John Raffel
Sports Scene
Chippewa Hills girls track team seems poised for another championship season. Coach Sally Schafer’s Warriors have won 13 consecutive conference title, five consecutive regional titles, and were MITCA team state champs for the second straight year. The 4×200 relay team was state champs at the MHSAA state meet.
The Warriors won the MHSAA title in 2014.
Key graduation losses from last year were Kylie Schafer, Emily Starck, Ariel Esch, Jacki Sheaffer, Emonee Anderson, Riley Reyes and Michaela Whipple.
The Warriors have exceptional talent returning, including senior Nicole Snyder in the 200 and 400, relays, Joelle Humpula in the 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles and relays; Rachel Baldwin in the shot put, high jump and pole vault, Jennifer McNeal in the 400, high jump and relays; and Rebecca Fuller in the throws.
Standout sophomores include Hannah Todd in the 100, 200, 400 and relays, Payton Ethridge in the 100, long jump and relays and Hannah Fiegel in the 200, 400, 800 and relays.
“We have a group of athletes that think about the team first, individual second,” said head coach Sally Schafer. “We have some strong returning seniors. They have experienced much success over their high school careers. They know what it will take to continue the success and will hopefully be good role models for the upcoming athletes.”
Schafer added that “staying healthy and strong leadership” will be the keys for the team to have success.
The Warriors are now in the Central State Activities Association Gold Division, but Schafer expects a strong conference race.
“Everyone will bring some quality to the table,” she said. “We’re looking forward to another competitive season. I’m excited to see some of the first-year athletes compete and hopefully have some surprises.”
Humpula is among the athletes off to a high-flying start and expected to score a lot of points for the Warriors.
Her team competed in the Saginaw Valley Track Indoor Invitational in late March and Humpula had a strong performance, taking fifth in the 60-meter hurdles (10.01), 10th in the 400 (1:02.65), and sixth in the 4×300 relay (2:59.90).
Humpula won’t soon forget the 2015 season. The Warriors didn’t win the MHSAA crowns, but took MITCA again and still had a fabulous season.
She’s looking to be in the relays and the hurdles again. She was eighth at the Division 2 state meet last spring (16.18) in the hurdles.
“I’d like to move up in the state for the hurdles and come back strong in the 4×1,” Humpula said, adding the 100 hurdles is her best event. “In that, I’d like to get a 15.2. It will take lots of hard work.”
Humpula added that the key to success all season will be the steps she takes between hurdles.
The Warriors were 2014 MHSAA state champs and took sixth last season. Humpula likes this team’s potential.
“We have a good team, we just have to do more work,” she said.
Chippewa Hills is also hoping McNeal will get healthy. She hasn’t competed as of mid-April because of an injury.