TRACK: Winner take all approach at OAA championships
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
OXFORD — A change in format has placed a little more emphasis on this year’s Oakland Activities Association track and field league meets.
The winner will truly take home all.
Although teams still compete in dual meets, each of the three OAA divisions — down from four divisions — were aligned with eight schools apiece and each division has two pods of four teams. Schools only compete in duals within those pods.
As for the overall league champion — the winner of the conference meet is crowned the champion, regardless of how a team fares in duals. In the past 20 seasons of the OAA, dual meets weighed in 50 percent and the league meet the other 50 percent toads the overall champion.
Rochester, Rochester Stoney Creek, Troy and Troy Athens competed in the South Pod, while Clarkston, Lake Orion, Oxford and Rochester Adams in the North Pod. When the eight members of the OAA Red Division converge Friday on the grand oval at Oxford High School, one school from each gender will walk away with the 2015 trophy.
Rochester’s girls and Lake Orion’s boys are the defending champions and will be hard pushed to defend their crowns.
“The new format changes everything, with dual meets not counting towards the league championship,” noted longtime Lake Orion boys coach Stan Ford. “It all goes down to one day. I’m not sure if I like it or not. But it makes coaches to put forth their best lineups to (try to amass) enough points. It’s challenging.”
While Lake Orion has won an all-time OAA record 10 league championships, including eight in the OAA Red Division and two in the OAA White Division (eight total championships in the past 15 seasons), the Dragons will be hard-pushed to win an 11th overall.
Oxford brings forth a formidable squad with several key athletes back from injury. The OAA-Red is far more balanced this season than in years past and with eight schools competing, Lake Orion will lose some points it has accumulated in recent league meets.
“I think we do have a very good chance to win),” admitted Oxford third-year coach Matt Johnson. “We can win a bunch of events and we’ll be stronger in the relays. I think the one thing that will help us is that we finally have some kids back healthy that were not running the past few weeks. We lost to Lake Orion and Clarkston by a couple of points at the end. We will be much better in the relays and have some sprinters back. Plus, no one will touch us in the field events. We’re going to score a ton of points in the field events.”
Over in the girls meet, first-year head coach Kevin Breen, a 2000 Clarkston grad, will try to lead the Wolves to their first league title since 2012, a year Clarkston shared the crown with Rochester Adams.
If Clarkston prevails — the Wolves are the heavy favorites with possible victories in 11 events — it would be the school’s ninth league crown since the OAA’s inception in 1994-95. The Wolves are currently tied with Rochester Adams and Birmingham Seaholm with eight titles apiece.
“I like the way we are starting to compete. We haven’t run our best relays yet, so we hope to do that coming up (at the championship-style meets),” said Breen. “I think we’re trying to bring back the team aspect to it. Sometimes, kids forget that it’s not all about individual efforts, but you’re competing with team goals in mind. If we can do that the next couple of weeks, than I think we can be very successful.”
Defending OAA-Red champion Rochester and Lake Orion will be waiting in the wings if Clarkston stumbles.
OAA WHITE DIVISION
The OAA White Division meet will be held on Thursday at Bloomfield Hills, the old Lahser High School.
In the girls meet, Farmington, Bloomfield Hills and Birmingham Seaholm all have talented squads and will compete for regional titles and top-10 finishes at the upcoming Oakland County and state meets. Together, only one will win a league — and it should be a dogfight as all have state-caliber athletes.
Harrison won the OAA-White last season in girls track, while Seaholm had won three straight in the OAA-Blue before being bumped up to the OAA-White this season.
In the boys meet, it should be a battle between Birmingham Groves and Auburn Hills Avondale, the Division 2 state runner-up last year. Avondale actually won the OAA-Blue league meet last year, but with some dual meet losses, finished second to Seaholm in the final standings.
Perhaps a grand one-day effort will be the difference between Groves and Avondale this season.
Farmington Harrison won the OAA-White last season in boys track, and competes in the OAA-Blue this spring.
OAA BLUE DIVISION
Hazel Park will host the OAA Blue Division with its one-year-old facilities. Oak Park’s girls, the defending Division 1 state champions, will be expected to win its third straight crown, the last two coming in the OAA-Gold.
Oak Park’s boys will also be going after its third straight league title and fifth overall in OAA history. The Knights also shared the crown with Royal Oak in 2007 and won the OAA Gold Division outright in 2003.
Seaholm’s boys won the OAA-Blue overall title last season and moved to the OAA-White this spring.
The OAA Gold Division is no more. After 20 seasons with four divisions, the OAA went with three divisions this season with its new trial format.
ALL-TIME
Since the inception of the OAA in 1994-95, a total of 36 schools have toed the line in athletics. In track and field, a few programs have separated themselves at the league level.
