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	The Ypsilanti Courier A Heritage Newspaper Weekly Publication

Area sprinters compete in league of champs

PUBLISHED: June 19, 2008

Dexter's Rebecca Pilkerton represented Michigan in last Saturday's Midwest Meet of Champions at Jason's Withington Stadium.

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Kyra Caldwell of Ypslanti High took third in the 100-meter hurdles (14.65). Michigan took first second and third in the event. She was sixth in the 300-meter hurdles (46.85) and was on the first place 1,600-meter relay team (3:48.52).

The high-profile track and field event is one of the longest running postseason high school meets in the country. The meet, which started in 1974, pits the top senior track and field athletes from Michigan, Indiana and Ohio against each other in girls' and boys' team competitions.

Pilkerton, this year's Division 2 state champion, finished second in the pole vault clearing 12-feet, 6 inches. Placing first was Ohio state champion Mackenzie Wills with a 12-9 mark. Both heights shattered the previous meet record of 12-0.

Pilkerton, who'll pole vault for the University of Minnesota next year, is the state record-holder in the event reaching 12-7 earlier this past season. Wills, from Troy Christian, is the Ohio state record-holder with a mark of 13-0.

Caldwell who won both hurdle events for the second straight year in the Division 2 state track meet will be running at Columbia in the fall.

Besides Pilkerton, other Michigan pole vaulters competing included Gladwin's Elizabeth Wilford, who placed fifth with a height of 11-6 and East Kentwood's Charity Hester, who was sixth with an 11-0.

Other western Washtenaw County athletes competing in the meet included Saline's Megan Creutz, who finished fifth in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:15.01. Manchester's Jarod Sawyer placed sixth in the high jump with a mark of 6-6.

Overall, Michigan finished first in the girls' meet with 201 points. Ohio was second with 149 points, while Indiana was third with 125 points. The Michigan girls' team has dominated the Midwest Meet of Champions, winning 11 of the past 13 events. In the 29-year history of the meet, Michigan's girls have won 16 times, while Ohio has nine wins, Indiana three wins and Illinois one win.

In the boys' meet, Ohio finished first with 184 points, while Indiana was second with 145 points and Michigan third with 144 points. Since 1998, Ohio has won the event eight times. Overall, the Buckeye State has 18 boys' meet wins, while Michigan has 11 wins and Indiana six. Michigan won six of the first 10 meets, but hasn't tasted victory since 1998.

Since 2006, the Bill Walker Trophy has been awarded to the state with the highest combined boys' and girls' score. Michigan has won the trophy all three years. Walker, an Indiana track and field coach for 50 years, is the founder of the Midwest Meet of Champions.

Belleville's Varick Tucker took fourth in the 400-meter run (48.71). The 400-meter relay team he was on was disqualified. He will be running in college in the fall at the University of Tennessee.

Overall, in the meet's history, Michigan and Ohio are tied for most victories, including boys' and girls' meets, with 27 each. Indiana has nine wins, while Illinois has one.

Besides Pilkerton, Dexter's Lex Williams has participated in the meet. Williams, now running for the University of Michigan, holds the all-time meet record in the 3,200-meter run with a time of 8:57.16.

Chelsea's Joe Tripodi (shot put) and Katie Taylor (discus) have also competed in the meet recently.

Other former noteworthy participants in the Midwest Meet of Champions include Michigan athletes Taylor Center's Earl Jones, who would later win a bronze medal in the 800-meter run at the 1984 Olympics and Brian Diemer, from Grand Rapids South Christian, who would later win a bronze medal in the 3,000-meter steeplechase also in the 1984 Olympics.

NFL players Rod Woodson (Indiana) and Ted Ginn Jr. (Ohio) have also participated in the meet.

Sports Editor Don Richter can be reached at 475-1371 or at drichter@heritage.com.