TRI-CITY AREA — This is a team that most any coach would be glad to call there own.
Here is a look at the 2021 edition of The Tri-City Times All-Area girls’ track squad and the credentials they generated along the way:
Dryden’s Erin Boettcher (center) bursts out of the blocks during a 100 dash heat at the Div. 4 state finals. She took seventh place.
Name: Mary Lengemann
School: Imlay City
Year: Junior
Event: High jump
Best effort: Lengemann cleared 5 feet en route to a first at a Division 2 regional hosted by Marysville High School on Friday, May 21.
Top finishes: She collected firsts among Small School entries at the Shake Off the Rust Invite and the North Branch-based Blue Water Area Conference League Meet as well as a Division 2 regional meet hosted by Marysville High School; registered a second at the Thumb Meet of Champions in Caro; plus added a four-way tie for 12th at the Zeeland-based Division 2 state finals.
Name: Brandi Brady
School: Almont
Year: Senior
Event: Pole vault
Best effort: Brady posted a season-best clearance of 7 feet 6 inches Tuesday, April 27 en route to a first at a Blue Water Area Conference meet with Cros-Lex and host Algonac.
She also equaled that height on the way to a third at the North Branch-based Blue Water Area Conference League Meet on Tuesday, May 18 and three days later vaulted the same for sixth at a Division 2 regional in Marysville.
Top finishes: She took first among Small School entries at the Shake Off the Rust Invitational; supplied a second at the Richmond-based Blue Devil Invitational; provided a third at the Blue Water Area Conference League Meet in North Branch; notched a fifth among Small School entries at the Shake Off the Rust Invitational; plus added a sixth at a Division 2 regional in Marysville.
Name: Annabelle Schneider
School: Capac
Year: Freshman
Event: Long jump
Best effort: Schneider went 15 feet 9 3/4 inches en route to a second at a Division 3 regional in Caro on Friday, May 21.
Top finishes: She obtained a first at the Richmond High School-based Blue Devil Invitational; furnished seconds at the Greater Thumb Conference East League Meet hosted by Capac High School and at a Division 3 regional in Caro; wound up third at the Caro-based Thumb Meet of Champions; plus notched a 10th at the Division 3 state finals hosted by Jenison High School.
Name: Abby Aldrich
School: Capac
Year: Junior
Event: Shot put
Best effort: Aldrich uncorked a toss measuring 33 feet 8 1/2 inches on the way to a third Tuesday, June 1 at The Thumb Meet of Champions in Caro.
Top finishes: She took first at the Richmond-based Blue Devil Invitational; provided second at the Green Devil Invitational in Brown City and the Capac-based Greater Thumb Conference East League Meet; plus contributed thirds at a Caro-based Division 3 regional and The Thumb Meet of Champions in Caro.
Name: Molleigh Rinke
School: Almont
Year: Junior
Event: Discus
Best effort: Rinke furnished an effort of 97 feet 8 inches for sixth at a Division 2 regional hosted by Marysville High School on Friday, May 21.
Top finishes: She claimed firsts among Small School entries at the Shake Off the Rust Invitational, North Branch-based Lapeer County Press Invitational and Blue Devil Invitational in Richmond; took second at the North Branch-based Blue Water Area Conference League Meet; obtained a fourth among Small School entries at the Davison Twilight Classic and at the Marysville-based Blue Water Area Meet of Champions; plus added a sixth at a Division 2 regional hosted by Marysville High School.
Name: Devin Johnston
School: Almont
Year: Sophomore
Event: 100-meter dash
Best effort: Johnston registered a time of 12.7 seconds for first in a Blue Water Area Conference dual with host Richmond on Tuesday, May 4.
Top finishes: She took firsts among Small School entries at the Shake Off the Rust Invitational, North Branch-based Lapeer County Press Invitational and Blue Water Area Conference League Meet hosted by North Branch High School; obtained a second at the Lapeer Lightning Invitational; plus provided thirds among Small School entries and at a Division 2 regional hosted by Marysville High School.
Name: Erin Boettcher
School: Dryden
Year: Senior
Event: 100-meter dash
Best effort: Boettcher raced to a clocking of 13.38 seconds for seventh at the Division 4 state finals in Hudsonville on Saturday, June 5.
