A 3-2 regular season record gave Clarkston’s girls track team a tie for second place in Oakland Activities Association division I with Rochester. Additionally, the Wolves were in position to jump up and tie Troy for the OAA I championship with a win at the league meet Friday at Lake Orion High School.
The comeback was not to be as the sun faded and the wind continued to blow over a chilly track and Clarkston took third-place at the league meet. The Wolves (79.5) finished behind West Bloomfield (94) and Troy (85), earning a second place finish overall in the league.
‘We had a rough day in the long jump and we could have won it if we had performed like normal in (field) events. A lot of teams could feel the same about their day. Our league is so close, a lot of these teams could beat anyone on any given day,? Clarkston coach John Yorke said.
Autumn Touchstone (46.84) was first in the 300-meter hurdles. Lauren Frank (34-feet 7.5-inches) won the shot put, Stephanie Carlson (113-feet 9-inches) won the discus and Stephanie Carlson (5-feet 2-inches) was first in the high jump. Kristen Smith (5:12.8) finished third in the 1600-meter run, 0.3 seconds out of second place. Smith also took fifth in the 3200-meter run with a time of 11:33.2.
?(Smith) had a tough day Tuesday in the mile (1600-meter run), but she really came back today. She ran a personal best and came back and ran a really good two-mile run (3200-meter run). Overall she had a great day,? Yorke said.
Clarkston’s boys finished last in the seven-team field, but showed impressive personal performances. The Wolves? 3200-relay team of Phil Voorheis, Matt Alexander, Nick LaMora and Jeff Kuhl placed third. LaMora (2:03.1) and Alexander (2:03.3) placed first and second in the 800-meter run.
‘The competition is very, very tough, but if you want to hang with the big dogs, you’ve got to compete,? Clarkston boys coach Walt Wyniemko said.
‘We know we’re young and there’s talent there. Everybody goes in cycles, we’ve got to be patient, that’s the main thing.?
The girls can redeem themselves Friday at home while hosting the regional playoffs, an event the girls have won three out of the last four years. Yorke is anticipating a very even competition from five teams at the regional, including OAA foe Rochester Adams.
Wyniemko said there are multiple potential state qualifiers for the boys team. The Wolves are hoping to qualify both the 1600- and 3200-meter relay teams and LaMora and Kuhl each have a shot at qualifying for the 800-meter run. Pole-vaulter Dan Moore has the potential to make the cut as well, he said.
‘There’s a lot of people in our camp we think could do pretty good. They’ve got to put it together.?
Clarkston’s girls had a chance to take down the Colts head to head May 8, but a slow start doomed the Wolves? chances in a 66-62 loss.
‘We had some really outstanding individual performances and some that were not their best,? Yorke said.
‘We had some key events where we haven’t done what we had in the past.?
The Wolves? field competitors did not fade, providing more than half of the team’s points (35) while nearly sweeping all four events. The Wolves took top honors in the shot put, discus and high jump. In the long jump, Troy’s Staci Cox (14-feet, 11-inches) earned third place, but couldn’t come close to first-place finisher Thorstad (17-feet 2-inches) or runner up Touchstone (16-feet 3-inches) of Clarkston.
‘Our field events have more than carried us this year,? Yorke said.
The boys team fell to the Colts 90-38. Kuhl took first in the 1600- and 3200-meter runs and Kyle Rivenburgh (42.5) was first in the 300-meter hurdles. Kamil Dechnik (19-feet 0.5-inches) was the top finisher in the long jump.
Most of the Wolves? performances were better than in meets past, Wyniemko said.
‘When you look at the (scoring) sheets, it says we got beat, but our times aren’t all that bad.?
The regional playoffs at Clarkston High School are scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. Friday.