Hanover-Horton High School senior Judy Rector, front, battles friend and opponent Allison Rand of Lumen Christi Catholic High School in the 800-meter run at the Division 3 track and field regional at East Jackson High School on Saturday. Photo by Jeff Steers, JTV Sports.
By Jeff Steers
JTV Sports
Hanover-Horton High School distance runner Judy Rector said she gained her strength and endurance at an early age by working on the family farm.
She must have gained her love of horsepower from competing in rodeos until tenth grade.
It is paying off for the soon-to-be HHHS graduate.
Rector won a pair of event Saturday at the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 3 track and field competition at East Jackson High School.
She was one of a number of athletes who will advance to the MHSAA state track and field finals on June 1 at various locations throughout the state.
Rector won the 1,600-meter run in 5 minutes, 8 seconds, and backed that up by scorching the field in the 800-meter run winning by nearly seven seconds with a time of 2:12.
Rector is the returning state champion in both events in Division 3.
“I would like to be able to defend both of those titles,” Rector said after the meet. “I was reflecting the other day about my time at HHHS and I have been so lucky to have such supportive and amazing coaches.”
But it has not been all amazing for the senior. She suffered from slipping rib syndrome as a sophomore. It is a rare cause of abdominal or lower chest pain that can remain undiagnosed for many years. It is caused by hypermobility of the floating ribs (eight to 12) which are not connected to the sternum but attached to each other with ligaments.
She spent nearly seven months trying to get back in shape – and not running.
“It was tough because I had an identity crisis,” Rector said of the long recovery. “It fueled by desire to be a better distance runner.”
She returned to cross country in the fall of 2017 and finished 10th in the state at the MHSAA state finals.
Last spring she won the 1,600-meter run at the MHSAA state track and field finals in 4:52 and took first in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:13.
Rector finished fourth at the MHSAA state cross country finals last fall. She plans to attend Michigan State University on a cross country and track scholarship.
“I love MSU because there is lot of athletes from Division 3 schools and there is a good relationship between teammate,” Rector said.
“It is a lot like Hanover-Horton.”
Rector was one of a number of athletes who experienced success at the regional meets held Friday and Saturday.
- The Hanover-Horton boys’ team edged Hillsdale to win the regional meet, 88.5 to 85.
- Western High School’s boys and girls’ teams won regional titles in Division 2 at Mason.
- Amani Nuels of Jackson High School blazed here way to a regional title in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.08.
- Andrew Frohm of Vandercook Lake completed the Rector rewrite by taking the 800 and 1,600-meter runs in Division 3.
- Concord High School won a regional title in Division 4 at Webberville, taking three of four relay titles.
- Billie Weeks of Concord qualified in three field events in Division 4 – high jump, long jump and shot put.
- Ryan Jonas of Springport did one better, qualifying in four events in Division 3 at Bath – 100, 200 and two relays.
Here is a listing of state qualifiers according to MHSAA.com and Athletic.org. The top two finishers in each event and athletes who meet time, distance and height standards as set by the MHSAA.
The track and field season will conclude on Saturday, June 1 with the Division 1 finals at East Kentwood High School; Division 2 at Zeeland; the Division 3 meet will be held at Jenison High School; and Division 4 state finals at Baldwin Street Middle School.
Division 1 boys regional at Ypsilanti Lincoln: Long jump, Micah Cretsinger, Jackson, first, 20-11.5;
Division 1 girls regional at Ypsilanti Lincoln: 100-meter dash, Amani Nuels, Jackson, first, 12.08; 400-meter relay, Jackson, Jahki Wallace, Asia Patton, Dezstin Davis, and Amani Nuels, first, 49.22;
Division 2 boys regional at Mason: High jump, Sid Varland, Western, first, 6-4, Matt Veneziano, Western, third, 6-2 (additional qualifying height); pole vault, Jacob Tidwell, Western, fourth, 13-4 (additional qualifying height), Jacob Cook, Northwest, fifth, 12-10 (additional qualifying height); shot put, Tyler Oxley, Western, second, 54-6.5; discus, Brady Yokum, Western, second, 141-2; 100-meter dash, Jalen Case, Northwest, second, 11.32; 1,600-meter run, Starr Gezahegn, Western, first, 4:25; 400-meter relay, Western, Dejonie Dale, Sid Varland, Caden Embury, and James Bloomfield, first, 44.27; 300-meter hurdles, Ian Devine, Western, second, 41.86; 200-meter dash, Jalen Case, Northwest, first, 22.96, Sid Varland, Western, second, 23.25; 3,200-meter run, Starr Gezahegn, Western, 9:48.
Division 2 girls regional at Mason: Pole vault, Emalee de La Grange, Western, first, 9-6, Andre Veydt, Western, third, 9-3 (additional qualifying height; shot put, Madi Hernandez, Northwest, second, 35-2; 3,200-meter relay, Western, Ashley Oliver, Maddie Humphreys, Riley Robertson, and Alyna Lewis, second, 9:42; 800-meter relay, Northwest, Julia Warneck, Raya Mitchell, Sydney Shafer and Ja’Cariel Reynolds, first, 1:48, Western, Jocie Berry, Ashley Oliver, Lilli Luma, and Kiersten Stoddard, second, 1:51; 1,600-meter run, Riley Robertson, Western, 5:20; 300-meter hurdles, Sydney Shafer, Northwest, fourth, 48.57 (additional qualifying time); 800-meter run, Alyna Lewis, Western, second, 2:19; 1,600-meter relay, Western, Ashley Oliver, Lilli Luma, Riley Robertson, Alyna Lewis, first, 4:09.
