By John Vrancic
For the Newberry News
Senior Kennedy Depew had a hand in three first-place finishes, but it wasn’t enough for the Newberry boys to keep pace with Pickford in the Web Morrison Invitational track and field meet in Pickford on Saturday.
Depew won the 100m dash in 12.31 seconds, took the 200m (24.82) and helped the Indians take the 400m relay on the hard asphalt surface. Classmate Liam Rao placed second in the 100m (12.61).
“It wasn’t a good day for times,” Depew said. “The track was a little slippery. On rubberized surfaces you get to wear spikes which gives you more traction. Although, I was happy with the way things worked out. You just try to win.”
Pickford scored 193 points, followed by Newberry 91, Cheboygan 68½, St. Ignace 59, Cedarville-DeTour 43, Engadine 21, Mackinac Island 20 and Brimley 18½.
“We had a good day,” Indians’ coach Drew Schultz said. “We were a little shorthanded today, but we checked off a few boxes. We met some of our goals. We have a good stable of athletes. We just have to figure out how to push the right buttons. Pickford has a real strong team. Garde [Coach Kangas] does a nice job with his kids.”
The Brimley girls edged Pickford 126-119 for the title. They were followed by Cheboygan 90, St. Ignace 87, Newberry 70, Engadine 20, Mackinac Island 8, and Cedarville-DeTour 4.
Newberry junior Ethan Pavey won boys’ shot put at 43 feet, 2½ inches, and senior Gabe Luck placed third at 39 feet.
Sophomore Garrett Lewicki was runner-up in the 800 (2:10.75) and helped the Indians place second in the 800 relay (9:35.57).
Joining him in the 800 relay were junior Sam Rahilly, Sebastian Patterson and freshman Oliver Sevarns and senior Liam Nalette placed second in discus (128-5).
Rahilly took fourth in the 800 (2:21.51) and sophomore Kellen Bruno did likewise in the 3200 (13:40.31). Junior Jude Taylor was fifth in shot (35-6½).
Newberry’s sixth-place finishers were sophomore Craig Whalen in 110 hurdles (22.15), classmate Howard Bliss in pole vault (9-0) and Pavey in disc (95-4).
Sophomore Samantha Taylor helped the Newberry girls win the 800 relay (2:01.35) and 3200 (11:26.87). Freshman Abby Taylor took second in the 400 (1:07.16) and 800 (2:29.97).
Samantha Taylor was joined by seniors Elisa Rizzoli and Lucie Rabochova and junior Makennah Russell in the 800, and by seniors Kaylen Clark and Phinnaea Bloom and Abby Taylor in the 3200.
Clark, Rizzoli, Bloom and Abby Taylor comprised the third-place 1600 relay which was clocked at 4:48.47.
Rabochova took second in long jump (12-9¾) and third in the 100m (14.58).
Placing fifth for the Indians were Russell in the 100m (14.92), Rizzoli in the 400m (1:12.02), Bliss in the 1600m (7:33.98), Rabochova in 300m hurdles (56.9), junior Alazayah Depew in shot (27-½) and their 400m relay (1:03.2), comprised of Depew, sophomore Olivia Birk and freshmen Ari Cornell and Natalie Whalen.
Rizzoli added a sixth in long jump (11-4½) as did Bliss in the 3200m (17:28.52).
For Engadine, sophomore Bianca Briggs took second in the 100m (14.49) and junior Claire Oven placed third in 300m hurdles (54.22).
Oven and Briggs also helped the Eagles take fourth in the 400m relay (1:02.65) and fifth in the 800 (2:08.95). Also part of the sprint relays were freshmen Cali Robinson and Kate Kovar.
“For the numbers we have, I’m happy with how our kids performed,” Eagles’ coach Randy Kerr said. “We have a lot of underclassmen. We did fine.”
Senior Dakota Taylor was runner-up the in the boys’ 3200m, which was inadvertently extended an extra lap.
“How did you like running 3600 meters?” Kerr said to Taylor shortly after the race.
Taylor also placed fifth in the 1600 (5:22.64).
“That can happen,” Taylor added. “I’m happy with how everything went for the second meet. Hopefully, I’ll be in the low 11s by the end of the season. We have a lot of younger kids coming up next year. I think the future is bright.”
Senior Elijah Parker was fifth in the 200 (25.96) and sophomore Guillermo Blanc got sixth in long jump (14-0).
Newberry and Engadine were entered in Tuesday’s St. Ignace Kiwanis Invitational. The Indians resume in Thursday’s Rapid River Invitational at 2:30 p.m. Next up for the Eagles is Friday’s Brimley Invite at 4.
Engadine then hosts the Frank Formolo Invitational on May 7.
