By John Counts
Review Editor
The Lake Orion boys? track team put their best foot forward on April 2, beating Troy 73-55 in the season’s first meet.
The large, young team faced more hurdles than those on the track.
‘With Spring Break starting and the end of final exams, there were a lot distractions,? said Coach Stan Ford. ‘This was the first meet for some of our younger runners, so it was a good learning experience to see how a high school meet goes.?
Some of the standout performances of the day include sophomore Taylor Jongerkrijk in the high and long jump, senior Scott LaValley winning the 110m high hurdles and Jeremy Nixon winning in the 300 m hurdles.
Also taking top spots were Jeremiah Hargett in the 1600m run, Nathan Ziolko in the 3200m run and Jeff Heath in the 200m dash.
‘Some of the younger ones also competed well, preparing for their future,? said Coach Ford. ‘Freshman Nick Balavich in the sprints and relays looked good and will really contribute in the ninth-grade invites, along with junior Michael Dunlap, who ran in four events and will also be contributing points in the near future.?
Sophomore sprinters Dan Ney, K.J. Ester, Marques Stevenson, LaFrance Broner and Demetri Hudson also did well in the 400m relay, Ford said, as did sophomore Jake Lauka in the 3200m run.
‘All are going to be contributors,? said Ford.
But, for now, the Dragons will savor their early success against a formidable Troy team.
‘We knew Troy had been running a lot of indoor meets and were probably several weeks ahead of us training-wise,? Ford said. ‘We could have easily let it go, but came through with some gutty performances to help us win.?
Troy is among the fiercest competitors the Dragons will face this season, according to Ford.
‘We are in a very competitive league,? he said before Thursday’s meet. ‘Adams and Troy will present some real match-up problems for us. West Bloomfield, too, with their sprinters and hurdlers, and Rochester and Clarkston with their balance.?
The track squad’s record last season was 2-5.
‘But we came on at the end of the season with a second place league finish and second at the regional,? Ford said.
The large track and field team has more than 100 athletes. Other members Ford will look to for strong seasons are senior Robby Lentz in the long jump and sprints, captain Matt Turner in sprints and relays, captains Ziolko, Doug Mack and Hargett in the distance races and senior captain Corey Blomquist in the discus.
‘We have some very good athletes with some depth and look forward to running our best at the end of the season,? he added.