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- #101 - Motor City Lights Up Boston
Inside This Issue
Motor City In Boston
A double win for Austion.
Brandon Jiles’ team tested itself on the banked 200 track at The Track at New Balance, where they fared very well in the Nor’Easter competition. The highlights came in the 300, where Nevaeh Burns ran 39.19 and Rondre Austion 34.01, the No. 2 time in state history. Mauriel Seeberger ran 40.20 for 3rd.
Austion also won the 55 in 6.42. More victories came in the 4×4 (3:28.69 & 3:53.34). Leah Thomas led a Motor City 1-4 sweep in the 600 at 1:35.73. Payton Gee won the 55 hurdles in 8.25 and led off the winning 4×2 in 1:40.11. Ninth-grader Aubrey Douglas ran 7.03 for 2nd in the 55.
Fast Times At Lincoln
One thing became clear to close observers at the January 3 meet at the LAB: the new surface in the facility is FAST. Two performances stand as proof. First, Rondre Austion of Oak Park/Motor City blasted 400 in 47.31, the No. 2 time in the nation. Then an all-star Track Life foursome, anchored by new state 60 record holder Peyton Trammel, rocked a 1:26.99 in the 4×2. It doesn’t show up on the national lists since all-star relays fall in the statistical gray area, but the fastest any school team has run this winter indoors is the same 1:26.99, albeit on a 200 track. Still, 1:26 indoors is absolute fire.
The next weekend at the LAB (1/10), Lincoln junior Damani Gordon took the 55 (6.49) and 200 (22.30). Greg Myers pulled off an impressive double, winning the 400 in 48.95 and the 1500 in 4:06.81. Wendell Childs took the 800 in 1:54.26. Janae Coleman, not running for Motor City this winter, hit the 400 in 55.17.
Dudek Opens Up At SVSU
Folks who wanted to see what national champion XC prowess looks like on the track did not have to wait long. A month after her victories at nationals, Natasza Dudek ran the 1600 at SVSU (Jan. 10), cruising to a 4:44.80.
Dash record man Peyton Trammer confirmed that he’s for real, with a 6.80 heat and then a 6.71 final, the No. 2 performance in state history. Rodney Endsley hit 200 in 21.81, just ahead of Dennis Jackson (21.88). Beckett Crooks captured the 1600 in 4:18.99. Track Life relayed an impressive 3:21.48.
Willow Mason blazed a 24.59 for 200. Violet Tetil opened up with a 2:15.43 for 800.
Lights Produce Fast 1600
Running to the tune of the GVSU pacing lights, ninth-grader Eliza Schwass hit 4:42.08, 10 seconds ahead of Emma Hoffman’s 4:52.34. That nips the fastest-ever (all track sizes) frosh best of 4:52.22 that Rachel Forsyth ran at SPIRE in 2021.
De-Mani Roberts is still burning it up, with a 21.72 win at 200. Caden Livermore (4:17.03) topped Marek Butkiewicz (4:18.09) at 1600. Kaden Griffiths jumped 22-10.5. Benjamin Liefer took the state lead in the weight at 64-10.5. Lorelai Zielinski started her junior season with a 42-4.5 shot win. And Shelbie Choponis won the weight at 50-11.75.
Quincy Isaac Still Flying
Track & Field News ranked the Canton athlete the top high school long jumper nationally last year. He has gotten even better at the college level. One of Michigan’s prize recruits, he took his first collegiate long jump and landed at 25-9.25: stadium record, No. 2 on UM’s all-time list, and the No. 1 leap in the NCAA. He told the Michigan Daily: “I was nervous going in, didn’t really know how it was gonna go, my first time jumping on raised one-way tubes, that was all so different. So I just had to focus on what I was seeing and focus on what I’ve learned at practice that I can use to compete better.”
Isaac is a bright spot in what is turning into the forgotten event of track in this state and nationally. Too few with sprint speed are being coached to jump, something we see every spring among our high schoolers. Nationally, the days of a sprinter the status of Carl Lewis trying the jump are long gone. The U.S. used to rule the World Rankings in the event and dominate the podiums. Now, with the typical second-rate sprinter opting to concentrate on the sprints instead of trying the jumps, the prospects are dim. Hopefully Isaac can be part of a new trend in the event.
Other Things
Stiverson in Ohio: She threw at SPIRE last weekend in two competitions. A high school shot which she won with a 50-4, topping Charlotte Martin’s PR 43-11.75. She also won an open competition for grown-ups with her 53-0.75, the No. 3 throw in state history. Results.
Who is Jana Salopek? That’s the question. She won the triple jump at Grand Valley with an impressive 35-4.5. World Athletics says she’s German. The name looks Croatian. Our guess is she’s an exchange student, but where? Please fill us in if you know.
Snowball Vault: At the Vault Barn on 1/10, Katie Blue continued her hot jumping with a win at 13-0, and Evie Mathis joined the 13-foot club too. Sean Cinzori won the men’s competition at 14-6.
Honest question: Is racing with pacing lights good for high school age development? We all know they can yield faster times, though they tend to turn races into time trials. I’m just not convinced they are good for young runners learning how to race, but I’m willing to listen to anyone who tries to convince me otherwise.
RIP—Ted Duckett: The longtime Loy Norrix coach passed on January 7. He was one of the best of the good guys, always warm, always willing to share. He will be deeply missed. Here’s an obituary that is worth reading.
UM HS Invitational: Sunday’s event going to be a big long meet (180+ in the boys 200, for instance) but there will be some top-notch out-of-state talent coming in, and we suspect some amazing marks. Look for great action in the long jump, which is now on a fast raised runway. It’s a must meet for athletes who want to get familiar with racing full-speed on a banked track before nationals.
Simmons-Harvey: The annual UM meet is set for Saturday. It will be a smaller affair than some years, but the 800 and mile are both looking like they could go fast. Free admission.
MITS Circuit: Here’s the full schedule.
MITS Finals: Tentative Schedule
Excuse the short newsletter this week. Wanted to do more, but time is running out, and we won’t be able to produce a newsletter the next two weeks.
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