Bacholzky, Bickel, Dinanath, Pardo-Keegan, and Zammit Post Big Personal Bests to Start the Season
There was a flurry of action at Saginaw Valley State University midweek as local teams gathered at the SVSU Fieldhouse indoor track for two days of competition, with Divisions 1/2 on Wednesday and D3/4 competing on Thursday. Many Blue Water Athletes competed in their first indoor meet, while others wrapped up their winter campaigns with personal bests before the outdoor season.
The duo of Sadie Dykstra and Keirra Taube led the Yale Lady Bulldogs with two invitational victories: Dykstra won the long jump dominantly, outdistancing the next competitor by over a foot. With a jump of 17’-11”, she jumped farther than her all-state finish last year (17’-5”) and isn’t far off her best outdoor mark (18’-1”). “My long jump was actually a big surprise,” Dykstra stated. “I was expecting maybe mid-17 since that’s what I jumped consistently last year. But I jumped way better and I was three inches off the school record. It’s the beginning of the year, so I was super happy for that huge jump. I’m really hoping that I will break the school record (18’-1.5”) this year and my overall goal is mid to high 18s.” North Branch’s Grace Clemens took fourth in 16’-7”. Clemens also was fifth in the 60-meter dash (8.15) and sixth in the 200-meter dash (26.86).
In the high jump, Taube won with a mark of 5’-6”, her personal best, setting a new Yale High School record in the process. “My original goal this season was to set a new record, so you could imagine my excitement to achieve it at my first meet!” Taube commented. “My new goal is just to keep doing the same again and again.” Ashley Garofalo, the girls’ varsity coach at Yale, had high praise for Taube: “She’s a spectacular kid all around. I’m so proud of her and excited to see what she accomplishes this year.” Dykstra and Taube also competed in the 60-meter hurdles, with Dykstra taking third (10.13) and Taube placing 16th (11.10). Rounding out top area performers in girls’ field events was Aubree Deshetsky of North Branch, who took third place in the shot put with a throw of 36’-04”. Deshetsky also took 21st in the 200-meter dash with a time of 28.13.
Other notable performances from the Yale Bulldogs on the boys’ side included Giovanni Pardo-Keegan’s third place in the 800 meters, dipping under two minutes with his PR of 1:59.18. "I just decided to send it and it worked out," he concisely stated. Blake Ferguson (seventh) and Acer Campbell (ninth) ran 4:39 and 4:42 in the mile, respectively, within a few seconds of their previous personal bests in this event. "We had some fast times that surprised us," said Ferguson, "but it gets us more excited for the growth to follow." Ethan Dinanath of North Branch was fourth in the 400-meter dash with a time of 52.18, his career-best. His teammate Eli Bickel threw almost four feet further in the shot put than he did last year for the Broncos, with a new personal best of 45'-3.25".
In the D3/D4 competition, Chase Battani of Almont once again showed why he’s one of the best pole vaulters in the state: he easily took first by half a foot at 14’, the same height that placed him in the top three at the outdoor D3 state finals in 2023. He also finished sixth in the 60-meter hurdles (8.92) and eighth in the 60-meter dash (7.42). His teammate Matthew Bacholzky had a solid 400-meter dash performance, finishing third in 52.69, more than a second off last year's best. “I am proud to start the season off with a time like that,” Bacholzky confirmed, “but I am excited to improve my time throughout the rest of the season.”
Isaac Zammit (Marine City Cardinal Mooney) dropped over ten seconds off his best 2023 mile time, running a huge personal record of 4:31.59. “Going into the race, I was looking to break 4:30, and I knew that there would be good competition in the race to push me to a PR,” Zammit said. “Although I didn’t get the goal I wanted, this was a great time for my first race of the season, and I think it sets me up pretty well to place and be All-State in June. Last season the cutoff was around 4:30, so I’m confident I can achieve that goal in June.”
In the girls’ 400, Lola Battaglia finished in the top ten with a time of 67.13 (10th place) for the Almont. She teamed up with Lauren Webster, Lillian Longo, and Jacqueline Coronel to place tenth again in the 4x300 meter relay (3:18.43).
Below is a round-up of athletes from the Blue Water Area who competed at the SVSU Invitational.