Top finishes: She notched a first at the Caro Tiger Invitational; claimed seconds at the Deckerville Invitational, North Huron-based North Central Thumb League Meet and at a Division 4 regional hosted by Flint Beecher; furnished thirds at the Forrest Dowling Peck Invitational, Akron-Fairgrove Invitational and among Small School entries at the Shake Off the Rust Invitational; generated a fourth at the Marysville-based Blue Water Area Meet of Champions; plus added a seventh (good enough to earn All-State accolades) at the Division 4 state finals in Hudsonville.
Name: Sydney Kapushinski
School: Imlay City
Year: Senior
Event:100-meter hurdles
Best effort: Kapushinski supplied a clocking of 18.75 seconds for sixth during her preliminary heat the Marysville-based Blue Water Area Meet of Champions on Friday, May 28.
Top finishes: She obtained a fifth at the Blue Water Area Conference League Meet hosted by North Branch High School; took sixths at the Goodrich Invitational and Marysville-based Blue Water Area Meet of Champions; plus notched ninths at the Davison Twilight Classic and Blue Water Area Meet of Champions in Marysville.
Name: Devin Johnston
School: Almont
Year: Sophomore
Event: 200-meter dash
Best effort: Johnson raced to a time of 26.66 for second in her preliminary heat during a Division 2 regional hosted by Marysville High School on Friday, May 21.
Top finishes: She claimed firsts among Small School entries at the Shake Off the Rust Invitational, Lapeer Lightning Invitational, Richmond-based Blue Devil Invitational and Blue Water Area Conference League Meet hosted by North Branch High School; placed second at a Marysville High School-based Division 2 regional; plus provided a third among Small School entries at the Davison Twilight Classic.
Name: Sydney Kapushinski
School: Imlay City
Year: Senior
Event: 300-meter hurdles
Best effort: Kapushinski logged a time of 53.13 seconds en route to a third at the Caro-based Thumb Meet of Champions on Tuesday, June 1.
Top finishes: She registered fourths at the Country Press Invitational hosted by North Branch High School, Goodrich Invitational and North Branch-based Blue Water Area Conference League Meet; obtained sixths at the Blue Water Area Meet of Champions in Marysville and Caro-based Thumb Meet of Champions; furnished a ninth at a Division 2 regional hosted by Marysville High School; plus supplied a 10th at the Davison Twilight Classic.
Name: Elizabeth Sliman
School: Imlay City
Year: Junior
Event: 400-meter dash
Best effort: Sliman wound up with a clocking of 1:03.49, paving the way to a first Friday, April 30 at the North Branch-based Lapeer County Press Invitational.
Top finishes: She collected a first at the Lapeer County Press Invitational in North Branch; pulled up second among Small School entries at the Shake Off the Rust Invitational; plus generated a fourth at the North Branch-based Lapeer County Press Invitational.
Name: Jessica Denver
School: Imlay City
Year: Senior
Event: 800-meter run
Best effort: Denver furnished a school record-setting time of 2:21.02 en route to a ninth at the Zeeland-based Division 2 state finals on Saturday, June 5.
Top finishes: She obtained firsts among Small School entries at the Shake Off the Rust Invitational, North Branch-based Lapeer County Press Invitational, Goodrich Invitational, North Branch-based Blue Water Area Conference League Meet and Thumb Meet of Champions in Caro; provided seconds at a Division 2 regional hosted by Marysville High School and the Blue Water Area Meet of Champions in Marysville; took fourth at the Davison Twilight Classic; plus contributed a ninth at the Division 2 state meet in Zeeland.
Name: Jessica Denver
School: Imlay City
Year: Senior
Event: 1600-meter run
Best effort: Denver registered a school record-setting clocking of 5:18.63 for first Friday, May 28 at the Marysville-based Blue Water Area Meet of Champions.
Top finishes: She collected firsts among Small School entries at the Shake Off the Rust Invitational, Lapeer County Press Invitational hosted by North Branch High School, Goodrich Invitational; Blue Water Area Meet of Champions in Marysville and Caro-based Thumb Meet of Champions; plus provided a fourth at the Davison Twilight Classic.
