Pate piles up academic awards heading into senior track season
GIBRALTAR – Arianna Pate stays busy.
The Gibraltar Carlson senior is a three-sport athlete in cross country, basketball and track and field.
But her busy practice schedule does not keep her from her studies.
Pate found out last month that she had achieved a pair of great academic honors. She was named Carlson’s valedictorian and also was honored as a Michigan High School Athletic Association Scholar-Athlete.
“I was super thrilled,” she said. “I was not expecting the Scholar-Athlete Award. It was kind of a longshot. There were so many applicants and great candidates for it.”
Valedictorian honors were something she has been targeting since she reached high school.
“That’s something I worked for so hard,” she said. “There is satisfaction with hard work paying off.”
The daughter of Elizabeth and Christofer Pate of Brownstown is proud that she was able to achieve her goal while participating in three sports.
“I am definitely really busy, but I make it work,” she said.
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She lists basketball as her favorite sport, but is looking forward to her final season of track.
“I look forward to making some really great memories,” she said. “We have a huge team this year.”
The distance runner says the 3,200-meter relay is her favorite event.
“I like the team aspects of things,” she said. “I love running on relays and cheering on my teammates.”
Previews of all of the Monroe County Region girls track and field teams follow.
AIRPORT
Coach: Billy Brown, 10th year.
Top athletes: Seniors Cecelia Ortega, Madison Hoppert, Alivia Awishes; juniors Courtney Bovair, Gianna Lafata.
Season outlook: Brown believes his team will finish in the top three in the Huron League.
Coach’s comments: “We will be competitive rain or shine. We have a young team and it will take a total team effort every meet.”
BEDFORD
Coach: Stephanie Wistinghausen, second year
Top athletes: Seniors Gabriella Pisanti, Mia Garcia, Sidney Davis; juniors Reese Oberski, Adelle Robinson, Ava Eby, Kadence Esser, Teagan Jeffers, Mollie Plock; sophomores Cheyenne Ivey, Dakota Frantz, Lily Jenkins; freshmen Iva Ravindra, Madyson Wallace, Olivia Eby, Sabrine Maayah, Kaylee Sawasky.
Season outlook: Robinson took third in the 200 meters, Pisanti sixth in the 60-meter hurdles, Eby sixth in the shot-put Esser eighth in the high jump and Wallace was sixth in the long jump and 11th in the 200 in the recent Southeastern Conference Red Indoor Meet.
Coach’s comments: “We have a young team with a lot of potential. Lots of hard workers. I am excited to see how our girls have improved from last year. They work hard in a hard conference. It’s all about improving.”
DUNDEE
Coach: Kevin Jarema, ninth year.
Top athletes: Seniors Brianna Cousino, Joslyn Ball, Natalie Swisher; juniors Gwen Phal, Kaylee Hovey, Brook Hester; sophomores Maddie Salenbien, Allie Root, Madeline Dukeshire, Maria Lora, Lily Homrich, Audery Przybylski, Abigail Mills, Breely Snow, Lilly Ratliff, Chani Vincent; freshmen Taylor Schneider, Sophia Nolff.
Season outlook: The Vikings have 50 girls out for the team and 40 of them are freshmen or sophomores. They host their first meet on their new track on April 2.
Coach’s comments: “I think we can surprise some people this year and I believe that we can finish in the top half of the league.”
ERIE MASON
Coach: Julie Ravary, 14th year.
Top athletes: Seniors Evie Bomia, Lauren Murbach, Abbigail England, Audrey Trainer; juniors Mikaela Graves, Beth Sweeney, Bailey Meiring, Elizabeth Lambert; sophomores Clara Whalen, Joanne Cai, Page Konrad, Molly Sepulveda, Grace Albright, Guliana Nastale, Lilly Kaufman, Riley England.
Season outlook: Ravary believes her team can contend with Whiteford and Sand Creek for the Tri-County Conference championship.
Coach’s comments: “We have the potential but have a lot of work to do! We must outwork everyone we compete against …. I am excited to have a balanced team this year. We have a good core.”
FLAT ROCK
Coach: Dave Merkel, 21st year.
Top Athletes: Keola Botts, Reagan Higdon, Arianna Hoover, Sophia Chan, Whitney Cotter.
Season outlook: Higdon was a state qualifier last year from a team that has 25 on the roster this spring.
Coach’s comments: “If we can fill-in a few holes in the line-up we should be fairly competitive. It is a fun group of athletes and they have been working hard so we are expecting big improvements.”
IDA
Coach: Doug Rauner, 10th year.
Top Athletes: Seniors Katelyn Bydlowski, Madison Steinman; junior Mackenzie Dollison; sophomores Julie Hughes, Grace May, Taegan Williamson.
Season outlook: The Blue Streaks have better numbers this season with 24 on the roster but will be young with just three seniors and one junior.
Coach’s comments: “We should be very good in hurdles. Setting a lineup for all other events will be a challenge.”
