Posted by Manistee News Advocate staff
March 21, 2013
 

MOUNT PLEASANT — The Manistee and Onekama track and field teams combined to win 32 medals at the Chippewa High School Invite on Thursday at Central Michigan University.  It was the season-opener for both squads at the Jack Skoog Indoor Track.

The Manistee girls led the way by winning 13 medals (top six), including seven first places, in the 15-school meet featuring Division 3 and 4 teams.  Sophomores Jessica Gustad and Annie Fuller led the Chippewas by taking four firsts each — two individually and two on relay teams.  Gustad won the 60-meter dash (8.31) and 200 (27.78) while Fuller took first in the 800 (2:26.77) and high jump (5-foot-0). The two teamed up with Sarah Chandler and Courtney Stefanski to win the 800 relay (1:55.07) and 1,600 relay (4:33.03).  Ashley Lindeman won the 1,600 (5:56.06) while Taylor Antal was fifth (6:22.16), Chandler took third in the 200 (29.19) and high jump (4-6) while Nicole Morski took third (1:11.17) in the 400 and fifth (8.88) in the 60.

The Manistee boys claimed five medals on the day. The 3,200 relay team of Bryce Cameron, Andrew Solberg, Jon Bailey and Jarret Deisch took second (9:13.50) while the 1,600 team of Solberg, Cameron, Carter Eckhardt and David Engstrom took third in 4:01.29.  Individually, Deisch took fourth (2:15.68) and Solberg fifth (2:16.52) in the 800 and Cameron was fourth (5:02.69) in the 1,600.

Posted by Manistee News Advocate staff

Onekama claimed 14 medals, with eight going to the girls.

“I thought they did quite well considering we’ve had maybe five practices because of weather and school cancellations,” said Onekama boys coach Tony Shrum.

The 3,200-meter relay team of Faith Moerdyk, McKaya Groenwald, Alycia Peterson and Taylor Anderson took first (11:33.82) and the 800 team of Meredith Hengy, Alyson Fink, Nisha Collins and Peterson took second (1:56.94) in the 800 relay.   Individually, Collins took second in the long jump (15-5) and Hengy was fifth (13-9), Fink was third in the 60 (8.53) and Hengy sixth (8.89), Peterson took fourth in the 200 (29.34) and Moerdyk was fourth in the high jump (4-6).

The Onekama 800 relay team of Nick Streeter, Jordan Coe, Justin Solis and Reilly Merrill took second (1:41.80) while Streeter was third (25.19) in the 200. Jordan Anderson took third (11:12.60) and John Schoedel sixth (11:31.84) in the 3,200, Randy Pienta was third (10-6) in the pole vault and the 3,200 relay team of Shane Peterson, John Girven, Schoedel and Anderson took fourth (9:30.95).

“It was good to get them down there and more than anything it’s a real good workout for them,” Shrum said. “We had a lot of really good performances. It’s harder on the distance runners because most of them are coming off basketball season so they’re not in that mile, two mile, 800-meter shape yet. But, we had some good times and some good performances all the way around.”