Lady Cards breeze to Regional track title
By Matt Wenzel, Staff Writer ~ Gaylord Herald Times
MANCELONA — The Johannesburg-Lewiston girls’ track team dominated its Division 4 Regional Saturday, scoring 161 points and advancing 11 athletes to the State Finals meet at Jenison High School on Saturday, June 2.
The Lady Cards easily took their second Regional Championship in three years, nearly doubling up on second place Inland Lakes, who scored 81 points.
With track temperatures well into the 80s, a school record fell, and J-L took six regional gold medals. Meridith DeLuca ran state-worthy races in four events all total. During her signature events, the 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter runs, the senior fought neck-and-neck with Mancelona’s Isabella Tremonti.
DeLuca was quicker in the 1600, running a season-best 5:27.83, but the end of a long day in the sun and DeLuca’s four distance events helped Tremonti to a win in the 3,200. DeLuca took a silver medal in the 800-meter run n to add to the collection and ran anchor for the winning 3,200-meter relay team with Nadine Peterson, Hailey Weaver and Chloe Johnston.
If DeLuca was dominant in the distance events, it was Shannon Kievit who had a breakout meet in the other events. Kievit had two of the biggest performances of the day, taking first place in the 200-meter dash and leaping nearly 16 feet in the long jump, which was nearly 7 inches beyond second place.
Kievit, a sophomore, qualified as the anchor of the first-place 800-meter relay with Jena Teceno, Ashley Courterier and Kirsten Forro. Courterier finished third place in the long jump and fourth in the high jump, but will compete at State Finals meet because of the extra qualifier rule.
Meghan Makranyi continues to excel in the throwing events with a first place in the discuss and a second place in the shot put, qualifying her in both.
Abby Schlicher will return to the state finals this year in the high jump, earning third place by clearing 5-2. With a jump of 7-6, Brittany Hilt will represent the Lady Cards in the pole vault.
The boys team finished a respectable middle of the pack in seventh place and will travel with two athletes into the finals. Andrew Morehouse ran a personal best in the 3,200, displaying patience throughout the eight laps with competitor Romeyn Winter of Ellsworth. Leading the entire race, Winter stretched out 15 yards ahead of Morehouse on the final lap. With 200 meters left, Morehouse made his move and at 100, began to pull away to a gold.
Sean Aisthorpe, steadily improving throughout the season, finished a quarter of an inch away from first place and also made it into the finals.
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Lady Cards take 2nd at major meet in Central Lake
Gaylord Herald Times
CENTRAL LAKE — The Lady Cards competed in the Central Lake Invitational Monday, earning second place in the 18-team meet that featured some of the top class C and D teams that Northern Michigan has to offer.
Taking top spot in the invite was Traverse City St. Francis.
“We didn’t have real good times, but that’s what happens during the season,” said coach Kevin Kennedy. “There are always valleys and peaks in every season and hopefully we are heading towards a peak for tomorrow.”
The peak that Kennedy referred to is Friday’s Regional Championships at Mancelona where the Cardinals hoped to avenge last year’s outcome when they were handed second place by one point.
J-L scored one first-place finish Monday but with the team’s depth was able to rack up enough seconds and thirds to give St. Francis a scare.
Meridith DeLuca continued her unbeaten streak this season, capturing another first place in the 3,200-meter run and earning the Ryan Shae two-mile memorial trophy. DeLuca broke the 12-minute barrier with an 11:58.6.
DeLuca ran to a second-place finish in the 1,600, scoring more points for the Cardinals.
Ashley Courterier cleared a personal best at 5-3 in the high jump which earned her a second-place medal. Courterier’s jump sets up an interesting scenario for the Regional with Pellston’s Tayler Friend, who won Monday, beating Courterier’s jump by 1 inch.
In addition, J-L softball standout Abby Schlicher cleared 5-1 in her one competition so far this season and looks to improve upon her fifth-place state finals medal from last year.
In the discus, Meghan Makranyi took second place and hoped to finish about the same on Friday.
Shannon Kievit scored a silver medal on Monday in the 100. Kievit is looking to get her time down to its season low and take the race Friday. Kievit also earned a third in the long jump and a fourth in the 200.
Kirsten Forro placed fifth in the 100, and Rainey Hummel took seventh in the 100 intermediate hurdles.
Kievit, Courterier, Jena Teceno and Forro teamed up to take second in the 800 relay, another event that the Cardinals hoped to gather points with on Friday.
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J-L girls edge power St. Ignace at home invite
Gaylord Herald Times
JOHANNESBURG — The Johannesburg-Lewiston girls’ track team continued to prove its legitimacy Monday by beating powerhouse St. Ignace and 12 other schools at the Cardinals’ home invitational.
