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John Hamilton led a sweep in the high jump with a personal best 6 feet, 4 inches as Northville opened its dual meet boys track season on Tuesday with a 77-60 KLAA Central Division win over visiting Livonia Stevenson.

"It's always great to start the season with a win, but as a coach I find it more fulfilling to start the season without any glaring mistakes or disasters," Northville coach Brandon Langston said. "We've got over 140 boys on the team, and for many of them this was their first track meet."

Other first-place finishers for Northville included A.J. Abbott, long jump (19 feet, 9.5 inches); Clay Alexander, pole vault (9-6); Alec Pryzbocki, 400-meter run (53.38); Jacob Kamm, 800 (2:04.0); and Conor Naughton, 3,200 (10:08.0).

Northville's 4 x 800 relay team of Ferrante, Kenny Goolsby, Sean McCullough and Naughton kept their three-year dual meet unbeaten streak intact with a first-place time of 8:50.0.

"I was very pleased with my returning veterans, but even more proud of how all the newcomers came out and competed," Langston said. "It's fantastic to get the first meet over with. It gives a lot of kids that sniff of excitement, which makes all the nasty off season condition and cold practices worth it all of a sudden. It's also a great measuring stick for ourselves. We've got improvements to be made that are coachable and the guys understand that each day they have to strive to get better than the day before."

Novi wins thriller

Going into the final three races in Tuesday's dual meet boys track opener, Novi was staring at a 59-48 deficit against visiting South Lyon.

The Wildcats then picked up an 8-1 advantage in the 200-meter dash and Joost Plaetinck led a one-two-three sweep in the 3,200 run to make it a 17-1 surge.

Then it was all up to the 4 x 400 meter relay team of Joshua Holcomb, Steve MacPherson, Collin Thomas and Nate Hall, and they came through for the victory in 3:31.53 to beat the Lions' time of 3:37.79 and earn a 71-66 triumph.

"We had some great performances for the first dual meet," Novi coach Marsha Reid said. "The boys came down to the 4 x 400, so it was a fun meet."

Other first-place finishers for the Wildcats included Dorian Haney, discus (113 feet, 0.5 inches); Aahmaud Jenkins, 100 dash (11.14); Anthony D'Annibale, 200 (23.33); Joshua Holcomb, 400 (53.26); and Plaetinck, 3,200 (10:12.8).

Novi also captured the 400 relay as Naoto Hikawa, Earl Hammond, Jenkins and D'Annibale were clocked in 46.51, while the foursome of Plaetinck, Hall, MacPherson and Thomas captured the 3,200 relay in 8:55.4.

Kyle Schopa stood out for the Lions with firsts in the 110- and 300 hurdles in 15.42 and 41.64, respectively.

bemons@hometownlife.com

BOYS DUAL RESULTS

NORTHVILLE 77

LIVONIA STEVENSON 60

March 31 at Northville

Shot put: 1. Hitchcock (LS), 47 feet; 2. Max Dedona (N), 44-1; discus: 1. Hitchcock (LS), 132-11; 3. Dedona (N), 108-0; High jump: 1. John Hamilton (N), 6-4; 2. Caleb Sheehan (N), 5-8; 3. Andrew Hopkins (N), 5-8; long jump: 1. A.J. Abbott (N), 19-9.5; polevault: 1. Clay Alexander (N), 9-6; 3. Marius Schulze (N), 8-0; 110-meter hurdles: 1. Sudek (LS), 18.04; 2. Justin Days (N), 18.12; 300 hurdles: 1. Sudek (LS), 44.42; 2. Days (N), 44.49; 100 dash: 1. Sharp (LS), 11.77; 200: 1. Muffler (LS), 23.7; 400: 1. Alec Pryzbocki (N), 53.38; 3. Sean Flanagan (N), 54.2; 3. Christian Freiburger (N), 54.65; 800: 1. Jacob Kamm (N), 2:04.0; 3. Jeff Baxter (N), 2:13.0; 1,600: 1. Jason Ferrante (N), 4:42.0; 2. Ben Cracraft (N), 4:46.0; 3. Evan Ferrante (N), 4:50.0; 3,200: 1. Conor Naughton (N), 10:08.0; 2. Cracraft (N), 10:10.0; 400 relay: 1. Stevenson, 46.17; 800 relay: 1. Northville (Adam Ghabra, Matt Jankowski, Antonio Washington, A.J. Abbott, 1:36.71; 1,600 relay: 1. Northville (Pryzbocki, Freiburger, Kamm, J. Ferrante), 3:39.0; 3,200 relay: 1. Northville (J. Ferrante, Kenny Goolsby, Sean McCullough, Naughton), 8:50.0.

Dual meet records:Northville, 1-0 overall, 1-0 KLAA Central Division; Stevenson, 0-1 overall, 0-1 KLAA Central.

NOVI 71, SOUTH LYON 66

March 31 at Novi

Shot put: 1. Morris (SL), 36 feet, 10 inches; 2. Dorian Haney (N), 35-10.5; discus: 1. Haney (N), 113-2; high jump: 1. Travis (SL), 5-6; 3. Scott Sawyer (N), 5-3; long jump: 1. Reid (SL), 18-5; 2. Anthony D'Annibale (N), 17-11; 3. Aaron Pringle (N), 17-6.75; pole vault: 1. Buckhalter (SL), 13-6; 2. Sawyer (N), 11-6; 110-meter hurdles: 1 Schopa (SL), 15.42; 2. John Stefan (N), 16.64; 300 hurdles: 1. Schopa (SL), 41.64; 3. Hunter Joy (N), 45.65; 100 dash: 1. Aahmaud Jenkins (N), 11.14; 2. NaotoHikawa (N), 11.53; 200: 1. D'Annibale (N), 23.33; 2. Hikawa (N), 24.11; 400: 1. Joshua Holcomb (N), 53.36; 800: 1. Allen (SL), 2:05.48; 2. Cameron Misko (N), 2:10.94; 1,600: 1. Allen (SL), 4:52.9; 2. SahisnuMalapati (N), 4:54.67; 3,200: 1. JoostPlaetinck (N), 10:12.8; 2. John Landy (N), 10:13.3; 3. AricLandy (N), 10:14.4; 400 relay: 1. Novi (Hikawa, Earl Hammond, Jenkins,D'Annibale), 46.51; 2. South Lyon, 47.13; 800 relay: 1. South Lyon, 1:38.11; 2. Novi, disqualified; 1,600: 1. Novi (Holcomb, Steve MacPherson, Collin Thomas, Nate Hall), 3:31.53; 2. South Lyon, 3:37.79; 3,200 relay: 1. Novi (Plaetinck, Hall,MacPherson, Thomas), 8:55.4; 2. South Lyon, 9:30.73.

Dual meet records:Novi, 1-0 overall, 1-0 KLAA Central Division; South Lyon, 0-1 overall, 0-1 KLAA Central.

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