#44 - The Best Performances Ever IN Michigan?

Author

Jeff Hollobaugh
May 01, 2024

Inside This Issue

Mark Your Calendar!

Remember that Thursday, May 9 at Ann Arbor’s Ferry Field will be the 10am ceremony honoring Jesse Owens and his Day of Days in 1935 where he set 4 World Records within 45 minutes. World Athletics will be honoring the event with the awarding of the prestigious World Heritage Plaque. It’s open to the public; if you’re free, please join us.

And then for the next three days, the Big 10 track championships will take place at Michigan’s new outdoor track. While it might be impossible for high school athletes and coaches to make it on Friday/Saturday, the finals on Sunday will be blazing! Just take a look at what the best athletes in the Big 10 have been doing this outdoor season.

The Original Ann Arbor News Article on Jesse Owens’ Big Day

CHAMPION MICHIGAN TRACK TEAM MAY ENTER NATIONALS

JESSE OWENS SETS THREE WORLD MARKS

7,500 FANS RECEIVE THRILLS IN GREATEST TRACKMEET EVER HELD; WOLVERINES CLINCH MEET BY WINNING RELAY

By Mill Marsh

There will never be another meet like it. The 7,000 track fans who were thrilled as Jesse Owens, Ohio State, established three new world records and tied a fourth, will never witness a greater single-man performance than they did Saturday.

They never will see a track meet that packed as many thrills as the struggle for the Western conference championships, with Coach Charley Hoyt’s team coming from behind to win the last event, the mile relay, and nose out Ohio State for the team honors.

Those who came, saw and remained to watch the climax of the meet saw the greatest track performer of all time in Jesse Owens. Jesse is only a sophomore but it is doubtful if he, or any other human, will ever achieve the almost unbelievable feat of cracking three world marks in a single afternoon.

Owens equaled the world’s mark of 9.4 seconds in the 100-yard dash. He set the new world mark in the 220 when he was clocked in 20.3 seconds; the previous mark of 20.6 was established by Roland Locke of Iowa in 1926.

ONLY ONE LEAP

Owens then took one leap in the broad jump and sailed through the air 26 feet 8¼ inches to better the former mark of 26 feet 2¼  inches made in 1931 by Chubei Nambu of Japan.

Not even the great Owens himself believed it possible to set another world mark when he toed the line in the 220-yard low hurdles. But he skimmed over the barriers in 22.6 seconds to best the former mark of 23 seconds flat.

But even Owens with 20 points was unable to stave off Michigan’s all-around team strength as Coach Charley Hoyt’s boys added the outdoor title to the indoor championship. Coming up to the final event, the relay, Michigan found Ohio State leading by a fraction of a point, but Fred Stiles, Harvey Patton, Frank Aikens and Stanley Birleson toted the baton around the track in record time to win first place and the meet. Ohio State failed to place in the relay and had to be content with second place and the great individual efforts of Jesse Owens.

SCORE 48 POINTS

Michigan totaled 48 points, Ohio State followed with 43½, Wisconsin scored 29½, Indiana 24½, Northwestern 20, Iowa 19, Illinois 18½, Purdue 11, Minnesota 10, and Chicago 1.

Seven Western conference records were bettered in the 15 events. In addition to four records by Owens, new marks were established by Mark Panther of Iowa who hurled the javelin 219 feet 7 7/8 inches; Don Lash of Indiana who ran the mile in 4:14.4 and the Michigan relay team which set a new record of 3:15.2.

Michigan will undoubtedly be represented at the national collegiate championships June 21 and 22 at Berkeley, Calif. Eleven Wolverines have qualified for the trip to the coast by their performances this spring and at least seven are considered likely to be invited to make the trip.

MAY BE INVITED

Ward in the high jump and broad jump, Walter Stone in the two-mile, Widmer Etchells in the discus, Stoller in the 100, Stan Oleson in the 440 and the two runners, Smith and Brelsford, established marks Saturday which may allow them to attend the national meet. Howard Davidson, Frank Aikens and Paul Gorman, Michigan half-milers and Bob Osgood, hurdler, had previously qualified for the nationals.

