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The Lady Pioneers of Cros-Lex, with some pressure from Deckerville and Marlette, claimed the school's 10th consecutive Sanilac County News Track & Field Meet championship Thursday at the Marlette Athletic Field. They totaled 168 points to finish ahead of Deckerville (125) and Marlette (91). The difference in the final standings came in five events where the Lady Pioneers' depth accounted for double digit scoring.

"(The girls) stepped up because they had a tough meet on Tuesday," said veteran C-L coach Peggy Regan, whose team captured the BWAC league title just two days before. "But, we were excited to have the good competition with both Marlette and Deckerville, too."

Meanwhile, freshman Cheyenne Sampson of the Lady Eagles emerged in fine fashion from a strong list of candidates to win the Purl Wark Award for the Female Athlete of the Meet.

Her day started right when her 3200 meter relay team (with Dana Stolicker, Malorie Machart, and Shelby McVittie) battled Cros-Lex and won by shattering the meet record with a time of 9:52.91, nearly 37 seconds better than the old mark. C-L was right behind at 9:54.75.

Sampson was favored to win the 3200 meter run and did convincingly with a time of 12:56.76. Earlier, though, came a critical victory in the 1600 (5:45.68) when she fought off Amanda Kalso of Cros-Lex (5:48.41) plus her own teammate, Malorie Machart, and Marlette's Kasey Sauder.

Deckerville coach Randee Kirkpatrick expressed the excitement of Sampson's award-winning performances. "Everyone was just so pumped up about her winning. She proved she's strong enough even through hot weather - running distance in hot weather is not easy. I feel privileged to have her on my team. She is a great athlete and a natural runner."

Sampson was not alone in putting on great performances. Freshman Leah O'Connor and senior Laura Bombard were involved in five of the Lady Pioneers' seven firsts on the day.

In one of the most talented 800 meter fields in the 33-year County Meet history, O'Connor kicked in down the stretch to win in 2:24.46, edging Deckerville's Stolicker, just a sophomore, by 1.31 seconds. Her time was just .36 seconds off the meet record set by Sandusky's Brenda Essenmacher in 1982. Adding to the story, O'Connor, just two events earlier, won the 400 (1:02.18).

"She's exciting to watch," Coach Regan commented. "I really look forward to having her for the next three years. She's got a lot of heart."

In the 3200 relay, with teammates Jamie Edmunds, Michaela Maze and Kalso, O'Connor had a split time of 2:20.0. She also collected a gold in the 1600 relay with Bombard, Edmunds and Brittany Yelinek.

The Lady Pioneers' Bombard, a 2004 Wark award winner, is closing out a stellar track career. She won the County Meet 300 hurdles championship for the fourth consecutive year, this time in :49.63, .32 seconds ahead of Deckerville's McVittie. She also won the 100 hurdles in 16.4.

The other two gold-medal achievements for Cros-Lex came from Yelinek, a freshman, in the long jump (15-2.5) and junior Erin Lamb in the 100 meter dash (13.01, season-best).

Marlette senior Lauren Wiley turned in a strong day, winning the 200 (27.48, season-best), finishing second to O'Connor in the 400, and second to teammate Tori Chappel in the high jump (5-0). Chappel's winning height was also 5'.

Deckerville's only other first in the meet came from Tasha Trowhill in the discus with a throw of 94'9".

Sandusky had three firsts Thursday, including the combined efforts of Katelyn Gerstenberger, Alicia Grigg, Brittany Alvirez and Chelsea Gueldenzopf in winning both the 800 (1:54.1) and 400 (52.97, season-best) meter relays. Junior Cassy VanConant won the gold in the shot put (34-4.5, season-best).

Last, but not least by any means, Brown City's Julie Martus took her 4'11" frame to a meet-tying record off 9'6" in the pole vault. It also equaled the school record.