Track Results: May 7
Lancers Conclude Crossroads Championships At Home
Grace ended its first postseason meet on Friday with the second day of the 2021 Crossroads League Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
The meet was held at Grace’s Bernard and Linnie Key Track and Field Complex for the first time in program history.
The men placed fourth out of 10 teams, and the women finished fifth.
“We battled the entire two days despite cool weather, rain, wind and even a lightning delay,” said Grace head coach Jeff Raymond. “I’m so proud of these athletes and what they’ve accomplished in a year that has been anything but normal.”
Grace’s postseason will continue next week with the NCCAA National Championships at Greenville College (Ill.), beginning on Wednesday.
Nordia Campbell and Gracious O’Connor earned multiple All-League awards for Grace. In the 200-meter run, Campbell won the race in 24.50 seconds, and O’Connor was second at 24.57. In the 100, Campbell was third (12.24) while O’Connor was fourth (12.30).
They then teamed up in the 4×100 relay to finish as the runner-up. They were joined by Lyne Camara and Zoe Huley to set a school record in 47.34.
The women’s 4×400 was also runner-up, completed by Campbell, Ashley Stoltzfus, Julia Malson and Camara.
Michaela Buriff became a league champion in the 400 hurdles, winning the race in 1:06.20.
Camara was runner-up in the 400 (58.00), and Stoltzfus was fifth (59.16). Kaitlyn Mack placed fifth in the 400 hurdles.
In the men’s javelin, Grace finished second, third and fourth. Abbott Joy headlined at 170-feet-2, and Isaac Brown (169-1) and Ethan Brown (153-3) were close behind.
Heather Plastow finished fourth in the 1,500 and seventh in the 800 (2:17.67). She joined Mack, Elizabeth Moore and Makenzie Adams to finish fourth in the 4×800.
Bethany Hoffman (100-9) and Mackenzie DeLong (97-3) finished third and fifth respectively in the javelin, Olivia Lugibihl ended fourth in the heptathlon, and Connor Kitson was fifth in the decathlon.
Isaac Findley finished fourth in the 200 (22.07), and Michael Williams was fifth in the 400 (49.75).
In the men’s 800, Kyle Smith (third place), Tanner Sallee (fourth) and Luke Smith (seventh) all had top-eight finishes in a competitive field.
Dimitri Margaritidis, Bryan Hernandez-Rios and Korry Hamlin finished 4-5-7 in the 1,500, and Margaritidis was also seventh in the 5,000.
In the men’s steeplechase, Logan Rufenacht (9:49.87) finished fourth, Isaac Beatty was sixth and Macallister Cheek was eighth.
Caleb Brown finished sixth in the hammer, and Kye Barrett placed seventh in the 400 hurdles.
Grace’s men’s relay teams impressed. Maurice Macklin, Beatty, Luke Smith and Sallee were runner-up in the 4×800 (7:42.30).
Findley, Williams, Sallee and Kyle Smith were second in the 4×400, and Findley, John Green, Williams and Braden Smith were third in the 4×100.
“A wide range of athletes scored points for us in sprints, jumps, hurdles, throws and distance, which is an impressive accomplishment in a conference as hard as the Crossroads League,” Raymond continued. “The fact that both the men’s and women’s teams scored 100 points in the meet exceeded our expectations.”
The meet was memorable for Raymond, who was coaching in his final home meet of his coaching career. Raymond is transitioning into a new role in Grace’s athletic administration at the conclusion of this year, officially wrapping up his coaching career. He was honored on Friday morning by Grace’s president Dr. Bill Katip and A.D. Chad Briscoe.
NorthWood Competes At Kelly Relays
The Panthers’ boys track team took part in Friday night’s Kelly Relays at Concord High School.
NorthWood had seven categories finish as runner-up in the A Division, but no champions. The 4×400 relay (3:41.34), the 4×110 hurdles relay (1:11.96) and the 800 sprint medley (1:43.47) along with Seth Russell in the high jump (5-6), Brad Demitruk in the pole vault (12-6), Joe Newcomer in the long jump (18-7) and Brevin Miller in the discus (139-6) all were second place among their respective events in the division.
Elkhart won the A Division and Westview the B Division atop the team standings.