The Ypsilanti Courier
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Lincoln narrowly fall to Chelsea runners
Slip in the hurldes causes a swing in points Lady Splitters
By Tom Perkins, Special Writer
PUBLISHED: May 1, 2008
Lincoln girls track's 71-65 loss to Chelsea was close, but it was even closer than the score indicates.
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The Railsplitters' top hurdler, Janet Williams, was ahead in the 100-meter hurdles when her foot nicked a hurdle and sent her tumbling.
Elizabeth Little sped up and still managed to grab Lincoln a first place finish, but the three points the Railsplitters lost from the fall and three points Chelsea gained made a six-point difference.
"Elizabeth was tough out there," head coach Chaba Kovack said. "I think when she saw our other girl fall she really went for it. But it was a good meet overall and it was close in every event."
In the four by two relay, the Lincoln team ran three seconds under their state time last season at 1:45.2, and in the four by one relay they also ran a speedy time of 50.3.
"I think we're on schedule, maybe even too early," Kovack said. "We got some pretty good girls and another month to bring those times down, too."
Lincoln swept the Bulldogs in the high jump and long jump, and so far sophomore Megan Marchildon's jump of 16'10" is holding as the 10th longest jump in the state, according to michigantrack. org.
"I would have been happy if she was jumping 15 feet, so it's incredible that she's running as fast and jumping as far as she is," Kovack said. Adding to the feat is Marchildon's recovery from a recent broken leg.
Kovack added that the combined distance of his three long jumpers' efforts is higher than any team previously at Lincoln.
Like the relay teams, which are also some the fastest in school history and in the top five in michigantrack.org's tracking of times, Kovacks said the long jumpers have provided a surprise and he believes other teams will also learn how strong of a group he has.
"We don't get much respect because we're around these bigger schools," he said. "I knew we had potential to do well, but maybe not this early. We just kind of snuck in under the radar."
Junior Felicia Jones put an exclamation point on the day by knocking out the Southeastern Conference's top runner in the 100 meter.
"She beat two very good Chelsea runners, and it was no fluke because she beat them by a significant amount of time," Kovack said.
Top shot put and discus thrower Somer Walker and the Splitters' top sprinter, Noriah Williams, were both too sick to participate in the meet.
Tom Perkins is a freelance writer for the View/Courier. He can be reached at trperkins@gmail.com.
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