Dan Stickradt
Sports Scene
At the large-school level, a select few girls’ track and field programs have put together impressive contingents that are still talked about years later.
Ann Arbor Pioneer and Detroit Cass Tech fielded some memorable teams back in the1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. Recently, Grosse Pointe South won three straight (2011-2013) and Rochester captured a crown with multiple all-Americans (2010).
Detroit Mumford, Rockford, and Flint Northern have all won multiple titles.
In fact, Pioneer leads the way with 15 state titles in Class A/Division 1 to go along with six runner-up trophies. Cass Tech has six crowns and 10 second-place finishes. Flint Northern has four titles and two runner-up finishes, Rockford two titles and five second-place finishes, and Mumford counters with two titles and a pair of runner-up showings.
With this year’s seasoned lineup, the bar is set high for Oak Park, the defending Division 1 state champion. Potentially, the Knights could score at the state level in every event except the 1600-meter run, 3200-meter run, and pole vault. Oak Park could have one the most talented assemblies of talent in state history and should join some of the all-time great large-school teams.
“We have a lot of girls that could finish in the top 3-4 at the state meet,” said Brandon Jiles, who came to the school three years ago after serving on the staff at Detroit Mumford. “But right now, we have to take it one day at a time. We are talking about teenage girls. We have to remain focused.”
Oak Park had just one senior score points last season, but an injury held her out of the lineup at the regional, the Oakland County meet, and the state meet. The rest of the squad is back, including winners of all 90 state-meet points last year.
While Pioneer, Saline, East Kentwood, Rockford and a host of others will field very competitive teams this year, no one has the collection of top-tier athletes that Oak Park has.
Ersula Farrow, a transfer from Grosse Pointe South and the defending state champion in the 800-meter run, joins a talented bunch, as does Saline transfer Janelle Green, who will help a deep sprint corps. Then there’s freshman Dorianne Coleman, one of the top ninth-graders not only in the state, but also in the Midwest.
Then there are the returnees. Junior Anna Jefferson is the team leader and an all-American, who capable of running a multitude of events, a common thread in this band of talent.
Junior Brianna Holloway (100, 200, 400); seniors Jaya Fleming (400, 800), Kailsi Latta-Thompson (hurdles, sprints), and Janice Powell (200, 400, 800); and sophomores Anita Taylor (100, 200, 400) and Drew Coleman (400, 800, 1600) will all run multiple events. The Knights will rotate their deep arsenal of talent to form four formidable relays.
Senior Courtney Taylor is a quality thrower.
“We have to remain healthy and focused,” said Jiles. “We have a great group of girls that work hard. We have a chance to be really good. We would like to have one of the best state meets ever in terms of performance and points. We have a chance to join some elite programs.”
That would be something to talk about.