J-L, which scored 123 points, edged the Saints by just three points. In a distant third was Inland Lakes with 70 points.
Meghan Makranyi set the tone in the throwing events, winning both the shot put (32-3.5) and the discus (91-9).
She was far from the Lady Cards’ only standout, however, as senior Meridith DeLuca continued to cruise in the 1,600-meter run (5:29.10) and the 3,200 (11:54).
Shannon Kievit won the long jump (14-10) and was part of the winning 800 relay along with Jena Teceno, Ashley Courterier and Kirsten Forro. Kievit also placed third in the 200.
For J-L, Courterier placed third in the high jump; Hailey Weaver was fifth in the 800; Nadine Peterson notched fifth in the 3,200; and Julia Nieman took fifth in the 400. The girls’ 3,200 relay team of Peterson, Weaver, Chloe Johnston and DeLuca placed third.
In the boys’ meet, J-L took ninth and St. Mary placed 14th. Mancelona edged out St. Ignace for the overall title.
J-L’s Justin Rondo turned in a huge performance in the high jump, winning with a height of 5-8.
Andrew Morehouse grabbed fourth in the 3,200; Logan Miller took fifth in the shot put; Hunter VanDeKerchove placed fifth in the high jump; Dakota Finnerty was sixth in the discus; and Rondo notched sixth in the 200. The Cardinals’ 800 relay, which took fifth, set a personal record.
St. Mary’s Luke Wisniewski placed fourth in the 400.
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Cardinals send message at Fairview track invitational
Gaylord Herald Times
FAIRVIEW — The Johannesburg-Lewiston girls’ track team sent a strong message with a convincing victory in the 11-team Fairview Invitational Tuesday.
The Lady Cards scored 183.5 points with the host Eagles their closest competitor at 94 points. Many of the opposing teams will be at the regional meet on Friday, May 18.
Meridith DeLuca again led the Cardinals, taking first in the 3,200-meter run, the 1,600 and as the anchor leg of the 3,200-meter relay with Nadine Peterson, Hailey Weaver and Chloe Johnston. Peterson finished second in the 3,200 and third in the 1,600. Johnston took third in the 3,200.
The field events brought in points for J-L beginning with a pair of second places in the shot put and discus by Meghan Makranyi. Abby Schlicher pole vaulted her way to a first place by clearing 7-6 and also took second in the high jump.
Shannon Kievit added a second place in the long jump, but more valuable to the team, the sophomore took first in the 100-meter dash in a field of 30 sprinters. She added a second in the 200 and a third as part of the 800 relay with Jena Teceno, Rainey Hummel and Kirsten Forro. Forro, Teceno and Hummel teamed up with Viktoria Nickert to place fourth in the 400 relay.
An improving Cardinal boys’ squad scored 73 points in a much tighter battle for first place. The points were good enough for sixth place overall, but seven more points would have brought J-L up to third place.
Justin Rondo was the high scorer on the day, taking second place in the 100. The senior finished less than a quarter of a second back from Onaway’s Adam Bess, but he managed to run his 11.74 in a slower heat. Rondo also finished second in the high jump and fifth in the 200. J-L finished with three places in the shot put as Sean Aisthorpe took third, Dakota Finnerty placed fourth, and Logan Miller finished seventh. Finnerty scored a third in the discus. Andrew Morehouse set a personal best in the 1,600 and broke the five-minute barrier, good enough for sixth place. Morehouse broke 11 minutes in the 3,200, which earned him a second place.
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J-L Track Results at Mancelona
The girls track team had another big night Friday winning the Ironman Invitational at Mancelona. With 10 schools competing the girls scored 189 points. Meridith DeLuca broke the two mile record again for the third time this season. She also broke the Ironman Invite meet record. 1st place finishes: Abby Schlicher high jump; Shannon Kievit long jump; Meghan Makranyi Discus; Meridith DeLuca Mile and two mile. See the track board for more results.
Congratulations to the boys track team on taking 4th place on Friday night. Justin Rondo scored 17.5 points in 4 events; Andrew Morehouse scored 14.5 points in 3 events and also took first place in the 3200 meter run; Cameron Nickert scored 11.5 points in 4 events; Dakota Finnerty scored 9 points in 2 events; Mitch Hardy, Tyler Ehrler, Cameron Nickert and Justin Rondo took 1st place in the 400 meter relay.
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J-L girls top the field at Bellaire Invitational
Gaylord Herald Times
BELLAIRE — The Johannesburg-Lewiston girls’ track team emerged the victor among 11 teams at the Bellaire Invitational Monday.
