The Dexter Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Pilkerton places second at meet
By Don Richter, Sports Editor
PUBLISHED: June 19, 2008
Dexter's Becca Pilkerton represented Michigan in last Saturday's Midwest Meet of Champions at Jackson's Withington Stadium.
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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.
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.
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.
Besides Pilkerton, numerous other Michigan athletes fared well at the Midwest Meet of Champions.
In hurdles, Michigan swept the first three places. Winning the race was Leslie Arriguzo of West Bloomfield with a time of 14.38. Placing second was Ann Arbor Pioneer's Raven Clay in 14.43, while Ypsilanti's Kyra Caldwell was third in 14.65.
In the shot put, Tia Brooks, from East Kentwood, finished second with a heave of 45-7 3/4. Winning the event was Indiana state champion Meghan Kessler with a throw of 46 1/4. Brooks also placed second in the discus with a toss of 146-3. Indiana's Monteka Flowers was first with a 147-0.
Jackson's Brittani Williams placed third in the 400-meter run in 56.06.
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