2009-10 Season Preview
Heading into the 2009-10 season, the Golden Eagles return thirteen athletes with national qualifying experience, six WHAC champions, and six NAIA All-Americans. Six freshmen arrive with state meet experience. In their final high school season, the group earned All-State honors five times including, two state championship titles. Cornerstone looks to remain one of the top teams in the WHAC for both the indoor and outdoor conference meets.
Sprints
Since 2001 the 4x400 relay team has qualified every year for NAIA nationals either indoors, outdoors or both. This season should be no different. Kelly Peterson (Oakland Hills Christian HS/Rochester Hills, MI) Kayla Wilson (Caledonia HS/Alto, MI) and Lauren Pierce (Maple Valley HS/Nashville, MI) return from last year’s indoor national qualifying squad. Two-time state champion in the 4x400 and 2009 MHSAA Division 2 state runner up, Freshman Emma Ordway (Thornapple Kellogg HS/Middleville, MI) brings a 57.92 best in the 400m. In the short sprint events, junior Becky Boblett (Maine East HS/Des Plaines, IL) has made great improvements and looks to be one of the better 60m/100m sprinters on the team.
Distance
Leading the distance group is 2009 Indoor All-American, Andi Owens-Ripley (Rockford HS/Rockford, MI). A dominating performer at the conference level, Andi earned WHAC titles in the mile and 1,000 meters indoors as well as an amazing 3,000 meter steeplechase- 1500 meter-5,000 triple outdoors. Owens-Ripley set school records in the 1,000 meters indoors (2:56.35) and 1500 meters outdoors (4:38.23) and anchored the distance medley relay to a national qualifying time. Freshman Julia Contreras (Fowler HS/Fowler, MI) brings experience as part of a state champion 3200 meter relay and 2:23 800 meter speed to the DMR joining sophomore Melissa Sawicki (Capac HS/Yale, MI) from the 2009 squad.
In the 10,000 meters and beyond, Nicki Erler (Crossroads Charter HS/Big Rapids, MI) begins her senior season after earning All-America honors in the Marathon at 2009 NAIA Outdoor National Championships, running the second best time in school history, 3:17:05. Fellow marathoner, Janelle Lindman (Oakland University/ Farmington Hills, MI) took tenth at nationals in a personal best 3:21:54 and is determined to move up this year.
Racewalk
Cornerstone’s All-American race walking duo, are ready for another good season. Senior Katie Malinowski (Forest Hills Central HS/Ada, MI) followed her sixth place finish at outdoor nationals with excellent showings at the USA Track & Field 10k, 15k and 5k National Championships putting her in the top six on the USATF Race Walk Grand Prix circuit. Junior Janelle Brown (Bay City Western HS/Midland, MI) looks to keep her indoor school record of 15:58.20 ahead of her motivated teammate and repeat her 2008 outdoor and 2009 Indoor All-American status.
Hurdles
In 2009 Cornerstone hurdlers captured WHAC titles in the indoor 60 hurdles (Amy Boyer/Phoenix, AZ) and outdoor 400 hurdles (Kayla Wilson). Boyer and Wilson qualified provisionally for the NAIA Indoor meet as did Brandi Hagan (Forest Hills Northern HS/Grand Rapids, MI) last season marking the seventh consecutive year that Golden Eagle lady hurdlers have been represented at the indoor national championships. Wilson’s efforts in the 400 hurdles (1:03.92) advanced her semi-finals at the outdoor NAIA national meet in 2009. All three hurdlers look to once again qualify for the indoor meet, while Wilson looks to improve upon her outdoor national meet finish from a season ago.
Jumps
A pair of NAIA All-Americans in Kay-de Vaughn (Belize City, Belize) and Brandi Hagan give Cornerstone tremendous strength at the conference and national levels. Vaughn, a two-time NAIA Indoor All-American, and school record holder in the triple jump, looks to add a third indoor plaque and first outdoor plaque in her senior campaign. Vaughn also led the Golden Eagles triple jumpers in a 1-6 sweep at the 2009 WHAC Indoor Championships. Five of those six return this year. Vaughn has also jumped over the 18’ mark in the long jump second only to Wilson’s 18’4 ½”. Both Vaughn and Wilson posted NAIA qualifying marks in the long jump last year.
Vertical bar specialist, Amy Boyer, won the 2009 WHAC Indoor title in the high jump and qualified for the second consecutive year to compete at the NAIA Indoor meet in the event. Boyer also posted a NAIA Indoor qualifying mark in the pole vault (11’1 ½”) earning her first nationals berth in that event. Cornerstone’s other jump All-American is Brandi Hagan. The junior from Grand Rapids holds every vault record at Cornerstone (12’3 personal record) and earned three All-American plaques in four national meet appearances. Last year’s Indoor Nationals runner-up looks to be a top contender for the indoor and outdoor titles this year.
Freshmen jumpers include Kaylynn Dimond (Gladwin HS/Gladwin, MI) with a 5’ 2” best in the high jump and vaulters Becca Schnyders (Unity Christian HS/Hudsonville, MI) and Liz Sanger (Wayland HS/Wayland, MI). Schnyders and Sanger bring All-State ability from high school and personal best clearances of 10’6.
Throws
Freshman, Erin Swinger (Comstock Park HS/Comstock Park, MI) arrives with solid credentials. A state meet qualifier in the shot put, Swinger scored in the discus at the 2009 MHSAA Division 2 meet. Already showing promise in the hammer and 20 pound weight throw, Erin provides a good replacement for 2009 grad, Nichelle Engels who contributed points at the WHAC meet in both events. Amy Boyer, fourth at the WHAC outdoor meet takes over for conference champion, Engels in the javelin.
Multi’s
At the 2009 NAIA Indoor National Championships Kayla Wilson and Amy Boyer finished in the top ten in the pentathlon, with Wilson narrowly missing an All-American spot by 12 points. Both athletes enter the season with personal best marks within 50 points of each other. Wilson is only 110 points away from CU record holder, Cathi Powell. Boyer also posted an Outdoor national qualifying performance in the Heptathlon (4,397 points) and hopes to make her second trip in the event. Freshman Kaylynn Dimond, might be the strongest of the three and combining that strength with her solid jumping and sprinting ability could earn her a freshman record or NAIA national qualifying spot.
