Road to Regionals: Blue Devils Take Bulldog Invite

The last meet leading up to Regionals, both Sault High girls and boys teams came out on top of nine teams at the Inland Lakes Varsity Bulldog Invite. The girls team snuck past St Ignace, winning with 180.5 points over the 178.5 put up by the Saints. The host Inland Lakes came in third with 101 points. The top eight placers in each event earned points for their team, contributing to the overall score, with a number of girls improving their times and distances. 

Abrianna Spencer placed fifth (14.18-PR) and Isabeau Woodard placed seventh (14.46-PR) in the 100m dash. Bella Smith won (27.83-SR) the 200m dash. Grace Mayer was runner up (1:03.27), Claire Chambers finished fourth (1:12.92) and Addyson Labadie placed sixth (1:13.64) in the 400m dash. In the 800m run, Stephanie Jones was runner up (2:38.74), Asia Jones took fourth (2:47.03) and Elise Proulx had a seventh place finish (3:02.74). Regan Sporte placed third (6:19.52) in the 1600m run and second (13:50.78) in the 3200m. Proulx finished fourth (6:46.69) in the 1600m and Leighton Nyboer finished sixth in both the 1600m (7:28.58) and 3200m (16.44.61). Ava Mayer had a fourth place finish (18.67) in the 100m high hurdles and was runner up (54.48) in the 300m low hurdles. Raelene Corbiere finished fifth (19.16-PR) in the 100m and sixth (57.76) in the 300m. 

The Lady Blue Devils swept the relays. In the 4×100, Jordyn Giffin, G. Mayer, Isabelle McCord, and Smith won with a time of 53.97. Spencer, S. Jones, G. Mayer, and Smith won the 4×200 in 1:53.23. S. Jones, Smith, A. Mayer and G. Mayer won the 4×400 with a time of 4:26.14. A. Jones, McCord, Sporte, and S. Jones finished the 4×800 in 11.09.99. 

Thelma Osumili had a fourth place finish (28’6.5”) in shot put, with Abby Kachur throwing seventh (25’11”). Maddie McLean threw third (73’4”-PR) in discus, with Kachur (60’8.5”) throwing eighth. 

McCord won (4’10”-PR) the high jump, Giffin jumped third (4’5”) and Gracie Akridge jumped fifth (4’5”). Ayla Menard placed third in the pole vault (7’0”). In the long jump, Giffin had a third place finish (13’5.25”) and Woodard jumped sixth (12’4.5”). 

The boys won by a significant margin with 241.5 points over the hosts, Inland Lakes with 136 and St Ignace with 96.5. Regarding the plan to prepare for the Regional qualifier this Friday, head coach Jim Martin shared “We haven’t changed much. Our goal as a team and individuals is to have a PR every week. Even in the heat and humidity 24 of the 33 kids we brought had season or lifetime bests. We just need to continue to up our game by working on the details. The small things, done right, will lead to great things and the awards and accolades will take care of themselves.”

Max VanDoren was runner up (12.05-PR) in the 100m dash. Landon Ryckeghem and Samuel Pingatore finished seventh (27.48-PR) and eighth (27.76-PR) in the 200m dash. Ian Southwell won (54.08) the 400m dash, with Caleb Klier coming in right behind him (54.76). Evan Huyck won (2:03.72-PR) the 800m run, Gabe Litzner was third (2:06.65-PR), Eli Hills was fourth (2:08.06) and Shea Armstrong finished sixth (2:17.80-PR). Litzner won (4:57.83) the 1600m run, Chase Aldridge was runner up (5:17.40) and McKal Berry came in sixth place (6:20.82-SR). Aldridge was runner up (11:46.82) in the 3200m run, Easton Hills placed third (13:28.91), Hayden Preston finished fourth (14:45.03) and Arlin Alcorn came in fifth place (14:45.40-PR).

Adaptive athlete Johnny Osborn competed in four events, earning points for his team. Osborn raced in the 100m dash (21.07-PR), 200m dash (40.21-PR), 400m dash (1:23.16), and participated in the seated shot put (17’6”-PR). 

In the 110m high hurdles, Isaac Niebuhr won (16.91), Wyatt Peabody was runner up (18.00-PR) and Owen Rice finished fourth (18.57). Rice won (43.02-PR) the 300m low hurdles with Niebuhr right behind him (43.04-PR) and Isaac Peabody coming in eighth (1:03.97).

The boys had top two finishes in each of the relay events. In the 4×100 relay, Niebuhr, VanDoren, Klier and Tristan Walcher were runners up with a time of 47.92. Southwell, VanDoren, Klier and W. Peabody won the 4×200 in 1:39.71. Southwell, Klier, Rice and Hills won the 4×400 with a time of 3:36.59 and Huyck, VanDoren, Hills and Armstrong were runners up in the 4×800, with a time of 11:07.91. 

Brady Ditmyer won (44’11.5”) the shot put and was runner up (123’1.5”-PR) in discus. Mason Berry had third place finishes in both the shot put (37’11”) and discus (101’5”) and Calvin Aldrich came in sixth place (35’9”) in the shot put. In the high jump, Deacon Clement jumped fourth (5’6”), Ben James jumped fifth (5’3”) and Niebuhr jumped sixth (5’3”). W. Peabody had a fourth place finish (10’0”) in the pole vault and Josh Duchin placed fifth (9’0”-PR). Walcher was runner up (17’8.5”) in the long jump. 

Both teams will send athletes to the Regional qualifying meet in Escanaba on Friday. The Blue Devils will have their work cut out for them, meeting their toughest competition at this meet. Only the top four placers in each event will move on to UP Finals later this month.