Fowler Cashes in on Another Champiopnship
June 4, 2016
By Chip Mundy
Special for Second Half
GRAND RAPIDS – Fowler girls track coach Jill Feldpausch might have felt like she won the lottery Saturday afternoon, even though she said she “didn’t have a winning ticket.”
The lack of a “winning ticket” that Feldpausch referred to was her team failing to have an individual champion at the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 4 Finals at Houseman Field. A bevy of solid performances, including three relay titles, led Fowler to first place with 56 points. Concord was second with 44, and New Lothrop was third with 38.
“We don’t have a winning ticket. We have two awesome seniors who really stepped up,” Feldpausch said. “We just do what we train for. We keep coming and working hard, and it seems like every meet they kept setting personal records one right after another.”
It was the seventh state championship for the Fowler girls program and third with Feldpausch as coach. Last year, Fowler was runner-up to Harbor Springs.
“After finishing second last year and third the year before that, our team was ready to finish it and ready to get first,” said Madison Koenigsknecht, one of those two “amazing seniors.”
Julie Thelen, the other “amazing senior,” said, “We got closer and closer every year, and this year it was like the big bang – the perfect finish – and it was just awesome. It was amazing since we all worked so hard all season.”
Koenigsknecht and Thelen ran on two of the three winning relay teams. McKenzie Koenigsknecht, younger sister of Madison, also ran on two of the winning relay teams.
“I think everybody working together in the relays really put us over the edge,” Madison Koenigsknecht said.
Fowler won the 800 relay as the Koenigsknecht sisters teamed with Thelen and Sidney Horak to win in 1 minute, 46.57 seconds. In the 1,600, it was the Koenigsknecht sisters again, this time with Thelen and Taryn Shafer to win in 4:08.23. Both the 800 and 3,200 relay teams broke school records.
That third winning relay was a collection of the classes as senior Madison Koenigsknecht, junior Ashley VanElls, sophomore Kian Becker and freshman Morgan Goerge won in 9:38.0.
“In the individual events, everybody picking up points here and there really made a difference,” Madison Koenigsknecht said.
She was one of those who helped individually as she was third in the 400 in 59.43. Thelen also took third in the 800 in 2:23.64, and Becker was sixth in the 3,200 in 1:41.59.
In the field events, Fowler sophomore Ciera Weber was fifth in the pole vault as she cleared 6-0 to break the school record. Freshman Alyssa Vandegriff was fifth in the high jump at 5-0.5, and Horak was sixth in the long jump (15-11.5).
“It’s just awesome because we’re all one family, and we all work hard and push each other,’ Madison Koenigsknecht said. “Right from the beginning of the season, we knew that this was one of our biggest goals and if we continued to work really hard and push each other that we would be able to do it.”
It was truly a team championship.
“Everybody stepped up, and I’m so proud of them,” she said. “It was all about the team aspect, and our 12 girls here all contributed.”
Concord, which finished second after placing third a year ago, was led by senior Lindsey Lehman, who repeated as champion in the 200 and also won the 100 after finishing second a year ago. She appeared a bit surprised at her victory in the 100 as she was seeded fourth coming into the meet.
“I was shocked that I won the 100,” said Lehman, whose winning time was 12.30 seconds, breaking the Division 4 meet record. “The girl who got third beat me at Regionals, and she’s a really good runner. She’s only a sophomore.”
After winning the 100, Lehman was able to set her sights on repeating as champion in the 200 in what would be the final individual event of her high school career. She won it in 25.70.
“I got out of the blocks really well, and that was one of my better races,” she said. “I just always feel good in that race.
“I wanted to prove that how much work you put in during the offseason can determine the outcome.”
Concord had another individual title. Sophomore Samantha Saenz won the 1,600 in 5 minutes, 10.89 seconds.
New Lothrop, which finished third, had a championship in the 400 relay. Skye Nancarrow, Alex Bedrosian, Sydney Pope and Caitlyn Bruff won in 50.83. Pope and Bruff are freshmen.
Ashley Hermann of Petersburgh-Summerfield repeated in the high jump by clearing 5-4, and Caylin Bonser of Harbor Springs set a Division 4 meet record in the discus with a toss of 141-6. Harbor Springs swept the throws as Erika Lechner took the shot put with a toss of 41-11.75.
Another meet record was broken in the 100 hurdles, where Mary Leighton of Mendon won in 14.53. Sophomore Baleigh Irelan of Reading added a victory in the 300 hurdles in 46.25.
Other winners in the running events included sophomore Alexandra Hannson of Brown City in the 400 (58.11), Kensington Garvey of Blanchard Montabella in the 800 (2:21.58) and Ava Strenge of Battle Creek St. Philip in the 3,200 (10:59.5).
In the field events, Sydnie Avery of Saugatuck won the pole vault at 10-3, and Akwia Tilton of Birmingham Roeper took the long jump at 17-6.