JEFFERSON
Coach: Phil Speare, 29th year.
Top athletes: Seniors Jenna Pilachowski, Riley Peer, Alyssa Masserant, Abby Miller, Layla Tahmouch, Sephena Jordan; juniors Kim Miller, Lauryn St. Bernard, Katie Powell, Lindsay Masserant, Mia Schroeder, Anna Boggs, Carly Smith, Cameryn Williams, Liz Ruby; freshmen Haleigh Evans, Kayleigh Kittle, Marimar Esteban-Chavez, Novaleigh Stump.
Season outlook: Speare has his smallest team in nearly three decades as coach at Jefferson but likes the competitive nature of his girls.
Coach's comments: “For us to be successful this season we will need to stay healthy and work very hard. They are a wonderful group of girls to work with, I just wish we had more girls out for our team to help our solid group of juniors and seniors.”
GIBRALTAR CARLSON
Coach: Erin Torres, fifth year.
Top athletes: Senior Arianna Pate; juniors Maraya Finklea, Brooklyn Kemokai, Lauren Wilson, Andria Konczal, Diana Fry; freshman Reagan Reaume.
Season outlook: The Marauders have their biggest roster in the 10 years that Torres has been involved in the program.
Coach’s comments: “I am excited to see what we can do this season as we had quite a few younger kids find success last year. I have a great group of kids who work extremely hard and are driven by competition.”
MILAN
Coach: Dan Adler, first year.
Top athletes: Juniors Malea Wourman, Marissa Beck, Julia Lorch; sophomores Angelina Wilson, Amerie Wilson, Kaily McDaniel.
Season outlook: Adler is a 2000 Ida graduate who ran for Doug Raunder and Ken Jabe. He has run the Boston Marathon four times.
Coach’s comments: “Our sprint relays should be very competitive this season. Malea Wourman is looking to get back to the state meet, and I know there are several other girls looking to join her. We also have a very strong throws crew.”
MONROE
Coach: Jim Mydlowski, ninth year.
Top athletes: Seniors Viktoria Bloniarz; Kendall Gunter, Ally Pitcher; juniors Claire Charnock, Rowan Stamper, Kazhmier Burns, Julia Maurice, Alexandra Butler, Olivia Harmon; sophomores Delani Willey, Gracelyn Palmer, Anna Coury, Corinna Aulph.
Season outlook: Depth could be an issue for Monroe, especially in meets against some of the most talented teams in the Southeastern Conference Red which could have three of the top 10 teams in the state.
Coach’s comments: “We lost a lot last year, and will struggle some this year, but the team is made up of a bunch of hard-working girls. That will mean that, if everyone can stay healthy, we will make some major improvements as the season goes on.”
NEW BOSTON HURON
Coach: Don Morris. first year.
Top athletes: Seniors MacKenzie Whitehill, Jordan Hickey, Maddie Singer, Natalie Carlile; juniors Amel Ghennewa, Brielle Musallam, Olivia Pryor; sophomores, Avery Turk, Falyn Doss.
Season outlook: Morris, who has been assisting Cassy Roupe with the boys team, takes over the girls this season. They will work together on both teams.
Coach's comments: “While we've been involved with the girls' team for the past few years, this marks our first year taking charge of all aspects.”
SMCC
Coach: Jake Michaels, first year:
Top athletes: Seniors Ashley Ruhlig, MaryAlice Lynch, Macy Carlton; juniors Claire Lisker, Alaina Wille, Sam LaFountain, Mckenna Payne, Jessica Costlow; sophomores Bella LaFountain, Adela Illes, Gena Craanen, Ashley Flint; freshmen Maggie Geiger, Juleigh Husby.
Season outlook: The Kestrels should be outstanding in the longer relays and are adding some solid first-year runners including volleyball stars Payne and Costlow.
Coach’s comments: “I am excited to see what this solid group of girls are going to do this year. … This 4x800 team is one of the best teams I have seen, they are the team to beat this year.”
SUMMERFIELD
Coach: Dave Raymond, first year.
Top athletes: Seniors Cammy Taylor, Faith Secor; sophomores Bethany Suydam, Grace Raymond.
Season outlook: Summerfield has more athletes than last year thanks in large part to five softball players who will participate in two sports.
Coach's comments: “The girls are working hard and we have some kids that truly love track. I'm excited to see what they can do.”
WHITEFORD
Coach: Jay Yockey, second year.
Top athletes: Seniors Annie Gapp, Aubrie Simmons, Kenzie Gray, Rylie DeSilvis, Reagan Wing; juniors Kayla Luse, Alaina McClain; freshmen Braelynn Chiotti, Sierra DeBarr.
Season outlook: Yockey is experimenting to see where his athletes fit best.
Coach's comments: “I am excited to see what this girls' team can do, they are a determined group to continue excellence and see success in the TCC, regional, and get as many girls as possible to the state meet.”
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Girls Track and Field Previews: Scholar leads Gibraltar Carlson
