By Jacob Arvidson
LocalSportsJournal.com

NORTON SHORES – The defending champions maintained their titles at the 2017 Greater Muskegon Athletic Association City Track Meet at Mona Shores High School.

The Reeths-Puffer girls won their eighth consecutive GMAA title and their 12th out of the last 13. They won titles in four different events and scored 151 points, nearly doubling second-place Mona Shores (87).

“Every year this is one of our favorite meets,” said Reeths-Puffer head coach Gary Niklasch. “It’s just a great meet for Muskegon County. Everybody comes together, you know a lot of people, kids know each other, so it’s just very competitive.

“But I couldn’t be more proud of my girls today. They performed better than I imagined that they would.”

The Fruitport boys also continued their run of dominance, winning their fourth straight title with 110.5 team points, edging out Reeths-Puffer (93). The Trojans finished first in seven different events.

The Reeths-Puffer girls rode strong performances from senior Maryssa Depies and the rest of the Rocket distance team. Depies, Lilah Parker, Jayme Brantsen and Lindsay Richardson all helped score points in the distance events.

“The last few years it has been our distance team that has been unbelievable, and this year again,” Niklasch said. “We kind of ride their backs. We scored 24 points in the mile and 20 more in the 800.”

After having a career day a year ago, when she broke four meet records, Depies managed to rebreak another. She bested her 2016 time of 11:04.72 in the 3,200-meter run when she crossed the line in 11:04.28 on Friday night.

Depies also won the 800- and 1,600-meter runs, as well as the 4×800-meter relay, where she ran the anchor leg.

Fruitport won seven events on the boy’s side to claim another team championship trophy.

Senior Aaron Simot took first with a time of 4:38.18 in the 1,600-meter run. Senior Mitchell Johnson crossed the line three seconds later to give the Trojan’s first and second place in the event and an important 18 team points.

Simot also won the 3,200-meter run, taking first with a time of 10:03.74, and the 4×800-meter relay, where he anchored the first-place Trojan team.

Junior Cameron Oleen also won multiple events. He crossed the line in 50.36 seconds to take the top spot in the 400-meter run, and then returned in the 800 to win another first-place medal with a time of 2:03.13.

Senior Wyatt Kendra rounded out the first-place finishers for Fruitport. In a photo finish, Kendra out-leaned Reeths-Puffer’s Mike Weissert to win with a time of 41.51 seconds in the 300-meter hurdles. He also cleared the bar at 12-feet-6-inches to win the pole vault.

Several athletes from other schools also had big days on the track.

Mona Shores star athlete Jordan Walker won both the 100- and 200-meter dashes in the girls meet. The senior also anchored the Sailors’ first place 4×100 and 4×200-meter relay teams.

Reeths-Puffer’s Nate McCrary led the Rockets’ 4×100 and 4×200-meter relay teams to first place finishes. He then blew away the field with a time of 22.11 seconds to win his third consecutive GMAA 200-meter dash title.

His teammate, Armund Gordon, claimed his second straight title in the high jump.

GREATER MUSKEGON ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
CITY TRACK MEET

BOYS
Team scores
1, Fruitport 110.5; Reeths-Puffer 93; 3, Whitehall 73; 4, Muskegon 48; 5, Muskegon Catholic 42; 6, Montague 32.5; 7, (tie) Mona Shores, Ravenna 22; 9, North Muskegon 21; 10, Oakridge 19; 11, Orchard View 18; 12, Western Michigan Christian 16; 13, Holton 10.

Event champions

100 Meter Dash – Jalen Ware, Reeths-Puffer (11.05).

200 Meter Dash – Nate McCrary, Reeths-Puffer (22.11).

400 Meter Dash – Cameron Oleen, Fruitport (50.36).

800 Meter Run – Cameron Oleen, Fruitport (2:03.13).

1600 Meter Run – Aaron Simot, Fruitport (4:38.18).

3200 Meter Run – Aaron Simot, Fruitport (10:03.74).

110 Meter Hurdles – Vernonell Smith, North Muskegon (15.83).

300 Meter Hurdles – Wyatt Kendra, Fruitport (41.51).

4×100 Relay – Reeths-Puffer (Jalen Ware, Armund Gordon, Drey Riley, Nate McCrary), 43.91.

4×200 Relay – Reeths-Puffer (Jalen Ware, Drey Riley, Mike Weissert, Nate McCrary), 1:30.76.

4×400 Relay – Reeths-Puffer (Armund Gordon, Mike Weissert, Desmond Hussey, David McHugh), 3:32.60.

4×800 Meter Relay – Fruitport (Brendan Deneen, Mitchell Johnson, Raven Lockard, Aaron Simot), 8:16.80.

Shot Put – Anthony Bradford, Muskegon (47-10.5).

Pole Vault – Wyatt Kendra, Fruitport (12-06).

High Jump – Armund Gordon, Reeths-Puffer (6-07).

Long Jump – Cameron Martinez, Muskegon Catholic Central (19-11).

Discus – Jody Jansen, Whitehall (126-03).

GIRLS
Team scores
1, Reeths-Puffer 151; 2, Mona Shores 87; 3, Whitehall 83 points; 4, Fruitport 71, 5, Montague 39; 6, Western Michigan Christian 23.33; 7, Ravenna 21.33; 8, Muskegon 14; 9, Oakridge 12; 10, Orchard View 10; 11, North Muskegon 9.33; 12, Muskegon Catholic 5; 13, Holton 1.

Event champions

100 Meter Dash – Jordan Walker, Mona Shores (12.90).

200 Meter Dash – Jordan Walker, Mona Shores (26.83).

400 Meters Dash – Maddie Smith, Montague (1:03.39)

800 Meter Run – Maryssa Depies, Reeths-Puffer (2:22.27).

1600 Meter Run – Maryssa Depies, Reeths-Puffer (5:05.98).

3200 Meter Run – Maryssa Depies, Reeths-Puffer (11:04.28).

100 Meter Hurdles – Kallie Fehler, Fruitport (15.86).

300 Meter Hurdles – Julie Brown, Whitehall (48.90).

4×100 Relay – Mona Shores (Marisa VanderMolen, Tashara Lewis, Kaylin Meyers, Jordan Walker), 52.37.

4×200 Relay – Mona Shores (Marisa VanderMolen, Tashara Lewis, Kaylin Meyers, Jordan Walker), 1:49.41.

4×400 Relay – Fruitport (Katana Daniely, Taylor Burke, Olivia Netzler, Kallie Fehler), 4:21.26.

4×800 Meter Relay – Reeths-Puffer (Lindsay Richardson, Lilah Parker, Jayme Brantsen, Maryssa Depies), 10:05.46.

Shot Put – Brianna Copley, Whitehall (37-10.5).

Pole Vault – Megan Olthof, Ravenna (8-06).

High Jump – Elizabeth Knoll, Mona Shores (5-04).

Long Jump – Kaylin Meyers, Mona Shores (15-07).

Discus – Brianna Copley, Whitehall (108-04).