High School Notebook: Harper Creek Optimist meet helps kick off cross country season
BATTLE CREEK - Harper Creek junior Dominic Lowrie picked up where he left off last spring as one of the top young distance runners in the area. The state qualifier finished first in one of the top early events of the cross country season, winning the Harper Creek Optimist Cross Country Invitational on Saturday.
Lowrie took first by almost 20 seconds with a time of 16:47 to help the Beavers boys team finished second in the 11-12th grade race with a team score of 18, trailing champ Hanover-Horton. Harper Creek's William O'Dell also had a top 10 finish for Harper Creek in that event.
In the 11th-12th race, St. Philip's Luke Sprague was fifth and Gull Lake's Keegan Fulling was ninth.
Harper Creek showed its depth as sophomore Cooper Gardner took first in the 9th-10th grade race in a time of 17:33. Christian Ayres was fifth in that race for the Beavers.
The Harper Creek girls were third as a team, trailing first-place Hanover-Horton. Senior Emma Monroe was fourth overall for the Beavers in 21:53 with Gull Lake's Riley McCarney sixth. St. Philip's Mimi Hibbard was 11th.
MORE: 2023 Girls Cross Country Season Preview
Lakeview Cross Country
The Lakeview boys started the season fast by finishing first at the St. Joseph Invitational last Tuesday, led by senior Aiden Moore. Moore took first overall with a time of 16:23 with teammate Jonah Bills second at 16:56.
The Lakeview girls were third as a team with senior Alyssa Hinton taking sixth and Jaden Sarg-Lopen eighth in the 11th-12th grade race. The top Spartan time was posted by sophomore Lilamae Frank, who took third in the 9th-10th grade race in 21:09.
MORE: 2023 Volleyball Season Preview
Cereal City Classic Volleyball
A key early event, featuring all the city volleyball teams, the annual 16-team Cereal City Classic took over a warm Battle Creek Central Fieldhouse on Saturday.
Lakeview advanced all the way to the finals and finished second overall, falling to state power Temperance-Bedford in the championship match, 25-17, 25-17. The Spartans swept through pool play with wins over Pennfield, Thornapple-Kellogg and Mendon. Lakeview got past Coldwater in the quarterfinals, 25-20, 25-16, and beat Three Rivers in the semifinals, 25-19, 25-23.
Livi Overbeek had 39 kills on the day to lead Lakeview with Anya Rankin adding 35 kills and 29 digs. Camille Oxley had a team-high 43 digs as Danica Badawi had 119 assists for the tournament.
St. Philip advanced out of pool play and beat Hopkins in the quarterfinals, 23-25, 25-21, 25-15. The Tigers lost to Marshall in the semifinals, 25-16, 21-25, 25-15. Makenzee Grimm had 24 kills on the day and 21 digs. Charli Greger came up with 52 assists.
Harper Creek also advanced out of pool play as lost to Marshall in the quarterfinals, 25-19, 14-25, 15-8.
Marshall finished third overall, losing to eventual champ Temperence-Bedford in the semifinals. Maya Valentine had 20 kills and six blocks to lead the Redhawks on the day with Ashlynn Giannunzio adding 17 kills and 15 digs with Addie Waito coming up with 68 assists and five aces.
Pennfield finished second in the Silver Bracket, losing to Hopkins in the championship game of that flight, 25-19, 25-14. Natalie Hensel had 30 kills to lead the Panthers with Kayden Tanner adding 52 assists.
Contact Bill Broderick at bbroderi@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on Twitter @billbroderick
This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Notebook: Harper Creek Optimist meet helps kick off X-country season
