The Pioneer boys’ track and field team scored an impressive 43 points this weekend at the MHSAA Division 1 State Finals to finish second overall. Host East Kentwood scored 63.5 points to finish first. Alpena was third (31) while Lansing Waverly and Rockford tied for fourth (30).
Huron was 13th with 17 points, Dexter scored 14 points to tie for 16th place and Skyline scored two points.
Let’s begin in the winner’s circle.
Pioneer’s Nick Foster completed his high school career in style and in typical fashion, winning two individual events on the day. The senior won the 1600 meters with a time of 4:12.32 and then crossed first in the 3200 meters with a time of 9:08.55.
Also in the 1600 meters, Dexter junior Owen Huard was 13th (4:20.97) and teammate Seth Read was 25th (4:25.02). Skyline’s Hobbs Kessler was 28th (4:26.44) and Huron’s Karsin Dass was 32nd (4:34.06).
Also in the 3200 meters, Pioneer senior John Florence had a strong finish taking fifth overall in 9:17.56. Dexter’s Nathan Larson was 22nd (9:42.41) and Huard was 24th (9:51.92) for the Dreadnaughts.
The other local first-place finish came in the 4×800 relay. The Pioneer team of Foster, Florence, Drew Allen and Fred Wallace crossed first in 7:47.92. Skyline (Jesse Edelstein, Ian Steele, TJ Dokas and Isaac Darragh was seventh (7:52.84) and Huron’s team of James Cardwell, Jordan Embry, Karsin Dass and Donovan Smith ran 22nd (8:18.0).
Dexter had an impressive showing in the pole vault. Junior Henry Sheldon was second and senior Oliver Bishop was third both going 15-0 for the Dreadnaughts. Skyline’s Logan Clark was 10th (13-06). Dexter’s Noah Schultz was 14th (13-06) and teammate Cole Sheldon was 25th (12-06).
In the 100 meters, Huron senior Kyle Martin was fourth (10.94). Huron junior Ashton Sanders was third in the 200 meters (21.77). Skyline junior Savante Daniel was 13th in the 400 meters (50.35). Huron senior James Cardwell was eighth in the 800 meters (1:54.93).
Pioneer’s Leo Gabaron had a fantastic day at the state finals. The junior was fifth in the 110 hurdles in 14.59 and also placed fourth in the 300 hurdles in 38.31.
In the 4×100 relay, the Huron team of Divine Obi, Kyle Martin, Ibraheem Joseph and Ashton Sanders finished fourth in 42.50. In the 4×400 relay, the Pioneer team of Adunbi Adetomiwa, Nick Foster, Jesse Li and Leo Gabaron took 10th in 3:24.85.