PHOTOS: (Top) Fowler's Julie Thelen (middle) works for valuable points in finishing third in the 800. (Middle) Concord's Lindsey Lehman breaks away for one of her two sprint championships. (Photos by Angie Graham/RunMichigan.com.)
Oak Park's Dynasty Continues to Thrive as Knights Claim 9th Title in 11 Seasons
By
Steve Vedder
Special for MHSAA.com
May 31, 2025
KENTWOOD – Brandon Jiles calls it a cycle, but there's probably a more apt description.
Maybe something that includes mention of a dynasty after the Oak Park girls track & field team Saturday collected its ninth Lower Peninsula Division 1 Finals title in 11 years, including third in a row.
Oak Park finished with 86 points to outdistance 47 points from Detroit Renaissance’ 47 at East Kentwood.
It's fine to describe a cycle as part the explanation for the domination, which began in 2014 with an upending of three-time reigning champ Grosse Pointe South. As for the titles, Jiles offers an explanation that includes discipline, training, commitment and mental toughness. Put it all together – plus the development of a monster crew of sprinters – and it becomes apparent how Oak Park has rolled at this level for more than a decade.
"You combine those things with talent and parents who buy in, and that's our culture," Jiles said. "We just do it with a lot of hard work, discipline and talent. Every year is different because the competition is different, and more years means more experience.
"It's part of a cycle. You lose a little each year, but you also gain a little every year. Then you work harder to stay on top. You develop and learn. I think of myself as more of a teacher than coach."
Holland West Ottawa was third Saturday with 46 points, West Bloomfield fourth at 32 and Rockford fifth with 31 points.
Whatever Jiles is trying to sell to younger athletes about striving to replace graduated talent, they apparently are buying. In fact, senior Carrie VanNoy, who won the 100 hurdles (13.7), 300 hurdles (42.59) and was part of two winning relays, offered another piece of the puzzle to Oak Park's success: family.
"We push each other to do their best, and that helps make you great," she said. "The biggest thing is that we're like a family. Everyone pitches in to work hard and be better. Like a family."
Sophomore Nevaeh Burns, who was in on four top-four event finishes, said the program depends on younger performers stepping up to replace seniors. She won the 400 (54.34), was part of the winning 1,600 relay (3:43.52) and 800 relay (1:37.8), and placed fourth in the 200.
"The only difference between these teams is age. When you lose people, you gain others. It's a big deal," she said. "It's just something you have to do. You know your time is coming."
While Oak Park was sprinting to its team championship, there were numerous outstanding individual performances, including West Bloomfield junior Kamryn Tatum winning a third-consecutive 200 title (23.55) in an event that featured all nine runners clocking in under 25 seconds. She also won the 100 (11.66).
"The times in the semis were good, but I still believed in myself and thought we'd all do well," said Tatum, who looks at the three 200 titles three different ways. "My freshman year I was nervous, but I had run in high school with older kids so it was no big deal. My sophomore mindset was I had a little trouble believing in myself. But then I got baptized and put my faith in God, and I'm fine."
Traverse City Central sophomore Lorelai Zielinski topped last year's runner-up finishes in the discus and shot by winning both Saturday with tosses of 155-1 and 46-11¾, respectively. Zielinski credits taking the next step to offseason sharpening of technique, throwing herself into weightlifting 2-3 times a week and the bounce from a successful indoor season.
"I was seeded No. 1, had thrown personal best already and I was excited for this," she said. "It was amazing. I was second in both last year, so I thought it would be amazing to win."
Brownstown Woodhaven’s Maya Justice won the long jump (19-5¼) to complete an unlikely season which was nearly wrecked after an ACL injury during a soccer game May 11. Headed to Kent State next season for soccer and track, Justice admitted there were dark moments during the rehab.
"There were a bunch of ups and downs," she said. "It was terrible because I had been doing the best I ever had in track. There were times when it seemed I couldn't get any better, but in the end I got stronger and faster."
Victoria Garces of Midland Dow won the 1,600 (4:48.74) despite, in her words, only "going all out once" this season. The Division 1 cross country champ in the fall, Garces said the 1,600 event ultimately seemed natural to her.
"I took the lead after the first lap, it felt good, and I just kept going," she said. "My legs felt good, and I wanted to get two wins. The mile didn't take that much out of me."
Other champs included two firsts from Holland West Ottawa from Helen Sachs in the 3,200 (10:16.56) and Collette Wierks in the 800 (2:11.65). West Ottawa also won the 3,200 relay (9:01.69). Greta Caprathe of Rockford took the high jump (5-6), and Isabel German of Lowell won the pole vault (13-0).
PHOTOS (Top) Oak Park's Carrie VanNoy, center, leads the 100-meter hurdle championship race Saturday at East Kentwood. (Middle) Midland Dow's Victoria Garces and Holland West Ottawa's Helen Sachs set the pace in the 1,600. (Click for more from Carter Sherline/RunMichigan.com.)