OTTAWA LAKE – Only about 10 miles separate Summerfield and Whiteford High Schools.
But Summerfield track and field coach didn’t want his athletes to cover that distance on foot.
“I thought we had a bus, but we didn’t,” Raymond said. “We had to improvise at the last minute.”
Luckily for the Bulldogs, they were able to figure out a carpool system and got to Whiteford in time to capture its first league championship since 1990.
Summerfield wrapped up the dual-meet portion of the Tri-County Conference championship and at least a share of the overall crown by beating arch-rival Whiteford 75-62 on Tuesday, May 5.
Raymond didn’t like what he saw when he plotted out the meet ahead of time.
Based on the times girls from both teams have posted so far this season, he had his Summerfield teams losing a close meet.
“I told the girls everything,” Raymond said. “I had us down three points at the end. I told them we had to make up some ground somewhere.”
A lot of that ground was made up in the longest races of the day.
“Distance runners Allison Ost and Makenzie Wolfe were the heroes as they both ran four miles tonight,” Raymond said. “They went first and second in the 800, the 1,600, and the 3,200 while also being a part of the winning 4×800 relay team with Grace and Abby Raymond.”
Summerfield clinched victory when Wolfe won the 3,200 meters with Ost second. That made Whiteford’s win in the last event of the day – the 1,600 relay – meaningless.
“It was fitting that Makenzie and Allison clinched it in the two-mile,” Raymond said. “Thankfully, it didn’t come down to the 4×400 because Whiteford has a really good team and I had stripped our relay in other events.”
Ost won the 800 and 1,600 and Wolfe took the 3,200.
Summerfield went 1-2-3 in both hurdle races with Abby Zilka, Kaleigh Scott and Hayley Kohls. Zilka won the highs and Scott the lows.
Zilka also won the high jump.
Other wins for the Bulldogs came from Elena Miller (shot-put) and the 400 relay of Emma Jacob, Abby Raymond, Grace Raymond and Sophia Stanger.
“I’m very proud of the girls,” Raymond said. “They had set a goal of winning the league at the beginning of the season and have worked so hard to make it reality. I’m happy for our program, our coaches and of course the girls to see such great success and we still have a lot more to accomplish.”
Whiteford’s Brielle White won the 200 and 400. The Bobcats also got wins from Molly Fojtik (100), Nina Bauman (discus), Carolyn Mohler (pole vault) and Koralynn Billau (long jump).
Whiteford took the boys meet
Jess Saylor (200, 400), Grant Rasor (800, 1,600) and Ryan Thomas (hurdles) were double winners for the Bobcats.
Other individual wins came from Antonio Nachtrab (100), Camden Ellis (3,200), Keagan Thomas (high jump), Brek Ruddy (pole vault) and Cole Griffith (long jump).
Summerfield’s JT Lemert swept the throws.
TUESDAY’S TOP PERFORMERS
BOYS TRACK AND FIELD
Caleb Healy, Erie Mason: Earned victories in the 800 and 1,600 meters to help Erie Mason wrap up the dual-meet portion of the Tri-County Conference schedule. The Eagles scored 69 points to top Sand Creek (36) and Jackson Prep (32). Porter Ravary (3,200), Ashton Beachner (low hurdles) and Jackson Carner (long jump). Mason also won the 1,600 and 3,200 relays with Beachner, Carner, Lincoln Murbach, Aiden Cannon, Brayden Hincher, Jason Cousino, Anden Perry and Carter Davis.
GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD
Giuliana Nastale, Erie Mason: Raced to wins in the 100, 200 and 400 meters as Mason scored 94 points to 36 for Sand Creek and 7 for Jackson Prep. Jaelynn Horton doubled up in the 1,600 and 3,200 and Ella Baiard in the throws. Other wins came from Tanylei Neff (800), Lexie Carner (low hurdles), Aubrey Iocoangeli (high jump) and Paige Konrad (long jump). The Eagles ruled three of the four relays.
Adela Illes, SMCC: Finished first in the 100, 200 meters and ran on the winning 400 and 1,600 relays to lead the Kestrels past Riverview 95-32, Flat Rock 103-25 and Airport 86-41. Also winning for SMCC were Ava Lucarelli (400), Olivia Beaudrie (high jump), Angie Illes (long jump). Flat Rock beat Airport 67-60 and fell 72-40 to Riverview. Airport nipped Riverview 64-60. Ella Baker had a big day for Airport with wins in the three longest races of the day and an anchor leg for the winning 3,200 relay. Teammate Olivia Kemp was the shot-put winner. Breanna Sexton took the discus for Flat Rock.
GIRLS SOCCER
Miley Skamiera, New Boston Huron: Broke the school record of 31 goals in a season set by her older sister Melanie in 2019. She scored four times during an 8-0 rout of Grosse Ile to give her 35 for the season. Avery Turk racked up two goals and three assists. Ava Banko and Maggie Mentzer also scored, Savanna Rupnow was credited with two assists and Malaya Singer one. Brooke Burke posted the shutout with Kayla Christesen, Maiya Thomas, Leah Purcell, Lillie Susewitz and Evanne Murray leading the defense.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Monroe County Region high school sports roundup for Tuesday, May 5
Reporting by Niles Kruger, The Monroe News / The Monroe News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
