Northville girls burn up track for Kensington title

With temperatures reaching upwards of 90, it was the first really hot day of the track and field season, but there was no cooling off the Northville girls in Friday's KLAA Kensington Conference meet.

The Mustangs, last year's MHSAA Division 1 state runner-up, repeated as conference champion by scoring 141 points to lead the 12-school field with Salem (99), host Livonia Churchill (95), Plymouth (75) and Novi (68) rounding out the top five.

"It's a good practice, a good set-up for the state meet," Northville coach Tim Dalton said. "Last year it was warm and we're expecting the same this year. It was the first meet this year where it was hot, but I'd rather have the kids run it here than at the state meet for the first time."

Northville came away with five individual firsts led by a pair of double winners in senior Lauren Rodriguez, who swept the 100- and 300-meter hurdles with times of 15.03 and 46.41, respectively, along with junior Lexa Barrott, who won the 1,600 (5:08.1) and 3,200 (11:05.9).

Junior sprinter Chloe Abbott also contributed to three first-place finishes as she captured the individual 200 dash (25.27), while also being a member of the first-place 4 x 200 (1:42.63) and meet record 4 x 400 (3:57.05) relay teams.

Abbott teamed up with Erin McCallum, Lindsay Walters and Gracie Goble in the 800 relay, while also joining forces with Yasmine Affes, Goble and Walters in the 1,600 relay.

"The girls did really well," said Abbott, who owns the school records in both the 200 and 400. "We got all-conference again. We got the trophy again and we're really happy with how we did today."

Goble, meanwhile, was the long jump champion with a leap of 16 feet, 1.5 inches.

"Four years in a row, so pretty special for this group," Dalton said. "We knew we were the favorites, but we also knew it would be closer than last year. We lost a lot of seniors, but we had some kids step up and earn points. Erin McCallum in the 100-meter dash made the final. We weren't expecting that. A total team effort."

Novi did not come away with any firsts, but senior Hannah Lonergan (2:21.5) was runner-up to Salem's Kayla Knake (2:16.5) in the 800, while freshman Karenna Roest was second to Rodriguez in the 300 hurdles (48.42).

"Obviously Hannah Lonergan does a nice job leading that 4 x 400," Novi coach Marsha Reid said of the team's fourth-place finish in the 1,600 relay. "We were relying on a couple of upperclassman for that 4 x 400 at the end of the day. Couple of seniors, couple of freshman, so it's kind of fun watching that take place.

"Hannah Hood-Blaxill, who is a freshman, placed third in the high jump (5-0) today. Marissa Dunn did really, really well in the shot put and discus today as well, and had a couple of P.R.'s, so that was nice having that going and everything. They did a nice job overall."

bemons@hometownlife.com

KLAA KENSINGTON CONFERENCE

TRACK & FIELD MEET

May 9 at Livonia Churchill

GIRLS TEAM STANDINGS: 1. Northville, 141 points; 2. Salem, 99; 3. Liovnia Churchill, 95; 4. Plymouth, 75; 5. Novi, 68; 6. Livonia Franklin, 40; 7. South Lyon, 37; 8. Canton, 31; 9. (tie) Westland John Glenn and Wayne Memorial, 22 each; 11. South Lyon East, 19; 12. Livonia Stevenson, 13.

FINAL EVENT RESULTS

Shot put: 1. Emily Meier (Canton), 42 feet, 2.25 inches: 6. Marissa Dunn (Novi), 32-7.

Discus: 1. Meier (Canton), 134-2; 5. Dunn (Novi), 110-0; 7. Emma Hammelef (Novi), 104-2.

High jump: 1. Katherine Harris (Ply.), 5-1; 3. Hannah Hood-Blaxill (Novi), 5-0; 7. Kate Prisby (Novi), 4-10.

Long jump: 1. Gracie Goble (N'ville), 16-1.5; 4. Prisby (Novi), 15-9; 7. Emily Anderson (N'ville), 14-10.25.

Pole vault: 1. Emma Bauer (SL), 11-0.

100-meter hurdles: 1. Lauren Rodriguez (N'ville), 15.03; 3. Karenna Roest (Novi), 16.65; 4. DeAnnaMartynenko (Novi), 16.65.

300 hurdles: 1. Rodriguez (N'ville), 46.41; 2. Roest (Novi), 48.42.

100 dash: 1. Anavia Battle (WM), 12.60; 6. Kristen Bailey (Novi), 13.24; 8. Erin McCallum (N'ville), 13.65.

200: 1. Chloe Abbott (N'ville), 25.27; 3 Goble (N'ville), 26.05.

400: 1. Shekinah Johnson (Salem), 58.11; 2. Lindsay Walters (N'ville), 58.79.

800: 1. Kaya Knacke (Salem), 2:16.5; 2. Hannah Lonergan (Novi), 2:21.5; 5. Ana Barrott (N'ville), 2:24.5; 6. Emma Smith (Novi), 2:25.3.

1,600: 1. Lexa Barrott (N'ville), 5:08.1; 2. Ana Barrott (N'ville), 5:14.7; 4. Hannah Lonergan (Novi), 5:22.8; 5. Rachel Zimmer (N'ville), 5:36.7.

3,200: 1. L. Barrott (N'ville), 11:05.9; 2. Cayla Eckenroth (N'ville), 11:08.0; 5 Emma Herrmann (N'ville), 11:45.0.

400 relay: 1. Salem, 51.20; 6. Northville, 52.39; 7. Novi, 52.52; 800 relay: 1. Northville, 1:42.63 (McCallum, Walters, Goble, Abbot), 1:42.63; 1,600 relay: 1. Northville (Yasmine Affes, Goble, Walters, Abbott), 3:57.05; 4. Novi, 4:12.94; 3,200 relay: 1. Northville (Emma Smith, Herrmann, Eckenroth, L. Barrott), 9:45.66; 6. Novi, 10:53.47.