Rapid River Clinches on Final Relay
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
June 4, 2017
KINGSFORD — There appeared to be a sense of relief within the ranks of the Rapid River boys track team Saturday as it retained its Upper Peninsula Division 3 crown.
Rapid River edged Bessemer 108-104 for the title, but the teams were tied at 96 prior to the 1,600-meter relay.
Rapid River then secured the title by setting a meet record in the final race at 3 minutes, 34.52 seconds, topping the previous best (3:36.32) by Crystal Falls Forest Park run five years ago. Bessemer was runner-up (3:39.40).
“We really needed those points,” said senior Austin Wicklund, who anchored the Rockets’ 1,600 relay. “It feels great to win it in the last race. Our hard work paid off. Our first three legs were unbelievable. I couldn’t have asked for a better lead.
“Going out this way is great. Thanks to Coach O (Steve Ostrenga) and his assistants. They got us well prepared.”
The Speedboys pulled even in the 3,200 as Adam Mazurek placed third (10:54.31) and Isaiah Aili took fourth (10:58.94).
Senior Jared Anderson, however, kept the Rockets from falling behind by taking fifth (11:02.33).
Bessemer started the day by setting a meet record in the 3,200 relay (8:29.88), beating the old mark (8:30.1) by Powers North Central in 2004.
“I really had to push myself,” said junior Brayden Tomes, who anchored the winning relay. “The clock read 8:25, and I knew I had to gut it out. It was really close.”
Rapid River junior Lucas Sundling captured the 400 (52.41), helped the winning 800 relay (1:35.41) and was runner-up in the 100 (11.96) and 200 (23.76).
“I wasn’t feeling the best early in the meet,” said Sundling. “I didn’t have a good start in the 100, but managed to catch up. This is my first year in the 100, so I guess I can’t be too disappointed.
“Our first handoff in the 800 relay was bad. Our coach said we could have been under 1:35 without that.”
Junior Luke Gustafson provided the Rockets with a first in pole vault at 12 feet, took the second leg of the 1,600 relay and helped them place third in the 3,200 relay (8:55.61).
“I’m happy to get first,” said Gustafson. “I wanted the U.P. record, but it didn’t work out. I was up and over the bar twice (at 13 feet), but hit it with my arm. I’m pleased with my day overall.”
Bessemer’s main strength was in the distances where Isaiah Aili took first in the 800 (2:07.35) and 1,600 (4:39.82). Cade Mazzon was runner-up in the 800 (2:09.06), and Uriah Aili took fourth in the 800 (2:10.59) and 1,600 (4:52.56).
Tomes won the 200 (23.34) and placed third in the 300 hurdles (43.25).
“I had a good start in the 200,” said Tomes. “I wanted to take advantage of the first 50 meters where the wind was on our back. I knew I had to give our team some points. Having the competition helped me get a better time.”
Third-place Pickford’s lone win took place in high jump on Nick Edington’s leap of 6-2.
North Dickinson senior Garrett O’Neil was a triple winner, taking the 110 hurdles (16.34) and 300 (41.97), and long jump (18-10).
“My starts were good, but the races didn’t go as good as I wanted,” said O’Neil. “I hit a couple hurdles in the 110s and landed on the wrong foot on two of the first three in the 300s. I was going for the school record, but landing on the wrong foot made that difficult. I just had to push through and get to the finish line.”
Lake Linden-Hubbell senior Brendan Middleton took the 100 (11.83) and anchored the winning 400 relay (46.76).
Ewen-Trout Creek junior Jake Witt won shot put (45-5½) and was runner-up in discus (129-3), both with personal bests.
“I’ve been working on the glide the past week,” said Witt. “I brushed up on my technique, and with a little help from our assistant coaches I learned how to use my lower body. I threw eight feet further than in the Regional (at Wakefield), which definitely gave me some confidence.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Rapid River’s Luke Gustafson runs his leg of the 1,600 relay Saturday. (Middle) Bessemer’s Brayden Tomes stretches for the win in the 200. (Photos by Cara Kamps.)
