Prep Wraps
All Area Girls Track & Field: This fast group more than sizzled up the grand oval
BY Dan Stickradt
Jul 01 2010
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
There has never been a shortage of girls track and field talent in the area. This season was one of the best to date.
For the first time, a Class A/Division 1 girls track team from Oakland County won a state title, and several area athletes also brought home state crowns in individual events or realys. Furthermore, dozens of local stars finished in the top eight in the state for all-state honors, qualified for state, or finished high at various championship meets throughout the season.
It simply marked a banner year.
Teamwise, three local schools won regional championships, two captured league crowns and there was a bevy of top-flight finishes throughout the season.
On the www.northoaklandsports.com all-area team, individuals were limited to one open event, excluding relays, on the first-team and second-team, while individuals could be listed as honorable mention under more than one event.
Veteran Larry Adams, just in his third season as a head coach after two decades as an assistant coach, was named the 2010 Coach of the Year after leading Rochester to the Division 1 state championship.
Below are the profiles for the athletes and relays named to the first team:
Field Events
SHOT PUT: CHRISTINE LABAZZA, Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest: The school record holder in both throws events, this senior capped a fine four-year career by placing in both the shot put and discus at the Division 4 state finals. In the shot put, she was the MIAC league and Webberville regional runner-up, placed ninth at the Oakland County meet and eighth at the state meet (35-4.5). In the discus, she won both the league and regional, placed sixth at the county and second at the state finals (115-5). She was a four-time league and regional champion in the discus and placed three years at the county in the discus, and had a career best of 115-9. She will attend MIT near Boston and has been invited to walk on the track team. Labazza graduates with over a 4.0 GPA and as the class valedictorian.
“You can’t say enough about her,” said coach Randy Tyler. “She had a great career for us and was our valedictorian. She’s a really smart kid who has a bright future.”
DISCUS: LINNEA BERRIMAN, Lake Orion: This junior was consistently over the 100-foot barrier this season and wound up 10th at the Division 1 state meet. Her best came at the Oakland County meet, where she was third at 116-3. She was also the Ortonville Brandon regional champion, second at the OAA Red Division league meet and third at the West Bloomfield Invitational. She lost only one dual meet.
HIGH JUMP: MONIQUE NGUYEN, Troy: A junior in her third season of varsity competition, Nguyen was one of several high jumpers in the area to clear 5-4, but she had her best day at the D-1 state meet, clearing a school record 5-6 and earning third overall. She was the OAA-Red champion, placed fourth at the West Bloomfield Invitational, third at the Warren Mott regional and second at the county championships. Nguyen was also the Colts’ top hurdler, going 15.6 in the 100s and 46.8 in the 300s and placing at various championship meets in both hurdles races.
“She had a slow start to the year, but really came on strong at the big meets,” said coach Matt Richardson. “She was always one of the best jumpers and still got out of the regional even though she was third. She had her best day at the state meet, finishing third and tying our school record.”
LONG JUMP: TIARA OATES, Rochester Stoney Creek: This senior shattered her own school record this year on several occasions and posted her best effort at the county meet, where she won with a 17-11.75 leap. Oates, who was unbeaten in duals, won the OAA White Division league meet and Ortonville Brandon regionals and just missed the medals stand at the D-1 state meet, finishing ninth. The first-time state qualifier also ran on the sprint relays for the Cougars, qualifying in the 400 relay as well. Oates is considering walking on for Eastern Michigan nest school year.
“Tiara just kept getting better each year,” said coach Paul Duffy. “She was missed 18 feet in the long jump and only missed playing at the state meet by a couple of inches. She also ran on our sprint relays for us and was a big part of our team.”
POLE VAULT: SARAH HILLEBRAND, Oxford: A sophomore, Hillebrand is closing in on the school record and had a best effort of 9-10 this season, which landed her as the Flint Metro League champion on her own track. She was also the Ortonville Brandon regional champ, placed sixth at the county and tied for 14th at the D-1 state finals.