60 M Dash - Boys D1/2
23: Micheal Gorman - NB. 7.48 PR
50: Dalton Perkett - NB. 7.62 PR
52: Alan Valdovinos - Imlay City. 7.64 PR
54: Brett Lestage - IC. 7.65 PR
65: Isaac Gardner - Yale. 7.77 PR
69: Enrique Cardenas - IC. 7.80 PR
74: Brett Bearss - Yale. 7.89 PR
84: Dutch Perkett - NB. 8.21 PR
60 M Dash - Boys D3/4
8: Chase Battani - Almont. 7.42 PR
23: Tim Miller - Almont. 7.71 PR
25: Brady Burns - Marine City Cardinal Mooney. 7.74 PR
63: Evan Swartz - MCCM. 8.58 PR
60 M Dash - Girls D1/2
5: Grace Clemens - North Branch. 8.15 PR
25: Penelope McNutt - IC. 8.66 PR
38: Natalie Korotko - Yale. 8.82 PR
47: Aryana Atkinson - Imlay City. 8.95 PR
67: Maggie Harmon - Imlay City. 9.31 PR
69: Sarah Munro - NB. 9.37 PR
75: Savannah Douglas - IC. 9.48 PR
77: Courtney Keith - Yale. 9.52 PR
81: Haidyn Edwards - NB. 9.73 PR
82: Maddie Galkin - NB. 9.98 PR
60 M Dash - Girls D3/4
24: Montserrat Coronel - Almont. 9.11 PR
28: Giana Gashaj - MCCM. 9.21 PR
43: Christy Trisler - Almont. 9.45 PR
45: Genesis Fisher - Almont. 9.49 PR
63: Breanna Winkle - MCCM. 10.36 PR
200 M Dash - Boys D1/D2
32: Alan Valdovinos - IC. 24.42 PR
43: Brett Lestage - IC. 24.80 PR
63: Wyatt Muxlow - NB. 25.42 SR
67: Riley Winters - Yale. 25.72 SR
68: Dalton Perkett - NB. 25.74 PR
71: Isaac Gardner - Yale. 26.04 SR
73: Leo Bearss - 26.50 SR
200 M Dash - Boys D3/D4
29: Tim Miller - Almont. 25.41
35: Erik Haddon - Almont. 25.89 PR
47: James Hilliard - MCCM. 26.55
58: Conor Guyor - MCCM. 27.41 PR
63: Evan Swartz - MCCM. 27.88 PR
200 M Dash - Girls D1/D2
6: Grace Clemens - NB. 26.86
21: Aubree Deshetsky - NB. 28.13 PR
29: Penelope McNutt - IC. 28.70 PR
54: Sophie Mongelli - Yale. 29.92 PR
59: Rori Cowhy - Yale. 30.10 PR
78: Hannah Carney - IC. 31.54
200 M Dash - Girls D3/D4
22: Lillian Longo - Almont. 30.13 PR
24: Montserrat Coronel - Almont. 30.2
25: Giana Gashaj - MCCM. 30.37
34: Christy Trisler - Almont. 31.23
65: Breanna Winkle - MCCM. 36.5 PR
400 M Dash - Boys D1/2
4: Ethan Dinanath - NB. 52.18 PR
25: Jackson Kohler - Yale. 54.67 PR
37: Enrique Cardenas - IC. 56.02 PR
52: Ethan Everhart - IC. 58.40 SR
57: Brady Homer - IC. 59.07 PR
60: Anthony Edwards - Yale. 1:00.19 SR
66: Cooper Hoyt - NB. 1:03.34 PR
400 M Dash - Boys D3/4
3: Matthew Bacholzky - Almont. 52.69 PR
12: Nolan Maxlow - Almont. 55.51
20: Aaron Lenn - MCCM. 58.65 PR
30: JD VanTiem - MCCM. 60.28
35: Gavin VanTiem - MCCM. 60.86 PR
400 M Dash - Girls D1/2
28: Madeline Sepsey - Yale. 1:06.57 PR
41: Julia Ferguson - Yale. 1:09.08 PR
45: Rowan Conley - NB. 1:09.68 SR
53: Hannah Hayes - IC. 1:12.05 PR
54: Gabby Douglas - IC. 1:12.64 PR
55: Lily Hurd - NB. 1:12.65 PR
400 M Dash - Girls D3/4
10: Lola Battaglia - Almont. 67.13 PR
20: Hailey Dempz - Almont. 70.78
27: Jacqueline Coronel - Almont. 74
800 M - Boys D1/2
3: Giovanni Pardo-Keegan - Yale. 1:59.18 PR
13: Thomas Kann - NB. 2:05.57
40: Teddy Rutkofske - Yale. 2:15.58
46: Elliot Whitney - IC. 2:18.68
