Laker girls finish
10th, boys 17th in D4 finals
Tobi Schoedel
earns All-State honors
By MATT WENZEL
Manistee News Advocate Sports Editor
Published:
Sunday, November 7, 2010
BROOKLYN — This is a home of
speed.
Real speed — the kind that requires specially-built walls
surrounding a custom surface emblazoned with black-and-white
checkers.
However, not every one racing on Saturday here at Michigan
International Speedway was concerned with places.
“We don’t judge them by the number they finish,” said Bear Lake
cross country coach Eric Ross. “We judge them by the effort that
they give. " Their effort was 110 percent and that's all that
matters..."But, that
doesn't mean that logging one of the top spots doesn't warrant a
smile
Tobi Schoedel got both
by taking 10th place in the Division 4 state finals on Saturday.
“It feels really good,” said the Bear Lake senior, adding it’s “a
lot better,” than winning a regional title last weekend. “I’m really
happy that I got it this year. I think it means a lot more getting
it this year than all the others.
“I know that everyone else starts out fast, but you just have to
start running your race and finish it.”
“What we broke it down to is it’s not what everyone else runs, it’s
just what we run,” Ross said. “And then, whatever it is, it takes
care of itself.”
Bear Lake, which co-ops with Onekema, took 10th out of 26 teams in
the girls race while the boys were 17th among 27 competing squads.
The Laker girls tallied 277 points, while Hesperia edged Harbor
Springs for the title, 107-111.
“The girls all ran phenomenal races,” Ross said. “This was the
hardest-working group of girls I’ve had the pleasure of working
with.”
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Schoedel paced the team with her
All-State, 10th-place finish in 19:26, one year after taking 40th in
21:07.
“What she did was just incredible for her senior year,” Ross said. “It
was great to see her finish that way for as hard as she works.”
Jaylee Brown placed 46th among individuals in 20:34, followed by Yumi
Babinec (83rd, 21:12), Kelly Babcock (123rd, 21:47), Tristen Gleason
(166th, 22:47), Danielle Ward (188th, 23:23) and Taylor Anderson (195th,
23:40).
The Bear Lake girls ran as a team on Saturday, one year after only
Schoedel and Brown qualified as individuals.
“They’re so supportive of each other,” Ross said of the boys and girls.
“I couldn’t coach one without the other. There are just small elements
they add to each other. They both benefit the other.”
The regional-champion Bear Lake boys
placed 17th with 405 points while North Muskegon won with 89.
“I think as a team we did pretty good,” said Bear Lake senior Lewis
Bartlett. “I know everyone gave their best today.”
Tyler Groenwald led the Lakers by finishing 48th overall in 17:20,
followed by John Girven (98th, 17:56), Ryan Pienta (123rd, 18:15), Lewis
Bartlett (126th, 18:17), John Michael Schoedel (180th, 19:03), Alex
Ringel (183rd, 19:12) and Stephen Verrett (205th, 19:53).
Ross said the experience of running in the state finals at MIS is what
his athletes will remember the most.
“I’m happy that we made it to state this year,” Bartlett said. “My
senior year, that’s all I was asking for.”
For the first-timers, it was an eye-opening experience.
“It was just amazing,” said freshman John Girven. “There’s so many
people to run with, it’s really cool.”
And, as Ross pointed out, it’s not where you finish in that group, but
how hard you ran.
“All we asked is for them to run the best race they could possibly run
and they did,” Ross said. “So, we congratulate them.”
Additional Racing Photos
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