Clarkston sr Jenny Morgan and teammate Stephanie, a freshman, combined for 48 points at the D1 state meet as their team finished 2nd.
Here they are running in their region meet.
Photo by Davey,
RunMichigan.com
MHSAA Michigan State Championships
Saturday, June 3, 2006
Division I - East Kentwood HS, East Kentwood ----- Division II - Forest Hills Northern, Forest Hills
Division III- Comstock Park HS, Comstock Park ----- Division IV - Forest Hills Eastern HS, Forest Hills
Upper Peninsula - All Divisions at Kingsford
DyeStat on-site (at D1 meet) with David Mitchell and Jeff Hollobaugh
Reports: Girls Report --- Boys Report
Full Results - Lower Peninsula
Girls -- Division I --- Division II --- Division III --- Division IV
Boys -- Division I --- Division II --- Division III --- Division IV
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Clarkston sr Jenny Morgan and teammate Stephanie, a freshman, combined for 48 points at the D1 state meet as their team finished 2nd. Here they are running in their region meet. Photo by Davey, |
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Meet Previews - Boys - Girls
Complete Lists of Qualifiers
Boys State Meet Preview by David Mitchell
(Note: All MI Regional performances are hand times. No wind information is available for the Regional meets.)
MHSAA 2006 LP DIVISION 1 BOYS’ TRACK AND FIELD FINALS PREVIEW
In the team battle, host Grand Rapids East Kentwood utilized their depth and balance to win the MITCA Team State Title but is a long-shot in this meet. Defending champ Flint Carman-Aisworth is without NIN 60m dash champ (fastest h.s. time in the nation @ 6.73) Ahmad Rashad, whose season was shortened by a lingering hamstring injury.
Rashad’s absence leaves the door open for new champions in the 100 and 200. Detroit Murray Wright senior Dmitri Banks is the top seed in the 200, and is one of three athletes seeded at 10.5 atop the 100. Another Detroit Public School League (PSL) standout is Nicholas McCampbell in the 300 hurdles (top seed @38.1). McCampbell flew to a 37.4 clocking in winning the PSL title. Fellow PSL star Darrin Trammell won the league title in the 400 at 47.6. He’s the top 400 seed with a 48.3 from the regional.
PSL team champ Detroit Mumford is a perennial title contender and no doubt will be a factor again this year with their overall depth. Mumford lacks the star power of graduated Blake Figgins, but will rack up points in many events with the 4x4 being their most likely shot at an event win.
Another well-represented league in the ’06 seeding is the Southeastern Conference (SEC). SEC champs Ann Arbor Pioneer are the favorites for the team title. Pioneer senior Peter Christmas rode 4 regional wins to 3 top seeds (800—1:55.6; 1600—4:18.8; 4x800---7:59.1) and a second seed (3200---9:29.2). He’s joined by a balanced squad that has veteran mentor Don Sleeman harkening back to his powerhouse teams of the 1970s.
Another SEC school, Saline, will have a major impact on the team race. The Hornets are led by defending discus champ junior Vince Helmuth, who has earned the top seed in both throws (179’7” and 55’8”). Helmuth has plateaued with the platter, consistently flinging it in the 180s, but PR’ed this week in the shot at 57’4” in the Ann Arbor Area Meet of Champions. Saline also has scoring possibilities in the sprint relays as well as with returning LJ silver medalist Eric Williams, who earned that spot competing for neighboring Ypsilanti Lincoln in ’05.
Another SEC individual who may make some noise is Temperance Bedford junior Logan Lynch in the PV. Lynch cleared 16’0” indoors this year, but has struggled somewhat outdoors. If he’s healthy and he’s on, Lynch is a PV force to be reckoned with.
Last year’s LJ third placer, Jeremy Kline of Rockford, leads all MI jumpers with a pair of 24’+ efforts this spring.
MHSAA LP DIVISION 2 BOYS’ 2006 PREVIEW
Top performers in D2 include Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern junior Josh Hembrough, the NIN All-American and MITS Champ at 60mHH, who gets to race on his home track. (See Pete Cava’s feature story on Josh on DyeStat under “The Road to NON”.) Hembrough holds the top spot in both hurdle races (14.0 and 39.1) over the defending champ in both: Lansing Sexton senior Tymel Dodd (14.3 and 39.5). Farmington Hills Harrison senior Cameron Murphy sits between them in the long hurdles at 39.1 also.