51: Braden Carless - Yale. 2:21.08 PR
59: Danny Rojas - IC. 2:25.68 PR
63: Wyatt Opperman - NB. 2:29.83
71: Riley McConnell - NB. 2:59.61
800 M - Boys D3/4
33: Gavin Campbell - Almont. 2:31
35: Adam SaintOnge- Almont. 2:33.8 PR
44: Jacob Gormley - MCCM. 2:44.9 PR
46: Micah Arlow - MCCM. 2:45.7 PR
800 M - Girls D1/2
32: Isabelle Hunt - NB. 2:45.69
38: Charlotte O'Brien - IC. 2:53.29
45: Emma Looney - NB. 3:02.46
49: Alice Johnson - IC. 3:04.71
50: Kate Sutherland - Yale. 3:28.33
51: Lillian Bender - Yale. 3:31.32
800 M - Girls D3/4
19: Ayla DeLaurier - Almont. 2:58.69
1600 M - Boys D1/2
7: Blake Ferguson - Yale. 4:39.30
9: Acer Campbell - Yale. 4:42.33
32: Wyatt Murtos - Yale. 4:56.90
35: Isaac Sommer - IC. 4:58.37
70: Hudson Budreau - NB. 5:57.20
71: Brent Castle - NB. 6:00.96
73: Henry Myers - NB. 6:41.99
1600 M - Boys D3/4
3: Isaac Zammit - MCCM. 4:31.59 PR
22: William Larkin - Almont. 5:22
35: Jacob Biolchini - Almont. 5:40
44: Micah Arlow - MCCM. 6:05 PR
1600 M - Girls D1/2
45: Tracy Ludescher - NB. 6:24.00
47: Daniela DeLuca - IC. 6:29.14 PR
48: Charlotte O'Brien - IC. 6:32.88
49: Ceclia Ford - Yale. 6:36.05
56: Alice Johnson IC. 7:01.19
58: Micayla McClelland - Yale. 7:23.17
60: Ava Mitchell - NB. 8:41.59
1600 M - Girls D3/4
19: Laila Evola - Almont. 6:29
21: Maya Ferguson - MCCM. 6:33
40: Charlotte Verougstraete - Almont. 7:43.
3200 M - Boys D1/2
19: Elliot Whitney - IC. 10:40.73 PR
3200 M - Boys D3/4
12: Evan Jacobs - MCCM. 11:44
14: John Riley - MCCM. 12:41
3200 M - Girls D1/2
14: Charlotte O'Brien - IC. 13:42.81
16: Isabelle Goulding - Yale. 14:01.72
18: Alice Johnson - IC. 15:02.61
3200 M - Girls D3/4
7: Maya Ferguson - MCCM. 13:32
14: Amanda Fitchett - Almont. 17:53
60 M Hurdles - Boys D1/2
26: Conner Wildie - IC. 10.15 PR
29: Davide Bianchini - Yale. 10.37 PR
30: Leo Bearss - Yale. 10.42 PR
44: Landan Pung - NB. 11.00 PR
48: Levi Opperman - NB. 11.32 PR
60 M Hurdles - Boys D3/4
6: Chase Battani - Almont. 8.92 PR
28: Chase Jones - Almont. 11.7 PR
30: Gavin VanTiem - MCCM. 11.91
60 M Hurdles - Girls D1/2
3: Sadie Dykstra - Yale. 10.13 PR
16: Keirra Taube - Yale. 11.10 PR
46: Lynzee Lee-Culhane - NB. 13.47 PR
48: Joselyn Rushlow - NB. 14.66 PR
60 M Hurdles - Girls D3/4
33: Cassidy Dietz - Almont. 13.78 PR
4 x 300 M Relay - Boys D1/2
28: IC. Kade VanDerPloeg, Brett Lestage, Ethan Everhart, Enrique Cardenas - 2:41.26.
29: Yale. Brett Bearss, Jackson Kohler, Anthony Edwards, Chase Holly - 2:41.68.
30: NB. Thomas Kann, Bryce Barkowska, Ethan Dinanath, Cruz Rodriquez - 2:42.97.
4 x 300 M Relay - Boys D3/4
11: Almont. Bacholzky, Grzyb, Walton, Maxlow. 2:39.8
25: MCCM. Lenn, Guyor, VanTiem, Luzynski. 2:52.5
4 x 300 M Relay - Girls D1/2
9: Yale. Keirra Taube, Madeline Sepsey, Julia Ferguson, Sadie Dykstra - 3:01.66.
15: NB. Aubree Deshetsky, Rowan Conley, Lily Hurd, Grace Clemens - 3:06.68.
31: IC. Gabby Douglas, Tori Lestage, Ang Ross, Hannah Hayes - 3:33.22.
