Local Sports Journal

Just two weeks ago, the only chance anyone would have given the boys 4×800 meter relay team from Western Michigan Christian at the state meet was a third-place finish.

A lot can happen in 13 days.

The Warriors stunned the field Saturday at the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) using the same lineup as the squad’s runner-up finish at the regional meet, turning in a time some 14 seconds faster than their time at the regional meet to take the state title.

The two favorites, Concord and Saugatuck (the team that beat WMC two weeks ago), finished second and third, respectively.

The Warrior relay team, made up of Elijah VanderVelde, Max Purvis, David Gilson, and Braxton Snuffer, won the event in a time of 8:11.39, needing a big effort in the anchor leg to catch and overtake the runner from Concord.

North Muskegon pole vaulter Jacob Walton blew past his school-record of 14-5, clearing 14-10, and have one close effort at 15-1 before bowing out. Alas, Unionville Sebewaing ‘s Tucker Scharf, the vaulter Walton battled with at last year’s state meet, posted a new state record vault of 15-1 and very nearly cleared 15-5 en route to the state title.

Mason County Eastern’s Hunter Hofmann had a great day in the pit as well, clearing 14-1 (a height that would have won last year’s Div. 4 state meet title) to finish third.

WMC’s Elijah VanderVelde was third in the 400 meters (50.87), and teammate Snuffer was seventh in the 1,600 meters, to help the Warriors to a sixth-place team finish.

White Cloud’s David Dykstra finished third in the 300 meter intermediate hurdles (40.87), and Fruitport Calvary Christian’s Brandon Hamilton was eighth overall in the 1,600 meters.

Muskegon Catholic junior sprinter Tommy Scott led the Crusaders with a third-place finish in the 200 meters, running legs in the Crusaders’ 4×100 and 4×200 meter relay teams, which finished fifth and sixth, respectively.

Scott was joined by Logan Helton, Brandon Isom, and Black Sanford in the 800-meter relay, and Helton, Sandford and LaTommy Scott in the 400-meter relay.

In the girls meet, Mason County Eastern freshman Jordan Goodman proved as good as advertised, winning the 100 meters and (12.55) and placing eighth overall in the 200 meters.

Muskegon Catholic’s Tootie Thompson finished fifth in the shot put to earn All-State honors, and Western Michigan Christian’s 4×400 meter relay team finished eighth overall.

 

Boys Meet
Western Michigan Christian, White Cloud, Muskegon Catholic Central, North Muskegon, Mason County Eastern, and Fruitport Calvary Christian at Div. 4 MHSAA state track and field meet at Hudsonville, May 31, 2014

Team results: 1. Concord, 78; 2. Saugatuck, 46; 3. Southfield Christian, 36; 4. Genesee, 25; 4. Kalamazoo Christian, 25; 6. Big Rapids Crossroads Academy, 24; 6. Western Michigan Christian, 24; 8. Homer, 21; 9. Marion, 20; 9. Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary, 20; 11. (tie) Brown City, 18; Harbor Beach, 18; 13. White Cloud, 17; 14. Coleman, 16; 15. (tie) Eau Claire, 15; Hillsdale Academy, 15; Morenci, 15; Peck, 15; 19. Muskegon Catholic Central, 12.50; 20. Marcellus, 12; 21. (tie) Breckenridge, 11; Fowler, 11; 23. (tie) Fife Lake Forest Area, 10; Mio, 10; Unionville Sebewaing, 10; 26. Gobles, 9; 27. Jackson Christian, 8; 27. North Muskegon, 8; 29. (tie) Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart, 7; Sand Creek, 7; 31. (tie) Buckley, 6; Evart, 6; Mason County Eastern, 6; 31. St. Joseph Lake Michigan Catholic, 6; 35. Maple City Glen Lake, 5.50; 36. (tie) Lutheran Westland, 5; New Buffalo, 5; Petersburg-Summerfield, 5; Reading, 5; Waldron, 5; 41. (tie) Beal City, 4; Britton Deerfield, 4; Onekama, 4; Three Oaks River Valley, 4; 45. (tie) Auburn Hills Oakland Christian, 3; Detroit Loyola, 3; Ellsworth, 3; Ubly, 3; 49. (tie) Centreville, 2; Deckerville, 2; Frankfort, 2; Potterville, 2; Saginaw Arts & Sciences, 2; 54. (tie) Adrian Lenawee Christian, 1; Battle Creek St. Philip, 1; Fruitport Calvary Christian, 1; Fulton, 1; Indian River Inland Lakes, 1; Manton, 1; Traverse City St. Francis, 1.

