A loss of two key runners to injuries did not deter the Lake Orion Dragons boys track team from sweeping its top foes in the OAA Red, Clarkston and Rochester Adams, in a meet last week.
“This meet was a concern for the Dragons, due to the injury loss of senior and team captain Andrew Lorant to an ankle stress fracture and senior Matt Arenz was forced to take the meet off to fight a short-term injury, all the while facing arguably the two toughest teams in the OAA,” Ford said. “All season long we knew our depth was one of our strengths, and this meet proved it.”
The Dragons finished with 82 points, followed by Clarkston with 56 and Adams with 46.
According to Ford, the race that set the tone for the meet was the 3200m relay. The relay team of Nolan Maupin, Drew Giem, John Arnold and Jack Everts won during the final 100 meters.
Everts then won the 800m run with Drew Giem taking third place.
Justin Cathers won the shot put, with Cameron Shadaia finishing second. Tyler Skibicki, Thomas Moreman, Channing Wan, and Kyle Duffy swept the hurdle races against Clarkston, and earned valuable points against Adams.
Michael Jarvis won the 1600m and 3200m runs against Clarkston, with Ryan Mulcahy taking third against Adams.
Sheldon Drake, Dallas Cleary, Jacob Hoffman, La’Juan Broner, ran well in the 400m relay. They took valuable second and third-place finishes against Clarkston in the 100 and 400 meter dashes and first places against Adams in the 100m and 200m dashes.
On Saturday, the Dragons ran in the Ashley Relays and finished second.
According to Ford, there were some cheers and tears on the day.
The 800 meter relay team of Kevin Hansen, Jacob Hoffman, Dallas Cleary and Sheldon Drake set a new meet record of 1:31.38. However, Drake pulled up with an injury while anchoring the 400 meter relay.
Ryan Skibicki, Thomas Moreman, Kyle Duffy, and David Yonkers won the shuttle hurdle relay, and the 4 x 1600m Relay of Drew Giem, Ryan Mulcahy, Jack Everts, and Michael Jarvis ran well and took second place.
The young ninth and 10th grade Dragons also had a good showing on Saturday at the Raffin Relays.
The team took fourth place. Ford called the showing a great opportunity to help build the future Dragon track teams.
The 800m Relay Team of Jacob Miller, Doug Mason, Sam Knight, and Mason Koncelik took second place. Mason, Knight and Koncelik ran with Phillip Angelos in taking second in the 1600m relay. Second place also went to the distance “A Medley” relay team of Alex Carroll, Russell Hastings, Nicholas Wolf, and Matt Mulligan. In the Field Event Relay, the team of Jairen Caraballo, Russell Hastings, Sebastian Marku, and Ryan Hoban finished second.