Lake Orion, Seaholm slosh past field to claim OAA-Red titles
Carey, Morrissey race to individual crowns
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
ROCHESTER — Jamie Morrissey’s expertise is the 800 meters. With her long legs and foot speed, she is trained to use her strong kick down the stretch to chase down the opposition.
It worked perfectly Thursday for the Rochester Adams junior.
Running on a mud-bogged course at Bloomer Park in Rochester with rain and howling winds, Morrissey used a fine kick in the last 100 meters to push past Oxford’s Brooke Kovacic to win the OAA Red Division girls cross-country league meet title with a 18:51 clocking. Kovacic, who ran out of steam down the stretch, finished second in 18:56.
“I saw that Brooke was struggling (with the muddy conditions) and I went after here. I’m an 800 runner and I know I have the kick to reel her in,” smiled Morrissey, a three-time all-league runner but first-time conference champion. “I ended up getting her (at the end).”
BIG KICK: Lake Orion's TJ Carey pushes past Troy's William Yau near the finish line to claim the OAA Red Division league crown. Staff Photo | Dan Stickradt
Birmingham Seaholm captured its second league championship in three years on Thursday, collecting 73 points to top the eight-school field. It marked the first time that Seaholm won all three league races.
“Two years ago we won the league, but we only won two of the three league meets. We were second at the first jamboree but one the second jamboree and the league meet,” recalled veteran Seaholm coach Jeff Devantier. “This is the first time we won all of the races in the (OAA) Red.
“This is a nice win because it shows that we are beating some of the best teams in the state. Teams in this league have done awfully well over the years,” added Devantier, who mentioned the league’s long tradition of team and individual state championships and dozens of all-state runners over the years.
Tess Wilberding was third to pace Seaholm, crossing the line in 19:04. Audrey Belf (ninth), Aubrey Wilberding (13th), Mallory Wilberding (19th) and Kendall Weinert (29th) aided Seaholm’s team score.
The meet featured a run-eight, score-five setup.
Troy, last year’s league champ, finished second at the league meet with 74 points. Rochester Adams was third with 94 points, followed by Oxford (95), followed by Clarkston (111), Rochester (123), Lake Orion (134) and Rochester Stoney Creek (174).
In the final girls league standings, Seaholm had 32 points, ahead of Troy’s 25 and Oxford’s 24. Adams claimed fourth (23), followed by Clarkston (15), Rochester (12), Lake Orion (9) and Stoney Creek (4).
Individually, Clarkston’s Natalie Smith was fourth (19:08) and Rochester’s Jessica Goethals ran fifth (19:18).
SLOP TO THE FINISH: Rochester's Blake Pozolo sloshes past Rochester Adams' Stephen Biebelhausen during the final 100 meters at Thursday's league championships. Staff Photo | Dan Stickradt
Lake Orion’s boys captured its fourth league championship in five years and 13th overall since the inception of the multi-division OAA in 1994. The Dragons won six straight in the OAA-White from 1994-1999 and added league titles in the OAA-Red in 2000, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010 and now 2011.
The Dragons and Clarkston traded off wins at the first two league jamborees, setting up a winner-take-all meet with the Dragons doing the job.
“I was concerned because we haven’t been getting better,” offered Lake Orion boys coach Stan Ford. “We knew we were running second to Clarkston. They beat us at the (Oakland County meet) and at the second jamboree. I thought, dog-gone it. Something’s got to happen. We just got to get better. But our guys finally picked it up to win.”
Winning league championships has become a trademark for the Dragons’ boys program.
“We’ve had a lot of success in the league over the years,” continued Ford. “This is something that we can contribute to all the kids and their hard work over the years.”
Lake Orion collected 50 points at the league meet, 20 points ahead of Clarkston’s 70. Troy was a distant third with 106 points, while Rochester Adams (117), Oxford (119), Rochester Stoney Creek (123), Birmingham Seaholm (142) and Rochester (179) following suit.
David Diaz (seventh), Ryan Singles (13st), Aaron Kaufman (14th) and Jacob Houliahan (15th) wrapped up Lake Orion’s winning score. The Dragons had six finishers among the top 21.
In the final league standings, Lake Orion’s 31 total points, a combined effort at both league jamborees and the league meet, led the field. Clarkston followed in second with 28 points, while Oxford (21), (Adams (19), Troy (18), Stoney Creek (12), Seaholm (11) and Rochester (4) rounded out the final standings.
THIRD ACROSS: Clarkston's Sam Tanielian finished in the third position at Thursday's OAA-Red meet. Staff Photo | Dan Stickradt.
Lake Orion junior TJ Carey capped a second straight unbeaten league season by racing past the field in 16:19. Fighting off the horrendous course and weather conditions, Carey still crossed the line in a respectable 16:19, just ahead of Troy’s William Yau (16:21). Sam Tanielian of Clarkston was third (16:30), with Rochester’s Blake Pozolo (16:47) and Adams’ Stephen Biebelhausen (16:49) not too far behind.
“I don’t like this weather at all. The conditions were terrible. I’m a warm-weather guy,” joked Carey. “But it feels great to win the league. I thought we all ran well today.”
To submit information to www.northoaklandsports.com, e-mail dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com. To advertise, e-mail advertising@northoaklandsports.com . Follow us on Twitter @LocalSportsFans and more than a dozen other social media networks.
Category: Clarkston, High School (M-Z), Lake Orion, Oxford, Prep Wraps, Rochester, Rochester Adams, Rochester Stoney Creek, Troy