Individual results: Discus – 1. Tucker Scharf, Unionville Sebewaing, 148-06. Pole Vault – 1. Curtis Bell, Coleman, 15-01 (New MHSAA L.P. Div. 4 Final Meet Record – Old Record 15-0, Tim Canfield, Unionville Sebewaing, 2011). 2. Jacob Walton, North Muskegon, 14-10. 3. Hunter Hofmann, Mason County Eastern, 14-01. Shot Put – 1. Tyler Crenshaw, Brown City, 51-08. High Jump – 1. Hunter Weeks, Homer, 6-07. Long Jump – 1, Tyrell Hall, Marion, 22-11.75 (New MHSAA L.P. Div. 4 Final Meet record – Old record – 22-3.75, Adam abbott, Detroit Cristo Rey, 2012). 3,200-Meter Relay – 1. Western Michigan Christian (ElijahVanderVelde, Max Purvis, David Gilson, Braxton Snuffer), 8:11.39. 110-Meter Hurdles – 1. David Dykstra, White Cloud, 15.37. 8. Dylan Woytik, White Cloud, 16.68. 100 Meter Dash – 1, Nolen Bright-Mitchell, Concord, 10.70 (New MHSAA L.P. Div. 4 Final Meet Record – Old Record – 10.77, William Fulton, Inkster, 2005. 800-Meter Relay1. Concord (Brett Lehman, Lonelle Langston, Chevy Burk, Nolen Bright-Mitchell), 1:31.46. 6. Muskegon Catholic Central (Tommy Scott, Logan Helton, Brandon Isom, Blake Sanford), 1:33.88. 1,600-Meter Run – 1. Luke Anderson, Harbor Beach, 4:17.49. 7. Braxton Snuffer, Muskegon W. Michigan Christian, 4:33.13. 8. Brendan Hamilton, Fruitport Calvary Christian, 4:35.61. 400-Meter Relay – 1, Southfield Christian (Nicholas Mitchell, Mitchell Jones, Aldred Williams, Blake Washington), 44.22. 5. Muskegon Catholic Central (Tommy Scott, LaTommy Scott, Logan Helton, Blake Sanford), 45.18. 400-Meter Dash – 1. Austin Sandusky, Morenci, 50.48. 3. Elijah VanderVelde, Western Michigan Christian, 50.87. 300-Meter Hurdles – 1. Blake Dunn, Saugatuck, 40.22. 3. David Dykstra, White Cloud, 40.87. 800-Meter Run – 1. Bryce DeGrammont, Mio, 1:58.09. 200-Meter Dash – 1. Nolen Bright-Mitchell, Concord, 21.62 (New MHSAA L.P. Div. 4 Final Meet Record – Old Record – 22.18, Anthony Bowman, Detroit st. martin dePorres, 2005). 3. Tommy Scott, Muskegon Catholic Central, 23.00. 3,200-Meter Run – 1. Jesse Hersha, Concord, 9:38.54.1,600-Meter Relay – 1. Concord (Lonelle Langston, Nolen Bright-Mitchell, Chase Hinkle, Zach Hudson), 3:24.19 (New MHSAA L.P. Div. 4 Final Meet Record – Old Record – 3:25.86, Detroit Loyola, 2010). 3. Muskegon Western Michigan Christian (Tully Groenendyk, Jason Normandin, Christian Rogers, Elijah VanderVelde), 3:31.64.

 

Girls Meet
Western Michigan Christian, White Cloud, Muskegon Catholic Central, and Mason County Eastern at Div. 4 MHSAA state track and field meet at Hudsonville, May 31, 2014

