Many Contribute in Marquette Boys Repeat
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
June 5, 2016
KINGSFORD — The Houghton boys gave chase, but Marquette withstood the Gremlins’ challenge while retaining the Upper Peninsula Division 1 track and field title Saturday.
Marquette collected 144 points to repeat and win its fifth title in seven seasons. Houghton followed with 111 points, and Kingsford tallied 72.
“We had a lot of guys step up,” said Marquette coach Kyle Detmers. “I’m proud of their effort. Hats off to Houghton. They had a great meet. I think they’ll be the team to beat next year.”
Senior distance ace Lance Rambo provided the Redmen with victories in the 800-meter run at 1 minute, 59.23 seconds and 1,600 (4:25.26).
Then in the 3,200, Rambo was well ahead of the field on the last turn of the sixth lap (of eight) when he suddenly hopped off the track in a great deal of pain caused by plantar fasciitis.
“I’ve had it for about a week,” Rambo said. “It’s really not that bad, but I didn’t get to ice it down after the 800 and it got worse during the 3,200. I’m happy about my first two races and the fact our team did so well. I had decent times in the 800 and 1,600.”
Rambo’s misfortune opened the door for Escanaba junior Joey Wolfe, who won in a personal-best 9:59.78.
“Hats off to Joey,” said Rambo. “He ran a great race.”
Lance’s brother, Luke Rambo, was runner-up (10:05.29) and Sault Ste. Marie’s Aaron Kinsella took third (10:07.11) in a race where the Division 1 and 2 runners ran together.
“It was a tragedy and a blessing,” said Wolfe. “I saw Lance go off the track and didn’t know what to think. Nate (Carey of Iron Mountain) and the kid from the Sault were right next to me. I told myself, ‘this is my chance,’ and took off in the last lap. Anything can happen. That’s why you always try to do your best. Yet, I feel bad for Lance. I just hope it wasn’t anything too serious.”
Marquette’s Pat Burmeister won the 100 (11.4), placed second in the 200 (23.36) and anchored the runner-up sprint relays.
Teammate Brad Seaborg added a first in the 300 hurdles (42.32). Payton Muljo won shot put at 44 feet, ½ inch, and Taylor Althouse took high jump (5-10).
“Lance ran great races in the 800 and 1,600,” said Detmers. “Luke really helped us by taking second in the 3,200 when Lance went down. We scored about 40 points in the field events, which hasn’t been common for us. We were seeded fourth in long jump and we got second and fifth. The only disappointment we had is our 3,200 relay got disqualified.”
Houghton won the day’s opening race in 8:15.38, and Clayton Sayen captured the 400 (51.7), took second in the 800 (2:02.49) and third in the 1,600 (4:38.48). Brad Ohtonen added a first in discus (120-2).
Kingsford’s sprint relays, anchored by Ben Moreau, took first in the 400 (45.01) and 800 (1:34.1).
The Flivvers also got a first from Mike Jamar in long jump (20-1¼), with Marquette’s Wyatt Goodwin runner-up (20-½).
PHOTOS: (Top) Marquette and Houghton battle during the 3,200 relay, won by the eventual overall runner-up Gremlins. (Middle) Negaunee’s Joe Grasso (far left) celebrates his 110 hurdles championship. (Photos by Cara Kamps.)
Whittemore-Prescott Gets Win That Counts Most
By
Wes Morgan
Special for MHSAA.com
June 3, 2017
GRAND RAPIDS – Winning it all doesn’t necessarily mean winning them all when it comes to track & field.
In fact, the Whittemore-Prescott boys team didn’t win a single event at Saturday’s Lower Peninsula Division 4 championship meet at Grand Rapids’ Houseman Field.
The Cardinals still managed to rack up 36 points for the team title to hold off Manton (31), Harbor Springs (28) and two other schools that finished within 10 of the lead.
Seniors Ian Driscoll and Azaiyah Bell, sophomore Ridge Schutte and junior Bradley Lomason had one of the best finishes of the day for the Cardinals, clocking in at 3 minutes, 27.98 seconds in the 1,600-meter relay for second place. Junior Michael Eagan was also runner-up after he sailed 20 feet, 10½ inches in the long jump.
The top eight finishers in each event secure all-state status from the coaches association, and Whittemore-Prescott boasted five more all-state performances. Bell took fifth in the 100 (11.50), Driscoll, Schutte, Lomason and Bell were third in the 800 relay (1:32.92) and Lomason crossed the line in sixth in the 400 (51.52).
Senior Hunter Kensa added a seventh-place effort in the 800 with a time of 2:02.04, and junior Zane Aldrich was fourth in the 3,200 (10:04.19).
No records were broken at Houseman Field on a day with perfect weather. There were, however, a handful of double champions.
Harbor Springs sophomore Jeremy Kloss swept the 1,600 and the 3,200 with times of 4:25.73 and 9:46.25, respectively. He was fueled by a runner-up finish this past fall at the Cross Country Finals, but his game plan for both races seemed to have been scrapped immediately. Kloss reacted well to the chaos that often can accompany the pressure-packed championship meet.
“In the mile, I went out a little harder than I would normally because I didn’t want to get pulled in and surrounded by a pack,” Kloss said. “So I led the race the whole time.
“In the two mile I went out a little slow (4:57) and I was maybe in 10th place at the mile mark. I made up a lot of ground and caught the Saginaw Nouvel kid around the 300-meter mark. It was a completely different race, but it totally worked out in the end. I wanted to redeem myself during track, and it feels really nice. I was really happy.”
Livingston Christian senior Paxton Titus felt his heart rate increase when he had to make his third attempt in the discus count following two scratches. His final toss in the preliminaries went 169-10 to ensure a spot in the finals. He wouldn’t need the extra throws, though, as that mark was good enough to win a title.
He ran his hand through his mohawk, pumped his fists and let out some deep sighs of relief as he left the circle.
Titus was also the favorite in the shot put, and he delivered with a winning distance of 55-9½. Titus was the Finals champion in the discus last season as well and seventh in the shot put last June.
Sand Creek sophomore Alec Muck also doubled Saturday, securing victories in the 100 and 200. He cruised to a time of 10.98 seconds in the 100 and turned in a 22.14 in the 200. The times were personal records, and Muck edged Reading’s Ethan LoPresto, who also has two more years of competition ahead, setting up what should be some exciting matchups to come.
"It felt great to win this year," Muck said. "It was a goal I had this past year, and it's what I strived to do. It felt surreal to accomplish it. The weather was really nice today, and that helped me a lot, I think.
“Coming off last year winning the 200, I was nervous and felt like I had a lot to live up to. It was nice to be able to represent my county and bring home the wins in both races."
Marcellus junior Derek Flory also put his stamp on Saturday’s Finals with a pair of victories. He sprinted to the line in a time of 39.89 in the 300 hurdles and logged a distance of 20-11 to win the long jump.
PHOTOS: (Top) Whittemore-Prescott runners pass the baton during a relay Saturday at Houseman Field. (Middle) Muskegon Catholic Central and Fulton-Middleton anchors cross the finish line during the 400 relay. (Photos by Dave McCauley/RunMichigan.com.)