Name: Ella Kage
School: Dryden
Year: Senior
Event: 3200-meter run
Best effort: Kage generated a school record-setting time of 12:25.24 en route to a second at the Blue Water Area Meet of Champions on Friday, May 28.
Top finishes: She earned the distinction of race pacesetter at he Deckerville Invitational, Peck-based Forrest Dowling Invitational, Akron-Fairgrove Invitational, NCTL League Meet in North Huron and Flint Beecher-based Division 4 regional meet; wound up second among Small School entries at the Shake Off the Rust Invitational and Blue Water Area Invitational hosted by Marysville High School; plus added an 11th at the Division 4 state finals in Hudsonville.
Team: Elly Schapman, Paige Feldman, Emily Kwierant and Devin Johnston
School: Almont
Years: Sophomore, junior, junior and sophomore
Event: 400-meter relay
Best effort: A team of Elly Schapman, Paige Feldman, Emily Kwierant and Devin Johnston posted a time of 53.29 seconds for third at a Marysville-based Division 2 regional on Friday, May 21.
Top finishes: A lineup of Claire Taylor, Paige Feldman, Elly Schapman and Johnston claimed a first among small school entries at the Davison Twilight Invitational; a team of Schapman, Taylor Feldman and Johnston finished first at the North Branch-based Blue Water Area Conference League Meet; a lineup of Montserrat Coronel, Valarie Sullivan, Feldman and Johnston collected a first at the Lapeer Lightning Invitational; a team of Taylor, Coronel, Feldman and Johnston placed first at the North Branch-based Lapeer County Press Invitational; a lineup of Schapman, Coronel, Feldman and Johnston were first among Small School entries at the Shake Off the Rust Invitational; a lineup of Taylor, Feldman, Coronel and Johnston obtained a second at the Richmond-based Blue Devil Invitational; a team of Schapman, Feldman, Kwierant and Johnston notched a third at a Division 2 regional in Marysville; plus a team of Schapman, Taylor, Feldman and Johnston were fourth at the Marysville-based Blue Water Area Meet of Champions.
Team: Elly Schapman, Emily Kwierant, Paige Feldman and Devin Johnston
School: Almont
Years: Sophomore, junior, junior and sophomore
Event: 800-meter relay
Best effort: A team of Elly Schapman, Emily Kwierant, Paige Feldman and Devin Johnston supplied a clocking of 1:53.63 en route to a fourth at the North Branch-based Blue Water Area Conference League Meet on Tuesday, May 21.
Top finishes: An Almont lineup of Schapman, Feldman, Valarie Sullivan and Johnston wound up first at the Richmond-based Blue Devil Invitational; a team of Montserrat Coronel, Schapman, Feldman and Johnston collected a first among small school entries at the Davison Twilight Classic; a lineup of Kwierant, Sullivan, Feldman and Coronel were second at the Shake Off the Rust Invitational; a team of Schapman, Kwierant, Feldman and Johnston placed second at the North Branch-based Lapeer County Press Invitational; a lineup of Kwierant, Coronel, Feldman and Johnston registered a fourth at the Lapeer Lightning Invitational; plus a team of Schapman, Kwierant, Feldman and Johnston provided a fourth at the North Branch-based Blue Water Area Conference League Meet.
Team: Sydney Livingston, Mary Lengemann, Elizabeth Sliman and Jessica Denver
School: Imlay City
Years: Sophomore, junior, junior and senior
Event: 1600-meter relay.
Best effort: A team consisting of Sydney Livingston, Mary Lengemann, Elizabeth Sliman and Jessica Denver stopped the watch at 4:19.5 for first at the North Branch-based Blue Water Area Conference League Meet on Tuesday, May 18.
Top finishes: Imlay City’s quartet of Dakota Deel, Ana Lengemann, Mary Lengemann and Elizabeth Sliman took first among Small School entries at the Shake Off the Rust Invitational; a team of Livingston, Mary Lengemann, Sliman and Denver set the pace at the Blue Water Area Conference League Meet in North Branch; a quartet of Sydney Kapushinski, Sliman, Livingston and Denver claimed second at the North Branch-based Lapeer County Press Invitational; a team of Mary Lengemann, Livingston, Sliman and Denver ranked second at the Thumb Meet of Champions in Caro; a quartet Mary Lengemann, Livingston, Sliman and Denver supplied a fourth at a Marysville-based Division 2 regional; a team of Mary Lengemann, Ana Lengemann, Livingston and Denver obtained a fifth at the Goodrich Invitational; plus a quartet of Monique Hoblet, Kapushinski, Livingston and Denver added a ninth at the Davison Twilight Classic.
