Ryan Santa / Bill Breslin Article (MI)
Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2005 11:08 am
http://www.hometownlife.com/Livonia/News.asp?pageType=StoryCurrent&StoryArchiveID=109307&StoryID=27590&Section=Sports&OnlineSection=Sports&SectionPubDate=Thursday,%20June%209,%202005&RefDate=6/11/2005
Churchill pole vaulters Santa, Breslin finish 1-2
By Brad Emons
Staff Writer
Livonia Churchill's Ryan Santa works nights at the Emagine Theater in Canton, but he couldn't imagine writing a better script during Saturday's Division I Boys Track and Field Championships held at Rockford.
Santa, a junior, cleared 15 feet to set a new Lower Peninsula D-1 Finals record. He also became become the school's first individual state boys track and field champion.
And to add icing on the cake, teammate Bill Breslin, a senior, set a personal record by going over the bar at 14 feet to tie for second.
"I expected to take first the way I'd been jumping, but there was more excitement for me over Bill taking second, I was really excited for him,'' said Santa, who eclipsed Benny Lopez of Grand Blanc's mark of 14-10 in 2004. "I did not have my best day, but I knew jumping 15 feet was my standard on a normal day. I started off slowly. I was trying some new poles.''
Churchill coach Rick Austin also was ecstatic over Churchill's one-two finish in the pole vault.
"I knew Santa had a great opportunity because he made 15 feet four times during the season and that seemed to be his plateau,'' Austin said. "But Billy was a bigger surprise. He's been number two to Santa all year, but they push each other in practice and in meets.
"Billy had no misses until his try at 14-3. He was perfect up until that point. It's great to see a senior go out that way.''
Both Santa and Breslin have been under the tutelage of Churchill assistant coach Vern Williams.
Santa plans to take a week or two off before working Williams' pole vault camps. He'll also compete in the Grand Haven Beat Vault.
"I'll hit the weight room, work on my speed and get faster for next year,'' Santa said of his summer plans.
Churchill finished 11th overall with 17 points in the meet won by Flint Carman-Ainsworth, which scored a team-high 53 to beat Detroit Mumford by 10.
Wayne Memorial's Darrian Miller also had a productive day, running 22.46 to place third in the 200-meter dash. He also ran 11.06 in the finals of the 100 dash to finish sixth.
Meanwhile, Redford Catholic Central's Nick Barrett threw the discus 161-4 to place seventh.
In the Division III state finals at Comstock Park, Livonia Clarenceville junior Donnie Carson finished fifth in 200 dash in 22.93.
Lutheran Westland made its presence known at Division IV finals at Houseman Field in Grand Rapids by scoring 11 points, good enough for 18th place.
The Warriors' 800 relay team of Billy Kahler, Rick Schwartz, Mike Schatz and Kevin Bartos placed third in 1:33.16.
Lutheran Westland's 1,600 relay team of Josh Palka, Kahler, Rob Considine and Kahler added a seventh (3:33.52).
Individually, Pat Higgins threw 49 feet, 0.25 inches to earn a seventh, while Bartos went 11.58 to finish eighth in the 100.
Churchill pole vaulters Santa, Breslin finish 1-2
By Brad Emons
Staff Writer
Livonia Churchill's Ryan Santa works nights at the Emagine Theater in Canton, but he couldn't imagine writing a better script during Saturday's Division I Boys Track and Field Championships held at Rockford.
Santa, a junior, cleared 15 feet to set a new Lower Peninsula D-1 Finals record. He also became become the school's first individual state boys track and field champion.
And to add icing on the cake, teammate Bill Breslin, a senior, set a personal record by going over the bar at 14 feet to tie for second.
"I expected to take first the way I'd been jumping, but there was more excitement for me over Bill taking second, I was really excited for him,'' said Santa, who eclipsed Benny Lopez of Grand Blanc's mark of 14-10 in 2004. "I did not have my best day, but I knew jumping 15 feet was my standard on a normal day. I started off slowly. I was trying some new poles.''
Churchill coach Rick Austin also was ecstatic over Churchill's one-two finish in the pole vault.
"I knew Santa had a great opportunity because he made 15 feet four times during the season and that seemed to be his plateau,'' Austin said. "But Billy was a bigger surprise. He's been number two to Santa all year, but they push each other in practice and in meets.
"Billy had no misses until his try at 14-3. He was perfect up until that point. It's great to see a senior go out that way.''
Both Santa and Breslin have been under the tutelage of Churchill assistant coach Vern Williams.
Santa plans to take a week or two off before working Williams' pole vault camps. He'll also compete in the Grand Haven Beat Vault.
"I'll hit the weight room, work on my speed and get faster for next year,'' Santa said of his summer plans.
Churchill finished 11th overall with 17 points in the meet won by Flint Carman-Ainsworth, which scored a team-high 53 to beat Detroit Mumford by 10.
Wayne Memorial's Darrian Miller also had a productive day, running 22.46 to place third in the 200-meter dash. He also ran 11.06 in the finals of the 100 dash to finish sixth.
Meanwhile, Redford Catholic Central's Nick Barrett threw the discus 161-4 to place seventh.
In the Division III state finals at Comstock Park, Livonia Clarenceville junior Donnie Carson finished fifth in 200 dash in 22.93.
Lutheran Westland made its presence known at Division IV finals at Houseman Field in Grand Rapids by scoring 11 points, good enough for 18th place.
The Warriors' 800 relay team of Billy Kahler, Rick Schwartz, Mike Schatz and Kevin Bartos placed third in 1:33.16.
Lutheran Westland's 1,600 relay team of Josh Palka, Kahler, Rob Considine and Kahler added a seventh (3:33.52).
Individually, Pat Higgins threw 49 feet, 0.25 inches to earn a seventh, while Bartos went 11.58 to finish eighth in the 100.
