Preview: Don't Miss This Grand Finale
May 31, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Pick a division – any of seven Saturday – and you’re bound to find a senior standout finishing his career at the MHSAA Boys Track & Field Finals.
Michigan high schools regularly graduate star-loaded classes in this sport – but with reigning champions headlining lineups all over the Lower and Upper Peninsula this weekend, this grand finale guarantees to be memorable.
Below is a look at some of the teams and individuals to watch at Saturday’s boys meets. All events begin at 9 a.m. local time on both peninsulas.
Click for meet information including all qualifiers. Check out MHSAA.tv for live streaming of running events from both peninsulas, available with subscription and beginning at 10 a.m., and come back Saturday night for results as they come in and coverage of all seven meets on Second Half.
LP Division 1 at East Kentwood
Top Regional team scores: 1. Grosse Pointe South 142, 2. East Kentwood 139.5, 3. Alpena 130, 4. Plymouth 125, 5. Macomb Dakota 114.
Team forecast: East Kentwood has won the last two LPD1 championships and seven of the last 10. The Falcons look like significant favorites again with the fastest Regional times in the 400, 800 and 1,600 relays, top-five times in five individual races and contenders in at least three field events.
Detroit Renaissance’s Dylan Brown: The junior sprinter ran the top Regional time in the 200 (21.69) and second-fastest in the 100 (10.75) and also runs on two contending relays. He was part of the winning 800 relay and finished fifth in the 200 last season for Detroit Martin Luther King.
Ann Arbor Pioneer’s Nick Foster: The senior distance standout is looking to add to last season’s championships in the 3,200 and as part of the 3,200 relay. His 9:16.60 in the 3,200 was the third fastest in LPD1 Regionals this spring, and he ran the fastest 1,600 (4:12.87).
Lansing Waverly’s Keshaun Harris: The reigning 300 hurdles champion is seeking to sweep those races after finishing a close second as well in the 110 race last spring. He had the fastest LPD1 Regional time in the 110 (14.23) and sixth-fastest in the 300 (38.71).
Rockford’s Noah Stallworth: After coming in fifth in the 100 and eighth in the 200 as a junior, Stallworth had the fastest 100 (10.54) and second-fastest 200 (21.79) at LPD1 Regionals and runs on 400 and 1,600 relays that both were the third fastest in qualifying. He was part of the 400 relay champion in 2017.
LP Division 2 at Zeeland
Top Regional team scores: 1. Dearborn Divine Child 193, 2. Zeeland West 157, 3. Corunna 139.67, 4. Parma Western 130, 5. Yale 118.
Team forecast: The LPD2 Finals have seen 15 schools win the championship at least once over the last 16 seasons. Zeeland West might the favorite this time, after also winning in 2014, with big scoring possible in the hurdles, middle and distance races, long jump and at least three relays.
Otsego’s Alex Comerford: Last season’s 3,200 champ will look to finish his high school career with a pair of titles after running the second-fastest LPD2 Regional time in that race (9:25.94) and fastest in the 1,600 (4:18.41) – although he faces strong competition in Corunna senior Ben Jacobs and East Grand Rapids junior Evan Bishop.
Tecumseh’s Jacob Denison: The 400 winner last season as a junior had the sixth-fastest LPD2 Regional time in that race (50.25) but the second-fastest in the 200 (22.29) and also runs on an 800 relay that should contend.
Saginaw’s Tony Martin: The reigning long jump champion went over 26 feet during a regular-season meet, which would break the all-Finals record by two feet. He won his Regional at 21-10.25, the second-best jump in LPD2 Regional competition behind the 22-3.5 of Hudsonville Unity Christian junior Isaac TeSlaa.
Coldwater’s Dylan Targgart: Coming off a sweep of the throws last season as a sophomore, Targgart had the best tosses in both the shot put (61 feet) and discus (166-8) at LPD2 Regionals. He should make a run at the LPD2 Finals shot put record of 61-8 set by Ogemaw Heights’ Anthony Zettel in 2011.
