MOUNT PLEASANT – Summerfield’s boys track and field team took second place Saturday in the Michigan Interscholastic Track Coaches’ Association Division 4 Team State Meet.
The Bulldogs scored 925 points. Hillsdale Academy won the meet with 966.5 and Whiteford placed 10th with 282.5.
“We had a good day,” Summerfield coach Jamie LaRocca said. “I’m happy for the kids.”
The highlight of the day for Summerfield was a sweep of the top three spots in the high jump.
Drew Dafoe and Roman Iott both cleared 6-0, but Dafoe took first on misses. Xander Friedrich placed third at 5-4.
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“It definitely was a surprise,” LaRocca said of the high jump.
Iott got a title of his own in the long jump at 19-5. He also had fourths in both the 200 and 400 meters.
Nathan Herrman, who was battling illness on Thursday and Friday, won the high hurdles in :16.09 and was the runner-up in the lows.
Brandon Thompson showed his versatility, taking second in the 1,600, third in the 800 and sixth in the 100.
Nathanial Hawkins snared third in the pole vault.
Evan Suydam (fifth 3,200, ninth 1,600) and Gavin Fietz (sixth in both 200 and low hurdles) also had productive days.
Other Bulldogs with top 10 individual finishes were Dafoe (sixth long jump), Xander Friedrich (seventh pole vault), Dylan Valasek (ninth 400) and Dalton Guilford (10th shot-put)
All four Summerfield relays finished in the top seven. The 1,600 (Alex Westrick, Ethan Jeffers, Valasek, Dakota Kohn) was fifth, the 400 (Valasek, Fietz, Jake LaRocca, Herrmann) and 800 (Fietz, Alex Gonzales, Valasek, Dafoe) sixth and the 3,200 relay (Josh Jensen, Kohn, Suydam, Westrick) seventh.
Keegan Masters took seventh in the 3,200 and 10th in the 1,600 for Whiteford.
Summerfield’s girls placed eighth with 450.5 points and Whiteford was ninth with 403. Hillsdale Academy was the champion with 1,090.
Alexandria Ausmus (second 1,600, fifth 800) and Keslyn Cay (third discus, fourth shot-put) led Summerfield. Other Bulldogs to crack the top 10 were Trinity Wilder (fourth high hurdles), Breanna Weston (sixth 400), Grace Kalb (ninth 800) and the 3,200 relay of Kalb, Weston, Elaney Fisher and Ausmus (fifth).
Whiteford’s Annie Gapp was second in the low hurdles and ran with Paige Thomas, Madelyn Thomas and Aubrie Simmons on the second-place 800 relay and third-place 1,600 relay.
Madelyn Thomas was fourth in the 800, Kenzie Gray took ninth in the discus and 10th in the shot-put and Alena Ellis placed seventh in the high jump.
TRACK AND FIELD
Bates wins shot-put
CLAIRE – Taylor Bates won the shot-put and was second in the discus to help Erie Mason take sixth place in the Michigan Interscholastic Track Coaches’ Association Division 3 Team State Meet Saturday.
He broke his own school record with a throw of 58-0 in the shot.
Cooper Kinsey placed second in the 200 meters, third in the 400 and sixth in the 100.
Jackson Ansel also had a big day. He was fourth in the 3,200, fifth in the 1,600, eighth in the 800 and ran on the fifth-place 3,200 relay with Jacob Ansel, Carson Rose and Ethan Cuschieri.
Other top performances for the Eagles came from Grant Hincher (fourth in the shot-put), Cam Micheau (fifth in the discus), Louden Murbach (fifth in the high hurdles) and Jacob Ansel (sixth in the 1,600).
“This group has been incredible to coach,” Mason coach Alex Russeau said. “They are a fun and talented group of kids that worked hard today and far exceeded our 10th-place ranking.”
PREP BASEBALL
Bedford tunes up
BLISSFIELD – Bedford tuned up for the state tournament by beating Blissfield 2-0 and Algonac 5-4 Saturday.
Ethan Brickner twirled a one-hit shutout against Blissfield while contributing at the plate with two hits, including a double, and an RBI.
Brandon Nigh also singled and doubled and Luke Carver drove in the other run on a safety squeeze.
Brady Pridgeon was the winner and Nigh picked up a save in the second game. Connor Lynch led the offense with a double and a three-run homer. Brendan Hammer had two hits and Connor Laskey drove in two runs for the 28-2 Mules.