TRACK: Adams, Lake Orion roll to Oxford Invite titles
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
STATS: http://northoaklandsports.com/2013/04/27/track-field-oxford-invitatioinal-results/
OXFORD — Lake Orion had to Band-Aid its lineup together Saturday at the 55th running of the Oxford Invitational.
Three of the Dragons’ premier sprinters — Corey Ester, Joe Deneau Denau and Zack Arnold — are ailing and far below their normal status. In fact, Arnold and Deneau were pulled out early Saturday after re-aggravating their injuries, leaving the Dragons to have to make-shift three of their relays and move others around in the open events.
That may have taken away some points from Lake Orion, but not enough to take away its stranglehold of the Oxford Invitational title.
The Dragons scored in 12 of 17 events and came away with five victories en route to 99 points and their second straight team championship at the prestigious event.
Southfield was a distant second with 99 points, while Walled Lake Central (55.5), Waterford Mott (55), Walled Lake Northern (50.5), Birmingham Groves (44), Oak Park (37), Romeo (34.5), Clarkston (34) and Oxford (26.5) rounded out the top 10 in the 24-school standings.
“We are a little banged up and we had to move a lot of people around,” admitted Lake Orion boys coach Stand ford, whose team is the defending Division 1 state champions. “But I am very pleased with our depth and how the others stepped up. TJ Carey doubled up and won the mile and two-mile and anchored the winning (3,200) relay. Kirk Hansen was second in the 800 and (recorded a personal best), we had some subs in the 4×100 and still won the event and Jordan Waymar was incredible in the hurdles, winning the 300 hurdles and finishing second in the 110s. I am proud of everyone stepping up when we needed them to.”
Rochester Adams’ girls rested some of its top athletes and had them compete in only a couple events each. The Highlanders, fourth at the D-1 state meet last June, still racked up 92 points to win comfortably.
Walled Lake Central was second with 72 points, while Plymouth Salem (60), Oak Park (57), Ortonville Brandon (46), West Bloomfield (37), Birmingham Groves (36), Clarkston (29), Oxford (29) and Romeo (24) followed suit in the top 10.
“We’ve had a lot of meets the past two weeks and not the greatest of weather, so we decided to sit some girls out of some of their events. They are a little tired now,” said Adams coach Eric Lohr. “I thought we still did a great job competing. This is the first (big meet) where we’ve really been able to go out and compete. I’m sure that’s the case for everybody. I was pleased with how we performed in a lot of events.
Adams clocked 9:36.5 in setting a meet record in the 3,200 relay to set the tone. Jamie Morrissey, who joined Lydia Stanley, Gabrielle Thivierge and Caroline Kleitzan on that winning foursome, also won the 1,600 (5:00.69).
Jessica Howell added a victory in the 100 (12.44), Katelyn Brech took the high jump (5-2), Heather Johnson the 300 hurdles (46.21) and the Highlanders finished second in three other events.
The invite saw several meet records fall to the wayside.
Jackie Geist of Birmingham Groves set the meet mark in the 800 (2:14.78), while Oak Park established new records in the 1,600 relay (3:52.55) and 800 relay (1:41.70).
Walled Lake Central won the 400 relay (49.69), while the Vikings’ Josephine Jackson was a double winner by taking the discus (133-1) and shot put (41-8).
Bloomfield Hills Lahser’s Alana O’Mara won the 3,200 (11:17.31), Oak Park’s Gabrielle Edwards broke the tape in the 200 (25.96) and teammate Anna Jefferson the 400 (57.58) for the Knights.
Allyson Goff of Walled Lake Northern crossed first in the 100 hurdles (14.86) and won the long jump (17-6.75), while Ortonville Brandon’s Maddie Peirce had the best effort in the pole vault (10-6).
TJ Carey was in on three wins for Lake Orion, crossing first the 1,600 (4:19.71) and 3,200 (9:19.24), while joining David Arenz, David Diaz and Kirk Hansen to win the 3,200 relay (7:56.42). The latter two events were meet records.
Chris Leigh, Allen Karrip, Waymar and Matt Krause teamed up for a win in the 400 relay (43.0) and Waymar added a win in the 300 hurdles (38.82) for Lake Orion.
“This team has a lot of depth,” noted Carey, who has signed with Missouri. “We had a lot of guys step up today. It’s different this year with everyone going after us.”
Southfield won the 1,600 relay (3:22.53) and 800 relay (1:29.71), while Tre Walton crossed the line in the 400 in a blistering 49.26 and Brandon Bean took the high jump (6-5) to aid the Bluejays’ runner-up team effort.
Brennen Munley of Waterford Mott set a meet record in the 800 (1:54.29), while Walled Lake Central’s Cullen Prena won the shot put (57-6), a new meet record, and discus (174-0).
Walled Lake Northern had two winners in the field events, as Matt Kosmalski had the best effort in the long jump (21-9) and Austin Schafer the pole vault (12-9).
Birmingham Groves’ Ross Williams had one of the state’s best times in winning the 110 hurdles in 14.26, while Oak Park’s Maurice Allen won the 100(11.32) and 200 (22.22) to cap the winners.
STATS: http://northoaklandsports.com/2013/04/27/track-field-oxford-invitatioinal-results/
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