“I think next year she can go after the school record. She came a long ways this season,” said coach Jeff Zoli. “She scored a lot of points for us in the pole vault and we could throw her in the relays when we needed her to run and she would do it.”
Hurdles
100 HURDLES: CHIARA ALLEN, Lake Orion: A senior headed for Western Michigan University on a track scholarship, Allen was a hurdles and relays specialist during her career. In the 100 hurdles, she was champion at the West Bloomfield Invite, OAA-Red and Ortonville Brandon regional and finished second at both the county (14.61) and D-1 state finals. In the 300 hurdles, she was first at the West Bloomfield Invite, league and regional, second at the county (45.13) and ninth at the state meet. She also ran on the state-qualifying 800 relay and 1,600 relay units that won regional crowns.
300 HURDLES: KATE WOLANIN, Oxford: Over her four-year career, Wolanin ran more than half of the events and finished with five school records, garnering the attention of numerous colleges, including Eastern Michigan. She was second at both the FML and regional in the 300 hurdles and 19th at the D-1 state finals, running a best of 45.9 this season. In the 100 hurdles, she was second at both the league and regional and a semifinalist at the state finals. She did not run the hurdles at the county meet. In the high jump, Wolanin was sixth at the state finals (5-4), won the league meet, and finished second at the regional. Finally in the 1,600 relay, she was the anchor for a unit that set the FML record (4:06.65) and finished second at the regional (4:04.0). She qualified for the state meet in four events total this season.
“She was about as good of a utility athlete we had. Kate ran so many events for us and it was nice for her to place in one of them at the state finals,” said coach Jeff Zoli. “She is such a great, well-rounded athlete. I think she has the potential to be a lot better in college. We will really miss having her next year.”
Sprints
AT-LARGE: JASMINE JONES, Auburn Hills Avondale: A junior, Jones ran in four events at the state meet, including two relays, and was all-state in both the 100 and 200 dashes. In the 100 meters, Jones was third at the West Bloomfield Invitational, won the OAA Gold Division league meet (12.3), ran second at the Bloomfield Hills Lahser regional, third at the regional and third at the Division 2 state meet. In the 200, she was the league champ, placed second at the regional, eighth at the county and third at state. She had a best FAT effort of 25.93.
100 METERS: ASHLEY KEYES, Rochester: After finishing second in the state as a junior in the 100, Keyes, a three-time state qualifier, finished the year unbeaten in the open 100. She won the West Bloomfield Invite, OAA-Red, West Bloomfield regional, Oakland County and state titles, with a career best of 12.0 hand-timed and 12.34 FAT in winning the state championship. Also an accomplished long jumper, Keyes placed at the state meet the past two years in that event, finishing sixth this season. She was also the West Bloomfield Invite and regional champ in the long jump and placed fourth at the county. Her career-best of 18-0.75 is a school record.
200 METERS: ALEXANDRIA JOHNSON, Lake Orion: A junior, Johnson had another explosive year where she racked up numerous high places between the 100, 200, 800 relay and 1,600 relay. In the 100 dash, Johnson was fourth at the West Bloomfield Invite, first at the Ortonville Brandon regional (12.0), third at the OAA-Red, fourth at the county (12.45 FAT) and seventh at the D-1 state meet. In the 200, she claimed first at the league and regional and second at both the county and state meet (25.39 FAT). The anchor of the Dragons’ 800 relay also helped her unit finish 11th at the state meet (1:44.25 FAT), win the regional and take second at both the league and county meets.
400 METERS: CANDICE MACK, Rochester Adams: An injury kept Mack from the county and state meets, but that didn’t dampen an already fine sophomore campaign. Rotating between the 100, 200 and 400 dashes, plus multiple relays, Mack was the Ortonville Brandon regional champion (59.8) and placed second at the OAA-Red meet. She was the regional runner-up in the 200 (25.9) and placed third at the league meet. Mack also ran fourth in the 100 at the league meet (12.4) and her 1,600 relay unit clocked 4:10.1 this season.