The Cardinals, with 137 points, outdistanced second place Mancelona (105), Grand Traverse Academy (82.5), Inland Lakes (80.5) and Bellaire (56), among others.
Senior Meghan Makranyi was the star of the meet, breaking the school’s discus record with a first-place throw of 102-11.
Other winners included Meridith DeLuca in the 1,600-meter run (5:33) and Ashley Courterier in the long jump (14-4). Courterier also took second in the high jump (4-10), while Shannon Kievit was runner-up in the 100-meter dash (13.06).
Makranyi added a third place in the shot put (29-8); Raynie Hummel was third in the 100-meter hurdles (18.40); and Kievit took third in the long jump (14-1).
Julia Nieman was sixth in the long jump; Mackenzie Mathewson placed fifth in the high jump; Chloe Johnston took seventh in the pole vault; Kirsten Forro captured seventh in the 100-meter dash; Nadine Peterson ran to eighth in the 1,600; and Abbie May finished eighth in the shot put.
J-L’s team of Peterson, Hailey Weaver, Ashley Rider and DeLuca placed second in the 3,200-meter relay, while the group of Hummel, Courterier, Jena Teceno and Kievit was third in the 800 relay.
The boys track team finished 10th in Monday’s meet.
Medal winners were: Dakota Finnerty 4th in Discus and 6th in Shot Put;
Cameron Nickert 4th in Long Jump and 5th in High Jump;
Sean Aisthorpe 3rd in Shot Put;
Andrew Morehouse 3rd in two mile; and the Shot Put Relay was 4th.
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J-L sweeps Onaway in home dual
Gaylord Herald Times
JOHANNESBURG - The Johannesburg-Lewiston boys’ and girls’ track and field teams took care of visiting Onaway Thursday with the boys winning, 74-61, and the girls emerging victorious, 125-11.
J-L swept the boys’ throwing events. In the shot put, Sean Aisthorpe (37-10.5) took first, followed by Dakota Finnerty and Logan Miller. In the discus, Finnerty (102-0) placed first with Aisthorpe and Miller following. The Cardinals also grabbed the top three spots in the pole vault with Jeremiah Chappell (9-0) winning, followed by Owen Wright and Wesley Olds. J-L also went 1-2 in the 110-meter hurdles with Nick House (21.03) winning, followed by Jace Radke. Cameron Nickert won the 400-meter dash (1:00.60), while Andrew Morehouse (10:55) placed first in the 3,200-meter run.
The Cardinal 400-meter relay team of Tyler Ehrler, Kalin Leonard, Nickert and House also won with a time of 49.32. The girls dominated, winning every event with seven 1-2-3 sweeps.
In the long jump, Shannon Kievit (14-8) won, followed by Ashley Courterier and Julia Nieman. In the pole vault, Chloe Johnston (6-6.1) took top honors, followed by Morgan Fisher and Emma Lawrence.
Raynie Hummel won the 100-meter hurdles (19.52) with Breanne Kennedy and Mackenzie Mathewson taking second and third, respectively. Meridith DeLuca won the 1,600-meter run (5:44) in front of Nadine Peterson and Johnston. DeLuca also took the 3,200-meter (12:04), followed by Peterson and Johnston.
Peterson was victorious in the 300-meter hurdles (58.63), while Courterier was second and Mathewson third. Hailey Weaver placed first in the 800-meter run (2:50.42) ahead of Nieman and Beth Bucy.
Other Cardinal firsts went to Courterier in the high jump (4-10); Meghan Makranyi in the shot put (30-6.5) and discus (80-2); Kievit in the 100-meter (13.83) and 200-meter (28.87); and Ashley Rider in the 400-meter (1:14.83).
J-L won all four relays. Peterson, Weaver, Rider and DeLuca combined on the 3,200, Kievit, Courterier, Kirsten Forro and Gabby Coppersmith captured the 800; Kennedy, Ashley Shafer, Allison LaPointe and Viktoria Nickert took the 400; and Nieman, Coppersmith, Mathewson and Weaver triumphed in the 1,600.
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J-L girls' track, DeLuca open Ski Valley with a bang
Gaylord Herald Times
CENTRAL LAKE — The Johannesburg-Lewiston girls track team had a dashing start to the season Thursday in Central Lake in a four-team meet with Pellston, Onaway and the host Trojans.
The Lady Cards walked away with a landslide victory, scoring 135 points. The other three teams posted a combined 103 points. J-L senior Meridith DeLuca is already off to a fast start on the season, breaking her own 3,200-meter run record by more than 12 seconds. DeLuca ran a 12:05 with fellow Cardinals Nadine Peterson and Chloe Johnston taking second and third, respectfully.