In boys track, Lake Orion leads the way with 10 titles, Auburn Hills Avondale has seven, Farmington and Bloomfield Hills Lahser have six titles each and both Southfield and Birmingham Seaholm have captured five crowns.
In girls track, aforementioned Clarkston, Adams and Seaholm have the eight crowns apiece. Troy has seven and both Farmington and Birmingham Groves have captured six titles apiece.
Expect several divisional and overall OAA league meet records to fall this Thursday and Friday night.
OVERALL LEAGUE MEET RECORDS:
(all division meets combined)
BOYS
SHOT PUT — Jack Gittler, Berkley, 2001, 55-8
DISCUS — Jack Gittler, Berkley, 2001, 168-8
HIGH JUMP — Brad Miller, Lake Orion, 2001, 6-7; CJ Gozdor, Clarkston, 2012, 6-7
LONG JUMP — Tim Smith, Pontiac Northern, 1997, 22-6
POLE VAULT — Not contested in OAA
110 HURDLES — Aaron Burton, Southfield 1995, 14.00
300 HURDLES — Nick Stout, Lake Orion, 2001, 38.00
100 METERS — Jamarius McTear, Ferndale, 2010, 10.50
200 METERS — Godfrey Herring, Pontiac Northern, 1997, 21.30
400 METERS — Phillip Washington, West Bloomfield, 2011, 47.70
800 METERS — Justin Switzer, Waterford Kettering, 2004, 1:54.90
1,600 METERS — Michael Atchoo, Troy, 2009, 4:14.00
3,200 METERS — Ben Hill, Royal Oak, 2012, 9:33.20
400-METER RELAY — Troy, 1996, 42.60
800-METER RELAY — Southfield, 2005, 1:27.80
1,600-METER RELAY — Oak Park, 2013, 3:22.66
3,200-METER RELAY — Rochester Adams, 2008, 8:00.80
GIRLS
(all division meets combined)
SHOT PUT — Randall Hurst, West Bloomfield, 2005, 42-7
DISCUS — Alex Hartley, Lake Orion, 2006, 138-7
HIGH JUMP — Nicole Randolph, Southfield-Lathrup, 1998, 5-9.25
LONG JUMP — Aaron Howell, Farmington, 2012, 18-6.5
POLE VAULT — Not contested in OAA
100 HURDLES — Bridgette Owens, Southfield, 2010, 14.00
300 HURDLES — Brianna Holloway, Oak Park, 2014, 43.95
100 METERS — Carly Knazze, Southfield, 1999, 11.90
200 METERS — Latipha Cross, Southfield, 2011, 24.00
400 METERS — Anna Jefferson, Oak Park, 2014, 54.50
800 METERS — Stephanie Morgan, Clarkston, 2006, 2:09.60
1,600 METERS — Megan Goethals, Rochester, 2010, 4:51.90
3,200 METERS — Audrey Belf, Birmingham Seaholm, 2014, 10:26.78
400-METER RELAY — Oak Park, 2014, 47.91
800-METER RELAY — Oak Park, 2014, 1:39.76
1,600-METER RELAY — Oak Park, 2014, 3:46.63
3,200-METER RELAY — Birmingham Seaholm, 2014, 9:21.30
OAA RED DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIPS SINCE 1995
YEAR BOYS GIRLS
2015 TBD TBD
2014 Lake Orion Rochester
2013 Lake Orion Rochester Adams
2012 Lake Orion Rochester Adams/Clarkston
2011 Farmington Troy
2010 West Bloomfield Troy
2009 Rochester Adams Troy
2008 Rochester Adams West Bloomfield
2007 Rochester Troy
2006 Lake Orion Clarkston
2005 Southfield Troy
2004 Lake Orion Clarkston
2003 Lake Orion Clarkston
2002 Lake Orion Rochester Adams
2001 Lake Orion Rochester Adams
2000 Clarkston Rochester Adams
1999 Pontiac Northern Rochester Adams
1998 Pontiac Northern Rochester Adams
1997 Pontiac Northern Southfield/Rochester
1996 Troy Troy
1995 Troy Roch. Rochester Adams/Southfield/Troy
OAA WHITE DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIPS SINCE 1995
YEAR BOYS GIRLS
2015 Birmingham Groves Farmington
2014 Farmington Harrison Farmington Harrison
2013 Southfield Farmington
2012 West Bloomfield/Farmington Farmington
2011 Oxford Farmington Harrison
2010 Farmington/Farm. Harrison Farmington
2009 Farmington/Farm. Harrison Farmington
2008 Farmington Birmingham Groves
2007 Birmingham Groves Berkley
2006 Birm. Groves/B.H. Lahser Farmington
2005 Bloomfield Hills Lahser Farmington Harrison
2004 Southfield Troy Athens
2003 Southfield Southfield
