ONEKAMA — “The kids I had left on the team worked hard,” said Mason County Eastern boys track and field coach Ben Knizacky after his Cardinals finished second in the Western Michigan D League championship meet Wednesday.
According to Knizacky, his team has been whittled down by academic ineligibility. But by virtue of winning two of the three league jamborees, the Cardinals share the league title this season with the Onekama Portagers, who won the final meet.
“Being co-champs is good,” said Knizacky. “But we would have liked to win the title outright.”
The Cardinals won two individual events. Senior Rellis Cormany won the 400-meter dash (54.6 seconds). Senior Kelly Lemire tied for first place in the shot put (43 feet, 2 inches).
Eastern won two relay events. In the 3,200 relay, the Cardinal foursome of Cory Jolly, Stephen Knizacky, Nate Martin and Chris Segelstrom were first in a time of 9:20. Then in the 800 relay, Jolly, Cormany, Bryan Jolly and Ryan Rybicki teammed up to take that event in 1:37.
Eastern placers:
TEAM: 1-Onekama-Bear Lake 180; 2-MCE 147; 3-Brethren 64; 4-Baldwin 51; 5-Big Rapids Crossroads 32; 6-Pentwater 14; 7-Walkerville 11.
POLE VAULT: 2 (tie)-Jordan Ely, 9-0; 4-Brian Norman, 9-0; 5-John Mulligan 7-6.
LONG JUMP: 2-Ryan Rybicki, 18-9.5.
SHOT PUT 1 (tie)-Kelly Lemire, 43-2; 5-Robby Koviak, 36-11.
DISCUS: 5-Koviak, 90-3; 6-Lemire, 79-6.
HIGH JUMP: 3-Nate Martin, 5-8; 4-Jannes Riffert, 5-6; 5-Stephen Knizacky, 5-4.
3,200 RELAY: 1-MCE (Cory Jolly, Knizacky, Martin, Chris Segelstrom) 9:20.
110 HURDLES: 3-Travis Haner, 19.8; 5-Riffert, 22.2.
100: 2-Rellis Cormany, 11.8.
800 RELAY: 1-MCE (C. Jolly, Cormany, Bryan Jolly, Rybicki) 1:37.
1,600: 5-Mike Stickney, 5:09.
400: 1-Cormany, 54.6; 2-Norman, 55.8.
300 HURDLES: 2-C. Jolly, 46.02; 4-Haner, 47.9.
800: 2-Segelstrom, 2:11.
200: 2-Cormany, 23.7.
3,200: 3-Knizacky, 11:36; 5-Martin, 11:40.
1,600 RELAY: 2-MCE (C. Jolly, Segelstrom, Rybicki, Norman) 3:50.
Reprinted with permission from the Ludington Daily News.