LP Division 3 at Jenison
Top Regional team scores: 1. Berrien Springs 174.5, 2. Warren Michigan Collegiate 161, 3. Caro 148, 4. Adrian Madison 139.5, 5. Madison Heights Bishop Foley 134.
Team forecast: Similar to LPD2, this division has seen nine schools take turns winning the last nine championships (although three schools have come in second at least twice during that time). Berrien Springs was the runner-up a year ago and should put up some points – but keep an eye out for Pewamo-Westphalia and Saugatuck. P-W should contend in the throws, sprints, middle distance and at least two relays, while Saugatuck – the Division 4 champion or co-champion three of the last six seasons – has the favorites in both distance and hurdles races.
Saugatuck’s Brad Dunn: After taking third in the 110 and fifth in the 300 hurdles last season, Dunn had the top LPD3 Regional times in both this spring as a senior at 14.66 and 40.18 seconds, respectively.
Saugatuck’s Corey Gorgas: After sweeping the 1,600 and 3,200 last season as a junior, Gorgas is favored to do so with the top LPD3 Regional times of 4:19.24 and 9:43.98, respectively – although 800 favorite Jeremey Kloss from Harbor Springs should be right there with him in the 1,600, as should Caro star Yami Albrecht.
Grandville Calvin Christian’s Caleb Schutte: The senior sprinter won the 100 last year and was on the winning 400 relay as a sophomore. He enters this weekend with the second-fastest LPD3 Regional time in the 100 at 11.01 and the fastest in the 200 at 22.24.
Berrien Springs’ Sam Spaulding: The reigning high jump champ won his Regional at 6-2, which ties him for fifth among all LPD3 Regional performances. He’s gone 6-5 this senior season, which would put him one inch shy of the best qualifying mark.
Kent City’s Giovanni Weeks: Another reigning champion looking to go out on top is Weeks, who won the 200 last season and finished just behind Schutte in that race (22.34) and also in the 100 (11.08) at the Regional. His winning Regional long jump of 21-3.5 was fourth in the division for all Regionals.
LP Division 4 at Hudsonville Baldwin Middle School
Top Regional team scores: 1. Lutheran Westland 172, 2. Southfield Christian 158, 3. Addison 155.25, 4. Maple City Glen Lake 138, 5. Kalamazoo Hackett 135.
Team forecast: Hackett won its first MHSAA Finals championship in this sport last season, and Addison could become a first-time champ with at least one competitor in all but one race and three of five field events. Hillsdale Academy could be that team this weekend too with favorites in at least three events and a solid contender in a fourth. Breckenridge is another possible first-time champion with the possibility of earning big points in the throws, distance races and sprint relays.
Kalamazoo Hackett’s Heath Baldwin: After winning the 110 hurdles and long jump last year, Baldwin will make a run at four championships in his last high school meet. He had the second-fastest LPD4 Regional times in the 110 (15.06) and 300 hurdles (40.63), tied for the fourth-highest high jump (6-3) and also won his long jump at 20-0.5.
Hale’s Patrick Harris: The champion in the 400 the last two years just missed qualifying in that race but will cap his high school career running the 200 and on a relay.
Sand Creek’s Alec Muck: The senior sprinter is one of the biggest stars competing, regardless of division, as he looks to add to his five championships including with a fourth straight in the 200. His 200 Regional time (22.85) came in fourth overall for LPD4 and his 100 time of 11.04 ranks second as he looks to win that title for the third straight season. He’s also part of the fastest 400 relay (44.44) coming off LPD4 Regional competition.
Carson City-Crystal’s Daniel Smith: The reigning shot put champ had the second-longest toss during LPD4 Regionals at 51-11.25, but again must contend with another senior, Breckenridge’s Brennan Waslusky (54-9.5) after finishing second to him at that meet two weeks ago.
UP Division 1 at Kingsford
Top Regional team scores: 1. Gladstone 79.5, 2. Ishpeming Westwood 56, 3. Marquette 55.5.
