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	The Ypsilanti Courier A Heritage Newspaper Weekly Publication

Splitters are looking for some respect

Lincoln track has a grand day at regionals

By Tom Perkins, Special Writer

PUBLISHED: May 22, 2008

Prior to Friday's regional meet at Saline High School, Lincoln's girls' track team still wasn't getting all the respect they deserved.

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But with two regional champions and five state qualifiers celebrating as the sun set on the day-long event, it was apparent the Salines and Pioneers of the world will have to acknowledge a new player.

"The day turned out better than I thought it would," head coach Chaba Kovacs said. "I didn't think it would be possible for us to do what we did."

The biggest win came in the 4 X 1 relay - an event usually owned by Ann Arbor Pioneer - in which the Lincoln squad officially finished at 49.2 to tie for first place with Saline, though Kovacs clocked his girls at 48.9 and Lincoln was clearly a step ahead at the finish line.

He added that he isn't complaining as Lincoln dropped a full second off their previous best, and labeled it the biggest upset he has seen in 30 years of coaching.

"I didn't think it was possible for us to win just because there were four schools with better times than us coming into the meet," he said. "It was probably the best race of the day."

Felicia Jefferson ran first for the Lady Splitters, followed by Ashley Betts. Megan Marchildon followed, and Kovacs called her "phenomenal" performance a little bit of a surprise. It was also here that the Pioneer team, which was running neck and neck with Lincoln, fell out of the race.

"She took the best hand off I think she's ever had," Kovacs said. "She's a big girl and has a big stride, and she was already in full stride when she got the hand off. I think the Pioneer girl got spooked a little, because they're used to being ahead at that point."

Alicia Jefferson recorded a split of 11.7 on her way across the finish line, well below her regular time.

"She knew that Saline girl was breathing down her neck and she kept two steps ahead," Kovacs said.

A nagging injury didn't slow down Noriah Williams who took first place in the 200 meter dash with a time of 25.5, which put her roughly 10 meters ahead of a second place Pioneer girl.

"She had the widest lead of anyone in any of the sprints," Kovacs said. "It was nice to see she could run that fast even with a nagging injury."

Because Williams ran hard in the 200 meter dash, she wasn't able to run in the 4 X 4 relay, but Lincoln still managed to qualify for the states with a fourth place finish of 4:09.2, which Kovacs said is an indicator of the team's depth.

Last season Williams called Saline's top sprinter, Corrie Castro, her hero, but Kovacs said he responded by telling her the feelings would be reversed this season.

"I said that she was going to be Castro's hero this season, and look what she's doing," Kovacs said. Castro didn't run the 200 meter dash, but the top spot in the event belongs to Williams this season.

The Splitters took third place in the 4 X 2 relays by dropping a full second off their previous best to 144.5, despite that Williams was unable to compete due to her injury.

"It was a big blow to have to run without her, but we still managed to qualify," Kovacs said.

Lincoln also dropped a second off their previous best in the 4 X 2 to take third place.

"We'll have to drop another second off to finish in the top eight at the states," Kovacs said of the event. "Usually with times this fast you could be in the top three, but there are some tough teams this year."

Felicia Jones also made the states by achieving her goal of running the 100 meter dash in 12.5, a feat that has surprised the coaching staff at Lincoln.

"I wasn't even thinking about her making the states at the beginning of the season," Kovacs said. "She was running a 13.5 last year, so I figured 13 flat would be an improvement."

Lincoln runs in the league meets this Wednesday before heading to the state meet on May 311.

Tom Perkins is a freelance writer for the View/Courier. He can be reached at trperkins@gmail.com.