Plymouth competes in NLC 3-way

April 29, 2011

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PLYMOUTH — Plymouth was competitive but took a pair of Northern Lakes Conference losses to Northridge and Goshen at home on Senior Night.
Northridge topped the pile with a 72-60 win over Goshen, while the Redskins split with an 85-47 win over the Pilgrims. Plymouth fared better in the Raiders match-up but still fell 74-58 in the rainy, windy and cold conditions Thursday.
“I was really proud of the way the kids competed tonight,” said Plymouth boys track and field coach John Barron. “It’s awful weather tonight, but our kids really did a nice job of competing, I thought. We have some kids that are injured, and for them to come out and do the things that they did, I was really happy with them.”
Plymouth was led on Senior Night by upperclassman Derrick Lee, who cleared 12’06” to breeze to the win in the pole vault and earned his second victory of the night with a 51.75 time in the 400-meter run. Lee was backed up by fellow senior Tyler Crum in the 400 as the duo went one-two for Plymouth.
“Derrick Lee was a multiple winner for us again in the pole vault and the open 400,” said Barron. “Derrick’s one of the best, if not the best, pole vaulters in the area; he’s the best pole vaulter in the conference. He’s been winning all year long.”
Plymouth did most of its damage in the field events with wins in all except the shot put, where the Pilgrims still earned big points with a trio of top five finishes.
Lee won the vault, Sean Smith cleared 5’10” to win the high jump, Jordan Knapp recorded a 20”09” in the long jump to win there, and Dan Samuelson threw a 140’ to win the discus, followed by teammates Adam Lacefield and Brandon Kleckner in second and third, respectively. Plymouth’s throwing corps went three-four-five in the shot put, meanwhile, as Tyler Vermillion recorded a 45’07.5” to lead the team, followed by Samuelson in fourth and Lacefield in fifth.
“Our throwers have been steady all year,” said Barron. “Jordan’s been coming in the long jump, and we’ve been waiting for Sean and David Lee to get going in the high jump, and they did a nice job for us tonight. Our field events have kind of been our strength right now.”
Plymouth celebrated the accomplishments of its 10 seniors at the meet, including Lee, Smith, Crum, Vermillion and Kleckner, as well as Brock Smith, Zack Hayden, Jessie Huerta and A.J. Ruffing.
“All of the kids have a really good attitude. They just do a really good job leading the team,” said Barron.
Senior Night was Plymouth’s last home meet of the season before May 19. The Pilgrims will hit the road for another NLC triangular with NorthWood and Elkhart Memorial next Wednesday, and they’ll wrap up the conference season at the NLC Championship Meet May 10 at Warsaw.
“Our conference is really strong this year in track and field. We’re struggling team-wise, but I like our kids’ attitude,” Barron said. “We’ve got a meet next week against NorthWood and Elkhart Memorial, and I think if we get healthy we can beat both those teams if we perform well, and then that puts us right in the middle of the pack with our dual meet season. We’ll try move up at the end and then get ready for our sectional.”

• NORTHRIDGE 72, GOSHEN 60;
GOSHEN 85, PLYMOUTH 47;
NORTHRIDGE 74, PLYMOUTH 58
At Plymouth
3200 relay: 1. Northridge (Mitch Eby, Lucas Miller, Marshall Hawn, Trevor Moore) 8:20.40; 2. Goshen (Ricardo Castillo, Jesus Castillo, Reid Zimmerman, Pablo Corral) 8:25.30; 110 hurdles: 1. Brian Van Hook (Goshen) 15.98; 2. Robert Dickerson (Northridge) 16.45; 100: 1. J.J. Frey (Northridge) 11.42; 2. Daniel Deboni (Goshen) 11.67; 1600: 1. Tyler Wynn (Goshen) 4:39.49; 2. Marshall Hawn (Northridge) 4:46.85; 400 relay: 1. Goshen (Ryan Steele, Richie Sleppy, David Isaula, Tyler Mast) 45.38; 2. Northridge (Austgin Benesics, Jallyn Rolle, Tyler Priem, J.J. Frey) 45.63; 400: 1. Derrick Lee (Plymouth) 51.75; 2. Tyler Crum (Plymouth) 53.12; 300 hurdles: 1. Robert Dickerson (Northridge) 43.51; 2. Christian Barron (Goshen) 43.64; 800: 1. Tyler Wynn (Goshen) 2:02.36; 2. Chad Welty (Northridge) 2:03.48; 200: 1. Nick Maher (Northridge) 23.51; 2. Daniel Deboni (Goshen) 23.81; 3200: 1. Marshall Hawn (Northridge) 10:15.89; Luke Kaufman (Goshen) 10:34.06; 1600 relay: 1. Goshen (Louis Kissinger, Stephen Place, Robby Lehman, Logan Schlabach) 3:36.45; 2. Plymouth (Derrick Lee, Tyler Crum, Sean Smith, Brock Smith) 3:39.06; Long jump: 1. Jordan Knapp (Plymouth) 20-9; 2. Tyler Priem (Northridge) 20-5; High jump: 1. Sean Smith (Plymouth) 5-10; 2. Nick Bowman (Northridge) 5-8; Shot put: 1. Jeffrey Parker (Northridge 49-1 3/4; 2. Brandon Daniels (Goshen) 47-1/2; Discus: 1. Dan Samuelson (Plymouth) 140-0; 2. Adam Laeefield (Plymouth) 139-11; Pole vault: 1. Derrick Lee (Plymouth) 12-6; Aaron Krabill (Goshen) 12-0.