Will (Jaiden) Smith, Schmar Gamble Run 13.35 And 13:36 For 1-2 Finish 110 Hurdles To Lead Belleville To First LP D1 Title; Oak Park Girls Roll Up 86 Points For 9th Title In 11 Years

By Mary Albl of DyeStat

It didn’t take long for Belleville head track coach Candice Davis-Price to leave her mark on the Michigan High School Athletic Association track and field scene. 

On Saturday, May 31 at East Kentwood High School, Davis-Price led the Belleville boys track team to the program’s first state championship, winning the Lower Peninsula Division 1 crown. With the victory, she also became the first female head coach to lead a Michigan boys track team LP Division 1 title.

Belleville was paced by senior Will (Jaiden) Smith, who broke a meet record in the 110 hurdles (US#5 13.35), won the 300 hurdles (37.79) and ran on the winning 4x100 relay (41.85). 

Smith and teammate Schmar Gamble went 1-2 with Gamble running US#6 13.36.

Smith broke Kenneth Ferguson's 2002 meet record of 13.65. (Ferguson later married Allyson Felix). 

In the field, Canton’s Quincy Isaac, who is US#5 in the long jump, won the event in a meet record of 24-11.50, his third straight title. 

The storyline continued on the girls side, as Oak Park dominated the field with 86 points to earn its ninth LP Division 1 title in the last 11 seasons. Senior Carrie VanNoy won the 100 hurdles (13.70w), 300 hurdles (42.59), and ran on the winning 4x100 (47.19) and 4x200 (1:37.80) for Oak Park. The 4x400 relay also won, in US#10 3:43.52.

On the track, standout distance runner Helen Sachs of West Ottawa won the 3,200 in 10:16.56 and was second in the 1,600 behind Victoria Garces (4:48.74) of Midlad Dow. 

The Western boys didn’t win a single event but that didn’t matter. A balanced effort, including a runner-up 4x400 relay finish, propelled the team to its first LP Division 2 title. 

On the field, Stevensville Lakeshore sophomore Kaden Griffiths set a meet record in the long jump going 24-0.25. 

The Sturgis girls claimed their first state title winning the LP D2 crown with 54.20 points.

Otsego junior Emma Hoffman won the 1,600 in 4:52.86 and set a meet record in 3,200 (10:27.44).

In LP Division 3 action, senior Caleb Walker led the Chesaning boys to a team title as he won the 110 hurdles (14.35)  points, was second in the 300 hurdles. He also ran on the winning 4x400 relay (3:25.20) and third-place 4x200 relay. 

Emmry Ross made sure her final state meet in Michigan was a memorable one. The Onsted senior won the 400 (54.81), 800 (2:07.03) and 1,600 (4:45.44), a meet record, and then opted to run the 4x400 relay instead of the 3,200 to finish out her Michigan prep career running with her sister, Hadley. 

Olivet won the team title with a strong overall effort on the track. 

The LP Division 4 boys title came down to the wire as the Southfield Christian boys edged out Kalamazoo Hackett, 60-59. Senior Brock Morris ran the anchor on the winning 4x400 relay (3:24.36) that sealed the victory for the team. He also won  the 200 (22.31) and 400 (49.30).

The Fowler girls easily defended the Division 4 title as Addison senior Molly Brown wrapped up her prep career in style with wins in the 100 (12.19), 100 hurdles (14.33), 300 hurdles (45.94) and finished third in the long jump. 

Upper Peninsula Divisions 1-3

The Marquette boys dominated the competition, putting up 200 points to win the Upper Peninsula Division 1 title - their fifth straight. Senior Jacob MacPhee won the 200 (22.72), 400 (50.69) and ran on the winning 4x200 (1:30.36) that broke the meet record from 2010 and was part of the winning 4x400 (3:34.44). 

In the field, teammate Michael Cattoor cleared 14-7 to set a meet record in pole vault.  

On the girls side, the Negaunee girls put up 155 points to win the Division 1 title. Sophomore Keira Waterman paced the team with wins in the 400 (58.55), 800 (2:21.86) and was the anchor for the first-place 4x400 (4;13.40). She also placed second in the long jump. 

The Pickford boys and girls swept the UP Division 2 titles. For the Pickerford boys, it was the program’s third straight. On the girls side, Talya Schreiber, a junior paced the team with a sweep of the distance events, winning the 800 (2:31.91), 1,600 (5:12.47) and 3,200 (11:23.06). She also ran on the winning 4x800 relay (10:50.61).

The Newberry boys and girls each finished with 84 points to sweep the UP Division 3 crowns. 

Team Champions

Lower Peninsula (LP) Division 1: Belleville boys 57 points, Oak Park girls 86 points - RESULTS

LP Division 2: Parma Western boys 44 points, Sturgis girls 54.20 points - RESULTS

LP Division 3: Chesaning boys 57 points, Olivet girls 46 points - RESULTS

LP Division 4: Southfield Christian boys 60 points, Fowler girls 70 points - RESULTS

Upper Peninsula Division 1: Marquette boys 200 points, Negaunee girls 155 points - RESULTS

UP Division 2: Pickford boys 127.50 points, Pickford girls 74 points - RESULTS

UP Division 3: Newberry boys 84 points, Newberry girls 84 points - RESULTS