TRAVERSE CITY — An 0-3 start to the varsity lacrosse season wasn’t exactly what Traverse City United head coach Liberty Provost had in mind.
After a 5-3 loss to Muskegon Mona Shores in a low-scoring affair at Thirlby Field on Saturday, the United find themselves on a three-game skid to open the 2024 campaign.
“All three of our games this season have been low-scoring — on our end anyway,” Provost said, attributing the slow start to struggles finding an offensive rhythm. “We have a game plan in place, but we are struggling to connect the dots and pass and catch to get some quality looks. And when we do get good looks, we run into hot goalies and miss the cage a bunch.”
Provost said the season is “still young,” and he hopes his squad will start to turn the corner sooner rather than later.
“This has been a good reality check for us that we can’t just come out and play freeform if we want to score the goals we want to,” he said. “I’m hoping that we can get a little more structured offensively instead of trying to make things happen individually. We have to work better as a team.”
The 2024 season marks the final season before the United — which is a co-op of Traverse City Central and Traverse City West — splits up into two teams. This year’s United features 77 players who make up a varsity A, varsity B and a JV team.
Josh Vezza, Jack Schripsema and Jackson Dobreff each tallied a goal, and Caleb Lewandowski finished with two assists on the afternoon. Anderson Farmer played well in net with 11 saves, and the defense put forth a solid effort led by Coleton Ritola and Syrus Ritola
“We’ve just got to come together and commit to team ball, and we’ll be back on track,” Provost said. “Any time your defense holds a team to five goals, you should come out on top.
The United eye their first win when they travel to Holt on Saturday. Vicksburg then comes to Thirlby Field on Friday, April 26, with Grand Rapids Christian in town the following day.
TRACK & FIELD
Stags, Glads show winning ways at Rodes Relays
KINGSLEY — The annual Rodes Relays in Kingsley produced some top-tier performances from the host Stags and Traverse City St. Francis.
Kingsley won both the boys and girls divisions, and the Gladiators took second in both.
St. Francis swept the boys and girls 100-meter dash as Cam Sellers set a personal record at 11.22 seconds for the win and Sophia Tucker set a season record at 13.27 seconds to nab first.
Mary Masserant took the gold for St. Francis in the 1600m with a season-best time of 5:27.04.
Kingsley hurdlers Colten Goethals and Norah Galton picked up wins in the boys 110m and girls 100m hurdles, respectively. Goethals ran a PR time of 17.8, and Galton ran a season-best 17.11.
The Gladiator boys and girls went three for four in the relay races, winning the 4x100m, 4x200m and 4x800m in both divisions.
In the 4×100, Eddie Walter, Tommy Donahue, Tyler Kadlec and Sellers won in 46.01 and Maya Padisak, Helen Biggar, Olivia Padisak and Tucker won in 52.17.
The 4×200 golds went to Walter, Donahue, Lewis Walter and Seller in 1:34.8 and Maya Padisak, Biggar, Addie Lesinski and Tucker in 1:50.59.
In the 4×800, Riley Pattinson, Lewis Walter, Owen Read and Robby Myler ran an 8:45.83 for the win, and Molly Kate Hollandsworth, Maddie Gallagher, Paige Ritchie and Masserant won in 10:56.69.
The boys 4x400m relay title went to Mancelona’s Jaymes Wildfong, Devan Hale, Aiden Dixon and Elijah Westcott in 3:42.42, and the girls 4×400 relay win went to the Stags’ Emilee Robinson, Aizlyn McKinley, Alivia Dear and Galton in 4:33.09.
St. Francis also won the boys and girls DMR 4000m relays. Joseph Carlson, Tucker Krumm, Pattinson and Myler won in 11:32.16, and Hollandsworth, Lesinski, Ritchie and Masserant won in 14:28.97.
Kingsley took first in the boys and girls shuttle hurdle relays. The boys team of Aiden Hunt, Goethals, Gavin Lewis and Blaine Summerfield won the 110m in 1:06.92, and the girls team of Sarah Wooer, Kaylin Mitchell, Galton and Westenbarger won the 100m in 1:12.19.
The Stags also swept the boys and girls shot put and discus events with Chase Bott setting a PR at 46 feet, 5.5 inches and Adalene Chambers also setting a PR at 32-4 in the shot put and the same duo setting season records in the discus at 150-8 and 90-3, respectively.
Both the boys and girls pole vault titles also went to Kingsley. Braxton Zenner won at 12-6, and Kelsey Saxton won at 8-6.
The Gladiators grabbed both long jump wins as Lewis Walter set a PR at 19-11 and Sophia Tucker notched a PR with a 14-4.
Gaylord’s Berkshire gets 2 wins at Warrior Invitational
CHIPPEWA HILLS — Katie Berkshire added to her quest for the 2024 Record-Eagle Runner of the Year award with a pair of wins for Gaylord at the Warrior Invitational on Saturday.
The sophomore Blue Devil took first in the 1600m ahead of Benzie Central’s Mylie Kelly at 5:14.73. Berkshire also grabbed gold in the 3200m with a time of 11:03.2, and Kelly earned the win in the 800m at 2:31.41.
