Lake Orion, Brandon win Oxford Invitational titles

BY DAN STICKRADT

SENIOR EDITOR

dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com

Twitter: @LocalSportsFans

OXFORD — Projected to be one of the state’s better track teams this season, Lake Orion has done nothing short of living up to those high expectations on the grand oval this spring.

The undefeated Dragons’ boys squad continued their torrid pace during the opening weeks of the season, winning their third invitational crown in as many of weeks to go along with a 4-0-0 dual meet record, by cruising past a talented field at Saturday’s 50^thannual Oxford Invitational. The Dragons amassed 107 points, well ahead of runner-up Davison’s 60 points, to win in convincing fashion.

ON THE FAST TRACK: Pontiac Notre Dame Prep's Sara Barron pulls way from West Bloomfield's Erin Finn and Oxford's Brooke Kovacic in the 1,600 meters at Saturday's Oxford Invitational. Staff Photo | Dan Stickradt

Lake Orion recorded first-place finishes in five of the 17 events to topple the field of 26 teams.

“It’s been a lot of racing — a dual meet in the week and an invitational on the weekend. There hasn’t been a lot of rest,” noted veteran Lake Orion coach Stan Ford. “It’s been busy, but the kids have continually got faster. We have a little bit of a break because we won’t run a meet next weekend I think they’ve earned it. They have been competing really well here the past few weeks.”

Lake Orion ended the running portion of the meet — the high jump did not finish until 6:50 p.m. — with a win in the 1,600 relay, as the unit of Corey Ester, David Diaz, Zach Arnold and Nick Balavich clocked 3:24.63 for the best effort in the area this season. The Dragons scored points in 14 events on the marathon day, which took nearly 10 hours to complete.

Lake Orion also won the 3,200 relay (8:03.61), with David Arens, George Modrak, Diaz and TJ Carey making up the winning foursome. Carey came back to surge past a tight pack down the final straightaway in the 1,600 (4:23.42) with Diaz earning third.

TO THE LIMIT: Lake Orin's TJ Carey (middle) staves off Utica's Chris Scott (right) and teammate David Diaz (left) during the 1,600 at Saturday's Oxford Invitational. Staff Photo | Dan Stickradt.

Ester, Joe Deneau, Dashawn Tolbert and Balavich won the 400 relay (44.29), while Alex Roberts won the 300 hurdles (39.19) and took second in the 110 hurdles (15.09) for Lake Orion.

“We have a dual meet Tuesday, then we have some time off (11 days) until our league meet, where we hope to come back rolling again,” said Ford. “We know we have a really tough regional coming up in three weeks. Grand Blanc is very good and they have to be the favorite, but I like the way we are (competing) right now.”

Meanwhile, Ortonville Brandon’s girls team staved off Rochester Adams, 81-73, to win the Oxford Invitational in its first-ever appearance in the meet, which doubled in size this year. Maddie Pierce won the long jump (17-5) and Anne Fochesato the high jump (5-5), as the duo helped Brandon win five events on the day.

Tiffany Owens won the 100 (12.53) and teamed up with Denta Jayona, Fochesato and Kierra Johnson for a win in the 800 relay (1:46.27). Owens, Denta, Johnson and Pierce also won the 400 relay (50.65).

The Blackhawks also finished second in the 1,600 relay to clinch the meet.

“This was our first time at the Oxford Invitational and I am surprised that we won because this is not some little meet. There were a lot of very good teams at the meet,” said Brandon coach Greg Hyde. “We have been having a really good season, and when you have one of the best group of sprinters in the state, it gives you a chance. But we had a lot of girls step up and give us points today.”

Runner up Adams won just one event, running a blistering 4:06.0 in the 1,600 relay, the Highlanders’ best effort in the event in nearly two decades. Jessica Howell, Jennifer Gerlach, Sophie Smith and Jamie Morrissey comprised the winning quartet.

“I think we have had a solid season so far,” noted Adams coach Eric Lohr. “We had a little slip up against Clarkston (in a dual meet loss), but we’re getting better each time out. We’ve got Rochester this week, then we’re going to go into the (OAA Red Division) league meet with the hopes of winning it.”