Team forecast: Gladstone will attempt to break Marquette’s four-year hold on Upper Peninsula Division 1 after coming in third a year ago. The Braves had 10 event champions at their Regional to Marquette’s four in the same meet.
Gladstone’s Adam Bruce: The 3,200 champion in 2017 as a sophomore, Bruce will try to finish his senior season with a distance sweep after posting the fastest 1,600 (4:40.73) and second-fastest 3,200 (10:29.38) at UPD1 Regionals.
Marquette’s Raphael Millado: The senior standout won both the long and high jumps last season and enters with the best UPD1 Regional showings in both at 19-11 and 6-2, respectively. He also had the fourth-fastest 200 qualifying time (24.12).
Escanaba’s Dayton Miron: The reigning pole vault champion enters this weekend’s meet tied with the second-highest vault at a UPD1 Regional (11-0), and he’ll also cap his junior season running on three relays.
Gladstone’s Calvin Thibault: The sophomore sprinter/hurdler could end up the star of this meet. He won the 110 and 300 hurdles last season and had the fastest UPD1 Regional times in those races two weeks ago at 15.40 and 41.25, respectively. He also paced the UPD1 qualifiers in the 100 (11.49) and 200 (23.64).
UP Division 2 at Kingsford
Top Regional team scores: 1. Newberry 74, 2. Ishpeming 65, 3. Norway 52.5.
Team forecast: Ishpeming is the reigning champion and has won four of the last five UPD2 titles, with Newberry defeating the runner-up Hematites to claim the championship in 2017. They competed in and won separate Regionals two weeks ago, but on paper Newberry appears to have the upper hand.
Manistique’s Schyler Andersen: The junior standout will make a run at four individual titles with the fastest UPD2 Regional time in the 400 (52.61), top discus throw (140-10), second-best shot put (43-0) and second-fastest 200 (23.70). His best at the 2018 Finals was a fourth place in shot put.
Gwinn’s David Duvall: After taking eighth in the 110 hurdles a year ago as a freshman, Duvall could make a big jump entering this weekend with the top UPD2 Regional times in the 100 (17.72) and 300 (45.35) and the second-best long jump (17-7.5).
Newberry’s Jaylen James: He’s ready to lead Newberry’s team title hunt after helping two relay champs a year ago. He enters with the best UPD2 Regional long jump (18-10), 100 (tie – 11.49), 200 (23.15) and running on the favored 800 relay (1:38.53).
Manistique’s Alex Misniakiewicz: The junior got close last season with two second places and a third in individual events. He enters this weekend as the top qualifier in the 800 (2:10.51), 1,600 (4:44.94) and second-best in the 3,200 (10:49.24).
UP Division 3 at Kingsford
Top Regional team scores: 1. Rapid River 105, 2. Bessemer 86, 3. Brimley 72.5.
Team forecast: Bessemer last season won its first championship in this sport since 1951 and should be in the mix again with the top performers from all UPD3 Regionals combined in nine events. Rapid River was the runner-up in 2018 after two straight titles in 2016 and 2017.
Bessemer’s Uriah Aili: The reigning champion in the 3,200 will make a run at winning at least three races as a senior with the top UPD3 Regional times in the 800 (2:02.41) and 3,200 (10:09.5) and second-fastest in the 1,600 (4:44.49). He also qualified in discus (103-3).
Cedarville’s Thomas Bohn: His 4:33.24 a year ago is the meet record, and he’s ahead of Aili in that race coming into this weekend at 4:43.81. Bohn, a junior, also will run the 3,200 (11:01.82) and 800 (2:07.84).
Bessemer’s Tyler Busch: The reigning shot put champion will look to repeat as a senior, entering with the best toss from UPD3 Regionals at 46-6.
Stephenson’s Montel Glover: The top UPD3 Regional performer in the 100 (11.30), 200 (23.85) and 400 (51.39) won all three of those races in UPD2 the last two seasons, and he’ll also run on a 1,600 relay with a chance at a title.