“She was our best sprinter and (versatile) to run the 100, 200 and 400, plus relays,” said coach Eric Lohr. “She didn’t get a chance to run at the state meet after she placed (in the 200) as a freshman. She’s a very talented runner.”
Distances
800 METERS: BROOK HANDLER, Rochester: After not qualifying in the 800 as sophomore, Handler came back strong as a junior and won the state indoor title in March. That carried over into the outdoor season, where she won the OAA-Red and regional crowns and finished a strong second at the Division 1 state finals in 2:12.21, a time that ranks in the top-20 all-time in state history for the open 800 and was temporarily a school record. Handler, who ran on two state-placing relays, was also a standout in the 1,600, finishing second at both the league meet and West Bloomfield Invite and also crossing first at the county meet (4:57.39).
1,600 METERS: MEGAN GOETHALS, Rochester: The state’s all-time best distance runner, Goethals exits stage left with dozens of records on the track and in cross-country. Headed for the University of Washington as a prized recruit, Goethals was unbeaten over the past 12 months. Among her wins in the 1,600 included the OAA-Red, regional, D-1 state finals in a meet record 4:47.37, and the Midwest Meet of Champions in 4:43.05, a Midwest meet record which is the second fastest all-time for a Michigan female runner. In the 3,200, she won the West Bloomfield Invite, league, regional, county (10:00.15) and state meet (10:22.75, D-1 meet record). In the two-mile (18 meters longer than the standard 3,200), she was the national champ, clocking in at 10:01.06 in her final prep race. The conversion for 3,200 in that race was 9:57.2. The four-time state qualifier also excelled in the open 800, winning the MMOC in 2:10.58. A five-time state champion in track and two-time state champ in cross-country, Goethals is also the first Michigan prep runner to break 17 minutes in cross-country and is the Gatorade National Cross-Country Athlete of the Year.
3,200 METERS: MICHELLE MORISET, Troy: In many years, Moriset would have been a state champion, but the Northwestern-bound standout had to settle for third at the D-1 state meet in both the 3,200 and 3,200 relay. Owner of three school records, including the 1,600, 3,200 and 3,200 relay, Moriset, was the Warren Mott regional champion, finished second at both the OAA-Red and county meet and her 10:43.43 effort at the state meet gained her a third straight all-state honor in the 3,200. She also ran a leg on the 3,200 relay unit that ran 9:15.24 at state and won league and regional titles. In the 1,600, Moriset was second at the county, first at the regional, and third at the league meet. Her best career-effort in the 1,600 was 4:57.0.
“She knew because of Megan Goethals that she wasn’t going to be a state champion, but she kept working hard and had a great career and finished up third in two events at the state meet,” said Richardson. “Michelle always worked hard and did whatever we asked of her. She would run four events for points when we needed her to. She even ran the (800) if we needed her too. She is a great competitor and a team (minded) athlete.”
Relays
400-METER RELAY: ROCHESTER (Emily Leppek, Lauren Hetrick, Teanna Murray, Ashley Keyes): A bad handoff resulted this unit in finishing third at the West Bloomfield regional, but they were one of seven teams that qualified for the state finals out of that regional. They were unbeaten in duals, won the West Bloomfield Invite, OAA-Red and Oakland County titles. At the D-1 state finals, this unit was seeded eighth and ran out of Lane 8 but still won the state title in a blistering 48.42, as anchor Keyes blew past the field in the final straightaway. Keyes and Hetrick are seniors, while Erin Leppek is a junior and Emily Leppek a sophomore.
800-METER RELAY: ROCHESTER (Emily Leppek, Erin Leppek, Teanna Murray, Ashley Keyes): This team broke the 27-year-old school record midway through the campaign and kept lowering it, posting a 1:43.61 season-best at the county meet, where they broke the tape. They were also the Saline Invite and West Bloomfield Invite champs, won the West Bloomfield regional and county titles and finished seventh at the state meet. Keyes is a senior, Murray a junior, Erin Leppek a junior and Emily Leppek a sophomore.
