Brandon’s girls track team faced tougher competition than they had anticipated at the Division 2 regional meet May 17 at Brandon High School.
The Blackhawks managed only six points in the meet, with only two team members placing. Mandy Noonan tied for fourth in the high jump (4?9?, which was her personal best), while Patrice Andre placed fifth in the 200 meters and sixth in the long jump (15?5?).
Coach Greg Hyde said the team’s regional placement hurt its chances of placing some of its competitors at the state meet.
‘We’ve always been in Caro, where we had a better chance of placing,? he said. ‘We were put in a regional that wasn’t favorable to our team. We really didn’t feel good about this.?
A couple of other Brandon team members, while not placing, had notable performances. Megan Ostrowski vaulted 7?3? in the pole vault, while Sarah Bond threw 100? in the discus.
‘Most of our girls had personal best times and still didn’t do well because we were placed in such a tough region,? Hyde said.
The next challenges for the team are the Oakland County Meet May 23 and the Oakland County Freshman Meet the following day. Hyde said it may be tough for the Blackhawks to place at the regular county meet (Brandon will be competing against primarily Class A schools), but likes the team’s chances of placing at the freshman meet.