Bessemer’s Jamie Jett: He’ll look to add to his 2018 110 hurdles and 800 relay championships as a junior, entering this weekend with the top UPD3 Regional times in the 110 (16.76) and 300 (44.11). He’s also running the 200 (24.60) and competing in long jump (18-1.5).
PHOTOS: (Top) Stephenson’s Montel Glover, right, finishes just ahead of L’Anse’s Foster Miller in the 200 at last season’s UP Division 2 Finals. (Middle) Sand Creek’s Alec Muck powers through for one of his sprint championships in LP Division 4 last spring. (Click to see more from RunMichigan.com.)
Jones Era Ends with 3 More Race Wins - But Better Yet, Benzie's 1st Team Title
By
Scott DeCamp
Special for MHSAA.com
June 4, 2023
KENT CITY – For four years of MHSAA cross country and track, Benzie Central’s boys runners and competitors alike have been trying to keep up with the Joneses.
Specifically, Benzie Central senior All-American Hunter Jones.
Well, Pol Molins lives with the Joneses (Hunter’s family) as a foreign-exchange student from Spain. Over the last few months, Molins has done a better job keeping up with Hunter Jones.
Now Jones, Molins and their Benzie Central teammates are all on the same level – as MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 3 champions. The Huskies captured their first MHSAA Boys Track & Field Finals title, powered by Jones’ three individual championships along with strong efforts by Molins & Co. at Kent City High School.
Benzie Central totaled 51 points to hold off runner-up Pewamo-Westphalia, which tallied 44 points. Hart finished third (38), Sanford Meridian fourth (36) and Ottawa Lake Whiteford fifth (28).
“I’m very proud of myself, but ultimately my biggest goal today was to win a team state championship. We came out here, that’s what we did,” said Jones, a 6-foot, 160-pound Wake Forest signee, who cruised to victories Saturday in the 800-meter run (1:57.60), 1,600 run (4:17.48) and 3,200 (9:10.19).
Jones expressed much gratitude for not only Molins – who earned valuable points by taking second in the 1,600, fifth in the 3,200 and seventh in the 800 -- but for the other two runners on Benzie Central’s runner-up 3,200 relay team: Lucan Louwsma and Dorian Olson.
Benzie Central veteran coach Asa Kelly said Olson had never competed at Finals track meet before, and that this was the first time this foursome had run the 3,200.
“I really praise the 4x8 – those other two guys, they put us in the race and we got those eight points we needed,” Jones said. “If we didn’t run the 4x8, we would have lost. I thank those guys and I feel very blessed to finally get a team state championship. That’s been my biggest goal since I’ve gotten to Benzie.”
That’s a big statement coming from a generational runner who closes his MHSAA career with 10 individual Finals championships: four in Division 3 cross country and six in track & field.
Jones is a multiple-time national champion in various events as well as an indoor state champ numerous times. He holds MHSAA LP Division 3 Finals records in the 800 and 1,600, and he missed the Finals record in the 3,200 on Saturday by 1½ seconds.
After he learned Benzie Central had wrapped up the team title, he said he didn’t even care if he had won any events Saturday.
“It’s an overwhelming feeling, you know,” Jones said. “A couple of minutes ago, I was getting tears in my eyes and I was like, ‘It’s all over now.’ But I’m really happy that it ended with this and I couldn’t have asked for anything better. I’m very, very happy.”
There was plenty of joy to go around Saturday. North Muskegon junior Jerry Wiegers, who was making his Finals debut, raced to victories in the 200 and 400 with personal-record times in both. In the 200, he won with a time of 22.11 seconds. In the 400, he finished first with a time of 49.49.
Wiegers also anchored North Muskegon’s 800 relay team that placed seventh (1:32.44) for all-state honors.
“Yeah, I’m still processing it,” Wiegers said. “It’s just, like, a good feeling to have when all the work you put in through the whole year finally comes to a close out of everyone. I’ve been waiting to do this for a long time.”
