Record Throws Set Up Carson City-Crystal's Soar to 1st Title

By Will Kennedy
Special for Second Half

June 5, 2021

HUDSONVILLE —For the first time in school history, the Carson City-Crystal Eagles boys track & field team has claimed the title of state champion.

Carson City-Crystal finished Saturday’s Lower Peninsula Division 4 Finals with 68.5 points, 10.5 more than the closest competitor. The Eagles did it with a small group – only eight athletes travelled to Hudsonville to compete. But by the end of the day, all of them had earned the title of all-state athlete.

Junior Zane Forist got the day started off on the right foot in the field events. He won the discus with a throw of 196-5, nearly 60 feet more than the second-place finisher. He also won the shot put with a hurl of 62-4, over 14 feet more than anybody else.

Both were meet records – the discus toss breaking the 190-0 throw by Litchfield’s Jacob Patrick in 2012. The shot put bested the former LPD4 record of 58-5.25 by Ottawa Lake Whiteford’s George Flanner in 2007. And together gave Carson City-Crystal a comfortable lead heading into the track finals, helping alleviate the pressure on the rest of the team.

“When you have the number one thrower, that kind of helps,” said Eagles coach Grant Woodman. “The field events set the tone, and then we let our distance guys ease into it and it just works out for us.”

Flint Beecher trackThe distance runners did what they had to do to get the job done. Senior Coleman Clark earned second place in the 1,600 and the top spot in the 3,200. Those points helped keep Saugatuck at bay and put the Eagles firmly atop the podium.

Clark said that in other years, he focused on his individual performance. But this time around, he knew he wanted to give it his all for the overall team victory.

“This year, going into the season knowing we would have a top team, I knew I was going to be team-focused,” Clark said. “It feels so good to hit that top goal as a team. We knew we could do it.”

Jaylin Townsend from Flint Beecher set the standard in sprint events. He came away with an individual title in the 100  with a personal record time of 10.98 and edged Saugatuck’s Benny Diaz for first in the 200 with a time of 22.75. Townsend also helped lead the Buccaneers to a title in the 800 relay with a school record of 1:30.59.

The sophomore said that when he crossed the finish line as a Finals champion for the first time, he got excited realizing he was among the elite of the elite runners in Michigan.

“It feels great,” Townsend said. “I’m always thinking that I have to win, I have to win. … The excitement through my head is just so crazy. Only a couple people can really be state champions, and I’m one of them.”

Carson City-Crystal trackDiaz earned two individual titles himself, in the 110 hurdles with a time of 14.77 and in the 300 hurdles, crossing the line in 39.59.

While all the excitement was taking place on the track, Wyoming Potter’s House Christian junior Jok Nhial finished first in the long jump with an incredible leap of 21-09.50, a personal record. He shattered his previous PR by seven inches, something he wasn’t expecting to do Saturday.

“It feels amazing that I’m able to do this at the state championship,” Nhial said. “I didn’t expect to make a PR today, or even break our school record. It was a great moment. I’ve worked so hard and for this to be the outcome, it feels great.”

But the true triumph of the day belonged to Carson City-Crystal. The eight athletes and the coaching staff were able to put together a season that none of them will soon forget.

“Everybody stepped up and did their part,” Forist said. “It really is a team thing. It wasn’t just a one-man show. Everybody did their thing. It’s so awesome.”

Click of full results.

PHOTOS: (Top) Carson City-Crystal celebrates its first MHSAA Finals championship in track & field. (Middle) Flint Beecher's Jaylin Townsend, right, races Saugatuck's Benny Diaz. (Below) The Eagles' Coleman Clark races in the 3,200. (Photos by Will Kennedy.) 

Rapid River Rises to Claim D3 Championship

By John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com

June 5, 2016

KINGSFORD — Twelve years had passed since a Rapid River boys track and field team had been crowned Upper Peninsula champion.

The Rockets found a way to do that Saturday, however, as they edged Powers North Central 72-68 for the title. Third-place Newberry scored 48 points, followed by Felch North Dickinson with 47½ and two-time reigning champ Munising with 46.

Rapid River sealed the deal by placing second in the 3,200-meter relay in 3 minutes, 41.9 seconds. North Central won the day’s final race at 3:38.04.

The Rockets also had to overcome some adversity after losing junior Austin Wicklund to a knee ligament injury.

“It’s exciting to do this as a senior,” said Dan Blair, who anchored that relay and was runner-up to Munising senior Brett Hannah in the 800 and 1,600. “We needed every point, and everybody gave his best effort. After losing Austin, we needed to put a new guy in the 1,600 relay and change our order. This is a great way to end my high school career.

“The (open) 800 and 1,600 could have gone better. Brett and I have been battling since junior high, and today he ran great.”

This marked the fourth consecutive season Hannah won the 3,200 (10:42.7) and his third straight 1,600 championship (4:37.76). Hannah, who scratched from the 400, also retained his 800 title (2:02.12).

“With this being my senior year, I wanted to do the events I really enjoy,” said Hannah. “They had me doing the 1,600 relay, so I compensated for scratching from the 400. I’m pretty happy about repeating in all three races. This became a real good day.”

Blair was runner-up in the 800 (2:03.65) and 1,600 (4:42.08).

Sophomore Logan Hardwick provided the Rockets with a first in discus at 132 feet, two inches and North Central senior Brendan Gatien took shot put (46-11½).

Senior Morgan Cox provided the Jets with a first in high jump (5-8) and anchored the winning 800 relay (1:36.9).

Big Bay de Noc junior Lucas Sundling won the 400 (52.07), followed by North Central senior Bryce Holle (53.8) and junior Tyler Bentley (55.39).

“My goal was to break 52, but it felt like I had no energy,” said Sundling. “My body felt like it was ready for a break, but our coach (John Gores) doesn’t let us miss practice. He does everything to make us better.”

Newberry got its lone first in the 400 relay (46.68), and North Dickinson’s Garrett O’Neil won the 110 hurdles (17.08) and 300s (42.75).

“For the most part, everything was cooking on all cylinders,” said sophomore Andre James, who ran the second leg in Newberry’s winning relay and placed fourth in the 100 (11.75). “We’re really happy about winning that relay. The 100 was real fast. My start went pretty well, only I would have liked to have gotten a higher place. Overall, we did pretty well as a team.”

Eben Junction Superior Central senior Greg Seppanen and Bark River-Harris junior Iver Stenberg hooked up in a pair of tight races. Seppanan won the 100 (11.4) by 12 hundredths of a second. Stenberg then took the 200 (23.23), squeezing past Seppanen by one hundredth of a second. Stephenson’s Montel Glover was third in the 100 (11.74).

Click for full results.

PHOTOS: (Top) Munising’s Brett Hannah (far right), Wakefield-Marenisco’s Sam Dean and Rapid River’s Dan Blair race around a curve during the 1,600. (Middle) Stephenson’s Trey Johnson (far right) wins the 110 hurdles. (Photos by Cara Kamps.)