By Joseph Goral
Staff Writer
jgoral@mihomepaper.com
OXFORD TWP. — The Lake Orion High School boys and girls varsity track and field teams won their dual meets against Oxford on May 1 at Oxford High School. The girls team won 86-42 while the boys won 75-53.
Boys Varsity Track Events
“It was a warm day and the boys’ team finally earned a dual meet win today. The team was well prepared, and I appreciate the efforts of my coaching staff in getting them ready for Oxford,” said head coach Andrew McDonald.
Among the top three finishers in the 100-meter race include seniors Raymond Payne in first place with a time of 11.44 seconds and Billy Roberson in third with a time of 11.66 seconds.
“Raymond Payne was first place in the 100-meter dash and 400-meter relay. A high-level sprinter who is determined and focused to be the best in our league,” McDonald said.
Senior Tanner Stewart finished in first place for the 400-meter race at 53.09 seconds.
Junior Blake Peardon earned first place in the 800-meter race with a time of 2 minutes 6.46 seconds, and first place in 1,600-meter race with a time of 4 minutes 45.74 seconds.
“After a successful cross country and indoor track season, Blake Peardon has continued to mature and develop into a reliable distance workhorse. He won the 1,600 and 800 meter runs today and anchored the 1,600-meter relay,” McDonald said.
Senior Andrew Drakos placed first in both the 110-meter hurdles and the 300-meter hurdles with times of 15.99 seconds and 41.68 seconds respectively.
Four Lake Orion teams finished top-five in the 4×100-meter relay. The Lake Orion A relay team consisting of juniors Trey Pochmara and Austin Conn, freshman James Bambard and senior Raymond Payne placed first with 44.53 seconds. Lake Orion B finished second with a time of 46.60 seconds, including sophomores Alexandro Skakal, Alex Frank, Alex Wood and Ezekial Spencer. Pochmara, Conn, Bambard and Drakos of Lake Orion A also finished first in the 4×200-meter relay.
For the 4×400-meter relay, Peardon, Stewart, senior Kenny Locke and freshman Cole Shoskey placed second with a time of 3 minutes, 54.41 seconds. Two Lake Orion teams finished in the top-four in the 4×800-meter relay, including Lake Orion A’s second-place finish at 9 minutes, 19.71 seconds by seniors Jack Logsdon, Michael Drakos, sophomore Alexandro Skakal and senior Ben Redmon.
Girl’s Varsity Track Events
“This team continues to improve each meet, the contributions are seen from all grade levels, and I think we are on our way to reaching our team goals this season,” McDonald said.
Two Lake Orion athletes finished in the top three for the 100-meter race, including senior Allie Fouts in first at 12.87 seconds and sophomore Sabrina DiMaggio in third at 13.3 seconds. Fouts also finished first in the 200-meter race with a time of 17.28 seconds, and freshman Saylor Papadelis placed third at 27.78 seconds.
“Freshman Abbey Neering joined the team recently and won the 400m dash and was part of the winning 800-meter relay. It will be interesting to see what she can do in the last part of the season. Sophomore Layla Thomas was first in the long jump, and 400- and 800-meter relays. A strong leader on the team. Always willing to do what is best for the team,” McDonald said.
In the 400-meter race, freshman Abbey Neering finished first in 1 minute, 2.74 seconds, senior Maddie Feurig finished second in 1 minute, 2.89 seconds and freshman Naya Call finished third in 1 minute, 2.94 seconds.
Senior Sofi Sally finished second in the 800-meter race with a time of 2 minutes, 24.36 seconds.
Senior Hannah DeRoeck finished first in the 1,600-meter race in 5 minutes, 17.52 seconds, and freshman Natalie Meldrum finished third in 5 minutes, 42.26 seconds. DeRoeck and Meldrum also finished first and second in the 3,200-meter race with times of 11 minutes, 59.31 seconds and 12 minutes, 35.94 seconds respectively.
DiMaggio finished first in the 100-meter hurdles in 15.22 seconds, and junior Lauren Ritz finished third in the 300-meter hurdles in 50.26 seconds.
Sophomore Layla Thomas, freshman Jenna Eichbrecht, sophomore Sabrina DiMaggio and senior Allie Fouts of Lake Orion A finished first in the 4×100-meter relay with a time of 50.92 seconds.
Lake Orion A and Lake Orion B relay teams finished in first and second in the 4×200-meter relay with times of 1 minute, 48.70 seconds and 1 minute 51.16 seconds, respectively. Lake Orion A includes Thomas, DiMaggio, Fouts and Papadelis, while Lake Orion B includes Neering, Sally, Ritz and Shoskey.
Lake Orion A, including Papadelis, Call, Sally and Feurig placed second in the 4×400-meter relay at 4 minutes 16.73 seconds.
The 4×800-meter relay ended with a first-place finish from Lake Orion A in 10 minutes, 0.68 seconds by Sally, senior Megyn Fox, Feurig and DeRoeck.
Boys Varsity Field Events
Three Dragons placed in the top-three for shot put with senior Kaydon Degraffenreid in first, 41 feet, 11 ½ inches, sophomore Jayden Borrero in second, 40-3 1/2, and junior Tarzar Jackson in third, 35-7 1/2.
Borrero also placed first in discus, 125 feet, 3 inches, and Degraffenreid placed second with a distance of 114-6.
Senior Donovan Scott jumped higher than any other student-athlete competing in the high jump at 6 feet, and juniors Nolan Rhodes and Alex Damiano tied for second-place with their jumps of 5 feet, 8 inches.
“Donovan Scott was first place in the high jump and long jump. He continues to compete at a high level each meet and contributes a lot of points to the team,” McDonald said.
Six Dragons vaulted over the seven highest poles in pole vault, including freshman Tyler Mollan, 13 feet, senior Ian McCullum and junior Nolan Rhodes, 12-9, and Phinehas House, 12-3.
Girls Varsity Field Events
“Senior Isabella Delong was first in the discus and second in the discus. A very reliable leader who has led the team in the throwing events for the past two years,” McDonald said.
Seven Dragons placed in the shot put’s top-10, including senior Isabella Delong’s second-place finish, 31-1, and a third-place finish by freshman Kara Veeder, 28-11. Delong also finished first in discus with 102-3.
Three dragons also finished in the top-three in the high jump, including sophomores Mikaela Redmon at 5 feet, Grace Carlson at 4-8, and freshman Elyse Avey at 4-6.
Carlson and freshman Olivia Bagdasarian tied for the highest pole vault at 10 feet.
Lake Orion will compete against Rochester Adams High School at 2:30 p.m. on May 10.