NLL CHAMPIONSHIP
Northview girls trump Perrysburg for track title
Squads rely on individual effort for titles
NAPOLEON -- Northview senior Alison Work and Southview sophomore Malcolm Johnson both knew their track teams were counting on them for both individual and relay points at the Northern Lakes League meet on Friday.
Both accomplished their missions with brilliant performances, leading their teams to titles. Work and Johnson each won two individual races and also led two relay teams to victory.
Work broke her own meet record to win the 1600 with a time of 4:58.32. Work also won the 800 in 2:19.76. The senior also was part of the Wildcats' victorious 1600 and 3200 relay teams.
"My main goal was to break that time," Work said. "I was really confident. It's extremely exciting to win the team title too."
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The Northview girls prevented Perrysburg from winning a fifth straight crown. The Wildcats outdistanced the Yellow Jackets, 127.5 to 119.50, followed by host Napoleon (95.5).
In the boys' meet, Johnson repeated as champ in the 100 and in the 200. Johnson also ran the first leg of the Cougars' first-place 800 relay team and then anchored Southview's winning 400 relay.
"It feels great to go out there and run my best, especially since we did it last year," Johnson said. "It was a good day."
The Southview boys successfully defended their league title with 122 points. Anthony Wayne was second (108) and Bowling Green finished third (90). The Cougars have now won six of the last 10.
"The other kids dug in and made up some points for us," Southview coach Lee Boyer said. "I'm so proud of this group. It was an awesome team effort."
Work said it was the first time she ran the mile and 800 at the same race.
"I wasn't sure if I would be able to run the 800 after my mile because I was really tired. But I was able to kick it in at the end," Work said.
The Wildcats captured the program's first NLL title since 2004.
"It's been a while so it was a great day for us," Northview coach Jerry Flowers said. "Perrysburg has been wining all of them. So maybe it will start a new trend."
Work won the 800 with a time of 2:19.76, just edging out teammate Mallory Small (2:21.63).
"She just ran so tough," Flowers said. "It looked like she was buried but she had such a good kick. That was one of the most exciting 800 races I've seen. We needed the points, and she stepped up big."
Northview's Janelle Noe captured a second straight title in the 300 hurdles. Noe's time was 45.66. She also was part of the winning 3200 and 1600 relay teams. In the 3200 relay, Noe, Small, Work, and Abby Masters set a new NLL record with a time of 9:23.82.
The Wildcats capped the meet by winning the 1600 relay as Noe, Small, and Work combined with Robin Foster to win in 4:04.05.
Perrysburg's Emily Wyrick repeated in the 400 with a time of 58.55. The Yellow Jackets' Jocelyn Williams placed first in the discus with a throw of 112-11 on Wednesday. Perrysburg also got a win when Taylor Monheim took first in the 3200 (11:20.48).
Anthony Wayne's Aisha Tyre defended her title in the 100 meter hurdles (15.12). Tyre also helped AW's 800 relay team repeat as champs.
Springfield's Alexis Wilkes won both sprint events. In the 100 she won in a time of 12.97. Wilkes captured the 200 in 27.09. Wilkes also led off for the Blue Devils' winning 400 relay team (50.23).
Bowling Green freshman Maria Horrigan set a record in the pole vault on Wednesday (11-3).
In the boys meet, Southview finished one-two in the 400. J.J. Pinckney won with a time of 49.23 and JQ Bowers was second (49.18).
In the 100, Johnson sprinted to victory in 11.14 seconds. In the 200, he won in 22.59.
He also paired with Nate Hall, Christian Rupe, and JQ Bowers to win in 1:30.63. In the 400 relay, Johnson joined with Keith Gilmore, Jeremy Cook, and Christian Rupe to win in 43.59.
"Malcolm is a phenomenal kid," Boyer said. "He's a wonderful talent. It was on display tonight."
The Cougars also won the 1600 relay with Pinckney and Bowers teaming with Nate Hall and Jeremy Cook to win in 3:25.
In an intense finish to the 1600, Napoleon's Steve Weaver held off Maumee's Willy Fink down the stretch. Weaver sprinted down the stretch to win in 4:16.82. Fink, the defending champ, finished in 4:18.01.
Weaver also outsprinted Fink down the stretch to win the 800. Weaver's time was 1:54.90.
Springfield's Kurtis Taylor was a dual event winner. Taylor sprinted to a first-place finish in the 100 hurdles with a time of 15.30. He also won the long jump with a leap of 21-0.25.
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