Sponsors of the NCAA select the dozen best performers in each event and pay the railroad and Pullman expenses of the athletes to the meet.

Best-Ever on Michigan Soil

Mason Phillips in his Northwood days.

Last weekend, we saw three big marks in this category, all at Michigan’s Paddock Invitational. First, Salem alum Mason Phillips, now 24 and returning to the sprint wars, crushed his PR of 10.36 with a 10.21 (1.9) in the heats. Then in the final, he blasted a 10.15 (1.0). That makes him the No. 5 alum ever at 100m. The old Michigan soil record was Michigan’s Andrew Bruce winning the 1981 Big 10 in 10.25.

The other record improvements have come in the discus, an event that’s on fire lately as a pair of Michiganders are going after another Olympics. Ogemaw Heights alum Alex Rose had thrown the old best, 221-1 (67.38) at Grand Valley’s Early Meet (4/6). At the Paddock Invitational, Portage Northern alum Andrew Evans whipped the platter a PR 223-4 (68.09).

Here’s what we have for the all-time Michigan soil bests. If you spot something missing (quite likely, as this has been a bear to research), please let us know. We’d like to have an updated list ready for the Big 10 Championships at UM May 10-12.

The Latest Prep News

  • The Barnyard Mile came through big time last Friday! In the boys elite race Grand Haven’s Seth Norder zipped to a 4:06.22, making him No. 6 in state history over the full 1609.34. Brendan Herger of Northville ran 2nd in 4:09.31, with Anchor Bay’s Thomas Westphal 3rd in 4:10.64. Norder and Herger become sub-4:10 Club members No. 17 & 18. And a special thanks to organizers for having the timing company get all the numbers that matter—1600 splits for all and 1500 splits for the top athletes. Norder’s 1500 was 3:51.35 (No. 11 performer ever). His 1600 took 4:04.81 (No. 6 performer all-time). Herger (4:07.80) and Westphal (4:09.14) both joined the 1600m Sub-4:10 Club, the 32nd and 33rd members.

  • In the girls Barnyard Mile, Pioneer’s Rachel Forsyth won in 4:50.55 (4:32.47@1500, 4:48.99@1600). Fast-finishing Emily Tomes of GR Catholic Central took 2nd in 4:55.02 with Emmry Ross of Onsted 3rd in 4:55.46.

  • Renaissance High’s Courageous Invitational produced some serious speed. While headwinds made fast times in the 100 & 100H unlikely, Oak Park’s Morgan Roundtree blitzed a 42.98 in the 300 hurdles, ahead of Cass Tech’s Lindsay Johnson (43.76) and Renaissance’s Lauren Bickerdt (45.38). Oak Park’s Nevaeh Burns ran a state-leading 56.09 in the 400. In the girls 4×1, Renaissance edged Oak Park, 47.21-47.34; no teams have ever run faster in April. Oak Park took the 4×4 over Renaissance, 3:48.90-3:50.90. The line-up: Kelis Hunter-Young 58.9, Kylee King 56.5, Carrie VanNoy 57.7, Nevaeh Burns 55.8.

  • Last week, I highlighted Holland West Ottawa running the fastest-ever dual meet 4×2 in state history at 1:27.74. Just a few hours later, Rockford set out to make me a liar, blasting 1:27.63 in a dual meet against Jenison! Then, in the big dual meet match-up between the two teams on Monday, Rockford broke the record again with a state-leading 1:27.29, with West Ottawa not finishing. (The same day, the Rams ran a list-leading 42.19 in the 4×1.)

  • West Bloomfield’s Kamryn Tatum, last year’s D1 200/400 champ as a frosh, can’t seem to buy a break in the 100. She finally got to the state lead in the event with a 12.26 at the Elmer Ball Invitational, but that was into a 2.6 wind. Using the charts in the Track & Field News Big Gold Book, switch that wind to a maximum allowable 2.0 at her back, and she runs 12.01. Her PR of 11.82 came last year at New Balance Nationals.

