Oakland Christian, Lutheran Westland track down MIAC titles
SWIFT HANDOFF: Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest's Carmeron Santangelo gives the stretch run to Nathan Stolzenfeld during the 3,200-meter relay at Tuesday's MIAC leauge meet. Staff Photo | Dan Stickradt
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
ROCHESTER HILLS — Victor Allen uses each meet as a way to springboard towards the end of the season.
The Southfield Christian senior won the 1,600 and 800 meters at Tuesday’s Michigan Independent Athletic Conference league meet at Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest, the perfect tune-up for the upcoming Oakland County meet and Division 4 state finals.
Allen’s performances were just two of several quality finishes turned in at the league meet, which featured a record 12 schools.
“This is a good event to get a speed workout in,” said Allen, headed for the University of Pennsylvania. “You still try to win and do your best. I am just trying to get ready for the county and state meets.”
Allen and Southfield Christian were not among the leaders Tuesday, those honors going to the Auburn Hills Oakland Christian boys team and the Lutheran Westland girls team, both which captured league titles.
ONE STRIDE AHEAD: Birmingham Roeper's Briana Ratchford pulls ahead of Lutheran Westland's Jackie Schwartz during Tuesday's MIAC league meet. Staff Photo | Dan Stickradt
Lutheran Westland, fresh off a regional title on its own track three days earlier, amassed 137 points to win going away in the girls meet. Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest was second with 76 points, followed by Birmingham Roeper (72), Oakland Christian (59) and Plymouth Christian (39) in the top five.
“We only have 13 girls and not a lot of tremendous speed, but we do have good balance,” said Lutheran Westland coach Mike Unger, whose Warriors won their second straight MIAC title after competing in the Metro Conference for 16 years. “We got some points in the (pole vault) and some in the hurdles and distances. I think having girls to score points in a lot of events is what makes the difference for us.”
ALL THEY GOT: Westland Lutheran's Zach Musial (left) and Auburn Hills Oakland Christian's Drew Perrin fly towards the finish line during the 100-meter dash at Tuesday's MIAC league championships at Lutheran Northwest. Staff Photo | Dan Stickradt
Oakland Christian’s boys won four events and scored in every event except the pole vault and shot put. The Lancers scored130 points to slip past Lutheran Westland, which scored 123 points. Lutheran Northwest was third (77), Roeper fourth (39) and Newport Lutheran South (37.5) followed in the top five.
German exchange student Felix Siekmann won the 400 (51.9) an anchored the winning 1,600 relay (3:42.7). He also placed fourth in the 200 and ran on the winning 400 relay (45.5) for Oakland Christian.
Drew Perrin was second in the 100 and 200 dashes, placed second in the long jump and was the anchor on the winning 400 relay, which also included Tyler Yee, Brent Kostich and Siekmann.
Yee, Chad Snyder, Dylan Anderson and Kostich won the 800 relay (1:38.0) for the Lancers. Kostich was second in the 300 hurdles and third in the 110 hurdles while joining Anderson, Siekmann and Daniel Smith on the victorious 1,600 relay.
The MIAC expanded two years ago with the arrival of Grosse Pointe Woods University-Liggett, Ann Arbor Greenhills, Lutheran Westland, Lutheran Northwest and Newport Lutheran South, making it a 17-school league — 12 with track and field programs.
“It’s a lot bigger than when we won in 2009,” said Snyder. “I think it means a lot more now (to win the league title).
“We have a lot of speed this season,” continued Snyder. “We don’t have the depth in the distances, but we do have some guys that can score a lot of points.”
CRUISING: Southfield Christian's Victor Allen was well ahead of teammate Evan Carter and the rest of the pack during the 1,600 meters at Tuesday's MIAC league championships. Staff Photo | Dan Stickradt
Westland’s Derrick Mozham the 100 (11.4) and 200 (23.2) to win a pair of events for Lutheran Westland, which won a meet-best six total events. Zach Musial added victories in the long jump (19-3) and 110 hurdles (15.5), Dawson Davenport took the shot put (43-0) and Jacob Fairbairn the 300 hurdles (40.9) for the Warriors.
Allen won the 1,600 (4:33.4) and 800 (1:59.1) for Southfield Christian, as he has won at least one event in each of his four years at the league meet.
Lutheran Northwest’s foursome of Nate Nimpz, Alex Irwin, Cameron Santangelo and Nathan Stolzenfeld won the 3,200 relay (9:05.0). Ryan Joseph added a win in the high jump (5-4) for the Crusaders.
Ann Arbor Greenhills’ Lang Delancey took the pole vault (7-6) and Ashwin Fujii the 3,200 (10:33.8). Plymouth Christian’s Joshua Allen had the best effort in the discus (115-2).
Lutheran Westland won seven of the 17 events and had five different individuals all take home league crowns.
Alyssa Shirkey won the discus (98-6.25), Alissa Flury the pole vault (7-6), Amanda Teranella the 300 hurdles, Jess Rice the 800 (2:32.0) and Erin Lyle the 3,200 (12:54.8). The Warriors also won the 800 relay (2:06.5) and 1,600 relay (4:42.1).
UP AND OVER: Auburn Hills Oakland Christian's Amber Alexander emerged as the league champion at Tuesday's MIAC championships at Lutheran Northwest. Staff Photo | Dan Stickradt
“The girls stepped up and performed well again. We won the regional on Saturday and (Royal Oak) Shrine gave us a run. I thought we did a good job coming back on only a couple of days rest to win the league. We won a lot of events. The only events where we didn’t score in were the dashes, the 100, 200 and 400,and we didn’t high jump. Everywhere else we had someone step up and we won two relays.
Oakland Christian won three events, as Amber Alexander had the top effort in high jump (4-4) and Kalena Shaw the 200 (26.4). Shaw also ran a leg on the victorious 400 relay (52.8).
Roeper’s Brianna Ratchford had an active day, winning the shot put with a heave of 39-1.25 — fourth-best in Oakland County this season — to go along with wins in the long jump (13-9) and 110 hurdles (16.0) all while finishing second in the 300 hurdles.
Lutheran Northwest won the 3,200 relay (12:03.2), Greenhills’ Grace Gardner broke the tape in the 100 (12.9), Plymouth Christian’s Karen Windle the 1,600 (5:48.6) and Lutheran South’s Melanie Anderson the 400 (1:08.5) to round out the winners.
THREE LAPS TO GO: Plymouth Christian's Karen Windle (left) tries to take the lead from Auburn Hills Oakland Christian's Alexis Nelson after one lap of the 1,600 meters at Tuesday's MIAC league championships. Staff Photo | Dan Stickradt
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