Smith Sets Tone as Multi-Talented Pewamo-Westphalia Ascends Again
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
June 1, 2024
KENT CITY – Trevor Smith set the tone early for the Pewamo-Westphalia boys track & field team Saturday at Kent City.
The junior sprinter earned a narrow win in the 100 to collect early points that would prove beneficial in the Pirates’ pursuit of their latest Lower Peninsula Division 3 championship.
“It was a big win right away in the beginning, and it helped put us in a good position,” Smith said. “It was a big emotional shift, and it was unreal.
“I didn’t really expect it, but it was a big help toward our team with points. I just missed winning last year, so to come back and win it meant a lot.”
Pewamo-Westphalia kept its early advantage throughout and hung on in the end to capture the title. The Pirates, last year’s runners-up, recorded 49 points to clip second-place Clare by four points. Detroit Edison was third with 32 points.
P-W senior Gavin Nurenberg repeated in the shot put (60-02), while senior Collin Farmer added a pair of top-4 finishes in the distance events.
“Our boys had a really nice season, but this was always the focus from Day 1,” Pirates coach Scott Werner said. “We felt we had the pieces in place when we got out of Regionals, and we were just excited to attack the day.
“We are the type of program where we are good in quite a few events. We don't rely on one person. We set the tone early with unexpected points in the 3,200 relay, and it built from there.”
Farmer finished runner-up in the 3,200 and fourth in the 1,600.
“There are not a lot of teams that have good guys in the field, sprints and distance, so I think that brings a lot of peace to the team,” Farmer said. “We knew that we could trust each other, and not one person had to take control.”
Senior Dalton Brown also provided a lift with a personal record en route to a third-place finish in the shot put.
“I challenged each of the separate groups to go out and score a minimum of 15 points,” Werner said. “We had a plan and an approach for every single event, and they trusted the process and executed at the highest level. I’m proud of them.”
Clare made a late push with a strong showing in the relays, while also receiving a boost from senior Brad White. He cruised to a win in the 800 with a new personal-best time and also was part of the winning 1,600 relay.
“Honestly, I didn't expect this,” White said. “I came into today pressure-free. I’ve already accomplished everything I could ever want in a season, and I'm just as happy as I can be to come out here and do something special, especially in my last high school race. I’m proud of my team and my PR.”
North Muskegon senior Jerry Wiegers repeated in the 400 by edging Geoffrey McBurrow of Detroit Edison. Wiegers also won the 200.
“There was a lot of pressure (to repeat), and I was worried on the whole ride here that I was going to screw up and I was going to have to hand the title to someone else,” Wiegers said. “But when I finally passed the finish line and I won, I was like, ‘I did this again, in my final year in high school.’ It was a good way to cap off my career.”
Coloma senior Boden Genovese (1,600) and Grayling senior Drew Moore (3,200) won the distance races, and Napoleon senior Holden Van Poppel (110) and Elk Rapids junior Max Ward (300) were hurdles champions. Standish-Sterling (400), Edison (800) and Traverse City St. Francis (3,200) also won relays. Lawton junior Mason Mayne (discus), Ovid-Elsie junior Tryce Tokar (pole vault) and Clare sophomore Conan Weeks (long jump) were other field event winners. Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett senior Jake Juip (100 and 200), Montague junior Wyatt Fairchild (400) and Perry senior Alec Chapman (shot put) won the adaptive event championships.
PHOTOS (Top) Pewamo-Westphalia's Trevor Smith, center, edges Dearborn Advanced Technology's Cobey Cureton and University Liggett's Santino Cicarella, among others, in the 100 on Saturday. (Middle) Ovid-Elsie's Tryce Tokar attempts a vault amid the rainy conditions. (Click for more from Jamie McNinch/RunMichigan.com.)