Other area athletes notching victories included Gaylord’s Cirio Espositos in the 100m and Ivy Roberts in the high jump, and Manton’s Mattie LaFreniere in the discus and Lucas Letts in the high jump.
Petoskey girls win Freeland Invite
FREELAND — Victories in five events and high-scoring performances in several others carried the Petoskey varsity girls team to a victory at the Freeland Invite on Saturday.
Madeline Loe won the 100m dash in 12.89 seconds. The 4x100m relay team of Lucy Tarachas, Loe, Emma Mitas and Nevaeh Leonard took first in 50.73, and the 4x200m relay team of Leonard, Alison Bailey, Mitas and Loe earned gold in 1:50.54.
Petoskey’s other two wins came from Braylin Adair in the high jump, clearing 5-2, and Sarah Bailey in the pole vault, clearing 8-6.
The Petoskey boys fared well, too, taking second place overall without winning an event. Runners-up for the Northmen included Sam Mitas in the 200m, Johnny Lipchik in the 300m hurdles, the 4x100m relay team of Mitch Eberhart, Seth Marek, Mason Fralick and Mitas, and Korbin Sulitis in the discus.
SOCCER
Trojans 0-1-1 at Portage Invite
PORTAGE — Traverse City Central opened Saturday’s action of the Portage Invitational with a 2-2 tie to Vicksburg and then lost 4-0 to the host Mustangs of Portage Central.
Central next takes the pitch when the Trojans square off against crosstown rival Traverse City West at the Trojan Athletic Complex on Tuesday at 6:45 p.m.
TC West 1
Marquette 0
UP NEXT: The Titans (3-1) take on the rival Traverse City Central Trojans at the Trojan Athletic Complex on Tuesday.
McBain NMC wins Comet Cup
McBAIN — The McBain Northern Michigan Christian Comets won their home tournament, earning the Comet Cup with a 4-1 win over Lakeview and a 2-1 win over Hart.
Jada VanNoord tallied a pair of goals against Lakeview and notched a goal and an assist against Hart. Kylee Winkle scored a goal in each game, and Melanie Bennett scored once and had two assists against Lakeview. Harper Tossey was in goal and made five saves against Lakeview and 10 saves against Hart, including the game-saving stop in the final minutes of the championship game.
“We have a very small roster with several girls battling injuries, so to play two games in a day was tough,” McBain NMC head coach Jen VanNoord said. “But this team never quit and never stopped fighting for the win.”
The Comets are now 4-0 and host Brethren on Monday.
Vikings go 2-1 at Ogemaw Invite
WEST BRANCH — Saturday didn’t start too well for Grayling, but the Vikings ended the Ogemaw Heights Tournament on a strong note.
Grayling dropped a 5-0 decision to Saginaw Swan Valley in the morning contest before bouncing back with a 5-0 victory against Standish-Sterling and a 2-1 win over the host Falcons.
The Vikings improved to 4-2 overall and next play Monday when they head to Harbor Springs.
BOYS LACROSSE
Petoskey 13
Saginaw Heritage 3
UP NEXT: The Northmen (4-0) host Midland Dow on Saturday.
GIRLS LACROSSE
East Lansing 15
TC United 6
UP NEXT: The United (0-4) travel to Saginaw Heritage on Monday.
BOYS GOLF
Gladiators finish 10th at Southern Swing Invite
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Williams Gibbons fired a 78 to finish in 16th place on the individual leaderboard as the Traverse City St. Francis Gladiators took 10th as a team in the Southern Swing Invitational on Saturday.
The Glads ended with a two-day total of 664, finishing 44 over par as a team. Detroit Catholic Central won with a 607.
Ben Wolff finished in 28th after firing an 80 on Saturday followed by Casey Jackson in 65th with an 86 and David Ansley in 78th with an 88.
Comets take 4th at Kent City Invite
KENT CITY — McBain Northern Michigan got two top-10 individual performances to finish in fourth place as a team at the Kent City Invite on Saturday.
Titus Best continued his impressive start to the 2024 campaign, firing an 80 to finish in sixth place. Emmitt Baas was just a stroke off with an 81 to take ninth place as the Comets finished with a combined score of 339. West Catholic won the event with a 327.
Also scoring for McBain NMC Blair DeZeeuw and Dries VanNoord, both in their freshman year, who finished with an 89.
GIRLS TENNIS
St. Francis finishes 2nd at Mustang Invite
GRAND RAPIDS — Traverse City St. Francis finished second with 16 points at Saturday’s Mustang Invitational. Elk Rapids was sixth with nine points.
Abby Corpus at three-singles and Ava Pomaranksi at four-singles finished runner-up in their respective flights. Mary Kate Ansley at one-singles and Elliana McClellan at two-singles finished 2-1 on the day.
In doubles action, Lily Lurvey and Maggie Puetz were 2-1 at one-doubles. Elly March and Caroline Knox were also 2-1 at two-doubles, as were Katrina Lee and Grace Mason at three-doubles and Lizzie Frederick and Anna Cate Maday at four-doubles.