DeLuca also finished first in the 400 and the 1,600. Middle and long distances brought in chunks of points for J-L. Hailey Weaver finished first in the 800 with a 2:52.49 time. Fellow sophomore Julia Nieman was a half second back in second place and Johnston completed the sweep in third place. Weaver, Nieman, DeLuca and Peterson combined for a first place in the 3,200 relay, outrunning the second place team from Onaway by nearly 1:30.
The Weaver-Nieman duo also sprinted to a first place in the 1,600 relay with Ashley Rider and McKenzie Mathewson, breaking the 5:00 barrier in the team’s first attempt of the season. The field events have been strong for J-L in the past, and if Thursday is any indication, this season will be no different.
Senior thrower Meghan Makranyi took first in the shot put as well as the discus.
Shannon Kievit cleared 14-2 in the long jump to score first place points. Kievit added relay gold in the 800 relay with Gabby Coppersmith, Ashley Courterier and Jena Teceno.
As state finalist jumper Abby Schlicher was striking out six batters on the softball field in Hillman, Ashley Courterier and Gabby Coppersmith made up the points with a second and third in the high jump. In the sprints, Kievit and Kirsten Forro ran to a second and third places in the 100-meter dash and Raynie Hummel took second in the 100-meter hurdles.
On the boys’ side, J-L took a close second, scoring 65 points to Onaway’s 82.
Logan Miller and Sean Aisthorpe threw for first and second place in the shot put. Aisthorpe added another second in the discus, just behind fellow Cardinal Dakota Finnerty’s 117-0 bomb of a throw. Sophomore Jace Radke won the 110 hurdles and Andrew Morehouse topped the field in the 3,200. Cameron Nickert took third-place in the 400m dash.
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Track preview: Youth replenishes the ranks on J-L boys' team
Gaylord Herald Times
JOHANNESBURG — Veteran coach Gary Hoffman returns to the track this spring, taking over a Johannesburg-Lewiston boys’ team that has plenty of underclassmen looking for a chance at some hardware.
“We are a young team this year,” Hoffman said. “We have a lot of good kids, though.”
The leadership will come from a handful of juniors and seniors with some good experience already under their belts. The lone senior, Justin Rondo, returns after racing in the 400-meter relay in the State Finals last year.
Junior Mitch Hardy returns after joining Rondo in the relay. After an excellent fall in the fullback position for the football squad, Hardy will be more than competitive in the individual sprints this spring. Logan Miller is the team’s other junior.
Andrew Morehouse leads a talented group of younger athletes who will cut their teeth on major competition this spring. Morehouse is hoping an excellent fall performance on the cross-country trails will carry over into the season on the track. He represented the boys’ cross-country team as its only state qualifier.
Freshman Dimitri Capers and sophomore Jace Radke will also be runners to watch for to score points in the distance events for the Red and White.
The track season will officially kick off on Thursday, April 12 in Central Lake.
GOOD LUCK CARDINALS!
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Track preview: J-L girls look to continue league dominance
By Matt Wenzel, Staff Writer GAYLORD HERALD TIMES
JOHANNESBURG — Good teams do not look ahead in their schedules. However, it may be difficult for the Johannesburg-Lewiston girls’ track team to avoid looking at May 23 on the calendar. On that Wednesday afternoon in Mancelona, the Lady Cards will be looking to rack up another Ski Valley Championship. Should they earn more places than the other teams in the conference, it will be the fifth year in a row the league crown stays in the J-L trophy case. The Lady Cards look to a diverse team of more than 30 athletes that is stacked with leadership and plenty of sophomores and juniors who have been through the big races before. No member of the current team has been through more of the big races than senior Meridith DeLuca.
In the 1,600-meter run, DeLuca took top honors in the Conference and Regional finals and set a new school record in the 3,200-meter run. DeLuca continues to creep closer and closer to top honors in the State Finals meet in the 1,600. She placed seventh in 2010 and fifth last year. If her third-place finish at the cross-country State Finals meet last fall is any indication, she will be in the mix in June.
The short list of seniors for the team includes Heather Galehouse, Marianne Thorstad, Morgan Fisher and Meghan Makranyi.
Although the upperclassmen numbers may not be very high, the Cardinals have a healthy list of returning state qualifiers. Sophomores Chloe Johnston, Shannon Kievit and Julia Nieman all went to the big dance last season as part of either the 1,600-meter or 800-meter relay teams. Both teams took second in the Regional meet last season.
If there is another date that has been circled on the team’s calendar, it is May 19 when J-L gets another shot at a team Regional first-place trophy.
Last season, the Lady Cards fell by one point to Harbor Springs but because of division change, Harbor Springs will not be in the same region this season.
GOOD LUCK GIRLS!