Team: Jessica Denver, Mary Lengemann, Ana Lengemann and Elizabeth Sliman
School: Imlay City
Years: Senior, junior, junior and junior
Event: 3200 relay
Best effort: An Imlay City team of Jessica Denver, Mary Lengemann, Ana Lengemann and Elizabeth Sliman registered a school record-setting clocking of 9:55.9 for first at the Caro-based Thumb Meet of Champions on Tuesday, June 1.
Top finishes: A lineup of Denver, Mary Lengemann, Ana Lengemann and Sliman took first among small school entries at the Shake Off the Rust Invitational, Goodrich Invitational, North Branch-based Blue Water Area Conference League Meet and a Division 2 regional hosted by Marysville High School; a team Alice Johnson, Sydney Livingston, Sliman and Denver supplied a third at the North Branch-based Lapeer County Press Invitational; plus a lineup of Mary Lengemann, Ana Lengemann, Sliman and Denver added a 10th at the Division 2 state finals in Zeeland.
Second team- Claire Taylor, Almont, high jump; Gracie Klink, Capac, high jump; Erin Boettcher, Dryden, long jump; Ellie Cichewicz, Almont, shot put; Rachel Lauwers, Imlay City, discus; Ava DeVlaminck, Dryden, discus; Annabelle Schneider, Capac, 100-meter dash; Mary Lengemann, Imlay City, 100-meter dash; Claire Taylor, Almont; 100-meter hurdles, Erin Boettcher, Dryden, 200-meter dash; Brandi Brady, Almont, 300-meter hurdles; Olivia Stickler, Dryden, 400-meter dash,; Ella Kage, Dryden, 1600-meter run; Molly Kline, Almont, 3200-meter run; Capac’s 400-meter relay of Juliana Closurdo, Annabelle Schneider, Bella Wetter and Aria Nealy; Imlay City’s 800-meter relay of Sydney Livingston, Sydney Kapushinski, Ana Lengemann and Elizabeth Sliman; Dryden’s 1600-meter relay of Olivia Stickler, Ava DeVlaminck, Ella Kage and Erin Boettcher; plus Almont’s 3200-meter relay of Lauren Dempz, Ayla DeLaurier, Heather Fitchett and Molly Kline.
Honorable mention- Paige Feldman, Almont, high jump; Montserrat Coronel, Almont, long jump; Sydney Kapushinski, Imlay City, long jump; Olivia Stickler, Dryden, 100-meter dash; Valarie Sullivan, Almont, 100-meter dash; Elly Schapman, Almont, 100-meter dash; Annabelle Schneider, Capac, 200-meter dash; Emily Kwierant, Almont, 200-meter dash; Paige Feldman, Almont, 200-meter dash; Sydney Livingston, Imlay City, 400-meter dash; Molly Kline, Almont, 1600-meter run; Dryden 400-meter of Erin Boettcher, Delaney Wolle, Ella Kage and Olivia Stickler; Capac’s 800-meter relay Juliana Closurdo, Emily Rodriguez, Annabelle Schneider and Bella Wetter; Almont’s 1600-meter relay of Haley Dempz, Brianna Burchi and Chloe Brady; plus Dryden’s 3200-meter relay of Ava DeVlaminck, Audrey Napolitano, Lily Finnigan and Olivia Stickler.
Coach of the Year- For directing her team to thirds at the Blue Water Area Conference League Meet in North Branch and North Branch-based Lapeer County Press Invitational plus a sixth at a Division 2 regional in Marysville, Imlay City Coach Sara O’Brien earns Tri-City Times All-Area Coach of the Year accolades.
Kevin Kissane has been covering high school sports for the Tri-City Times since 1985. When not standing on a field or court with his camera and notepad, he enjoys golf, travel and family. Kevin is a 1980 graduate of Capac High School, and is also a grad of St. Clair Community College and earned a degree in journalism from Central Michigan University.