Wale Lake Central’s 60 points were good enough for third in the girls team standings. Waterford Mott (57) and Birmingham Detroit Country Day (50) rounded out the top five, while Macomb Dakota (46), West Bloomfield (41.5), Oxford (39.5), Rochester (29) and Lake Orion (29) followed suit in the top 10.

Dakota’s Lauren Burnett won the 400 (58.59) and 800 (2:16.53), Country Day’s Brittany Mann the shot put (42-5) and discus (148-3) and Mott’s Allyson Goff the 100 hurdles (15.17) and 30 hurdles (46.05), as the trio all finished as double winners.

Notre Dame Prep’s Sara Baron pulled away from a loaded field in the 1,600 to win with a 4:52.37 clocking — three runners broke five minutes in the race — and finished second in the 3,200.

“I thought they were all right behind me, so I just kept kicking as fast as I could,” said Barron, one of the state’s better distance runners. “I want to get down in the 4:40s in the (1,600) and down to around 2:10 in the 800. That’s what I’m really working on right now, just keep lowering those times. This meet will help because there were a lot of very good runners at this meet.”

Livonia Stevenson’s Alex Kitz the pole vault (10-6), West Bloomfield’s Erin Finn soared ahead of a pack of several all-state cross country runners to win the 3,200 in a state-leading 10:25.14, and Walled Lake Central’s Gabrielle Edwards broke the tape in the 200 (25.42).

Walled Lake Northern’s foursome of Dansa Garcia, Jenny McKenna, Becca Quaintance and Katelyn Cliff joined forces to win the 3,200 relay (9:42.52) to open the finals.

In the boys meet, Walled Lake Central’s Cullen Prena threw the discus 187-7, one of the best efforts in the nation this season, and also won the shot put (52-1). West Bloomfield’s CJ Brathwaite also had one of the state’s best efforts this year by winning the long jump in 22-9 and Walled Lake Northern’s Jason Fink took the pole vault (12-0).

Auburn Hills Avondale’s Kyle Redwine, who missed the past two seasons, won the 100 (10.9) and anchored the winning 800 relay (1:30.27). Joshuwa Hollomon, Jeff Douglas and Myles Wright teamed up with Redwine on the relay.

University-of-Michigan-bound Nathan Chapman won the 400 (49.3) and 800 (1:57.57).

“This was a good day for me, because I really want to try the 400-800 and this shows that I can compete in both,” said Chapman, who ran in the back-to-back events for the first time at a large invitational.

Oak Park’s Drewe Jackson was awarded the win in the 200 (22.92) after Rochester’s Brandon Tyus was disqualified for stumbling out of his line during the final turn.

In the 3,200, Rochester Blake Polzolo overcame a 30-meter deficit with 300 meters to go to win the race in a career-best 9:36.9. He surged past Mott’s Brandon Carson (9:37.84), who led during the entire race until the final 50 meters.

“I wasn’t sure if I could get him,” smiled Pozolo. “I just started to kick hard. Luckily, I got him on the last straightaway.”

Three different jumpers tied at 6-0 to win the high jump, while Utica’s Freddie Crittenden won the 110 hurdles (14.79) to round out the individual winners.

Walled Lake Northern finished third with 52, followed by Utica (48), Auburn Hills Avondale and Walled Lake Central (44) in the top five. Oak Park (41), Mott (40), Birmingham Groves (27) and Waterford Kettering (23) rounded out the top 10 in the boys team standings.

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.

FOR MORE TRACK COVERAGE:  http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=track&x=14&y=11

Have photos or video of this event that you wish to share? E-mail pertinent information to www.northoaklandsports.com Senior Editor Dan Stickradt at dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com or e-mail results@northoaklandsports.com.

To report varsity results, e-mail results@northoaklandsports.com or dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com

Tags: Auburn Hills Avondale Track, featured, high school track, Lake Orion Track, Oxford Invitational, Oxford Track, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep Track, Prep Track, Rochester Adams Track, Rochester Track, track

Category: Auburn Hills Avondale, High School, High School (M-Z), Lake Orion, Ortonville Brandon, Oxford, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, Prep Wraps, Rochester, Rochester Adams