#65 - Porter Joins Hall of Fame

October 31, 2024

Inside This Issue

Big Weekend Ahead!

I am hard at work getting my notes together for another experience of announcing at the MHSAA Finals, joining my very able co-announcer George Tilt as well as awards announcer Scott Hubbard. The unseasonably warm (okay, hot) temps we’re enjoying in the early week will dial back to a more normal mid-50s with partly sunny skies. It looks like a perfect weekend to enjoy another historic edition of the best XC race festival in the state.

Direct from the MHSAA page, these are the links you need:

Also this weekend are the D1 collegiate conference meets, including the first-ever Big “18” meet. There’s a handy collection of links to the results at https://trackandfieldnews.com/major-results-links/

Note also the NYC Marathon on Sunday as well as the USATF 5K Champs on Saturday, where Algonac/MUS Morgan Beadlescomb returns to defend his title.

Hall of Fame: Tiffany Porter (Ypsilanti) 2005

When the eldest of the Ofili sisters first dabbled in track as an Ypsilanti elementary student, people spotted her speed, but few suspected she would eventually become a 7-time state champion, a 5-time NCAA champion and a 3-time Olympian.

As a middle schooler, Tiffany Ofili met Tom “Mick” Micallef, the Ypsilanti head coach who encouraged her to join his Ypsilanti Area Women’s Track Club. That set her up for future success.

As she has written, “Then 8th grade year my family and I moved to a new house, which meant I had the option to continue our relationship at the local high school, or at Ypsi High. I chose the latter. This decision proved fruitful because I was able to meet Coach Chris Jonik and under his and Mick’s guidance I was introduced to the hurdles.”

Career highlights:

2001 (8th grade): 6th in MITS 60 (8.09).

2002 (9th grade): 3rd in MITS 60 (7.95), 8th in long jump (16-10.5). At the outdoor D2 finals, she hurdled 44.04 to win the 300H, placed 4th in the 100 (12.57) and 2nd in the 100H (14.70).

2003 (10th grade): 3rd in MITS 60H (9.19), 6th in long jump (16-6.25). At the D2 finals, she placed 2nd in the 100 (12.29), 4th in the 100H (14.59) and ran second leg on the Ypsilanti 4x1 that won in 49.59.

2004 (11th grade): 2nd in both the MITS 60H (8.90) and long jump (16-6), At the D2 finals, in leading Ypsilanti to the team championship, she placed 2nd in the long jump (16-8.5), then 2nd in the 100 (12.74) before winning both hurdle finals in 14.34/44.78.

2005 (12th grade): Won the MITS 60H (8.61 PR) and long jump (18-4.25 PR). She also placed 3rd at Nike Indoor Nationals (8.71). Outdoors, she won the D2 long jump (18-9.25 PR), finished 2nd in the 100 (12.50), and captured both hurdles (14.19 PR/42.82 PR), winding up her career with 7 MHSAA titles (along with 5 runner-up honors).

Those high school accolades led to a full ride at the University of Michigan, where she worked with James Henry and Arnett Chisholm. She blossomed, winning 9 Big 10 titles and 5 NCAA crowns, and helped lead the Wolverines to a pair of conference titles.

2006: 2nd in Big 10 Indoor 60H. Big 10 champion in 100H (13.37 PR). Won USATF U20 title (13.15w), then captured World Junior bronze in 13.37 =PR.

2007: Big 10 Indoor champion in 60H (8.10), 4th in 60 (7.50), 2nd in long jump (20-3). Outdoors, won Big 10 (13.14), 3rd in 100 (11.71 PR). NCAA champion in PR 12.80.

2008: Big 10 Indoor—1st in 60H (8.06), 1st in long jump (20-6.5), 2nd in 60 (7.42 PR), 4th in 200 (24.62). NCAA Indoor 60H champ (7.94 PR). Big 10 Outdoor—2nd in 100H (12.92w), 3rd in long jump (20-11.25w), 4th in 100 (11.63w). NCAA champion in 12.84.

2009: Big 10 Indoor—1st in 60H (8.18), 2nd in long jump (20-7.25), 2nd in 60 (7.46), 4th in 200 (24.42). NCAA Indoor champion 60H (8.00). Big 10 Outdoor—1st in 100H (13.05w), 1st in long jump (21-3.25 PR), 2nd in 100 (11.70). NCAA Outdoor 100H champion (12.96). 4th in USATF Champs (12.66w).

2010: A dual citizen since birth, she felt herself drawn to represent her mother’s home country, Great Britain. She was granted British eligibility at the end of the 2010 season, her first full season as a pro. It was also the first season she focused completely on the hurdles. Indoors, she had placed 4th at USATF Indoors (7.96), outdoors, she was 5th at the USATF meet (13.04).

2011: She took 2nd in the 60H at the European Indoors in 7.80 PR; outdoors, she placed 4th in the World Championships after running a PR 12.56 in the semis. Another major event happened this year, her marriage to fellow Wolverine Jeff Porter, an NCAA Indoor hurdle champion himself who would become a 2-time Olympian for the United States.

2012: Silver at the World Indoors (7.94) gave her a first medal for Britain. Outdoors, she was 2nd in the British champs and made it to the semis at the Olympics.

2013: British champion (12.68). Bronze at World Championships (12.55 PR).

2014: Bronze in World Indoor (7.86). British champion (12.85), European champion (12.76). Lifetime best 12.51 in Marrakech.

