TRACK REGIONAL PREVIEW: Lake Orion, Brandon, Adams, Troy all hope to contend for titles
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
ORTONVILLE — Lake Orion has become a model of consistency when it comes to boys track and field in recent years. Rarely in the past two decades have the Dragons suffered through a down year.
This season has become one of Lake Orion’s best to date. The Dragons enter Friday’s Division 1 regional at Ortonville Brandon as one of the favorites and are undefeated on the season.
Lake Orion is 5-0-0 in duals, won the Brandon Invitational, Oxford Invitational and Birmingham Groves Invitational by convincing margins, and scored an impressive 179.5 points last Friday to win the OAA Red Division league meet, which clinched the school’s seventh league title in 12 years.
BURNING A TRAIL: Lake Orion senior Nick Balavich and the Dragons hope to contend for the regional.crown Friday in a loaded Division 1 regional field at Ortonville Brandon. File Photo
“We knew the league was going to be down a little this year, so I figured our best challenges would come at the big meets,” said veteran Lake Orion coach Stan Ford, whose team is shooting for its first regional title since 2006. “We are very deep in the distances and we have a great crop of sprinters, something we didn’t always have. And we have been getting better in the field events.”
LEAP OF FAITH: Rochester Adams junior Jessica Howell and the Highlanders hope to defend their Division 1 regional title Friday at Ortonville Brandon. File Photo
“Everything I’ve heard about Grand Blanc is that they are very good again. I know they have most of their team back from last year,” said Ford. “There are some other teams there that will score points.”
Clarkston, Holly, Swartz Creek, Rochester, Rochester Adams and Port Huron Northern will score well in various events in the 15-school field.
As for high seeds, Lake Orion and Grand Blanc should score in most events and are expected to contend for titles in all four relays.
“We are strong in each relay and we have depth for some of those relays,” added Ford. “In the (3,200) relay, we have 5-6 kids that we can put in there. We will have to make some tough choices. I know the distances races are going to be very tough. There are a lot of great kids in the region.”
The boys shot put should also turn some heads with three throwers, two from Swartz Creek and one from Romeo, all throwing around 55 feet. The boys 3,200 relay and 1,600 relay will also be contested at a blistering pace.
In the girls meet race, defending regional champion Rochester Adams is rounding back into form. The Highlanders only graduated two point scorers off last year’s team and has just three seniors in their lineup. Adams won the OAA Red Division league meet crown with 153 points last week, the first time all season the Highlanders fielded its full lineup.
“I think we can score well, but (Ortonville) Brandon is a lot better than last year and they beat us at the Oxford Invitational a couple of weeks ago,” said Adams coach Eric Lohr. “They are definitely going to be tough to beat. I do like our chances to compete for the regional if we compete.”
Ortonville Brandon has the deepest sprints core at the regional and has added some fine field events personal to the mix. The Blackhawks and Adams should be the co-favorites at the meet, while Clarkston, 2010 state champion Rochester, Pontiac, Oxford Holly and Rochester Stoney Creek expected to score well.
Clarkston defeated Adams in dual meet in early April and edged Rochester by one point for second place at last week’s league meet. This is the first time since 1988 that Rochester has competed in a Flint-area regional, spending the past 20 years at the West Bloomfield regional.
Watch for some blistering efforts in the distances races and some fast efforts in the sprint relays as well. The girls high jump is also expected to have several performers seeking state berths.
DIVISION 1 AT WARREN MOTT: Troy’s girls have finished first or second in each of the past seven years at this regional, although the Colts are not favored this time around.
Macomb Dakota is having its best season to date and enters the meet as the heavy favorite. Troy, Sterling Heights Stevenson, Fraser and Harrison Township L’Anse Creuse should also be in the race for top-five finishes. Last season, Troy edged Dakota 151.5-135 for the crown.
Dakota has the most balance with several quality performers in the distances and sprints, along with point-scorers spread elsewhere. Troy is not as deep in the distances as in years past, but will still score in those events.
Utica and Dakota could converge for the boys meet title, although Troy and Stevenson will also score well, along with New Baltimore Anchor Bay and Fraser. Troy’s boys have several young performers that have shined this season and could be a darkhorse if they perform well.
DIVISION 2 AT BLOOMFIELD HILLS LAHSER: This regional will be much deeper than in past years, as most of the teams are simply better than in the past and some new arrivals from the Detroit PSL bring forth some quality athletes.
In the boys meet, Auburn Hills Avondale and Birmingham Detroit Country Day, which tied for third at last year’s state meet, are the predominant favorites, although Ferndale and Bloomfield Hills Andover should be in the top five.
The girls meet will featured defending state champion Country Day, which is primed to contend again this season, looking to fend off Pontiac Notre Dame Prep and Detroit Renaissance. A newcomer to the regional, Detroit Pershing, will add depth to the sprints races on both the boys and girls meets.
Expect some of the state’s better efforts in D-2 to come out of this regional, in the throws, sprints and middle distances races.
DIVISION 4 AT WEBBERVILLE: The Danville boys are hoping to defend their regional crown, with Flint Hamady, Birmingham Roeper and Webberville also eying top finishers.
The local connections, Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest, Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes and Auburn Hills Oakland Christian, could also score well in various events.
Oakland Christian’s boys, second to Danville last season, were hard hit by graduation and defections from last year’s team and will drop a bit this Saturday.
Morrice’s girls team cleaned up last season and will be in the running this season, along with Hamady and Birmingham Roeper. Lutheran Northwest, Oakland Christian and Danville could also score well.
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