Meads Mill track teams primed to prove they’re among state’s best
Ashton Myers (front) and Andrew Way (bright green shirt) lead Meads Mill teammates Charlie Brach, LuXue Hedge and Matthew Sterioff across the finish line during a 150-yard practice sprint.
Track-and-field records have been dropping like dominos this spring at Northville’s Meads Mill Middle School, where dedication to reaching potential is embraced by the Patriots’ boys and girls teams.
On Thursday, 44 student-athletes from Meads Mill will be traveling north to Shepherd High School for the Mid-Michigan MEGASTAR meet, which serves as the unofficial state meet.
With 155 teams expected to converge on the town just south of Mount Pleasant, the meet is the largest middle school track-and-field meet in the country, according to Meads Mill Head Coach Evan Paputa.
The Patriots will be carrying high hopes into the MEGASTAR meet in the wake of having broken eight school records this spring alone.
“Northville is a community that is very serious about track and the kids in our school are great human beings who take to track very well,” said Paputa, when asked why Meads Mill annually shines in the sport. “They listen to instructions well, they compete like crazy and they’re just a joy to coach.”
Popular sport at Meads Mill
With a robust combined roster of 152 students, the Patriots are one of the largest middle school contingents in southeast Michigan — if not the state.
“We pride ourselves on Mudita and Competitive Greatness,” Paputa said. “Mudita means having vicarious joy in someone else’s success. We pride ourselves in having a culture where we celebrate other athletes PRing, winning a race, and setting a school record.
“Competitive Greatness comes from John Wooden and means being at your best when the competition is the best, finding joy in competing, and enjoying a challenge. It means to be at your best when your best is needed.”
Led by seventh-grader Alex Scappaticci — a school record-breaker and nationally-ranked runner in the 800-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter events — the Patriots’ girls team won all five of its dual meets this season, while the boys finished 4-1.
Leading the boys squad are Jason Goodlow, who owns the school record in the 55-meter hurdles and is a member of the school’s fastest-ever 1,600-meter relay team; and Colin Richardson, who broke the 70-meter dash record (8.05 seconds) this spring while excelling on the 400- and 800-meter relay quartets.
“One of the best things about being a member this team is hearing all my teammates cheering me on when I’m competing,” said Goodlow, who also enjoys playing football and basketball. “This team is very compassionate about winning and supporting their teammates.”
Commitment to excellence
Eighth-grader Ava Anzenberger, who competes in the 70- and 100-meter dashes along with the 400-meter relay, said she and her teammates were committed to attending practices this season even when the weather was less-than-ideal.
“We push ourselves to be the best we can be every day, not just when it’s beautiful outside,” she said. “I love how this team sticks together and we’re all friends.”
In addition to the above-mentioned record-breakers, Rishi Sevugan, Drew Meussner, Braylon Brown, Andrew Czopek and Rand Mavrinac were members of the three stellar relay teams that registered historically low times this past season.
Key contributors to the girls’ success also include Sophie Clauson, Arlette Embury, Olivia Stokes, Sophia Jiang, Lily Albertson, Rosie Kulpa, Viviana Morales-Rios, Morgan Watson, Jenna Chrzanowski, Taylor Chrzanowski, Ella Kerns and Eleanor Daminaov.
The boys’ teams’s success can be attributed to the above-mentioned record-breakers along with Cameron Kohler, Brody Domeracki, Ashton Myers, Aiden Grover and Julien Harry.
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.
