When Pinckney junior Jaelyn Ray, Hartland senior Elliana Neuer or Howell junior Jack MacGregor step on the track under the right circumstances, records are certain to fall.
All three went to big invitationals with competitive fields over the weekend and continued to make their marks on Livingston County track and field history.
MacGregor and Neuer set school records in the 3,200-meter run, while Ray moved into second all-time in the county in the metric two mile.
MacGregor finished eighth in a highly competitive 3,200 at the Shepherd Blue Jay Invitational on Friday, May 1 with a time of 9 minutes, 5.51 seconds. He broke the school record of 9:09.96 set by David Mitter at the Division 1 finals on June 3, 2017.
MacGregor’s time also moved him into fifth all-time on the county’s 3,200 list. He broke a 55-year-old school mark in the 1,600 one week earlier with a time of 4:16.69.
Neuer, racing the 3,200 for only the third time in her four years at Hartland, took second in the Farmington Invitational on Saturday, May 2 with a time of 10:38.44. She broke the school record of 10:46.8 set by Avery Evenson against Pinckney on May 3, 2011.
It’s the third school record of Evenson’s broken by Neuer over a nine-day span. Neuer ran a 4:50.27 1,600 in Romeo on April 24 and a 2:14.99 800 in Brighton on April 25.
Ray’s third-place time of 10:32.20 in Shepherd wasn’t a school record, but vaulted her to second all-time in the county behind a 10:16.11 run by Pinckney’s Noelle Adriaens in 2019. Ray passed a 10:42.74 run by Brighton’s Allison Lunau at the 2013 Division 1 finals to move into the second spot.
Neuer’s time moved her into third all-time in the county.
Farmington Invitational
Hartland’s girls finished second out of 32 teams.
In addition to Neuer’s record performance, Hannah DePestel was second in the 400 in 58.88 seconds and Ellie Shiposh was second in long jump with a leap of 16 feet, 3 inches for the Eagles. Sophia Nunnery was third in the 1,600 in 5:14.80, while Kendel Simmons cleared 10-3 in pole vault to take fifth with the first 10-plus performance in the county this season.
Saline Golden Triangle
Brighton senior Lydia LaMarra became the ninth girl in county history to break 11 minutes in the 3,200 with a fifth-place time of 10:59.91 in the Mike Smith Elite 3,200.
Howell’s Emma Kanka won shot put at 39-5, Pinckney’s Davea Crowe won the 300 hurdles by more than two seconds in 47.09, and Brighton’s 1,600 relay team of Juliet Lewis, Faith Cullen, Ella Lorenz and Selena White took first in 4:05.68.
Taking second for Brighton were Lewis in the 800 (2:18.21), Lorenz in the Mike Smitn Elite 1,600 (5:07.74) and Kaydence Hoolsema in high jump (5-2).
In the boys meet, Howell’s David DeLand won the 1,600 in 4:36.17 and Pinckney’s Cole McCraw was second in the Mike Smith Elite 3,200 in 9:29.61.
South Lyon Sunshine Invitational
Howell’s boys took first place and the girls second out of nine teams in a freshman-sophomore meet.
Pinckney’s Austin Ouillette won the 300 hurdles in 41.39 and pole vault at 11-6. Matt McFall won the 3,200 in 10:34.69 and John Rochowiak won the 800 in 2:04.27 for Pinckney.
Howell’s Logan Buchanan won high jump at 5-10.
In the girls meet, Howell freshman Brooke Wallace won the 400 (1:01.21), the 800 (2:26.38) and was on two winning relay teams. Sophia Klask won the 100 hurdles (17.30), was second in the 300 hurdles (50.70) and took third in long jump (14-5), while Olive DiMassa won the 1,600 (5:36.33) and was on two winning relay for Howell.
Jade Hamilton won discus (92-4.5) and was second in shot put (30-4.5), while Katie Gray won pole vault (9-6) for Brighton.
Onsted Booster Invitational
Two-time all-state pole vaulter Becka Lethorn of Charyl Stockwell competed in that event for the first time this season after recovering from an injury and won with a leap of 9 feet.
Ella Heffner won the 800 (2:24.62) and 3,200 (12:47.01), while Bailey Yates won the 100 hurdles (17.86) and was second in the 300 hurdles (52.80) for the Sentinels. Lauren Hammond was second in the 100 (13.09) and was on two second-place relays for Stockwell, which was second as a team.
Beckett Fitch was second in the 400 (52.26) and fourth in the 800 (2:17.47) for Stockwell’s boys.
Stockbridge Invitational
Kellen Douglass was second in the 100 (11.66) and third in the long jump (20-0), while Connell Hardenbrook had third-place finishes in the 200 (23.59) and 400 (51.44) for Fowlerville, which was second out of 13 teams. Gavin Rager was second in high jump (5-9).
In the girls meet, Mariah Kirby won pole vault at 9 feet and was on the winning 400 relay team with Peyton Brooks, Cayden Taylor and Makenna Click. Click was second in the 100 (13.32) and third in the 200 (28.00), while Brooks was second in long jump (14-9.5).
Baseball
Pinckney 1, Chelsea 0
Owen Zylka singled home the only run in the top of the sixth inning. Zylka and Jax Raymond combined for the shutout, allowing only five hits.
Howell 3-8, South Lyon 0-3
Evan Elias drove in two runs in the first game and Luke Welch threw 5⅓ innings of three-hit shutout ball for Howell (12-5-1). Brady Hamilton and Ryan Cleary each drove in two runs in the second game.
Brighton 13-7, Ann Arbor Huron 3-0
Alex Larson drove in seven runs in the doubleheader for Brighton. Nick Farney had three RBIs in the first game and pitched six shutout innings in the nightcap.
Livonia Franklin 9, Brighton 7
Brighton’s Aden Bailey was 3-for-4 with two RBIs.
Mattawan 3, Brighton 2
Josh Metz allowed one earned run in six innings for Brighton (13-7).
Fowlerville 4-3, Haslett 3-8
Jacob Hardies was 5-for-8 in the doubleheader for Fowlerville (3-15).
Softball
Portland Invitational
Fowlerville won 12-1 over Jackson Northwest and 9-7 over Portland before losing 11-1 to Laingsburg in the championship game.
Avery Borg drove in three runs against Northwest. Rylee Gulledge had the tie-breaking single in the top of the seventh inning against Portland. Rylee and Michaela Gulledge each went 3-for-4.
Pinckney 12, Canton 3
Pinckney 2, Plymouth 1
Salem 3, Pinckney 0
Natally Pease drove in five runs and Sarah Repair was 3-for-4 against Canton. Harper Henderson’s walk with the bases loaded broke a 1-1 tie in the third inning and Pease threw 3⅔ innings of shutout relief against Plymouth.
Boys golf
The Loop Classic
Hartland junior Aidan Oake shot 1-under-par 69 to tie for second place, leading the Eagles to a fifth-place finish out of 18 teams at Forest Dunes Golf Club. Wyatt Johnson was 14th with a 73 and Michael Maurin placed 31st with a 78 for Hartland.
Girls lacrosse
Howell 19, Grosse Ile 2
Janie Mitter had six goals and one assist, Evie Nicholas two goals and two assists, and Madeline Wagner two goals for Howell.
Contact Bill Khan at wkhan@livingstondaily.com. Follow him on X @BillKhan
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Special group of distance runners continues onslaught on record book
Reporting by Bill Khan, Livingston Daily / Livingston Daily
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