John Raffel
Sports Scene
TRAVIS MC CUAIG
For Travis McCuaig, it was 1 out of 2 in the high jump at the state finals. He didn’t get the state record he would have liked. But the Morley Stanwood junior came away as the Division 3 Lower Peninsula state champ.
McCuaig’s jump of 6’8″ tied two other jumpers, but he had fewer misses.
“He had a busy day,” said Morley Stanwood coach Brian Young. “He qualified in the long jump, didn’t do his best, and went to the 110 hurdles and just missed out in the finals. That gave him a little motivation to come back in the high jump. Our high jump coach, Michelle Young, spends most of the time with Travis in practice. It’s a great tribute to him and her.”
McCuaig, a junior, has been high jumping since the eighth grade.
“The last two years he made it to the state finals but never placed,” Young said. “He went from a 6’6″ high jumper last year to a 6’10” jumper this year. He’s made great strides for us.”
McCuaig entered the meet confident of his chances in the high jump.
His best this year was 6’10”.
“I was hoping for a state record, but maybe next year,” he said. “My first meet [this season] I jumped 6’8″.”
McCuaig discussed his four-inch improvement from a year ago. “Just getting more mature helped,” he said. “I spent a lot of time on the basketball court trying to dunk. I have a partner, Adam Wheeler, who coaches me a lot and tells me what I’m doing wrong.”
Winning the state title is his top sports thrill in high school so far. As for next year, McCuaig wants “to go back-to-back and try to break the state record [6’10.25″).”
JAKE MCFADDEN
He did it again.
Clare senior Jake McFadden won the state title in both the high and low hurdles for the second straight season and now can focus on his future at Michigan State University.
He clocked the 110-meter hurdles in 14.7 seconds. He easily beat Teo Redding of Michigan Collegiate, who finished in 15.12 seconds.
“It wasn’t what I wanted, but it wasn’t terrible either,” McFadden said. “I would have liked to have gotten in the low 14s. Everything was fine. It was a little bit slow for me today.”
In the 300-meter hurdles, McFadden won in 38.88 seconds and easily beat second place A.J. Srmek of Brandywine who ran the race in 40.05 seconds.
His 300 time “wasn’t bad,” McFadden said. “I was happy with it.”
McFadden said he’s ready to run at Michigan State.
“I think this is going to help me handle the competition well,” he said. “I made a lot of improvements this year. [The competition]) was a little slower this year. It’s tough going out there and running by yourself.”
This season, McFadden sustained an injury, which he indicated did affect his performance.
DAN LIESMAN AND ZACH ZINGSHEIM
Lansing Catholic sealed the state title through the efforts of several athletes, including shot putter Dan Liesman and runner Zach Zingsheim. Liesman threw the shot 54’5″. Ryan Inman of Hanover-Horton was second at 53’3″.
“Coming from second [place] in football, we had to win something,” Liesman said. “I’ve been working up at it. I threw 53 flat and I knew I had more in me. The last one was the one I won with.”
Liesman didn’t throw in the 50-foot range until early May.
“In mid-May I threw 52 1/2 feet and realized I could keep going up,” said Liesman, a senior. “I improved my PR eight feet from last year.”
Zingsheim was the anchor for the winning 3,200-meter relay team (8:01.27) and the 1,600-meter relay team (3:24.63). He won the 800-meter run in 1:55.97. He was the second leg of the 800-meter relay team, which took first in 1:29.73.
ALEX THELEN
Alex Thelen of Pewamo-Westphalia overcame the odds to emerge as the state champion in the 400-meter dash in 50.29 seconds. Malik Carrollton took second place in 50.39 seconds.
“I felt really good, I was ranked 21st coming in,” he said. “I ran my strongest race and that’s what happened.”
Thelen was confident he could win it.
“I came off an injury in regionals,” he said. “I ran a bad time. I knew I was in the top eight of the race and always had it in my mind I could be a state champ. I stuck to the race plan. I’ve been told I’m a good curve runner.”
During the year, Thelen peaked the week before regionals and then got hurt.
“At regionals I ran a 52, which is one of my slower times, and I got slower during the year,” he said. “But I’m so happy how it ended.”
It was Thelen’s fourth year at state.
“Last year I took second. All I had in my mind since then was I was going to win it,” Thelen said.
KIRSTIE WIEBER
Kirstie Wieber of Pewamo-Westphalia cleared 11’7″ in the pole vault to match the height of Hannah Sailar of Lansing Catholic. But Wieber had fewer misses and took the state title in the event for the fourth straight time.
“[The rain] affected me a lot,” she said. “It put the end of the meet for us. Ever since my freshman year, I had a goal for myself to win it each year.”
She’ll be pole vaulting on the collegiate level at Eastern Illinois.
DILLON WOOD
It was a big day for Lakeview’s Dillon Wood with a state title in the long jump at 22’4.25″. He beat second-place Chris Maye of Union City who was at 21’10.5″.
In 2011, Wood took fourth place. He had a whole year to focus on returning to the finals and taking first.
“My sophomore year I took seventh,” he said. “Ranked first, I was looking forward to getting first. It worked out.”
His PR of 22’9″ is what he covered last year.
“Chris Maye is a good jumper, I just got him today,” Wood said. “Any other day…it just felt good, I was pumped up and ready for the state meet. It’s a good way to end the season.”
Wood was fourth in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles in 40.37 seconds.
RACHEL SANDBROOK
Ovid-Elsie’s Rachel Sandbrook came oh-so close to a state title in the high jump with a clearance of 5’5″, compared to 5’6″ by Kara Craig of Schoolcraft.
“Today I came in it, and I was prepared for the rain. I cleared 5’5″ and I was so happy,” Sandbrook said. “I’ve had a great year. I got 5’8″ last year, but this was a personal record this year.
“It’s not what I hoped for, but it’s my senior year and I really enjoyed it. It’s my senior year and I wanted to enjoy it. My shins got to me. I have really bad shin splints. I’ll be going to Grand Valley next year so that will be excellent for me.”
As for 5’5″ and getting second at the state finals, “I’m very happy with it,” Sandbrook said.
KIMBERLY BALLS
Kimberly Balls was a part of state history in a unique way. She won the 100-meter dash in 12.48 seconds, beating Brianna Dinneen of Buchanan, who clocked a 12.58. Bridgeport won the 400-meter relay in 50.22 with Balls anchoring the team of Shondrea Matthews, Octavia Myles, and Ce’Aira Richardson in 50.22.
But in the 200-meter dash, Balls was trying to spoil the ambitions of Reed City’s Sami Michell, who was looking to become only the second girl athlete in the history of Michigan track & field to win four individual events in a meet in all classes. Balls clocked the dash in 25.56 seconds, but Michell was first in 25.28.