The Clarkston track teams went separate ways this past week as the girls team trekked down to Ohio for the Don Mitchell Roosevelt Memorial invitational, while the boys team took part in the Ashley Relays at Waterford Mott.
Clarkston Coach John Yorke was happy with the girls team’s fourth place finish out of 43 teams in Ohio, especially because of the high competition level featured at the meet.
‘This is one of the best invitationals in the Midwest. Much of the best competition in Michigan ran there,? said Yorke.
The sterling track programs of Detroit Mumford, Rockford and Ann Arbor Pioneer were all present at the Don Mitchell Roosevelt Memorial. Mumford (second) and Pioneer (third) finished ahead of the Wolves. Collinwood was the overall winner of the two day competition held on May 6 and 7.
Clarkston had several individual standouts at the end of the heats. Jenny Morgan was named ‘Most Outstanding Runner? for the tournament as she won the 3200 and finished second in the 1600. Lyndsay Smith finished two seconds off a national qualifying time in the steeplechase at 7:45. Smith was trailed closely in the steeplechase by Clarkston’s Ann Oltman who finished second with a time of 7:49.54. Liz Mengyan also helped the Wolves cause by virtue of her fourth place finish in the 1600.
On the boys side of the track, Clarkston finished ninth in the Ashley relays on May 7.
The Wolves had several standouts from the meet: Brad Gale took fifth and fourth respectively in the 300 medium hurdles and 110 high hurdles as well as helping the relay team of Jesse Kessler, Matt Alexander and Pedro Matos capture fifth in the 400; in the distance medley Matt Alexander, Jesse Kessler, Nick Puroll and Hazen Brennan finished third; and Gregg Knappe’s time of 11.4 netted him fourth in the 100.
Also performing well for the Wolves was the 1600 relay team of Andrew Chaffee, Matt Inch, Travis Hughes and Ed Brennan; and the middle distance relay of Puroll, Steve Hunter, Matt Hunter and Chris Anderson. Both relays managed fifth place finishes.
?(The Ashley relays) was a good meet for us. Our times were better. Hopefully it will put us in the right frame of mind, because of course we have an important meet against Rochester coming up,? said Clarkston Coach Walt Wyniemko.
The track teams hosted Rochester High on May 10, but the meet finished too late for this edition of The Clarkston News.
Both boys and girls track teams will travel together to the South Lyon Invitational on May 13, but the girls will also compete in the Mott relays on May 14, as both teams start winding up for regionals on May 20.