ONEKAMA — “It was a very close and interesting meet,” said Mason County Eastern girls track and field coach Matt Millspaugh after his Cardinals won the Western Michgan D League championship meet, and thus the league title, Wednesday.
The Cardinals held off second-place Onekama-Bear Lake by a 182-178 count to take the championship.
“As a coach, there wasn’t anything more I could have done,” said Millspaugh. “I had our 11 girls stretched out across the events as far as they could go. They’ve been awesome all season.”
Sophomore Megan Wheeler led Eastern as she won three individual events. Wheeler won the 100-meter high hurdles (16.8 seconds); the 300-meter low hurdles (50.33) and the 200-meter dash (28.43).
Senior Erica Knizacky and junior Michelle O’Neal each won two individual events. Knizacky took the 1600 (6:02.2) and the 3200 (13:15). O’Neal topped the field in the shot put (36 feet) and in the discus (92-1).
“This is our first outright championship since I’ve been coaching,” added Millspaugh. “It is nice to send our seniors out with the title.”
The Cardinals also got first-place finishes from sophomore Jen Spinner in the long jump (13-8.5) and freshman Kada Knizacky in the 400-meter dash (1:04.29).
Eastern placers:
TEAM RESULTS: 1-Mason County Eastern 182; 2-Onekama-Bear Lake 178; 3-Brethren 60.5; 4-Big Rapids Crossroads 30; 5-Walkerville 28; 6-Pentwater 13; 7-Baldwin 0.
POLE VAULT: 2-Jen Spinner, 7-0; 3-Jackie Erickson, 6-6.
LONG JUMP: 1-Spinner, 13-8.5.
SHOT PUT: 1-Michelle O’Neal, 36-0; 3-Chelsea Orcutt, 28-10; 5-Courtney Englebrecht, 26-8.
DISCUS: 1-O’Neal, 92-1; 5-(tie) Englebrecht, 71-9.
3200 RELAY: 2-MCE (Mel Stickney, Englebrecht, Jen Hiner, Erickson) 14:19.
100 HURDLES: 1-Megan Wheeler, 16.8.
100: 2-Kada Knizacky, 13.6; 3-Wheeler, 13.74.
800 RELAY: 3-MCE (O’Neal, Stephanie Eichmeier, Orcutt, Hiner) 2:15.26.
1600: 1-Erica Knizacky, 6:02.2; 5-Erickson, 6:56.3; 6-Stickney, 7:09.
400 RELAY: 5-MCE (Englebrecht, Hiner, O’Neal, Eichmeier) 1:03.
400: 1-K. Knizacky, 1:04.29; 4-Spinner, 1:08.77; 5-Orcutt, 1:09.67.
300 HURDLES: 1-Wheeler, 50.33.
800: 2-E. Knizacky, 2:40.51; 5-Stickney, 3:08.82.
200: 1-Wheeler, 28.43; 2-K. Knizacky, 28.46.
3200: 1-E. Knizacky, 13:15; 5-Erickson, 16:26; 6-Hiner, 17:52.
1600 RELAY: 2-MCE (Spinner, Orcutt, K. Knizacky, E. Knizacky) time not available.
Reprinted with permission from The Ludington Daly News.