It was a bit of a “bittersweet” day for Hart senior standout thrower Kellen Kimes. The Liberty University signee defended his Division 3 title in discus with a toss of 174 feet, 3 inches, but he came up just short in winning the shot put with a second-place toss of 57-¼.
It was the second-straight year Kimes finished runner-up in shot put, but the New Balance Indoor national champion in the weight throw was trying to keep proper perspective.
“I’m pretty sad that it’s over. I’ve got two more meets this year with the high school events, but from then on I’m going to be moving to college (competition),” Kimes said. “It’s easy to be, like, ‘OK, next chapter in my life,’ but I do need to spend some time reflecting on it and just realizing just how blessed I am with all the people that God’s put in my life.”
Kimes is a fierce competitor, but he’s always willing to help others, including his direct competition.
That was the case with Pewamo-Westphalia junior Gavin Nurenberg, who launched a personal record in shot put by two feet with an effort of 57-¼ that edged Kimes.
“I mean, it means a lot. It’s just, we were competitors – honestly, he taught me the most out of anybody in shot put,” Nurenberg said. “Like, this guy is telling me, get like certain cues and stuff and I do credit him for some of that for sure.”
Other champions Saturday included: Warren Michigan Collegiate’s Jailin Spikes in the 100 (10.71 PR), Napoleon’s Holden Van Poppel in the 110 hurdles (14.48 PR), Delton Kellogg’s Torren Mapes in the 300 hurdles (40.01 PR), Meridian’s Sawyer Moloy in high jump (6-4), Ovid-Elsie’s Tryce Tokar in pole vault (15-0), Grayling’s Mitchel Harrington in long jump (22-1.75), Meridian’s 400 relay (Kenneth Emmerson, Madix Saunders, Nickolas Metzer and Brayden Riley; 43.47), Burton Atherton’s 800 relay (Romiel Clausell, Joseph Embury, Jaymes Vines, Patrick Rice; 1:30.51), Whiteford’s 1,600 relay (Shea Ruddy, Ryin Ruddy, Dylan Anderson, Jacob Iott; 3:27.28), and Hart’s 3,200 relay (Clayton Ackley, Seth Ackley, Guillermo Ortega, Wyatt Dean; 8:04.54). Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett junior Jake Juip won the adaptive 100 race (1:04.21), and Perry junior Alec Chapman competed in the adaptive shot put (3-8¼).
Benzie Central was the Division 3 runner-up in 2021 and 2001. This time, the Huskies got over the hump.
Dominant as Jones was, Molins provided quite the boost in the way of quality depth.
“It’s crazy with Pol (when he applied to be an exchange student) – they said he liked to run and he checked off track & field as an interest, but can’t find anything else about the kid,” Kelly said with a smile. “… In cross, he was maybe like 23rd (in the state) or something like that, but then over the course of the winter running every day with Hunter, he just exploded.”
Kelly said that Molins will head back to Spain in a few weeks and he’ll race in the Spanish U18 Nationals. Kelly noted that after this season with Benzie Central, Molins is ranked second in Spain for his division in the 1,500 and 800.
Molins, a sophomore who recently turned 16 years old, said he could not have asked for a better experience or better host family than the Joneses.
“They’ve pushed me in every way,” he said. “I’ve learned lots of stuff, a lot of discipline. I’ve worked a lot, put in a lot of miles. All of this, I’m going to take it to Spain. I’m going to get better and if I can, I’m going to come back in a couple of years for college. It would be great.
“I’m really grateful,” added the lanky, 6-foot-3 Molins. “l couldn’t have asked for a better experience. I’m looking forward to coming back one day and checking on everyone, how they are doing.”
(PHOTOS) Benzie Central’s Hunter Jones, far right, leads one of his races by a significant margin Saturday at Kent City. (Middle) Teammate Pol Molins, second from right and leading the rest of the field, follow Jones. (Photos by Carter Sherline/RunMichigan.com.)