Division 3 boys regional at East Jackson: 100-meter dash, Walker Plate, Lumen Christi, first, 11.34; 200-meter dash, Ethan Weatherspoon, Napoleon, first, 22.95; 400-meter dash, Kyle Owen, Hanover-Horton, second, 53.05; 800-meter run, Andrew Frohm, Vandercook, first, 2:03, Dean Reynolds, Hanover-Horton, second, 2:04; 1,600-meter run, Andrew Frohm, Vandercook, first, 4:33; Dean Reynolds, Hanover-Horton, second, 4:34; 3,200-meter run, Garrett Melling, Hanover-Horton, second, 10:01; 400-meter relay, Grass Lake, third, 45.21 (additional qualifying time); 800-meter relay, Hanover-Horton, second, 1:33, Grass Lake, third, 1:34 (additional qualifying time); 1,600-meter relay, Hanover-Horton, first, 3:35; 3,200-meter relay, Hanover-Horton, second, 8:35; pole vault, Jake Casler, Hanover-Horton, third, 12-9 (additional qualifying height), Deven Varela, East Jackson, fourth, 12-9 (additional qualifying height); long jump, Tommy Ronders, Columbia Central, second, 20-10;
Division 3 girls regional at East Jackson: 100-meter dash, Lexus Bargesser, Grass Lake, first. 13.03; 200-meter dash, Lexus Bargesser, Grass Lake, first, 26.16, Renae Kutcha, Lumen Christ, third, 26.99 (additional qualifying time); 400-meter dash, Renae Kutcha, Lumen Christi, first, 57.4, Allison Rand, Lumen Christi, second, 57.74, Reagan Fazekas, Hanover-Horton, fourth, 1:02.3 (additional qualifying time); 800-meter run, Judy Rector, Hanover-Horton, first, 2:13, Allison Rand, Lumen Christi, second, 2:19, Kailee Sandoval, Grass Lake, third, 2:26 (additional qualifying time); 1,600-meter run, Judy Rector, Hanover-Horton, 5:08, Faith Smith, Lumen Christi, second, 5:31; 3,200-meter run, Faith Smith, Lumen Christi, first, 12:04, Krissy Johnson, Hanover-Horton, second, 12:57; 100-meter hurdles, Kathryn Childs, Hanover-Horton, third, 16.35 (additional qualifying time); 400-meter relay, Hanover-Horton, fourth, 51.88 (additional qualifying time), Grass Lake, fifth, 52.04 (additional qualifying time); 800-meter relay, Hanover-Horton, third, 1:48.1 (additional qualifying time); 1,600-meter relay, Lumen Christi, first, 4:09; 3,200-meter relay, Lumen Christi, first, 10:11; high jump, Aislyn Williams, Hanover-Horton, third, 5-2 (additional qualifying height); long jump, Ellery Cure, Hanover-Horton, second, 15-8.5; shot put, Katie Sayles, Napoleon, third, 35-2 (additional qualifying distance); discus, Megan Niehaus, Grass Lake, second, 111-9, Jennifer Sherwood, Grass Lake, third, 109-6 (additional qualifying distance).
Division 3 boys regional at Bath: 100-meter dash, Ryan Jonas, Springport, fourth, 11.33 (additional qualifying time); 800-meter relay, Colby Burger, Ryan Jonas, Keegan Nutt, Gage Rohde, Springport, fourth, 1:34.43 (additional qualifying time); 400-meter relay, Colby Burger, Ryan Jonas, Keegan Nutt and Zach Potter, second, 45.29; 200-meter dash, Ryan Jonas, Springport, second, 23:14; high jump, Colby Burger, Springport, second, 6-2; pole vault, Keegan Nutt, Springport, third, 13-0 (additional qualifying height);
Division 3 girls regional at Bath: High jump, Ryann Locke-Overweg, Springport, third, 5-0 (additional qualifying height); shot put, Alana Nelson, Springport, fourth, 34-11 (additional qualifying distance).
Division 4 boys regional at Webberville: 100-meter dash, Josh Sharp, Concord, first, 11.59; 200-meter dash, Vincent Giuliano, Concord, first, 22.58; 800-meter run, Jack Freeman, Concord, third, 2:06 (additional qualifying time), Bryan Smith, Concord, fourth, 2:06 (additional qualifying time); 3,200-meter run, Jonathan Mikovitz, Concord, second, 11:08; 400-meter relay, Concord, first, 44:76; 800-meter relay, Concord, first, 1:33; 1,600-meter relay, Concord, first, 3:31; 3,200-meter relay, Concord, second, 8:33; long jump, C.J. Glaspie, Concord, sixth, 19-10 (additional qualifying distance); discus, Bryce Black, Concord, second, 130-10.
Division 4 girls regional at Webberville: 3,200-meter run, Skylar Thompson, Concord, first, 12:05; Concord 400-meter relay, first, 53.98; 3,200-meter relay, Concord, first, 10:49; high jump, Billie Weeks, Concord, first, 4-8; long jump, Billie Weeks, Concord, second, 15-2; shot put, Billie Weeks, Concord, fourth, 33-5 (additional qualifying distance).
Division 4 girls regional at Hillsdale Academy: Discus, Makenzie Lamphere, Jackson Christian, second, 102-1.