  • East Kentwood’s Malachi Mosley surprised everyone in ‘22 when he became the first 9th grader in the 125-year history of the D1/Class A state finals to win the 400. Last season was one of challenges: he didn’t make it out of regionals, but ran a solid 48.67 at the MITCA team meet. Now as a junior, Mosley is back in the game at a high level. Over a 6-day span, he has run 48.11-48.36-47.79! That last mark is also a state dual meet record, topping the 47.84 that Marcus Montgomery of Saginaw Heritage ran in 2018 (but probably not topping the 47.8 for 440 yards on a dirt track that Henry Carr ran in the Detroit Northwestern-Chadsey dual of 1961!).

  • Jake Machiniak of Berrien Springs continues to own the top of the sprint lists. At Kent City he ran 100 in a barely-over-the-limit 10.61 (2.1), and in the 200 he ran a wind-legal (1.8) 21.36.

  • At the East Grand Rapids Classic, they contested the rarely-run 600, and a sophomore won the boy’s race in a very impressive 1:22.24. Nice work for Preston Van Oeffelen of Greenville. A few days earlier he had run a PR 1:58.77 for 800.

  • Belleville’s hurdlers! I guess it’s no surprise that a team with Hall of Famer Candice Davis coaching is going to have some hurdlers, but the Tigers are on fire in that department. Sophomore Schmar Gamble has run a wind-legal 14.29 (0.9) and is only No. 3 on the squad! At Livonia Franklin’s Friday Night Lights meet, juniors Will Jaiden Smith and Elijah Dotson were nearly inseparable at the line, both clocking 14.13 with a 1.3 wind. And if you’re wondering who their No. 4 is for a shuttle hurdle relay, right now that’s soph Jaiden Rutley, with a wind-aided 16.06.

  • At Brighton’s Bulldog Invitational, Walled Lake Central’s Brycen Anderson used his speed in the ring to whip the discus out to a state-leading 182-9. At the same meet, Walled Lake Northern blasted a 7:56.96 to take over the 4×8 lead.

  • At the Tuesday dual between Woodhaven & Wyandotte, junior Maya Justice launched herself to a windy 19-foot long jump.

  • At the Northville-Canton dual, Quincy Isaac jumped to a 24-0.75—possibly wind-aided, it was swirling. Teammate Nathan Levine cleared 6-9.25. Adam Dicken won the 800 in 1:54.96. Northville’s Brendan Herger, fresh off his big mile, took the 400 in 49.58.

  • And we’re waiting for the official time on this one, but at the Chippewa Valley-Dakota dual on Tuesday night, Shamar Heard reportedly ran a 47.4 for 400, taking down the dual meet state record, apparently. Obviously we’re not sure what the exact FAT was.

Dual Meet State Records

In case you were wondering what the whole list looks like. It actually includes dual and tri-meets. Here’s the link.

Making Opportunity Happen

Some of the competitors at Oxford (photo from the I Am An Athlete, Too Facebook page)

Kudos to Coach Michael Sudrovech of Oxford, who as director of last weekend’s Elmer Ball Invitational went out of his way to invite adaptive athletes across the state to participate, so they could experience real competition. Competitions were held for the boys in the 100, 200, 400, and shot, while the girls had the 100, 200 and shot. Athletes from 6 schools competed.

Said Sudrovech, “For all but one of the events, we had enough athletes for them to compete in their own gendered sections as opposed to combined. With guidance from Cody [Inglis of the MHSAA], we were able to include para-ambulatory (amputee from South Lyon). I started the day thinking it was just good to give them a chance to prepare for the type of meet they will see at Regionals and State Finals, but it was so much more than that. To the families, it was advocacy for normalization in allowing these athletes to participate as any other athlete. It was a voice to say that if it can be done here, there aren’t many valid arguments for why it can’t be done everywhere. From a competitive perspective, it hadn’t occurred to me that these kids don’t have a lot of opportunity to compete against one another. It was a chance to have multiple divisions on the track at the same time. It was pretty humbling to get to be a part of and I can’t wait to see what it grows into!”

Note that on June 28-30, the University of Michigan will be hosting the Miller Family Open, which will include high school, college and open (18+) adaptive athletes. It’s shaping up to be a great opportunity, but they are still looking for officials and volunteers. For more info, click here.

The Alumni Beat

  • Cindy Sember won the 100H at the Drake Relays in 12.59 (0.7).

