In their tracks: Catholic Central, Novi rule supreme in county circles

CRUISING: Troy's Julia Dinverno hands off to Lindsey Miller during the 3,200-meter relay at Friday's Oakland County Championships. Troy won the event 3,200 relay in 9:31.6. Staff Photo | Dan Stickradt

BY DAN STICKRADT

SENIOR EDITOR

dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com

MILFORD — Auburn Hills Avondale entered the 2011 track and field season with extremely high hopes to contend for a variety of championships. Injuries to two of the Yellowjackets’ key athletes took away some of those chances.

Still, Avondale turned in at least one sterling performance at Friday’s 52^nd annual Oakland County Championships at Milford High School.

The Yellowjackets foursome of Nathan Chapman, Takemi Smith, Jeff Douglas and Trevon Salter comprised the winning the 800-meter relay that clocked a swift 1:29.15 under 45 degree temperatures and drizzling conditions.

SWIFT ON THE FEET: Auburn Hills Avondale's Takemi Smith hands off to Jeff Douglas during the 800-meter relay at Friday's Oakland County Championships. Staff Photo | Dan Stickradt

“We lost to Ferndale last week at regionals, so it feels good to win the county,” said Smith, one of many seniors on Avondale’s roster. “We lost some guys(this season) but we’re still doing well. We’re one of the (top) seeds for states. We hope to do really well there. Last year we barely placed at the county, so it’s nice to win it this year.”

BOUDNING OVER: Novi's Derek Kim and Troy Athens' Evan Carpenter fly over the hurdles in the finals of the 110-meter high hurdles at Friday's Oakland County meet. Staff Photo | Dan Stickradt

While the conditions were not ideal for some track and field athletes, as many performances were off the mark, the conditions were just right for Novi and Novi Detroit Catholic Central.

Novi’s girls racked up 80 points to win their first-ever title, while Catholic Central collected its third straight county championship in four years since moving from Redford to Novi.

Only 11 points separated the top five at last year’s girls county meet and with Novi loading up its top athletes for the prestigious event, the Wildcats have assumed control as being this year’s top team in the county.

“We knew we would be pretty good this year, a lot of juniors,” smiled Marsha Reed, knowing that several of her top athletes should be back next season. “We felt that everyone stepped up. This is our first (county) title.”

BURNIN' RUBBER: Ferndale's Jamarius McTear (right) holds off Birmingham-Detroit Country Day's John Hills and Troy's James McDonald during the finals of the 100-meter dash at Friday's Oakland county meet. Staff Photo | Dan Stickradt

Birmingham-Detroit Country Day was second in the girls standings with 42 points, making it one of the largest distances between first or second place in many years. Farmington Harrison was third (40), West Bloomfield (37) and Rochester Adams fifth (36.5) followed in the top five. Pontiac was sixth (33), while Lake Orion (31), Walled Lake Western (29), Troy (28) and Farmington (27) rounded out the top 10.

Country Day finished second in the boys standings with 75 points, with Oxford (44), Walled Lake Central (42), Ferndale (35), West Bloomfield (32), Auburn Hills Avondale (28), Waterford Mott (28), Walled Lake Northern (25), Lake Orion (25) and Milford (25), one of the many schools to hold prom on either Thursday or Friday night, all tied for ninth to round out the top10.

Veteran Catholic Central coach Tom Magni has seen his stellar program go through four outstanding years. After moving into the county in the fall of 2007, the Shamrocks were second in the spring of 2008 and now have won three straight county titles, the first school to do so since Pontiac Northern won three straight in the mid-1990s.

The CC win gave the Novi community a clean sweep of the county championships.

“This group of senior have been outstanding,” said Magni. “We were third at the state meet a couple of years ago, but I think from the overall team aspect, this team may be better. We were second when this group was freshmen, and now we have come in and won three straight.

Novi’s junior-laden lineup in the girls meet should help the Wildcats finish in the top-10 at next weekend’s Division 1 state meet. The Wildcats won four of the 17 events, including three relays, to wrap up 40 of their points.

OVER THE TOP: Oxford's Sarah Hillebrand clears the bar in the pole vault just before dark at Friday's Oakland County meet. She finished as the county champ with a 9-6 effort. Staff Photo | Dan Stickradt

Novi won the 800 relay (1:43.6), 400 relay (48.93) and 1,600 relay (3:59.99), again showcasing the Wildcats’ talent in the sprints. Kelly McCloskey, one of those many juniors at Novi, won the 300 hurdles (44.23), holding off Birmingham Marian’s Dana Carey (44.98).

