MCE: "This was totally unexpected"
CUSTER- "The girls did really well tonight. This was totally unexpected," said Mason County Eastern girls track and field coach Matt Millspaugh after his Cardinals topped the Onekama Portagers Wednesday to win the season's second Western Michigan D League jamboree.
"Onekame beat us the first time," said Millspaugh. "And we came into the meet with nine-and-a-quarter girls really. Melanie Stickney, with her broken wrist, ran just one event.
"Jessica Bruesch was out today because of an illness in the family. The girls have been doing some unbelievable things."
Eastern won 11 of the 17 events.
Leading the Cardinals were senior Erica Knizacky and sophomore Megan Wheeler. Each girl won three individual events.
Knizacky won the 1,600-meter run (six minutes and 12 seconds); the 800 (2:48); and the 3,200 (13.43).
Wheeler had some very good times in winning the 100 high hurdles (16.75); the 300 hurdles (50.09); and the 200 (28.21)
EASTERN PLACERS:
TEAM RESULTS: 1-MCE 168, 2-Onekama-Bear Lake 147; 3-Brethren 82; 4-Big Rapids Crossroads 47; 5-Walkerville 28; 6-Pentwater 21.
POLE VAULT: 3-Jackie Eriksen, 7-0; 4-Jen Spinner, 6-6.
SHOT PUT: 1-Michelle O'Neal, 33-7.5; 3-Chelsea Orcutt, 27-6.5; 6- Courtney Englebrecht, 24-1.5.
DISCUS: 1-O'Neal, 89-2; 6- Englebrecht, 68-10.
LONG JUMP: 1- Spinner, 14-2.5; 5- Stephanie Eichmeier, 12-2.5.
3,200 RELAY: 2-MCE (Erica Knizacky, Jen Hiner, Eriksen, Melanie Stickney), 13.22.
100 HURDLES: 1- Megan Wheeler, 16.75; 5- Eichmeier, 14.64.
800 RELAY: 1-MCE (Wheeler, Orcutt, Kada Knizacky, Spinner), 1:57.
1,600: 1-Erica Knizacky, 6:12; 6- Eriksen 7:14.
400 RELAY: 5- MCE (Englebrecht, O'Neal, Hiner, Eichmeier), 1:03.
400: 1-K. Knizacky, 1:06.59; 2-Spinner, 1:07.28; 4-Orcutt, 1:11.57.
300 HURDLES: 1-Wheeler, 50.09.
800: 1- Erica Knizacky, 2:48.
200: 1-Wheeler, 28.21; 2-(tie) K. Knizacky, 28.5.
3200: 1-E. Knizacky, 13.43
1,600 RELAY : 3- MCE (Eichmeier, Eriksen, Englebrecht, Hiner), 5:37
Reprinted with permission from the Ludington Daily News.