OAA track titles are on the line at league championships
TRACKING DOWN THE LEADERS: Rochester Stoney Creek's Eli Nasr and the Cougars will compete in the OAA White Division championships. File Photo.
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
CLARKSTON — For years, Chip Bridges felt his Farmington boys team could compete in the OAA’s upper echelon. Finally this season, the Falcons are at the top.
Farmington carried a 6-0-0 dual meet record into Friday’s OAA Red Division championships at Clarkston as one of the favorites.
“I’ve felt the past 6-7 years, our boys team was able to compete up there in the Red Division. Now our girls team can, too, and I think we’ve made the most of it,” said the veteran Bridges. “We have a large, talented senior class, so I know that if we’re going to do anything, it’s this year.”
Farmington’s finished just ahead of Lake Orion (5-1-0), defending champion West Bloomfield (4-2-0) and Rochester (3-3-0) in the seven-team standings. In a league championship setting, it’s anybody’s guess who will win the league meet as all seven schools have individuals that can win events.
“We’ll see how we all stack up together,” said Bridges, who has several athletes and relays capable of finishing in the top three. The top six score in each of the 16 events at the four OAA championship meets.
The OAA Red Division girls picture is somewhat cloudy. Troy, which is undefeated in dual meets for three straight seasons and is the defending overall champion, will receive a stiff challenge from Rochester (4-1-1) and Rochester Adams (3-1-2).
Rochester and Adams are better suited for large invitationals and have several athletes expect to challenge for league titles.
“It will be interesting, because of Rochester and Adams. They have athletes that will probably win some events,” conceded Troy girls coach Matt Richardson. “I’m hoping that our overall depth we’ll help us at the league meet. It’s going to be close.”
Rochester needs to win the league meet and hope that Troy finishes third or lower in order to gain a share of the title. West Bloomfield’s and Lake Orion’s girls, both out of the picture for the league championship, still has a core of athletes that should win individual events.
Pole vault will be contested at various sites, but the points will not be included as less than 25 percent of the 25-shool league participates in the event.
In the OAA-White Division, also held Friday night at North Farmington, Oxford’s boys and Farmington Harrison’s girls are the heavy favorites. The Wildcats boys have not lost all season (4-0-0) in duals with one makeup Monday against Farmington Harrison, which is 4-0-0 on the girls side and one of Oakland County’s better teams.
“We feel pretty confident where we at,” said first-year Oxford coach Bob Blunk, whose team is also expected to challenge for a regional and Oakland County titles. “We have been scoring well in every event this season. I think we have a great shot at winning (the league).”
Birmingham Groves hosts the OAA-Blue championships, where Ferndale’s boys and the Groves girls lead the close pack after the dual meets. Ferndale’s boys is one of the top Division 2 teams in the state.
Auburn Hills Avondale’s boys are the heavy favorites to repeat in the OAA Gold Divisions, while Avondale, Bloomfield Hills Lahser and Bloomfield Hills Andover are expected to form a tight battle in the OAA-Gold girls race.
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Category: Clarkston, High School, Lake Orion, Prep Wraps, Rochester, Rochester Adams, Rochester Hills Christian, Rochester Stoney Creek, Troy, Troy Athens
