Lapeer Lightning Invitational 4/19/24
The Lapeer Invitational didn’t have any lightning, but it did have plenty of wind, and while the conditions impacted distances, heights, and times, local Blue Water Area athletes still had notable performances across a variety of events.
BOYS
Ethan Dinanath of North Branch continued his trajectory at the top of the area standings, taking third in the 100-meter dash in 11.61, winning the 200 (23.47), then closing strong in the 400-meter dash, coming from behind to grab the victory in 54.23. He also ran on the winning 4x400-meter relay team along with Bryce Barkowska, Valentino Castaneda, and Caiden Sherrieb in 3:37.92. Dinanath now sits atop the Blue Water Area Top-Ten Performance List at number one in the 100, 200, 400, and 4x400-meter relay. Barkowska also had a strong showing, running a 55.84 in the 400 to place third and teaming up with Micheal Gorman, Wyatt Muxlow, and Dalton Perkett to place third in the 4x200-meter relay (1:39.23). Gorman was seventh in the 100-meter dash (11.91). Thomas Kann finished second in the 800-meter run, completing two laps in 2:06.82.
For the Broncos, freshman Levi Opperman vaulted his personal best of 10 feet even with the wind, putting him at number seven on the Top 10 list. Eli Bickel, who is second on the Top-10 Area Performance List in shot put and discus, took runner-up in both throwing events, throwing 42-01 and 131-06, respectively.
Port Huron Northern’s Isaiah Lopez and Vasili Kasparian went fourth and fifth in the 100-meter dash, with Lopez just cracking the Top-10 list by running his season’s best of 11.70. Lopez also took sixth in the high jump in 5-8. Kasparian ran his 100 PR of 11.74, then did the same thing in the 200, running 24.45. His teammate Colin Landschoot was right behind in fifth with a time of 24.51, also his personal best. All three athletes joined Patricio Milligan in the 4x100 relay to take third (47.22). On the distance side of things, Grant Gonser ran his season-best in the 800 to win in 2:05.88 for PHN, ranking him fifth in the area. Teammate Luke VanderHeuvel was fourth in 1:12.26 and also placed sixth in the 1600, running his season-best of 4:51 to sit at number nine on the BWA Performance List. He also teamed up with Gonser, Talon Schot, and Andrew Becker to snag second in the 4x400-meter relay (3:42.89), which puts them fourth on the Top-Ten Performance List. Carson Prone did the 1600/3200 double and finished 10th (5:00) and eighth (11:05.49) in each, respectively. Noah Wiggin was third in the shot put, throwing his personal best of 40-03 and doing the same in the discus, taking eighth (109-07).
Tyler Lenn, last year’s D4 state champ in the 1600-meter run, won the event in 4:33, followed in 4:48 by his Cardinal Mooney teammate Isaac Zammit. Lenn and Zammit are one-two on the Top-10 list for the 1600. They were second in the 4x800-meter relay with Jack Luzynski and Evan Jacobs in 9:01. For the Imlay City Spartans, Elliot Whitney doubled up for 12th in the 1600 (5:02) and fifth in the 3200 (10:55). Teammate Conner Wildie set a personal best finishing sixth in the 110-meter hurdles (18.17) and fifth in the 300-hurdles (47.88). Armada’s Austin Malburg was right behind in the 110 hurdles in sixth (18.53). Luke Nawrocki was seventh in the 3200 in 10:58 for the Tigers.
GIRLS
Aubree Deshetsky of North Branch once again displayed her wide range of abilities, winning the shot put in 34-08, the discus in 109-02, and joining Sarah Munro, Rowan Conley, and Grace Clemens to take second in the 4x100-meter relay in 53.71. Deshetsky is on the Top-10 list in the 200 and 4x200 as well. Clemens took second in the 100-meter dash in 12.84. Clara Gyomory launched herself onto the Top-10 list by hurdling the 100 meters in 17.24 and taking second at the Lightning Invitational, as did fellow Bronco Emma Sauer (4th; 18.13 PR). Her teammate Lynzee Lee-Culhane was third in the 300 hurdles in 57.29.
Kate VanHowe ran her personal best in the 200-meter dash to take fourth for the Port Huron Northern Huskies. Freshman Haley Sharp squeezed onto the Top-10 list in the mile with a fourth-place finish in 6:08 (a PR) and then took third in the 3200, which put her at the top of the performance list in that event at 12:45, also a personal best. Her teammates Samantha Langolf (sixth; 6:11) and Isabella Nestle (7th; 6:11 PR) were close behind. Nestle was also sixth in the 800 (2:43). Langolf also finished the 3200 in fourth place with a time of 12:46, putting her at number two on the performance list behind Sharp. Stella Behnan of Marine City Cardinal Mooney was sixth in her PR of 13:12, joining the performance list at fifth in the 3200-meter run.
The Lady Huskies also claimed a third-place finish in the 4x100-meter relay, with Kate VanHowe, Addison Cruciano, Summer Nofs, and Sophie Harris running 55.3 and placing them in the Top-10 Blue Water Area times. Also earning a current spot on the Top-10 Blue Water Area Performance List at this meet was Sophie Harris in the 100 (11th; 13.57 PR) and Kate VanHowe in the 200 (4th; 28.16 PR). For the Imlay City Spartans, Addyson Mitchell hit a discus PR of 89-8 (2nd place) to join the Top-10 list. Kendal Donahue was third in the pole vault at 7’.
Armada had several individual second-place finishes: Claire Sniesak in the 400 (65.1) and Ava Baltierra in the 800 (2:32). They joined Bree Feys and Brooklyn Khon for third in the 4x200-meter relay (1:57.24) and then Khon, Baltierra, Sniesak, and Cristina Semian won the 4x400 in 4:28.68. Emma Buckland vaulted her season-best at 6’ to take fourth in the pole vault.
