Page 10 — Thursday, May 19, 2022 — The Hastings Banner
Olivet track teams get to 7-0 in GLAC with wins over Vikes
Brett Bremer
Sports Editor
The Lakewood boys got over the bar
better than the Eagles Tuesday, but couldn’t
get over the hump.
Olivet’s varsity boys’ and girls’ track and
field teams improved to 6-0 in Greater
Lansing Activities Conference duals, with
the Lakewood boys suffering their only
defeat in a conference dual this season,
with the Eagles scoring wins at Lakewood
High School.
The Olivet boys scored a 97-40 victory.
Lakewood senior Tyson Raffler in the
pole vault and senior Jacob Merryfield in
the high jump took victories in the field.
Raffler cleared 10-6 to win the pole vault
with sophomore Shane Raffler in second
behind him at 9-6. Merryfield cleared 5-
to win the high jump.
The Vikings were at their best at times,
and it still wasn’t quite enough. Viking
senior Connor Feighan improved his per-sonal records in the shot put and the discus,
but placed second in the discus and third in
the shot put with marks of 126-10 and
42-7.5 respectively. Olivet senior Blake
Lincoln thew a personal record mark of
133-0 to win the discus and was second in
the shot put at 42-11. His teammate, junior
Drew Priddy, won the shot put with a per-
sonal record mark of 45-2.75 while also
placing third in the discus with a new PR of
117-4.5.
Feighan got the Lakewood boys’ lone
win on the track with a time of 52.81 in the
400-meter dash. He had to fight off Olivet
sophomore Lucas Hopkins who lowered
his PR to 52.86 to place second in the race.
Olivet senior Mason Molek won both
the boys’ hurdle races. Tyson Raffler was
second in the 300-meter low hurdles and
third in the 110-meter high hurdles behind
Merryfield who was the runner-up with a
personal record time of 16.54 seconds.
The Olivet girls scored a 107-21 win.The Lakewood ladies took a pair of wins
in distance races. Junior Regan Lab won
the 1600-meter run in 6 minutes 31.90 sec-
onds and junior Bailey Fifelski won the
800-meter run in a personal record time of
2:47.13.
Lakewood sophomore Annabelle Stank
improved her discus personal record to
113-0 in a runner-up finish. Olivet junior
Payton Otto swept the throws with a PR of
132-1 in the discus and a winning mark of
34-6.5 in the shot put.
Hito Gallimore, a junior won the 100-
meter dash and the 200-meter dash for the
Olivet boys and senior Kennedi Hewitt
matched that double for the Olivet girls’
team.
The Olivet boys and girls swept the four
relay races in both competitions.
Lakewood heads to Mason Friday, May
20, for its MHSAA Division 2 Regional.
Stockbridge will host the GLAC Champi-
onship Wednesday, May 25.LHS tennis girls at regionals
today, home invite Saturday
Brett Bremer
Sports Editor
No matter the outcome of today’s
MHSAA Division 4 Regional Tournament
hosted by Portland, there is more tennis
ahead for the Lakewood varsity girls’ ten-
nis team (weather permitting).
The Vikings will host their annual Lake-
wood Invitational Saturday making up for
the early season event that was postponed
due to the weather.
Lakewood heads into its regional action
after an 11-3 season of duals. Lakewood
closed out the regular season with a 7-
win over Bronson Monday and a 5-3 win
over Pennfield Friday afternoon.
Lakewood picked up three points thanks
to forfeit wins at third doubles, fourth dou-
bles and fourth singles in the dual with
Bronson. The Vikings’ top two doubles
teams didn’t drop a single game. Alli Pick-
ard and Abby Pickard at number one and
Emi Chase and Ellie Haddix at number two
both scored 6-0, 6-0 victories.
The Pickard sisters, who head coach
Karrie Carter have dubbed the A-Team,
were 8-1 playing together during the regu-
lar season with their lone loss coming in a
third set super tiebreaker against the top
doubles team from Hastings. Chase and
Haddix ran their record to 11-2 together this
spring with their win.
Lakewood also got a 6-1, 6-1 win from
Kyle Goble at third singles and a 6-2, 6-
win from Izzy Wheeler at second singles
during the dual with Bronson.
Viking first singles player Kristen Fin-
saas was edged 6-3, 6-4 by Kayden Alli in
their first singles match.
Lakewood fourth singles player Jasmine
Stewart is 12-4 on the season. She didn’t get
to play in the team’s final two duals, also
taking a forfeit win in the dual with Penn-
field last Friday. That was the only singles
win for the Vikings in the 5-3 victory.
The Vikings swept the four doubles
flights in straight sets against Pennfield
though. Alli and Abby Pickard earned a
6-0, 6-0 win against Anna Keown and
Emily O’Neil. Chase and Haddix scored a6-4, 6-0 win over Madison Collins and
Victoria Johnson.
At third doubles, Lakewood’s Gabby
Hansen and Abby Gibon bested Sarah
Grettenberger and Allison Miller 6-1, 6-0-.
The Viking duo of Liv Everitt and Paige
Wolverton won 6-1, 6-1 over Stephanie
Orr and Alyssa Brandt at fourth doubles.
