‘Cornerstone’ seniors pace Adams to OAA-Red sweep, sixth-place at state finals

ROCHESTER HILLS — Every program has a senior class that sets the standard for years to come, and it becomes a ripple effect as the next batch of seniors follows suit.

Rochester Adams boys track and field knows that feeling, for 2022 seniors Armon and Amarion Howard, and Donovan Hayward, who were all-staters at the 2022 Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 1 State Finals, set the expectation for Adams track and field moving forward. Armon was also a state title winner in the 300.

“We definitely knew who we had coming back with Parker (Orlowsky) and Damarcus (Rouse) being the cornerstone of those teams, but we also knew we lost the Howard boys and Donovan Hayward, who were all all-staters, including Armon, who won the state title in the 300,” Adams coach Eric Lohr said. “We knew we were losing a lot, especially on the 4x4 and the 4x2, because they made up the bulk of those teams, so I would definitely say this season has definitely exceeded what I thought based on what we lost.”

Sweeping the Oakland Activities Association-Red in the dual meet and league meet, winning a regional title, and earning all-state honors in the 4x200, 4x400, and 4x800 at the MHSAA Division 1 State Finals at Rockford High School on June 3, Adams’ senior class set its own standard this season with its performance.

Earning sixth place as a team at the state finals, seniors Orlowsky, Rouse, Kyan Wilkins and Liam Fraser earned state runner-up in the 4x400 relay, while Orlowsky (4th) and Rouse (2nd) earned all-state honors in the 800-meter and 400-meter, respectively.

Rouse and Wilkins teamed up with senior Nick Fashho and junior Drew Heppner to earn sixth in the 4x200, while Orlowsky, senior Cameron Reynolds, senior Noah Murray, and junior Ferdinand Viereck earned fifth in the 4x800.

Relays have been Adams’ bread and butter all season, as they swept the OAA-Red-White Championships relays, and Rouse said it’s the team’s chemistry that has been the key factor behind its success.

“We really just came together as a team,” Rouse said. “We’ve been together all four years, and it was really just a family thing, and we just took it away with the relays.”

Rouse and Orlowsky did everything and more in their roles as senior leaders this season for Adams.

Orlowsky, who set the school record in the 800-meter at the state finals, was also the regional champion in the 800-meter and Oakland County champion in the 1600-meter.

Rouse, who also set a school record in the 400-meter at the OAA-Red-White championships, was a regional champion in the 400-meter.

While dominating on the track, Lohr said their impact as leaders was what made the team strong this season.

“Besides their role on the team during the season, they’re a bit of a draw as to having infectious personalities that kind of gets people going, and people kind of want to join them,” Lohr said.

Murray, a first-year track and field runner, joined in large part due to a recruiting pitch from his soccer teammate, Orlowsky, while Rouse did his best Nick Saban impersonation to recruit football players onto the team.

When talking about Adams’ success this season, it’s hard not to mention the evolution of senior Jacob Spinks, sophomore Michael Wilkerson, Heppner and Fashho.

Spinks, Heppner and Fashho teamed up with Wilkins to take first in the 4x100 at the Oakland County championships, while Wilkerson was a constant contributor on hurdles this season for Adams.

Undefeated in the league, earning back-to-back regional titles and setting six school records this season, Adams is building something special with its track and field program.