GIRLS TRACK: Bloomfield Hills surprises with first regional crown
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
Dan.stickradt@
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
BLOOMFIELD HILLS — In all reality, Nick Stration never gave much thought to his Bloomfield Hills girls track and field team claiming some championship hardware Friday night.
“I never gave it any thought, really. I just placed the girls in the events where I though they would have the best chance to qualify for state — honestly,” said Stration, the Blackhawks’ head coach.
Bloomfield Hills, the newly created high school following the merger of Lahser and Andover last summer, migrated up to Division 1 this season and pulled a surprise Friday on its own track. The Blackhawks topped the 14-school field by scoring 80 points to win what is believed to be the first regional title in girls track and field in the Bloomfield Hills district’s history.
“We’ve won a few with the boys at Lahser and I think Andover won a couple with the boys (in the early 1990s),” offered Stration. “I don’t think we won one with the girls. I’d have to check that for track. We’ve won some in cross (country) at Lahser, but I don’t recall any girls track.”
Waterford Mott was second with 65.5 points, while Lake Orion (64), Oxford (59), Rochester (56) and Clarkston (55) all followed in a cluster. West Bloomfield (52), Ortonville Brandon (49), defending regional champ Rochester Adams (44) and Holly (36.5) rounded out the top 10.
The top two finishers in each event, plus others that reached the pre-determined additional qualifying standard, advance to the Lower Peninsula Division 1 state finals May 30 at Rockford High School.
Diana Holsey won the 100 hurdles (15.44) and freshman Amanda Sape continued to impress with a win in the shot put (39-4.75) for Bloomfield Hills, beating Allysa Copley of Holly by nearly eight inches. The Blackhawks’ unit of Trea Harris, Erin Walker, Makenzi Cochran and DeNika Williams also broke the tape in the 800 relay (1:47.09).
Cochran also claimed second in the 200, while Bloomfield Hills was runner-up in the 400 relay.
“We got six girls to the state meet,” said Stration. “I thought we had a very good day overall as a team. We won three events and scored some points where I didn’t fully expect. We had three girls place in the 200.”
West Bloomfield’s Valerie Johnson captured the 100 (12.89) and long jump (17-9.5), while Emily Hubbard won the discus (112-9) for the Lakers.
Rochester Adams’ foursome of Hannah Champine, Ciara Krasovic, Katie Hirzel and Caroline Kletzien won the 3,200 relay (9:45.56), as Champine staved off Rochester in the last 10 meters. It marked the fifth straight year that Adams won a regional in the event.
“We got some good luck texts from the alumni today. We’re just glad to keep (the tradition),” said Kletzien, the lone senior on the relay.
Rochester Stoney Creek’s Nicole Kowalchick took advantage of a couple of scratches to win the 1,600 (5:21.28), holding off Lake Orion’s Danielle Carr down the stretch.
“I saw that the top two girls scratched, so I felt I had a really good chance to win,” said Kowalchik, who is headed for Michigan State.
Clarkston’s Jala Smith, Kayla Russell, Taylor Mullins and Madison Wilson teamed jump for a win in the 400 relay (51.24). Mullins also won the 300 hurdles (2:18.81) and teammate Meagan Nicholson joined the state leaders with a 5-6.5 effort in the high jump.
Mott’s Morgan Fuerst passed two runners in the final 20 meters to win the 400 (59.10), while Alexis Munley won the 800 (2:18.81). The duo also joined up with Mikayla Gean and Savannah Schaeffer for a victory in the 1,600 relay (4:11.36), as Munley nipped Adams anchor Heather Johnson at the finish line.
Johnson was also second in the 300 hurdles for Adams.
Davonne Bolden, who fought through an injury in the 400 and two dropped batons in relays, won the 200 (26.71) for Rochester. Teammate Jessica Goethals took the 3,200 (11:01.66), fighting off Clarkston’s Nicole Hanson and Lynsie Graham during the final 200 meters. Four runners qualified in the event.
Bri Jackson was second in the 100, Michaiah Thomas was runner-up in the 100 hurdles and Heather Czarnecki second in the 800 for Oxford.
Brandon’s Madison Pearce had a fine 12-0 effort in winning the pole vault, while she posted a runner-up finish in the long jump for the Blackhawks.
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