1,600-METER RELAY: LAKE ORION (Sarah Daly, Lisa Galasso, Chiara Allen, Alexandria Johnson): This foursome was unbeaten throughout the season up until the D-1 state finals, where they finished sixth. Their final school record rests at 3:57.82. Together they won the West Bloomfield Invite, OAA-Red, Ortonville-Brandon regional and Oakland County titles, dipping under 4:05 on six different occasions and twice under four minutes on the year. All are seniors except Johnson, who is a junior.
3,200-METER RELAY: ROCHESTER (Megan Goethals, Cady Pozolo, Erin Leppek, Brook Handler): Seeded fifth going into the state finals, Rochester ran in the top three in the fast heat before anchor Handler overtook Grosse Pointe South’s Hannah Meier inside the final 20 meters to win the state crown in 9:05.47, which proved to not only to be the top time, but a Division 1 and all-division state meet record. Only three times at the national meet has a club-team unit from Michigan gone faster. Together, they also won the West Bloomfield Invitational and regional and ran second to Troy without Goethals at the OAA-Red meet. Their previous best before the state meet was 9:26, and they ran with different orders throughout the campaign. Handler, Leppek and Pozolo are juniors and Goethals, who ran leadoff, is a senior.
Coach of the Year
LARRY ADAMS, Rochester: After serving as an assistant coach for more than 20 years, Adams and longtime coaching partner Gary Cousino took over the Falcons’ track teams in 2008, with Adams being the head girls coach and assistant boys coach and Cousino the head boys coach and assistant girls coach. As it turned out, this was the season of dreams for the Falcons and the coaching staff. Rochester finished in the top three at every meet this season and in contention the whole way. The Falcons were 4-1 in duals and placed second by one point to Troy at the OAA Red Division league meet. Rochester won the West Bloomfield Invitational and West Bloomfield regional, its second straight, placed third at the county without a full lineup and capped the year by winning the Lower Peninsula Division 1 state championship with 65 points. The state title, led by all eight state qualifiers winning individual events or relays at state, was not only the first in school history but the first D-1 state title for any Oakland County school.
ALL-AREA GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD TEAM 2010
FIRST TEAM
Shot Put: Christine Labazza R.H. Luth. NW
Discus: Linnea Berriman Lake Orion
High Jump: Monique Nguyen Troy
Long Jump: Tiara Oates Roch. Stoney Creek
Pole Vault: Sarah Hillebrand Oxford
110 Hurdles: Chiara Allen Lake Orion
300 Hurdles: Kate Wolanin Oxford
100 Meters: Ashley Keyes Rochester
200 Meters: Alexandria Johnson Lake Orion
400 Meters: Candice Mack Roch. Adams
800 Meters: Brook Handler Rochester
1,600 Meters: Megan Goethals Rochester
3,200 Meters: Michelle Moriset Troy
At-Large: Yasmine Jones A.H. Avondale
400 Relay: Emily Leppek Rochester
400 Relay: Lauren Hetrick Rochester
400 Relay Teanna Murray Rochester
400 Relay: Ashley Keyes Rochester
800 Relay: Emily Leppek Rochester
800 Relay: Erin Leppek Rochester
800 Relay: Teanna Murray Rochester
800 Relay Ashley Keyes Rochester
1,600 Relay: Chiara Allen Lake Orion
1,600 Relay: Sarah Daly Lake Orion
1,600 Relay: Lisa Galasso Lake Orion
1,600 Relay: Alexandria Johnson Lake Orion
3,200 Relay: Megan Goethals Rochester
3,200 Relay: Cady Pozolo Rochester
3,200 Relay: Erin Leppek Rochester
3,200 Relay: Brook Handler Rochester
COACH OF THE YEAR
Larry Adams Rochester Third Season
SECOND TEAM
Shot Put: Kayle Sherwood, Clarkston soph.; Discus: Kathy Ruta, Troy Athens sr.; High Jump: Jillian Linklater, Lake Orion sr.; Long Jump: Erin Leppek, Rochester jr.; Pole Vault: Molly Bonfiglio, Oxford sr.; 110 Hurdles: Taylor Houghtlin, Rochester Adams jr.; 300 Hurdles: Lisa Galasso, Lake Orion sr.; At-Large: Jessica Howell, Oxford fr.; 100 Meters: Gabbi Ellis, Troy soph.; 200 Meters: Teanna Murray, Rochester jr.; 400 Meters: Ashley Dauphine, Troy jr.; 800 Meters: Jamie Morrissey, Rochester Adams fr.; 1,600 Meters: Lindsey Miller, Troy jr.; 3,200 Meters: Gabrille Thivierge, Rochester Adams fr.; 400 Relay: Troy (Gabbi Ellis, soph., Kelly Niemic, fr., Rachael Messina, sr., Dani Drayton, sr.); 800 Relay: Lake Orion (Lisa Galasso, sr., Lauren Galasso, soph., Chiara Allen, sr., Alexandria Johnson, jr.); 1,600 Relay: Rochester (Lauren Hetrick, sr., Erin Leppek, jr., Brook Handler, jr., Emily Leppek, soph.); 3,200 Relay: Troy (Sammy Johnson, sr., Franki Adamski, sr., Michelle Moriset, sr., Lindsey Miller, jr.).