Marlette Invitational 4/19/24
It was windy and cold (and the power even went out for a moment in Marlette), but several athletes and teams still set personal bests despite the conditions. Chase Battani of Almont won the 100-meter dash (11.62), but freshman Kai Fisher of Memphis gave him a run for his money, coming in second in his season-opener of 11.73. Fisher also took fourth in the 200 (24.29) and 400 (55.47) and was second in the high jump in 5-10, ranking him fifth in the Blue Water Area. Matthew Bacholzky of Almont was the winner in the 400 in 54.91 and joined Tim Miller, Cole Walton, and Nolan Maxlow to take second in the 4x200-meter relay in 1:36, which moved them up the area performance list. Bacholzky, Maxlow, Walton, and Colton Grzyb won the 4x400-meter relay in 3:44.17 for Almont. Maxlow was also third in the high jump, clearing the bar at 5-8, his best. Battani was victorious in the 110-meter hurdles (16.48) and his teammate Brody Corneau was third in 18.13 for the Raiders. Battani and Corneau were third and fifth in the 300-meter hurdles, with times of 44.77 and 47.02 (a season record for Battani and a personal best for Corneau). Battani also won the pole vault in 13’, beating the home favorite (and former state D4 runner-up) Logan Malloy. Braedon Carlson was second in the shot put in his best of 41-09.75, joining the area’s best throws. Aiden Fitchett of Dryden ran his way onto the Top-Ten performance list in the 3200-meter run, taking third in his personal best of 10:38.
In the ladies’ events, Dryden’s Olivia Reynolds and Sophia Peter were back in dominating fashion, with Reynolds taking second in the 200 (26.72 PR), first in the 400 (62.7), and joining the winning 4x200 (1:51.31) and 4x400-meter (4:27.48) relays. Peter won the 100 and 300-meter hurdles in 17.41 and 50.86 and was also part of the two aforementioned relays. Caila Fitchett was third in the 200 in her best (28.75), running on the 4x200 relay. Cara Prusakiewicz was second in the 1600 (6:02) and joined the Top-Ten list in that event. She was also on the 4x200-meter relay. Fitchett and Prusakiewicz ran on the second-place 4x800 relay in 11:35 with Lily Finnigan and Audrey Napolitano. Ava DeVlaminck took second in the shot put (27-03) while Ava Klink of Capac was fourth (27-02.5). Klink was second in the discus in a throw of 86-02.5. Lauren Webster (3rd in the high jump; 4-8) and Madison Niedermaeier (2nd in pole vault; 8’) rounded out field event placements for the Almont Raiders. Kendra Spoutz of Memphis long-jumped 13-11 to take seventh place.
Oakland University Elaine Leigh Invitational 4/19/24
The Oakland University Leigh Invitational only featured 400, 800, 1600, 3200, and 4x800-meter relay varsity events. Yale’s Giovanni Pardo-Keegan was ninth in the 800 (2:03) and Jack Howell of St. Clair was 18th in 2:07. Yale’s Blake Ferguson was 12th in the 1600 (4:37), which moved him up to fourth place in that event on the Blue Water Area Top-10 performance list. Zachary Rubicz of Anchor Bay was close behind in 4:38 (14th place). Brewer Snay of Macomb Lutheran North re-cemented his number one spot on the area performance list by running his season record of 9:52 in the 3200-meter run. Dylan Distelrath of St. Clair was 18th in 10:06, a personal best, and is second on our area leaderboard in this event to Snay.
Woodhaven Warrior Classic 4/20/24
Several Yale athletes doubled up on the weekend, competing both at Oakland University on Friday night and then at the Woodhaven Warrior Classic on Saturday. After racing the night before, Giovanni Pardo-Keegan was third in the 1600 (4:41), Acer Campbell was fourth (4:48), and Blake Ferguson was third in the 800 (2:04). Campbell, Pardo Keegan, and Ferguson joined Wyatt Murtos to win the 4x800-meter relay in 8:29: that time put them on top of the area leaderboard.
For the Lady Bulldogs, Keirra Taube won the high jump (5-4), was second in the 300-meter hurdles (50.8 PR - number one on the area list), and third in the 100-meter hurdles (16.79 PR - number two on list). Freshman Madeline Sepsey continues to impress in her first year of high school, taking seventh in the 100-meter hurdles (54.59). Taube and Sepsey joined Sophie Mongelli and Julia Ferguson to place fifth in the 4x200 relay, jumping onto the area performance list in 1:56.8. The all-freshman team of Lillian Bender, Amy Campbell, Ava Childers, and Cecilia Ford were fifth in the 4x800 relay in 12:09.
Royal Oak Relays 4/20/24
Zachary Rubicz led a two-three-four placement for New Baltimore Anchor Bay in the 3200-meter run in 11:20 (the day after running the mile at the Oakland Invitational), with Greg Vogt (11:30) and Gabe Rusch (11:31) following. Vogt also ran the 3200 the night before at the Oakland Invitational. Rusch joined Aaron Osterman, Brandon Ziehmer, and Trevor Zoli to take fourth in the 4x800 relay (9:09). Cameron Gramzow was second in the discus in 126-1 for the Tars. The Distance Medley Relay of Osterman, Aiden Champagne, Brandon Ziehmer, and Rusch placed third in 12:34.82.
In the Mixed 4x400 relay, Anchor Bay went sibling style with brother/sister duo Lily Konarz/Jonah Konarz joining Madison Leslie/Aidan Champagne to take second place in 4:16. Aiden Champagne, Konarz, Kacy Agyeman, and Kyler Kramp were third in the 110-meter shuttle hurdle relay with a time of 1:10.07.