Posted: May 11, 2010 |(0) Comments

Mequon — For the Homestead girls track team to win the North Shore Conference relays on May 5 at Cedarburg, assistant coach Victor Vilar knew that his deep distance unit would have to perform extremely well.

And the group did that emphatically, as it crushed meet records in the distance medley, and the 6,400- and the 3,200-meter races in leading the Highlanders to a come-from-behind victory in the hotly contested meet that saw six records fall on the day.

"These girls said they felt tired, but they still ran close to PRs (personal records)," said Vilar, "and then after the races they said 'We can do even better.' I didn't care about the times today. I just wanted to see them compete well.

"I wanted to see them put the hammer down."

The effort was music to Highlanders coach John Krueger's ears, as his team is now two-thirds of the way to a league triple crown after outscoring Milwaukee Lutheran, 95-83, for the title after being down 70-60 with 10 events scored.

"They put down some pretty big statements," said Krueger of the distance runners. "They've put in a lot of time and effort, and they are one determined group. They've got some serious goals and they want to achieve them."

The Highlanders got another one on Saturday, as they won their 18-team invite for the first time in many years behind a pair of hurdle wins from defending state high hurdle champ Marissa Savitch.

Extra motivation for star

Savitch, who has spent more time with the trainer this spring than she wants to because of shin splints and tight calves, felt energized by the competition provided by Sherise Hewett of Milwaukee Vincent, who prior to this meet had the state's best time in the 100 hurdles.

"Yeah, that really helped," Savitch said. "I've been really hard on myself this spring. I thought I'd be under 15 seconds (for the 100 hurdles) already this season and it worried me a little bit. So that, and having Sherise right beside me got me really motivated.

"It felt really good today," she said. "The trials race wasn't as nice, but the finals were really clean. And looking at the time (14.56 seconds) has got me even more motivated than ever (for state). I'm always motivated, but now I really am. I can't wait for state (June 4 and 5)."

Savitch's time set a new state best for the year and it marks the second straight year that she has gone under the existing state record of 14.60 during the regular season. Hewett was clocked in 14.96. Official state records can only be set at the state meet.

Savitch also won the 300 lows in a season best of 47.85. Another first at the Highlander was Ashley Heding in the long jump (15-6).

Bjork runs hard in races

And though it was Savitch's day on Saturday, the tuning fork for the Highlanders effort at the NSC relays was Keali Bjork, who won the 800 on Saturday in an easily run 2:22.06. She struck a bad note with a mediocre effort on the third-place meet opening sprint medley relay in the North Shore event and wanted to make up for it.

She did in a big way, as she led off the 3,200 relay team's effort with a scorching 2:20 leg that eventually led to a meet record and state best effort of 9:39.43 for the crew that included Sarah Miller, Caity Bobber and Lauren Holtz.

Homestead broke its own year-old league record with the race.

Not satisfied with that effort, Bjork came back just 25 minutes later to anchor the runner-up 1,600 relay team of Alex Holtz, Kelly Kacie and Emily Jeanpierre (4:13.21). It had just been announced that the Highlanders were 10 points down to Lutheran, and Bjork's sneaking past the Lutheran anchor right at the finish line was a profound crescendo as well as an important four-point swing.

"I asked her 'Are you up to doing this?' " said Vilar, "and she said 'Yes.' I just think Keali is one who likes ultimate challenges. … She was looking forward to anchoring the 1,600 relay."

Shortly after that, a win from the triple jump team of Ashley Heding, Kasey Cooley and Katie Cullen helped propel the Highlanders into the lead for good.

Vilar's crew started the relay meet by crushing a 23-year old record in the distance medley by 13 seconds with a 12:35.5 effort. Bobber's spectacular 1,200-meter third leg broke open the race for the unit of Miller, Alex Holtz and Lauren Holtz.

Later in the meet, the 6,400 team of Carrie Rice, Carolyn Apfelbach, Kelsey Boyle and Dana Griepentrog took 23 seconds off a five-year old mark with a 22:29.83 showing.

Other keys included the second-place showings of the shot put unit of Natalie Goniu, Olga Kontarovich and Lauren LaDell and the 300 high hurdle shuttle of Cooley, Savitch and Megan Zisemer (51.21) as well as the third-place medal of the pole vault team of Katelyn Wright, Katie Pachner and Courtney Lang.

"A lot of kids were involved in this," said Krueger. "We had PRs all over the place. … The kids just had no quit in them."

It was an exhausting, but satisfying day for the coach.

"I didn't know we had won it until somebody told me in the press box," Krueger said. "Putting something like this on is a big undertaking. … and winning is really icing on the cake."

UP NEXT

WHAT: Following Friday's Cedarburg Invite, the Highlanders will look to complete their North Shore triple crown with the May 18 outdoor meet at Whitefish Bay. The pole vault will start at 3 p.m. and the rest of the events at 4 p.m. Germantown edged Homestead and Bay for the title last year.

TOP FINISHES AT THE HIGHLANDER: 1,600: Lauren Holtz, third (5:27.58); 3,200: Bobber, fifth (11:35.09); 400 relay: Amy Slawson, Ashley Lawrence, Heding, and Melinda Gayle, third (53.41); 1,600 relay: Savitch, Kacie Kelly, Emily Jeanpierre and Alex Holtz, third (4:23.4); high jump: Riek Bior, third (5-0); pole vault: Katelyn Wright, third (9-6); and shot put: Natalie Goniu, third (season best 35-9.5).

HELPING HANDS: Despite the damp and cold weather at the Highlander, two side events went off without a hitch. One was the participation of the Ozaukee County Special Olympics (in special 100 dash and shot put competitions) and the involvement of the Lake Shore Youth Track Team in carrying baskets of sweats to the athletes who had just finished competition.

"The crowd appreciated it and the kids appreciated it," Homestead coach John Krueger said.