4 x 300 M Relay - Girls D3/4
10: Almont. Webster, Battaglia, Longo, Coronel. 3:18.43
4 x 600 M Relay - Boys D1/2
18: Yale. Nolan Korolden, Wyatt Murtos, Braden Carless, Teddy Rutkofske - 6:15.61.
23: IC. Kyle Torres, Ethan Everhart, Isaac Sommer, Elliot Whitney - 6:35.33.
26: NB. Valentino Castaneda, Wyatt Opperman, Bryce Barkowska, Caiden Sherrieb - 6:40.75.
4 x 600 M Relay - Boys D3/4
11: MCCM. Luzynski, Jacobs, Bailey, Zammit. 6:35.8
17: Almont. SaintOnge, Biolchini, Campbell, Wetzel. 6:58.27
4 x 600 M Relay - Girls D1/2
16: NB. Rowan Conley, Tracy Ludescher, Emma Looney, Isabelle Hunt - 7:52.59.
24: IC. Hannah Hayes, Alice Johnson, Ang Ross, Charlotte O'Brien - 8:29.30.
26: Yale. Lillian Bender, Ceclia Ford, Arielle Runnals, Micayla McClelland - 8:49.89.
4 x 600 M Relay - Girls D3/4
16: Almont. Dempz, DeLaurier, Evola, Verougotraete. 9:07.05
Shot Put - Boys D1/2
8: NB - Eli Bickel. 45'-3.25” PR
24: NB -Zack Haywood. 40'-5”
40: NB - Martin Knight. 36'-8” PR
46: IC - Jerry Zheng. 35'-7”
60: IC - Gonzalo Zepeda. 33'-2” PR
61: Yale - Andrew Morhan. 32'-9.25” PR
Shot Put - Boys D3/4
19: Almont - Braedon Carlson. 37'-08" PR
34: Almont - Dustin Claeys. 34' PR
44: MCCM - Ryan Miller. 32'-4.75" PR
53: MCCM - Michael Kiell. 29'-9.75
63: Almont - Kaden Trumpour. 26'-10"
Shot Put - Girls D1/2
3: NB - Aubree Deshetsky. 36'-4” PR
28: IC - Addyson Mitchell. 26'-8.25” PR
34: Yale - Lydia Davies. 25'-11.5”
39: IC - Morgan Robertson. 24'-9”
42: NB -Katie Gill. 24'-6.75”
44: Yale - Abbie Kean. 24'-2.25”
Shot Put - Girls D3/4
18: Almont - Grace VanDyke. 25'-6"
20: Almont - Madison Miodowski. 25'-03"
Pole Vault - Boys D1/2
8: Leyton Hutchins - NB. 10’
17: Devon Duckert - IC. 8' PR
22: Levi Opperman - NB. 8' PR
23: Logan Winters - Yale. 8' PR
Pole Vault - Boys D3/4
1st: Chase Battani - Almont. 14'
14: Cayden Dural - Almont. 9'
Pole Vault - Girls D1/2
Tied for 11th:
Jessica Peters - NB. 7'
Kendal Donahue - IC. 7’
High Jump - Boys D1/2
Tied for 23rd at 5’-3”
Eli Garcia - IC. PR
Blake Dudley - Yale.
Jackson Kohler - Yale. PR
Valentino Castaneda - NB.
High Jump - Boys D3/4
9: Nolan Maxlow - Almont. 5'-06"
10: Cole Walton - Almont. 5'-02"
High Jump - Girls D1/2
1: Keirra Taube - Yale. 5'-6” PR - *School Record
22: Clara Gyomory - NB. 4'-5” PR
Long Jump - Boys D1/2
11: Kade VanDerPloeg - IC. 18'-8”
28: Ty Laforest - Yale. 17'-4”
29: Jovani Pena - IC. 17’-2” PR
37: Grant Capling - IC. 16'-7” PR
39: Chase Holly - Yale. 16’-6” PR
47: Aaden McCulley - NB. 15'-10” PR
Long Jump - Boys D3/4
24: Cole Walton - Almont. 16'-10"
37: James Hilliard - MCCM. 15'
Long Jump - Girls D1/2
1: Sadie Dykstra - Yale. 17’-11”
4: Grace Clemens - NB. 16’-7”
19: Clara Gyomory - NB. 14’-5” PR
36: Lily Hurd - NB. 12'-6” PR
38: Laela Bhatti - IC. 12'-5”
40: Hannah Carney - IC. 12'-2” PR
Long Jump - Girls D3/4
22: Montserrat Coronel - Almont. 12'-05"
30: Breanna Winkle - MCCM. 11'-01"
33: Cassidy Dietz - Almont. 10'-02"
For Full Results, visit: https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/519111/results (D1/2)