Clarkston Track Coach John Yorke knew he would have to rely on his distance girls at the postseason meets ? and so far they haven’t let him down.
The distance runners scored 54 of the Wolves? 80 points at the Oakland County meet to help them capture the county championship on May 26.
‘The distance girls are doing a nice job,? Yorke said. ‘I knew we would have to rely on them in the bigger meets and they have run well.?
The top finishes by the distance runners included Stephanie Morgan and Jenny Morgan finishing one-two in the mile run, with Lisa Sickman taking fourth place. Jenny Morgan won the 3200-meters.
Stephanie Morgan took second place in the 800-meters, with Lyndsay Smith finishing fourth. Stephanie Morgan also teamed with Jenna Manilla, Smith and Melissa Martinez to take fourth in the 1600-meter relay, and the 3200-meter relay team of Lisa Sickman, Beth Hoekstra, Tiffany Kincaid and Jenna Leach finished in second place.
Other notable finishes for Clarkston were Stephanie Thorstad winning the high jump, Lauren Frank finishing second in the discus, Autumn Touchstone taking home a fourth place finish in the 100-meter hurdles and Heidi McMahon and Dana Johns finishing in the top 10 in the pole vault.
Back on May 23, Clarkston won the OAA I meet to win the overall OAA I championship. The Wolves finished with 103 points which was 20 points ahead of second place Pontiac Northern.
‘They were excited to win both meets,? Yorke said. ‘We thought we were the favorites in both meets and we took care of business. We can use that to get ready for the state finals. I think all the girls are peaking and will run their best at the state meet.?
Yorke said his goal is to at least finish in the top three as a team at the state finals.
With 15 girls competing at the state finals a state championship is a possibility.
‘It’s exciting to think about because winning a (team) state championship is so huge,? Jenny Morgan said. ‘Just to see every part of our team coming together at the end of the season of is great. We want to see how far our momentum can take us.?
Morgan is the defending state champion in the mile and two mile race and was a member of last year’s 3200-relay team which won the state championship.
The track state finals are on June 3 at East Kentwood High School.