Foot Locker Nationals CC 5th-placer Landon Peacock of Cedar Springs will be challenged as he is the 2nd seed in the 1600m behind Coldwater's Jay Billsborrow (4:20.9). Peacock will also have his hands full in the 3200, where he is the top seed (9:19.61) over junior Dan Jackson of Dexter (9:23.6). Jackson was an indoor All-American in the NIN 2 mile (9:15.66) and is just now running his best outdoors. Peacock ran one of the state's fastest for the month of March outdoor 3200 times ever with his dual meet 9:13.1 performance.
Clinton Allen of Muskegon Orchard View is back to defend the 100 and 200 titles he won as a junior in ’05 and owns the top seed in the 100 at 10.3. His 22.1 seed lines him up third behind Adrian senior Markgone Russell and Grand Rapids South Christian senior Matt Bakker, both at 22.0.
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s is the top 4x1 seed at 43.2 and stands to shake the standings up in the 4x2 where they are the 6th seed (1:31.1) but ran a D2 leading 1:28.0 at the Oakland County Championships.
Brad Birkholtz of Hamilton sailed over 6’8” in the HJ to post the best regional mark from all classes this year. University of Michigan signee Kyle Terpak of Riverview looks to improve upon his 400-meter bronze medal performance of ’05 and is the top seed at 49.3.
Last year, Ypsilanti was runner-up to Lansing Sexton in D2. This year the Braves are looking to move up a step on the victory stand by scoring in multiple areas. They won the MITCA D2 Team State Meet over Memorial Weekend. They are led by the versatile senior duo of Woody Payne (HJ and LJ 6th seeds) and Clent Simmons (400 6th seed), and the top-seeded 4x4 and 6th-seeded 4x1, on which they run key legs. The team’s 4x8 is also a 6th seed.
MHSAA LP DIVISION 3 BOYS’ 2006 PREVIEW
Williamston is the story in D3. They were the ’05 XC State Champs with Matt Lutzke (1st), Dan Nix (8th) and Chris Pankow (10th) out front. Last weekend they dominated the MITCA D3 Team State Meet and, to top it off, they popped an all-division state-best 7:50.3 4x800 to establish a new meet record at the Greater Lansing Honor Roll Meet on Tuesday. They are one hot team!
The team that has been closely following on Williamston’s trail all year is Grand Rapids West Catholic. West Catholic finished in the runner-up slot at both the XC Finals and the Team State Meet and would love to shake the bridesmaid’s role here.
Defending champ Frankenmuth looks formidable in the field events.
Another team in passionate pursuit of the title is Detroit Country Day with top seeds in the 4x1 and 4x2 as well as in the HJ (junior Clayton Beard 6’5.5”). Country Day zipped to a state best 1:27.8 in the 4x2 at the Oakland County Championships. They stand the most realistic shot of taking away Williamston’s chance for the team title triple.
MHSAA LP DIVISION 4 BOYS’ 2006 PREVIEW
Only one thing is certain in D4, a new team champion will be crowned. Long-time power Detroit St. Martin dePorres won in ’05 with 55 points, but has since closed its doors. Last year’s second and third place teams, Fowler (47) and Potterville (46), both appear capable of winning in ’06.
Potterville is led by Aaron Hunt, who is seeded 2nd in the 800 but blasted a state leading 1:53.5 at the Greater Lansing Honor Roll Meet earlier this week. Hunt’s Vikings are the top seed in the 4x4 and the second seed in the 4x8.
Fowler boasts qualifiers in 9 different events, including top-5 seeds in the 4x2 and 4x4 relays. Their depth will need to come through for them in a big way to win it.
Unionville-Sebewaing’s deep field events and relays won them the MITCA Team State D4 title last weekend and they’re shooting for the difficult double here.