Wheeler came the closest of any of the
Viking singles players to getting a win
against Pennfield. She took the first set
against Aubriana Farrow in a tiebreaker,
but then fell 6-3 in the second set. Farrow
finished off her win with a 10-1 victory in
a super tiebreaker.
Pennfield also had Olivia Jenney score a
6-0, 6-3 win over the Vikings’ Finsaas at
first singles and Vivian Burns score a 6-0,
6-1 win over Goble at number three.Vikings win, Saxons’ Carroll in top ten at Hastings Invite
Brett Bremer
Sports Editor
The Lakewood varsity boys’ golf team
came out on top in a field of ten teams at The
Legacy Friday during the Hastings Blue/Gold
Invitational.
The Vikings bested runner-up Loy Norrix
330-346 at the top of the standings. The Hast-
ings boys were fifth on the day.
Otsego finished in third place with a score
of 355 ahead of Ionia 394, Hastings 397,
Comstock Park 408, Plainwell 424, West
Michigan Aviation 424, Newaygo 426 and
South Haven 431.
The Saxon team was led by an 86 from
sophomore Owen Carroll and a 91 from
sophomore Hunter Cook. The top four
Saxon scores all came from sophomores
with Blake Barnum and Heath Hays each
scoring a 110.
Lakewood was led to its victory by senior
Trevor Simon who scored a 75. Junior Drew
Marquoit scored an 81 for the Vikings and
senior Liam Cavanaugh and junior Owen
Richards each shot an 87. Senior teammate
Brody Jackson was right behind the top four
Lakewood scorers with an 88.
Newaygo senior Alejandro Rubio was the
day’s individual champion with a score of 70.
Simon was the runner-up and Marquoit tied
for third with Otsego freshman Spencer
Shearer who also shot an 81.
Simon powered the Vikings with three
birdies on the front nine, on number two threeand number nine Friday. He scored a two-un-
der 34 on the front nine alone.
Rubio had four of his six birdies on the
front, on number two, four, six and seven. He
also had a 34 on the front nine, but was a hand-
ful of strokes better than Simon on the back
nine thanks in part to birdies on 11 and 17.
Carroll’s 86 had him in a tie for sixth place
individually.
The Saxons are back in action today, May
19, at Bedford Valley for the Interstate-8 Ath-
letic Conference Championship 18-hole tour-
nament.
Hastings will be a part of the Otsego Invi-
tational at Lake Doster Golf Club May 25 and
then return to Lake Doster for its Division 2
Regional Tournament June 1.Marshall manages only goal
in I-8 win over Hastings girls
Valerie Slaughter
Contributing Writer
The Hastings varsity girls’ soccer team lost
1-0 in a close defensive game against Inter-
state-8 Athletic Conference opponent, Mar-
shall, at Johnson Field on Friday night in the
final game of the conference regular season..
The Saxons faced off against Marshall’s
strong offensive players throughout the eve-
ning.
Saxon head coach Tim Schoessel said, “We
spent the majority of the game fighting out of
our defensive end. Marshall had some very
strong players on the offensive and defensive
side of the ball which made it a match up
nightmare for us. We were able to hold strong
on the defensive side of the ball for the first
half. The second half they were able to score
on a corner kick.”
The Saxons defense defended against Mar-
shall and was able to finish the first half in a
0-0 tie. Marshall was able to score on a corner
kick ten minutes into the second half, and the
Saxon defense held strong through the remain-
der of the second half ending in a 1-0 loss.
Dakota Blough remained busy in the goal box,
successfully saving 17 out of 18 shots on her net.
The Saxons will play in the Interstate 8
Conference tournament game tonight at John-
son Field against Jackson Northwest.
Hastings won its conference tournament
opener Tuesday 2-0 over visiting Coldwater.
Bri Barnes scored off an assist from team-
mate Raegen Morrison, and then Morrison
picked up a second assist on a late goal by
Lauren Lamphere to seal the victory.
The Saxon defense was strong throughout
in helping Blough earn the shutout in goal.
Blough made 11 saves in the contest.Hastings is scheduled to visit Dansville
Monday for a non-conference match. Plans
are currently for the Saxons to travel to Bat-
tle Creek Central Tuesday to face the Bear-
cats in the opening round of the MHSAA
Division 2 state tournament.Saxon defenders Kalli Koning (6), Alexis Gummo (10) and Abby Gaskill smother a
Marshall attacker in their end during their I-8 contest inside Baum Stadium at Johnson
Field Friday. (Photo by Valerie Slaughter)Hastings goalkeeper Dakota Blough saves a shot coming her way against Marshall
during the RedHawks' 1-0 win in Hastings Friday. (Photo by Valerie Slaughter)The Lakewood varsity boys' golf team celebrates its championship Friday at The Legacy at the conclusion of the Hastings Blue/
Gold Invitational.
Lakewood first doubles player Alli Pickard knocks down a forehand volley
during her win with teammate Abby Pickard against Pennfield Friday afternoon.
(Photo by Brett Bremer)Lakewood first singles player Kristen
Finsaas hits a forehand return back at
her opponent from Pennfield during the
Vikings' win over the visiting Panthers
at Lakewood High School Friday.
(Photo by Brett Bremer)