2002 West Bloomfield Southfield/Birmingham Groves
2001 West Bloomfield Birmingham Groves
2000 Lake Orion/Waterford Mott Lake Orion
1999 Lake Orion Lake Orion
1998 Clarkston Clarkston
1997 Clarkston Clarkston
1996 Troy Athens Clarkston
1995 Waterford Mott Clarkston/Troy Athens
OAA BLUE DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIPS SINCE 1995
YEAR BOYS GIRLS
2015 TBD TBD
2014 Birmingham Seaholm Birmingham Seaholm
2013 Birm. Groves/Birm. Seaholm Birmingham Seaholm
2012 Auburn Hills Avondale Birmingham Seaholm
2011 Ferndale Birmingham Groves
2010 Ferndale/North Farmington Birmingham Seaholm
2009 Royal Oak North Farmington
2008 Birmingham Seaholm Waterford Mott
2007 Southfield Lathrup Waterford Mott
2006 Berkley Berkley/North Farmington
2005 Berkley Berkley
2004 Farmington Southfield Lathrup
2003 Royal Oak Kimball Farmington
2002 Auburn Hills Avondale Ortonville Brandon
2001 Auburn Hills Avondale Ortonville Brandon
2000 Bloomfield Hills Lahser Bloomfield Hills Lahser/Birmingham Groves
1999 Bloomfield Hills Lahser Bloomfield Hills Lahser
1998 B.H. Lahser/Royal Oak Kimball Birmingham Seaholm
1997 Birmingham Seaholm Birmingham Seaholm
1996 Ferndale Bloomfield Hills Lahser
1995 B.H. Andover** Birmingham Groves
OAA GOLD DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIPS SINCE 1995
YEAR BOYS GIRLS
2015 Not contested Not contested
2014 Oak Park Oak Park
2013 Oak Park Oak Park
2012 Southfield Berkley
2011 Auburn Hills Avondale Auburn Hills Avondale
2010 Bloomfield Hills Lahser Bloomfield Hills Lahser
2009 Auburn Hills Avondale Bloomfield Hills Andover
2008 Royal Oak Waterford Kettering
2007 Oak Park/Royal Oak Waterford Kettering
2006 Hazel Park Waterford Kettering
2005 Hazel Park Waterford Kettering
2004 Hazel Park Rochester Stoney Creek
2003 Oak Park Madison Heights Lamphere
2002 Clawson** Clawson
2001 Royal Oak Kimball Clawson/Madison Heights Lamphere
2000 Auburn Hills Avondale Ortonville Brandon
1999 Auburn Hills Avondale Ortonville Brandon
1998 Waterford Kettering Ortonville Brandon
1997 Hazel Park Auburn Hills Avondale
1996 Birm. Seaholm/S'field-Lathrup Birm. Seaholm/Southfield-Lathrup
1995 Royal Oak Dondero Birmingham Seaholm
** Denotes tentative champion
TOTAL DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIPS
BOYS
10 — Lake Orion
9 — None
8 — None
7 — Auburn Hills Avondale
6 — Farmington, Bloomfield Hills Lahser
5 — Southfield, Birmingham Seaholm
4 — West Bloomfield, Oak Park, Hazel Park, Birmingham Groves
3 — Clarkston, Pontiac Northern, Farmington Harrison, Ferndale, Royal Oak,
Royal Oak Kimball
2 — Rochester Adams, Troy, Waterford Mott, Southfield-Lathrup, Berkley
1 — Rochester, Oxford, Troy Athens, North Farmington, Bloomfield Hills Andover,
Clawson, Waterford Kettering, Royal Oak Dondero
0 — Madison Heights Lamphere, Madison Heights Madison, Ortonville Brandon,
Bloomfield Hills, Pontiac Central, Pontiac, Rochester Stoney Creek
GIRLS
10 — None
9 — None
8 — Rochester Adams, Clarkston, Birmingham Seaholm
7 — Troy, Farmington
6 — Birmingham Groves
5 — Ortonville Brandon
4 — Southfield, Bloomfield Hills Lahser, Waterford Kettering, Berkley
3 — Farmington Harrison
2 — Lake Orion, Rochester, Waterford Mott, Troy Athens, Auburn Hills Avondale,
North Farmington, Oak Park, Clawson, Madison Heights Lamphere,
Southfield-Lathrup
1 — West Bloomfield, Bloomfield Hills Andover, Rochester Stoney Creek
0 — Oxford, Royal Oak, Royal Oak Dondero, Royal Oak Kimball, Madison Heights
Madison, Bloomfield Hills, Pontiac, Pontiac Central, Pontiac Northern,
Ferndale, Hazel Park
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