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Shot Put: Ally Stanjones, Rochester soph.; Jessica Brasington, Oxford soph.; Katie Osentoski, Lake Orion soph.; Discus: Abbey Pierce, Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest soph.; Lexi Pullen, Troy fr.; Diana Othero, Troy soph.; Katie Osentoski, Lake Orion soph.; High Jump: Haley Hendricks, Rochester Adams jr.; Anna Manilla, Clarkston jr.; Erin King, Clarkston fr.; Long Jump: Keeona Ives, Oxford sr.; Meg Joiner, Rochester Stoney Creek jr.; Rachael Messina, Troy sr.; Pole Vault: Macey Peterson, Clarkston fr.; 110 Hurdles: Beka Stork, Troy sr.; 300 Hurdles: Emily Herbon, Troy jr.; Taylor Arney, Rochester Adams jr.; Lauren Hetrick, Rochester sr.; 100 Meters: Dani Drayton, sr.; Berri Berrion, Rochester Stoney Creek soph.; 200 Meters: Berri Berrion, Rochester Stoney Creek soph.; 400 Meters: Shannon Seeley, Oxford sr.; Megan Seeley, Oxford jr.; Chelsea Johnson, Oxford soph.; Kalena Shaw, Auburn Hills Oakland Christian jr.; Molly Jeffer, Clarkston soph.; Sarah Daly, Lake Orion sr.; Ashley Halm, Rochester Stoney Creek jr.; Courtney Kappheim, Lake Orion soph.; Sarah McCombs, Troy Athens soph.; 800 Meters: Sammy Johnson, Troy sr.; Franki Adamski, Troy sr.; Rachel Watton, Rochester Stoney Creek soph.; Caroline Miller, Rochester Adams sr.; Brittany Johnson, Oxford soph.; Cady Pozolo, Rochester jr.; Caitlyn Post, Clarkston jr.; Erin Billette, Clarkston soph.; Natalie Bick, Rochester Stoney Creek soph.; 1,600 Meters: Julia Dinverno, Troy jr.; Brooke Kovacic, Oxford fr.; Mary Santi, Rochester Stoney Creek fr.; Sarah Szatkowski, Rochester Stoney Creek jr.; 3,200 Meters: Sarah Johnson, Rochester Adams soph.; Kaitlin Catania, Clarkston fr.; Natalie Smith, Clarkston soph.; Brooke Kovacic, Oxford fr.; Sarah VanNoord, Troy Athens sr.; 400 Relay: Auburn Hills Avondale; Oxford; Rochester Stoney Creek; 800 Relay: Troy; Auburn Hills Avondale; Oxford; 1,600 Relay: Troy; Clarkston; Rochester Adams; Rochester Stoney Creek; 3,200 Relay: Clarkston; Rochester Adams; Rochester Stoney Creek; Oxford.
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Last updated: Sep 08 2010 at 5:22 AM
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