‘Third time’s a charm.? The saying is applicable to Clarkston’s girls track team after Friday’s regional championship, earned inside their own stadium.
Clarkston’s girls wrapped up their third consecutive regional championship with 99 points, just ahead of challenger Port Huron, who had 91. The win was also the Wolves? fourth regional championship in the past five seasons.
‘They were awesome. Not everyone had their best day, but we had our best days in enough events that made the difference. The events we had to go big in, we did,? Clarkston coach John Yorke said.
Clarkston qualified 10 girls for the meet, June 2 at East Kentwood High School.
The win was vindication for Yorke and his team. After losing many contributing distance runners after the 2006 season, the Wolves weren’t held in high regard in early-season predictions for this year.
‘We weren’t ranked in the county and we were picked to go low in the league. In the league (meet), we came up a little short, but we definitely weren’t expected to win this,? Yorke said.
The playoff win is a good follow-up to a third-place showing one week earlier at the Oakland Activities Association meet, which placed the Wolves in second place in the league’s final standings after a 3-2 regular-season record.
‘The losses we had were so close and we were one good long jump away from winning the league meet. We were right there,? Yorke said.
‘It would have been nice to show everyone in the league we were still around, but we came up a little short.?
Opening the day, Clarkston’s field competitors contributed more than half (55) of the team’s total points.
Dana Johns? nine-foot mark in the pole vault bested second-place Serena Batchelor of Holly by four inches. Stephanie Thorstad (5-feet, 2-inches) and Alyssa Swindlehurst (five feet) finished second and fourth in the high jump. Thorstad (16-feet, 7-inches) and Autumn Touchstone (16-feet, 5-inches) were fourth and fifth in the long jump, and Stephanie Carlson, Lauren Frank and Caitlin Spinweber were No.’s three, four, and five in the discus.
‘Field events have been carrying us all year and they carried us again today,? Yorke said.
The field group earned 47.5 of the team’s 79.5 points at the OAA meet also.
Touchstone (14.78) was first in the 100-meter hurdles and second in the 300-meter hurdles (46.33). Touchstone and the 400-meter relay (51.44) team with Thorstad, Rebecca Culver, and Johanna Kupe turned in a first-place finish
After taking third in the 1600-meter run (5:17.67), Kristen Smith rebounded for a second-place finish in the 3200-meter run (11:21.31).
After pacing herself through the race, Smith made her push for second place coming through the last turn of the final lap, pouring on her speed to pass Lindsey Hilton from Rochester Adams.
‘She was really struggling in the back corner, I didn’t think she would catch her. After the race, she said she felt like she had a ton left,? Yorke said.
Clarkston’s boys team put together a 26-point performance. A team strong suit all season, the 3200-meter relay team of Matt Alexander, Nick LaMora, Jeff Kuhl, and Phil Voorheis ran away with the event, finishing first in 8:10.38. The group’s previous best time had been 8:22.
Kuhl held was second (4:31.8), behind Ryan Ziolko (4:30.01) from Lake Orion in the 1600-meter run.
‘Our performances were good and our times were relatively faster,? Clarkston coach Walt Wyniemko said.
‘We have a lot of young kids and the times have come down and that’s a really good start for next year. The kids know they can compete and win in a regional,? he said.