Jeff Chaney
Sports Scene
The Rockford girls track team continued to show its depth and dominance at the Michigan Interscholastic Track Coaches Association Team State Championships at Jenison High School May 26.
For the 10th time in coach Randy Vanderveen’s 13-year tenure of leading the team, the Rams proved that not only are they talented, but they are also deep, which is necessary to win the MITCA Team State Division 1 title.
Rockford finished with 731 points, beating OK Red Conference rival East Kentwood by 46 points.
But it wasn’t a happy Vanderveen after the meet.
“I guess we hung on,” Vanderveen said. “I’m not going to lie, I have mixed emotions about this. I thought we could have done better.”
One athlete that was tough for the Rams was senior distance runner Taylor Manett.
Manett beat the field in the 1,600-meter run by 15 seconds and won with a time of 4:54.09.
She then came back and narrowly lost the 3,200-meter run by four seconds to Grandville’s Sammy Mondry. Mondry finished the eight laps in 11:05.42, followed by Manett in 11:09.40.
Manett also teamed up with Jane Hawks, Kerianne Schoff, and Morgan Harney to win the 3,200-meter relay in 9:17.88, eight seconds better than runner-up Grandville.
Other wins for the Rockford girls team at MITCA were Rachel Raab in the shot put with a toss of 38’10”; the 800-meter relay team of Courtney Klawieter, Sammy Cuneo, Katie DeHaan, and Elise Schierbeek in 1:41.82; and the 1,600-meter relay team of Allison Kelley, Klawieter, DeHaan, and Olivia Gilbert in 4:00.11.
Also winning team titles at Jenison were East Kentwood boys in Division 1, Grand Rapids Christian boys in Division 2, and Hamilton girls in Division 2.
A large field crowded that track that day, forcing track officials to say that next year’s Division 1 and 2 finals will be split into two different sites.
Where those meets will take place is yet to be determined.
HOT DAY AT GRAND RAPIDS DIVISION 2 TRACK REGIONAL
It was not a perfect day for distance runners at the Division 2 Track Regional at Houseman Field on May 18.
Temperatures hovered in the high 80s with some humidity in the air, causing breathing to be difficult.
But Cedar Springs junior Connor Mora overcame, winning the 800-meter run in 1:54.90 and the 1,600-meter run in 4:19. He now will be looking to win state titles in those events June 2 at the MHSAA Division 2 finals back at Houseman Field.
Belding’s Austin Alexander will also be joining Mora as a regional champion at the state meet Saturday. He won the pole vault at Houseman Field with a leap of 13’1″.
Track finals will take place at four sites in the Grand Rapids area on Saturday. The other sites are East Kenwtood for Division 1, Comstock Park for Division 3, and Jenison for Division 4.
NORTHVIEW GIRLS TENNIS QUALIFIES FOR FIRST STATE CHAMPIONSHIP IN 7 YEARS, FHN WINS 10th STRAIGHT REGIONAL
The Northview girls tennis team has been close to qualifying for the Division 2 state finals the past five years, only to fall short.
But the Wildcats earned their first state finals berth in seven years when they finished in third place at the regional that Forest Hills Northern hosted on May 18.
Northview earned its trip to Kalamazoo College this weekend by accumulating 19 points, one more than the allotted 18 it takes to qualify.
The host Huskies won their 10th straight regional title with 25 points.
Freshman Clair Stam led the way for Northview, winning a regional championship in No. 4 singles over Traverse City Central’s Amelia Pazzeti
RAMS LOOK TO DEFEND
The Rockford baseball team will look to defend its Division 1 state championship when the MHSAA state tournament begins this week.
The Rams host the district and will open play June 2 against Greenville.
Rockford is led by senior centerfielder and leadoff hitter Drew Farmer, who will continue his playing career next year at Western Michigan University.