Novella DeGraaf Shines at State Finals with Impressive Performances

KENT CITY - Novella DeGraaf, a standout athlete from Saugatuck, made a remarkable comeback at the state finals after being sidelined by a knee injury during her sophomore season. This junior showcased her talent and versatility once again, contributing significantly to her team’s success by securing 20 of the Trailblazers' 30 total points, leading them to a commendable fourth-place finish on Saturday, May 30, at Kent City High School.

DeGraaf achieved notable results, finishing as the state runner-up in the pole vault with a height of 10 feet 9 inches. Additionally, she claimed third place in both the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.83 seconds and the long jump, where she leaped 17 feet 2 inches. Her teammates, Kamryn Sixberry, Ellyse Heyser, Lyvia Curtis, and Alina Martinson, also performed well, taking third in the 4x800 relay with a time of 9:51.40.

Individually, Martinson secured fifth place in the 400 meters with a time of 59.44 seconds and placed 21st in the 800 meters at 2:28.78. Fennville's Isabelle Sliter competed in the 1,600 meters and finished 21st with a time of 5:54.01, while she took 22nd in the 3,200 meters, clocking in at 13:20.66. Olivet emerged as the meet champion with 82 points, followed closely by Lansing Catholic with 76 points and Pewamo-Westphalia with 61.5 points.

In the boys' competition, Saugatuck finished in 27th place, earning six points, with Monroe St. Mary's claiming victory with 39 points. Charlie Robison from Saugatuck had a strong showing, taking third in the 300-meter hurdles at 39.57 seconds, while also finishing 19th in the 200 meters and 21st in the 100 meters. Additionally, Alek Diaz, Ira Brown, Sawyer Monroe, and Grant Rehkopf participated in the 4x800 relay, finishing 18th with a time of 8:29.64.

In other boys' events, Rehkopf reached 10th place in the 800 meters with a time of 2:00.45, while Jackson Bowman and Monroe placed 27th and 34th, respectively, in the 3,200 meters. Fennville freshman Julian Weimer performed well in the long jump, finishing 15th with a mark of 19 feet 11.75 inches. Black River’s Jonas Ballard took 13th in the 3,200 meters with a time of 9:54.34.

In Division 4, Holland Calvary’s distance team continued their impressive season after winning the cross-country state title in the fall, finishing as the runner-up in the 4x800 relay with a time of 8:16.52. Christian Getz, Elijah Laninga, Noah Schipper, and Gibson White made up the successful relay team. Schipper also competed individually, placing 14th in the 1,600 meters and 11th in the 3,200 meters. Calvary finished 28th overall with a total of eight points, while Hillsdale Academy won with 46 points, edging out Eau Claire, which scored 44 points.

Kalamazoo Hackett took the top spot in the women’s competition with 44 points, just one point ahead of Hudson.