Jasmine Ward, the anchor of Novi’sm 400 and 800 relays, won the 200 (24.97) with all times being recorded FAT on the evening.

Southfield Lathrup’s Keianna Ingram cleared 5-7 to win the high jump and just missed an attempt at 5-8 which would have tied the county-meet record.

Rochester’s Brooke Handler, Miss Cross-Country last fall who is headed to Michigan, broke a 26-year-old county-meet record in the 800, running 2:11.5. That effort ranks among the top five recorded by a county athlete overall in 800 and broke the county-meet record set by Laura Matson of Bloomfield Hills Andover in 1985 (2:12.5).

“That’s really cool. I didn’t know,” said an astonished Handler, a senior on the final legs of her stellar high school career. “I just wanted to go out and get a good time and get ready for states.”

In soggy conditions, efforts were off in the throws, but Pontiac’s Anglea Bursey still won the shot put (39-10 ½) by less than two inches over West Bloomfield’s Taylor Gunn (39-8 ¼) and five inches over Country Day’s Brittani Mann (39-6). Mann came back to win the discus (just 146-2), 10 feet ahead of Gunn (136-2).

IN THE CLEAR: Southfield Lathrup Keianna Ingram had a 5-7 effort in the high jump to win the Oakland County title in that event Friday. Staff Photo | Dan Stickradt

Troy’s foursome of Theresea Henscie, Julia Dinverno, Katie Shaheen and Lindsey Miller outlast a tough field to win the 3,200 relay with a season-best 9:31.6.

Farmington Harrison’s Latisha Sims, a transfer from Romulus, shined in her first county meet with a win in the 100 hurdles (14.33). Country Day’s Kendall Baisden, a nationally-ranked sprinter, zipped past a strong field to win the 100 meters in a blazing 12.00 FAT.

Sarah Hillebrand of Oxford emerged victorious in the pole vault (9-6) just before dark. Lindsey Clark of Walled Lake Western was the only competitor to break five minutes in the 1,600, clocking in at 4:58.01.

“There were a lot of scratches (of top-seeded runners), so I knew I had to go out and run hard,” said Clark, who was hoping to have some running partners in the race. “I thought there might be some more girls in the race. I want to be four again at the state meet. I was fourth last season.”

West Bloomfield’s Erin Finn lowered her state-leading effort in the 3,200, crossing the line in 10:29.76.A sophomore who was hurt last season, Finn looks to be prepared for her state-meet duel with Grand Blanc’s Gabrielle Anzalone for the state title.

Southfield’s La’Tipha Cross won the 400 (57.39) in her first county meet, as the transfer from Inkster Cherry Hill Academy has made headlines in the event this season.

In the boys meet meet, Catholic Central’s victories included wins from Jake Spuller in the both 200 (22.1) and 400 (48.49). The Shamrocks also won the 3,200 relay (7:58.0) but place in 11 events to wrap up the title, including three of the top eight in the 1,600.

Dartis Willis of Birmingham Detroit Country Day passed in the high jump until 6-6 when all other competitors had bowed out. He eventually cleared 7-0 to keep his status among the elite jumpers in the nation.

Willis also won the long jump (21-5 ¼), Walled Lake Central’s Conner Enciso the pole vault (14-0), West Bloomfield’s Louis Daranda the shot out (54-11) and Country Day’s David Brown the discus (160-5), just ahead of Walled Lake Central sophomore Cullen Prena (159-9).

Oxford’s Aaron Stuk won the 100 (14.66) hurdles and 300 hurdles (38.64) to join the circle of multi-event winners.

“Last year I won the 110s, so I wanted to win both this season,” said Stuk, who is headed for Michigan State.

Ferndale Jamarius McTear continued to hold opponents at bay in the 100, winning in 10.86, barley ahead of Country Day’s Jon Hill (10.87). McTear also anchored the winning 400 relay (43.38) for Ferndale.

Birmingham Seaholm’s Jack Howard lowered his personal-best in the 1,600 by nearly 10 seconds, pulling away in the final 100 meters to win in 4:21.84. Milford’s Brandon Wallace won the 800 (1:57.44) and Mott’s Scott Albaugh, a state champion in cross-country, won the 3,200 (9:28.41), passing two opponents during the final 100 meters.

Walled Lake Northern’s foursome of held off Lake Orion at the line to win the 1,600 relay (3:22.59 to 3:22.61) in one of the more memorable races on the day to conclude the meet. It marked the Knights’ first-ever county win in the boys meet in any event.

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