  • The college 400 hurdles at Drake were won by Hannah Antkoviak (Allegan HS alum) in a PR 56.20.

  • Gabriela Leon placed second in Drake’s mall pole vault event, clearing 15-0.25 (4.58).

  • adidas had all of its top athletes report to company HQ in Herzogenaurach, Germany, for its annual “Road to Records” festival of road racing. This year they added a road 800 and mile. Hobbs Kessler placed 2nd in the mile to Emmanuel Wanyonyi, running 3:56.18… but he lost his claim to the road World Record as the Kenyan clocked 3:54.50. Morgan Beadlescomb placed 10th in the 5000 in 13:35.

  • Anavia Battle was one of the Americans who made the trip to Shanghai for the second Diamond League meeting of the year. There she hit 22.96 to place 2nd in the 200 to Britain’s Darryl Neita. More notable was who Battle beat—Sha’Carri Richardson—it may still be early season, but if Richardson goes on to be the Olympic superstar this summer that NBC is banking on, getting her scalp in a DL meet will help Battle when the T&FN World Rankings come out. And that can help her bottom line.

  • Brother Rice alum Udodi Onwuzurike is one of Nigeria’s best Olympic hopes. He ended the ‘23 season injured, and skipped indoors. Now he’s back, winning his season opener in Clermont, Florida (4/20) in 20.13 (1.9).

  • In his outdoor opener, Utica alum Freddie Crittenden, one of the world’s top hurdlers, placed 4th in the Xiamen (China) Diamond League meet (4/20) in 13.30.

  • The American Record for 10M on the road had lasted for a loooong time; Greg Meyer (GR West Catholic alum) set his 46:13 in 1983. Last year, Hilary Bor nipped it with a 46:11. At this year’s Cherry Blossom race (4/7), Bor improved to 45:56. More exciting to me was the runner-up finish by Nathan Martin in 46:00! The Three Rivers (and Spring Arbor) alum, at 34, continues his improvement. In February he placed 7th in the Olympic Trials marathon.

What A-net Is Getting Right

I know I’ve criticized athletic.net plenty in the past. As a statistical purist, there are always things that I will want done differently. And any system that reports data that’s inputted by zillions of meet managers and timers is going to inevitably sometimes present bad data. To their credit, the folks at A-net usually get it cleaned up pretty quickly.

What I want to give the organization kudos for are the many improvements in their live results interface. It has become the standard for meets in Michigan and honestly, it’s just about perfect. (And no, no one’s paying me to say this, though we wouldn’t turn down an A-Net sponsorship for Michtrack!)

Anyway, keep up the good work!

The All-Time Lists Explained

The all-time lists were the first “Michtrack” thing that I started with when I decided I wanted to work on track stats as a 14-year-old. They are dear to my heart and I’ll probably still be working on them when I take The Big Nap.

The lists are massive. The boys ATL is 99 pages printed out, with over 20,000 names. For many, they’ve been hard to wade into, given their immensity and detail. In a world where people want things to be simple and stats to be “converted” into easy-to-understand chunks, these lists refuse to compromise. In the boys 100, for instance, there is the legal FAT list, the wind-aided FAT list, the legal hand-timed list, the windy hand-timed list, plus a few times under “questionable.” There are 140 boys on the legal FAT list, and that’s not even the longest list you’ll find. Names, grades, dates, meets, wind readings, etc. Going back to… well, the oldest mark on the boys ATL is from 1898. (Seriously. That’s not a typo. It’s a legit throw in the 16lb college shot put).

For the relays, I’ve simplified what otherwise is a very complex set of stats. In the prime events (4×1, 4×2, 4×4, 4×8) there are lists for the top 100 performances ever and different lists for the top 100 school records. What does it take to be the No. 100 team in state history? For the boys, it’s 42.96, 1:28.9, 3:21.8 and 7:56.02. (I don’t have the girls relay events finished yet, but they’ll be done later today.)

I’ve made the lists easier to deal with; open up the PDF file and just click on the event you want to look at. I’ll have the indoor lists updated in the same way in the coming weeks. For now, here are the outdoor ATLs:

Oh Yeah…

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