2015: British champion (12.83), 5th in World Champs (12.68).

2016: Bronze in World Indoor (7.90). British champion (12.91), European bronze (12.76), 7th in Olympics (12.76).

2017: Injury troubles, but still managed a 12.75 and ran in the heats of the World Championships.

2018: In a shortened season, finished 6th in the Commonwealth Games.

2020: A best of 12.90 in the pandemic year.

2021: Running as a mother in her final year of competition, coached by husband Jeff Porter, she won Euro Indoor bronze. She was British champion (12.78), and made it to the semis of the Olympics. “That feat was the culmination of countless hours of work, sacrifice, dedication, perseverance, and heart. Attending the Tokyo Olympic Games, this time knowing my child was watching, is a moment that I will never forget.”

As she said in her retirement message, “As I officially close the chapter on our nearly three-decade long relationship, I want to thank you track and field, for all you gave me, and allowed me to experience. I learned so many lifelong lessons, met so many incredible people, visited so many fascinating countries, and earned a decent amount of cash along the way. You will always be my first love, and I will forever be indebted to you.”

Tiffany Porter publishes a blog about being a parent and so many other things, including, of course, track & field. You can find it at https://tiffofili.com/blog/.

Thanks to our Hall of Fame sponsors for making this possible!

History: Pioneer Rules The 3200

Will Ben O’liel — still the biggest scorer ever.

The latest installment in our compilation of A/D1 Finals stats is the 3200, which has had a 2-part history in our state. It was held as a regular event in the pre-MHSAA days of our state finals, from 1901-1910. Then it was dropped, with the feeling being that the distance was too long for high school boys and that it was best saved for college runners. (Remember, it wasn’t until 1959 that the NCAA started running the 3M/5000 regularly at its championships. From 1921 till then, the longest track distance available for collegians was 2M.)

The stats on the state finals 2M/3200 are revealing. Ann Arbor Pioneer has scored by far the most points of any school, with a stunning 220, far ahead of runner-up Rockford’s 75. Plus the Pioneers claim twice as many winners, 8 to Rockford’s 4. Yet, it’s fair to ask how much of that dominance stems from the school’s powerful position in the sport’s early days, when the number of communities competing was far smaller. For instance, 4 of Pioneer’s wins came in the 1901-1910 years, so in the “modern” period, the 56 races since the event was brought back in 1967, Pioneer is actually tied with Rockford at 4 wins each. Yet in terms of points scored, Pioneer still has the best bragging rights. With just 91 of its points scored in the early days, Pioneer still has a huge 53-point lead on the Rams with its modern total of 128.

Other fun stats: The largest winning margin (27.46 seconds) came when Dathan Ritzenhein ran his legendary meet record 8:43.32 on a windy day in 2001. The smallest margin came in 1908, when the top two came across the line in a tie. The biggest point scorer ever came from the early days, when Ann Arbor’s Will Ben-Oliel won three times and added a runner-up finish for 38 points. That remains ahead of Ritzenhein (33) and Grant Fisher (30). And only four athletes in history have scored four years in a row: Ben-Oliel, Ritzenhein, Tim Moore of Novi (1999-2002) and Ben Hill of Royal Oak (2012-15).

Ben-Oliel was quite the athlete. Here’s what Ann Arbor Pioneer historian Steve Thiry writes about him:

William Ben-Oliel ran for Ann Arbor from 1904-07, when he won the “State Championship" 3 straight years, and triumphed at the Chicago Interscholastic Meet three years as well, settling for 2nd as a 9th grader.

He did all this at a time when the school had no track coach, no track, and no school, after the fire in 1904 destroyed the original building. Classes were held in church basements, the YMCA... anywhere there was downtown space.

His father, Abraham Ben-Oliel, was born in Morocco, became a rabbi, then converted to Christianity while living in Palestine. The family moved to the US in the 1890s, Abraham serving as a Methodist minister and lecturer. The Ben-Oliel's had 11 children, and when Abraham died in 1900, William’s mother took in boarders. The 1910 census has 4 of her kids living with the widow, along with 13 boarding UM students.

Bill Ben-Oliel was an all-around athlete. Although he was in the cross country club (not an official team sport until 1919), he was back-up quarterback on the football team, and played on the hockey team and YMCA basketball team. In this era there were no restrictions on the number of track events an athlete could compete in at a meet, and Ben-Oliel routinely ran the 880 relay, the 440, 880, and the mile or 2 mile.

A Chicago paper reported “The finish of the two mile was spectacular. Ben-Oliel, the Ann Arbor man, who held back during the early stages of the race, showed a remarkable spurt on the last lap, winning by ten yards.”

Ultimately he ran 10:14, and must have had quite a stash of gold medals. Technically his school record stood until the event was added back to high school track in 1967, when Joe Tyner ran 9:39.

NOTE: Steve Thiry’s book on Ann Arbor Pioneer XC is a model for any team wanting to put together a fantastic history. It’s available on Amazon.

Other Things

  • Opal Jackson, who was the No. 3 Michigan prep of all-time in the shot put with the 50-0 she threw for L’Anse Creuse North in 2021, has transferred from MSU to Mississippi, where she will be coached John Smith and Connie Price-Smith. Her best Big 10 finish as a Spartan was 7th.

  • Carter Solomon, the Plymouth grad who is starring for Notre Dame, got a good write-up recently.

  • Thanks again to all of our supporters who make this newsletter—and our historical work—possible. To donate, click here.

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