Blue Devils sweep Straits track and field titles

SAULT STE. MARIE — Sault High made the most of its only home track and field meet of the season, wining both the girls and boys titles at the Straits Area Conference Finals Monday.

The Sault girls won 11 of 17 events and took first place with 121 points. St. Ignace took second with 74, Cheboygan was third with 51 and Newberry fourth with 10. 

“We lost a lot from last year and didn’t really know how this season would go,” Sault High girls track and field coach Scott Menard said. “The girls have done really well. The weather’s been warming up the last few weeks and we’re peaking at the right time. We’re a young team relying mostly on underclassmen and just a few seniors. From top to bottom, from the running events to field events, I thought we did a good job of doing what we had to do today.”

Cassandra Gallagher won the 1600 (6:00.56) and 3200 (13:05.38). Sault hurdlers had another big day, posting 1-2-3 finishes in both events. Brianna Jones won 100 hurdles (17.79), followed by Annabelle Fazzari and Claire Erickson. Erickson won the 300 low hurdles in 50.56, followed by Jones and Fazzari.

In another 1-2-3 Sault finish, Dayna Szabo won the 400 (1:06.30), followed by teammates Ava Mayer and Emily Keikhaefer. 

Ava Donmyer took first in shot put (30-8.25) and third in discus. Joanne Arbic won discus (100-9). 

Mackenzie Bell, Bella Smith, Isabella DeWildt and Jayla Jorgensen won the 400 relay (54.38). Bell, Erickson, Smith and Jorgesen took first in 800 relay (1:54.51). DeWildt, Bell, Szabo and Erickson won 1600 relay (4:35.97). Gallagher, Szabo, DeWildt and Abigail Walther won 3200 relay (11:08.65).

Jorgensen took second in the 100 and 200 dashes, while Fazzari was second in shot put. Walther took third in the 800 and 1600. Alyvia Lori was third in the 3200. 

Ally Schultz of St. Ignace won the 100 dash (13.54) and 200 (27.86). Also for the Saints, Mariana Zaragoza won the 800 (2:46.08) and was second in the 1600, Allison Cece took first in pole vault (7-6) and Heidi Dorenbecker won long jump (14-11.5). 

Bella Ecker of Cheboygan won high jump (4-8). 

The Sault won the boys meet with 96.5, followed by St. Ignace 73.5, Newberry 46 and Cheboygan 40.

Cody Aldridge took first in the 800 (2:09.07), 1600 (4:54.13) and 3200 (11:01.34). Emmett Fazzari won shot put (44-10.75) and took third in discus, while Jackson Gervasio won pole vault (12-feet).

Alexander Jacek, Zachary Benoit, Ryver Ryckeghem and Carter Oshelski won the 400 relay (46.63). Oshelski, Jacek, Fazzari and Ryckeghem won 800 relay (1:37.85). Kahle Jones, Haydn Jones, David Jon Daley and Logan Haskins won the 3200 relay (9:33.26). 

Jonathan Willis took second in the 400 and 1600 and third in the 800. Oshelski was third in the 200, while David Jon Daley was third in the 1600. Kahle Jones also took second in the 3200, while Nate Koepp was third in high jump. 

“We thought it was going to be a really tight meet,” Sault High boys track and field coach Jim Martin said. “We knew Cheboygan and St. Ignace have quality teams this year and Newberry also has some good athletes. We really over-performed as a team today, especially in the field events where I think just about everybody had a PR. There were a lot of events where we just seemed to score more than we have all year. Emmett Fazzari, in the only home meet of his career, comes up with a PR to win in an outstanding shot put field.

“The distance races separated us from the pack. Cody Aldridge gave us 30 points by winning three events. We went 1-2-3 in the mile, and 1-2-5 in the two mile.”

Jonny Ingalls of St. Ignace took first in the 110 hurdles (19.13) and 300 hurdles (44.94). Event winners for the Saints also included Shaun Kingsford in high jump (5-6). 

Matthew Rahilly of Newberry won long jump (19-0.5). Kennedy Depew won the 400 (57.15). 

Cheboygan’s Keegan Mosher won the 100 dash (11.67) and 200 (23.41). Gauge Ginop took first in discus (113-10).

Sault teams are scheduled to compete at the Northern Michigan Meet of Champions on Tuesday, May 31. The U.P. Finals are scheduled for June 4 in Kingsford. 

Contact Sports Editor Rob Roos at rroos@sooeveningnews.com. Follow him on Twitter, @rroosTEN.