Team results – 1. Reading, 81; 2. Traverse City St. Francis, 56; 3. Fowler, 43.33; 4. Pittsford, 36; 5. Beal City, 28; 5. Ottawa Lake-Whiteford, 28; 7. McBain Northern Michigan Christian, 22; 8. New Buffalo, 20; 9. Saugatuck, 18; 10. (tie) Battle Creek St. Philip, 16; Evart, 16; 12. Morenci, 14; 13. (tie) Concord, 13; Hillsdale Academy, 13; 15. Cassopolis, 12; 16. (tie) Athens, 11; Mason County Eastern, 11; Novi Franklin Road Christian, 11; Waterford Our Lady, 11; 20. Breckenridge, 10; 21. (tie) Bellaire, 9; Blanchard Montabella, 9; Centreville, 9; Royal Oak Shrine, 9; 25. (tie) Coleman, 8; Deckerville, 8; Lawrence, 8; Mendon, 8; Mesick, 8; Posen, 8; Unionville Sebewaing, 8; 32. (tie) Birmingham Roeper, 7; Fulton, 7; Johannesburg-Lewiston, 7; 35. (tie) Colon, 6; Homer, 6; Onekama, 6; Petersburg-Summerfield, 6; 39. (tie) Eau Claire, 5; Pellston, 5; 41. (tie) Alcona, 4; Manton, 4; Muskegon Catholic Central, 4; Sand Creek, 4; 45. (tie) Detroit Allen Academy, 3; Gobles, 3; Lutheran Westland, 3; Potterville, 3; Traverse City Grand Traverse Academy, 3; 50. (tie) Maple City Glen Lake, 2; Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart, 2; Saginaw Arts & Sciences, 2; Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary, 2; 54. Adrian Lenawee Christian, 1.33; 55. (tie) Britton Deerfield, 1; Marion, 1; Western Michigan Christian, 1; Southfield Christian, 1; St. Joseph Lake Michigan Catholic, 1; 60. White Cloud, 0.33.

Individual results: Discus – 1. Jade Madison, New Buffalo, 123-00. Pole Vault – 1. Bethany Kuenzer, Pittsford, 11-03. Shot Put – 1. Jade Madison, New Buffalo, 43-08.25 (New MHSAA L.P. Div. 4 Final Meet Record – Old Record – 42-7, Jasmine Hines, Central Lake, 2010). 5. Tootie Thompson, Muskegon Catholic Central, 35-02.75. High Jump – 1. Jessica Tea-Hui, Evart, 5-04. Long Jump – 1, Miranda Johnson, Ottawa Lake-Whiteford, 18-06.50 (New MHSAA L.P. Div. 4 Final Meet Record – Old Record – 18.250, Miranda Johnson Ottawa Lake-Whiteford, 2013). 3,200-Meter Relay – 1. Beal City (Hannah Neyer, Hannah Steffke, Anna Reihl, Emily Steffke), 9:51.45. 100-Meter Hurdles – 1. Michelle Davis, Reading, 15.05 (New MHSAA L.P. Div. 4 Final Meet Record – Old Record – 15.14, Liz Sherzer, Battle Creek St. Philip, 2009). 100-Meter Dash – 1. Jordan Goodman, Mason County Eastern, 12.55. 800-Meter Relay – 1. Reading (Jennifer Davis, Kaitlin Seager, Teddi Zimmerman, Samantha Pfieffer), 1:47.36.1,600-Meter Run – 1. Holly Bullough, Traverse City St. Francis, 5:01.34. 400-Meter Relay – 1. Reading (Kaitlin Seager, Jennifer Davis, Samantha Pfieffer, Teddi Zimmerman), 51.60. 400-Meter Dash – 1. Michelle Davis, Reading, 57.33 (New MHSAA L.P. Div. 4 Final meet Record – Old record – 57.63, Erin Dillon, Reading, 2004). 300-Meter Hurdles – 1. Savanah Feldpausch, Fowler, 45.42. 800 Meter Run – 1. Holly Bullough, Traverse City St. Francis, 2:15.52. 200 Meter Dash – 1. Miranda Johnson, Ottawa Lake-Whiteford, 25.15 (New MHSAA L.P. Div. 4 Final Meet Record – Old Record – 25.44, Jade Kaufman, Ubly, 2007). 8. Jordan Goodman, Mason County Eastern, 27.42. 3,200-Meter Run – 1. Kirsten Olling, Breckenridge, 11:17.24. 1,600-Meter Relay – 1. Reading (Michelle Davis, Samantha Pfieffer, Terasa Eidenier, Alyssa Kinney), 4:10.96. 8, Western Michigan Christian (Gracie Snuffer, Anneliese DeKam, Kaitlyn Kilgore, Kayla Kilgore), 4:20.43.