L’Anse Creuse track and field looks to channel ‘winning attitude’

HARRISON TOWNSHIP — One is chance. Two are coincidental. And three, well that’s a pattern.

There’s a pattern taking place with Harrison Township L’Anse Creuse athletics.

L’Anse Creuse’s football team earned the school’s first district title in program history back in November. The basketball team won the school’s first district title since 2018 in March. Now, that school-wide impact is carrying the momentum over to the track and field season.

“I think there’s an energy and a winning attitude at L’Anse Creuse this year that has been pretty different from all the other years I’ve been here,” boys track and field head coach George Woods said. “I think this year, things have been transitioning from football to basketball, and I think by us winning that indoor championship with track, I just think the atmosphere at L’Anse Creuse and the kids at L’Anse Creuse deserve notoriety.”

That momentum has not only carried to the boys side, but also for the girls track and field as well.

 

Boys track and field

Like their football and basketball counterparts, the boys track and field team is ready to make its own name at the school.

On March 28 at the Macomb County indoor championship at Macomb Community College’s South Campus, L’Anse Creuse boys track and field started its 2023 campaign with a tie for first place with Utica at 64 points.

Seniors Cameron Sherrill and Robert Galan took first and second, respectively, in the 600-meter while senior Chad Jacobs earned first in the 60-meter hurdles.

Jacobs, who finished second in scoring for the basketball team this season, was also a part of the district-winning football team. Jacobs is one of many players on the squad to play both basketball and football at the school, including senior Donovan Weatherly and juniors Salim Fleming, Quincy Dorsey, Amari Brownlee and Jimmy Tamburrini.

Jacobs said the momentum from both football and basketball continues to live with the track and field team.

“I played on the football team, too, and it’s the same thing from football to basketball with the energy and just wanting to succeed and win everything we can,” Jacobs said. “So, it just transitions over a lot when we know what it’s like to succeed, and we want that feeling again.”

Weatherly teamed up with Sherrill, Galan and senior Drew Cimini to earn first in the 4x400 relay. Fleming finished tied for third in the high jump while sophomores Alex Habarth and Aidan Daly finished third and fourth, respectively, in the 1-mile.

Daly said the Macomb County meet was a significant confidence booster for the squad.

“I think it (the confidence) probably went up a lot after Macomb,” Daly said. “We had a couple guys back. We graduated a lot of seniors last year, which was kind of a bummer, but us sophomores and some really good seniors are looking to make a statement.”

With L’Anse Creuse’s seniors in their final season, they’re looking to do more than just that.

Football and basketball have set a precedent for accomplishing program-altering feats, and now, the baton has been passed to track and field.

Finishing behind St. Clair in back-to-back years in the Macomb Area Conference-Gold division, L’Anse Creuse will look to earn their first league title since earning co-champion honors in 2011.

“Right now, we might not be noticed as much,” sophomore thrower Dominic Weatherly said. “By the end of the year, they’ll notice our names.”

Seniors Alan Ouyang, Shane Lewicki, Jack Ketelhut and Josh Manish; junior Benjamin Ashley; and sophomores Donovan Rey and William Catalfio will all look to make significant contributions.

 

Girls track and field

The momentum doesn’t stop with the boys team, for the girls track and field team is coming off a season where they had multiple individual state qualifiers.

Senior Ke’vina Finch, a state qualifier in the 100-, 200-, and 400-meter dash, returns as one of a select few seniors on a roster consisting of 43 athletes.

Leading L’Anse Creuse to a second-place finish at the Macomb County indoor championship on March 28 with a first-place finish in the 60- and 200-meter dash, Finch is picking up right where she left off in 2022.

“Honestly, this year, I’m trying to do big things and break records,” Finch said. “It’s been very exciting, and I’m ready to push myself to my limits.”

Alongside Finch is her sister, sophomore Kandis Finch, who finished fourth in the 60-meter and third in the 200-meter dash.

Kandis Finch headlines an incredibly talented sophomore class, and one that was much needed after graduating two state finals runners in Micah Martin and Xena Berger.

Leading the sophomore class with Finch is Shelby Stabile, who finished fifth in the 1-mile, Lexie Vadio, and Taylor Harbour.

What appeared to be a questionable year for L’Anse Creuse due to its youth has now turned into excitement after the Macomb indoor meet.

“We’re pretty well rounded, and we graduated the house last year,” girls head coach Ken Render said. “We had some superstars and some real, real quality athletes. We thought this was going to be somewhat of a rebuilding year, but they came through at the indoor meet.”

While graduating an impressive senior class, the four seniors L’Anse Creuse holds going into this season are a strong core.

Alongside Finch, seniors Faith Kunnuji and Josie Doss have led the leadership group for L’Anse Creuse this season, but don’t count out the strong junior core of Kaitlyn Rackley, Kamryn Pitts, Sophia Schneider, Raine Redding and Alaina Dujardin from making some noise in their respective events this season.

Like any good team, it all starts with the seniors.

“They’re a big key to our success from the standpoint of not only do they run well and not only do they perform well, they share that training with the younger ones also,” Render said.

As L’Anse Creuse heads into their dual meet season, there’s a lot more energy and excitement surrounding not just the girls, but the program as a whole.

Doss said she feels the team is ready for the challenge and said the confidence from last season has transitioned into their 2023 campaign.

“I do believe so,” Doss said. “I believe last year was such a great year, and it’s coming over because the same girls know each other and want to do better.”