Speaking of doubles, Morrice senior Brent McCarrick is the top seed in both the shot and the discus with regional performances of 164’6” and 52’6.25”. Augres-Sims long jumpers senior Justin Kelly and sophomore David Garske come in with the top two seeds based on their 22’11.5” and 21’9.5” regional leaps. Fairview senior Kyle Fortin is the top seed in the 200 (22.8) and 400 (50.0), giving his team title dreams as well.
Girls State Meet Preview by Jeff Hollobaugh
Division 1: In a strong year for the State of Michigan, perhaps the brightest star that is expected to shine in Saturday’s state finals is Mumford junior Shayla Mahan. She’s already set state records in both sprints this year at 11.58 and 23.91. If the weather gods smile, she may be capable of faster. She won both events at the Detroit PSL Championships in hand-times of 11.2 and 23.5.
Records may also fall in the 400, where Erin Humphrey of Ypsilanti Lincoln ran a hand-timed 54.0 in cool conditions at her regional. She should be primed to go after the FAT record of 54.45 in her first race of the day.
Freshman Stephanie Morgan of Clarkston has been hot this year, but she will have her hands full with Traverse City senior Annie Otwell. Morgan has a 1600 best of 4:56.15 this season, while Otwell ran a reported 4:53 last week at her league meet (while sick). Their battle in the 800, however, is shaping up to be a strange one. Morgan cruised a relatively modest 2:23.3 in her regional, and will be relegated to the slow heat, where her 2:09.6 state leader might cause her to stand out. Teammate Lyndsay Smith will be in the same heat and should help with the pace. Otwell (2:13.7) and Lauren Quaintance of Walled Lake Western should duke it out in the fast heat. Quaintance, a junior, ran down Morgan to win the Oakland County Championship in 2:14.2 last week.
Jenny Morgan, now a senior, has battled injuries this year but is expected to run three events to help the Clarkston team make a run at the state title. In the last few weeks she has clocked bests of 4:59.1 and 10:59.3. Her prime competition in the 3200 may come from Saline senior Eileen Creutz (10:58.26).
Pioneer of Ann Arbor is expected to make the strongest run at the team title, with typical sprint/hurdle power but no big headliners. In fact, the Pioneer hurdlers have to contend with Romulus star Landria Buckley, who clocked 14.0 in beating them at the regional. Buckley’s teammate Brittany Howard, the long jump leader at 18-9.25, will also contribute. The Romulus team is considered one of the stronger challengers to Pioneer, with relays of 1:39.7 and 4:01.0. Pioneer has relayed 48.56, 1:40.7, 3:55.7 and 9:25.0.
The best field event could be the pole vault, where Rockford teammates Caitlyn Gager and Christi Kettlehut, both seniors, lead the list at 11-8.
Division 2: A discus battle will highlight the finals at Forest Hills. Senior Jessica Rutherford of Ogemaw Heights (146-1) will meet juniors Mary Angell of Byron Center (144-11) and Sarah Morris of Mt. Pleasant (143-9).
Sophomore Ramzee Fondren (2:14.0, 5:10.5 this season) will lead the charge for Detroit Renaissance. The Phoenix will also get points from senior jumper Lesley Hale (5-4, 17-11) and its usual strong relay squads. Challenger Kenowa Hills will bring major points with the McCarthy twins, seniors Stephanie and Katherine. The favorite based on the seedings, though, is home team Forest Hills Northern.
Brooke Eilers of Holland Christian will contend in the distances, having run 5:07.0 and 11:07.0.
Division 3: Indoor national 800 leader Amelia Bannister (2:10.18) has not produced fast times yet outdoors, but hasn’t needed to. Because of sickness she concentrated at the 800 at her regional, skipping the 1600. Even so, her Albion squad could still place high.
Division 4: Reading senior Erin Dillon is going for a sprint triple as the top seed in all three (12.3, 25.8, 57.3). Meanwhile, Alexa Glencer of Ann Arbor Greenhills is going for the distance triple, with bests of 2:16.6, 4:58.4 and 10:48.93. Their fortunes might decide the team battle: both teams have 4 x 400s that are seeded high, as well as another possible point scorer. Either could top on-paper favorite Flint Hamady.