By Ron Rop
LocalSportsJournal.com
MONTAGUE – The Mona Shores Sailor girls’ track team has been positioning themselves to win a city title.
The process has been going on for a couple of years, and on Friday night with perfect weather for a track meet, the Sailors were crowned the Greater Muskegon Athletic Association track champions with a solid team performance that results in 109 points.
Photo/Leo Valdez
That total was 42 points better than runner-up Fruitport, which finished with 67. Muskegon was third with 60 points, Whitehall was fourth with 54 and Reeth-Puffer had 53.
The Sailors captured four city titles, led by Jayda Trigg, who won the shot put and the discus. Freshman Piper Fritz won the 100-meter dash and Natalie Hall won the 300-meter hurdles.
“We have been going through a series of transitions the last few years and a new coaching staff has really come together and a great group of girls who are fired up,” said an elated Kyle Mireles, the Sailor coach. “It’s group we’re going to have for a couple of years and we’re really excited about the opportunities we’re going to have for the next couple of years.
“It’s an exciting time for Sailor track and field,” he said.
Whitehall’s Cami Kraai was a two-time city champion in the 800 and 1600. Fruitport’s Tatum Dykstra matched that total with titles in the 400 and 3200.
The Muskegon Big Reds featured three champions in Shamari Hamilton in the 200-meter dash, Nadia Hill in the high jump and the 4 x 200 relay team finished first.
Photo/Leo Valdez
The host Montague Wildcats won two city titles with freshman Addison Smith winning the pole vault and Annelyse Schneider taking first place in the long jump.
Western Michigan Christian had a strong showing in the relays with city titles in the 4 x 800 relay and the final event of the evening, the 4 x 400.
Julia Smith, from Fruitport, won the 100-meter hurdles. Reeths-Puffer captured first place in the 4 x 100 relay.
“Girls just grabbing points here and there and just chipping away,” said Mireles of the reason for his team’s success. “We saw the spread going into the meet, and with a big meet like this with great competition, there are always opportunities for people to make changes. We told the girls it’s going to be won in the margins and you have fight for every one of those places and they really got after it today.”
