Whatever we asked of them, they put in the extra mile. They look at us sometimes, but they put that smile on and they say, ‘OK, coach.’ And that’s what made them so special and they worked so hard,” he said.
“I mean, these young ladies have worked hard since day one. They’re just a special group.”
PHOTOS (Top) Members of Dearborn Divine Child’s girls track & field team hold up their latest championship trophy Saturday. (Middle) East Grand Rapids’ Drew Muller leads the pack during a relay win. (Click for more from Dave McCauley/RunMichigan.com.)