Hovey Leads Hart to Historic 3-Peat, Onsted's Ross Joins Prestigious 4-Win Group
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
June 1, 2024
KENT CITY – Addison Hovey was a dual threat Saturday for the Hart girls track & field team.
The junior standout used blazing speed, combined with remarkable leaping ability, to help spark the Pirates to a third-straight title at the Lower Peninsula Division 3 Finals, held at Kent City High School.
Hovey captured wins in the 100 and 200, while also winning the high jump for a second straight year.
“Winning high jump was my main priority, and then top eight in the 100 and 200,” Hovey said. “But I’m honestly so surprised because I knew there were really good girls in those two events.
“I’m just really proud of how much work I’ve put in this season, and it showed today and paid off.”
Hart became the first Division 3 girls team to win three consecutive championships. The Pirates finished with 53 points, while Onsted (40) was runner-up and Olivet (38) took third.
“It means the world to me and my team,” Hovey said. “No team in Division 3 had won three years in a row, so that’s huge. We lost one of our really good athletes, and she was a big part for us, so we knew there was going to be some pressure coming into this. I’m really proud of my teammates. The girls stepped up and helped me.”
Last season’s 3,200 winner, Jessica Jazwinski, was unable to compete for most of this season.
“I really didn't expect this part way through the season,” Hart coach Calvin Ackley said. “Especially because a couple distance runners, one went out, and one was coming back from injury. Traditionally, we’ve been distance, distance at Hart. I never thought I’d see the day we would be dominating in sprints. That’s been exciting, and my coaches are fantastic.”
Hovey out-jumped Kalamazoo Christian’s Ellie VanDusen by eclipsing 5-foot-6 to tie the LPD3 Finals record. Hovey also recorded a personal-best time of 12.27 in the 100 and ended her day with an impressive 25.60 in the 200.
“I was so tired, but I just gave it my all,” Hovey said. “It was the last event of my last meet. Hopefully I feel better tomorrow.”
Ackley said Hovey’s improvement over the past few years has been remarkable.
“Absolutely amazing day,” he said. “She’s come a long way from a freshman kind of unsure of herself to an absolute beast.
“She’s an amazing athlete and has a great attitude. She doesn't worry about the little things that don't matter. She just focuses on what she needs to do, and she carried the team today. She just keeps progressing, and she’s a great basketball player, but a fantastic track athlete.”
Junior Emmry Ross also shined, winning all four of her events to single-handedly place Onsted second as a team. She racked up repeat victories in the 400 and 800, while also claiming titles in the 1,600 and 3,200 – becoming just the seventh girl all-time (and third in the Lower Peninsula) to win four events at an MHSAA Finals.
“Honestly, I went into today pretty nervous,” Ross said. “I was more nervous last night than I was today because today I just went in with the mindset of, ‘Do my best. You got here. You deserve this.’ I worked really hard this season, and I just went in and had confidence. It turned out to be a really good day, and it was fun because I got to run in the rain.”
Ross said running four events wasn’t grueling because of her preparation.
“I train for it,” she said. “I ran those four (events) at Regionals and two other meets before that, so I was used to it. It wasn’t a challenge because I’ve done it before.”
While those two combined to win the majority of Saturday’s individual running events, Kalamazoo Christian freshman Elli VanDusen (110 hurdles) and Olivet sophomore Emily Peters (300 hurdles) claimed titles as well. Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (400), Olivet (800) and Jackson Lumen Christi (1,600 and 3,200) won the relays. Montrose freshman Addyson Stiverson (shot put) and Grayling senior Rylan Finstrom (discus) were first in the throws, Wyoming Potter’s House Christian junior Sohanny Gonzalez-Castillo won the long jump and Homer junior Emma Wildt won the pole vault.
PHOTOS (Top) Hart celebrates its third-straight Division 3 championship Saturday at Kent City. (Middle) Onsted’s Emmry Ross crosses the finish line for one of her four individual victories. (Click for more from Jamie McNinch/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.)