TRI-CITY AREA — The Almont and Imlay City boys’ track teams pulled up first and third, respectively, last Friday among small schools at the Flint Kearsley Relays.
Almont won on the strength of an output of 82 points. They were followed by North Branch (68 points), Imlay City (58), Flint Southwestern Academy (56), Burton Bendle (51), Flint Beecher (31) and Algonac (30).
The pole vault (Mike Rinke and Thomas Dyer) and high jump (Colby Schapman and Nathan Engel) relays led Almont with firsts. They logged performances of 9 feet and 11 feet 4 inches, respectively.
The discus (Jackson Malcolm and Nathan Kerby), 400 meter thrower’s relay (Christian Buckmiller, Aiden Powell, Malcolm and Kerby), shuttle hurdle (Charles Weertz, Adam Bryan, Aaron Bryan and Rinke), 800 (Thomas Dyer, Caleb Weigand, Mason Smith and Schapman) and 3200 (Lucas Webster, Trent Ligon, Luke Owens and Dallas Stanton) relays gave Almont seconds. Those lineups managed respective efforts of 184 feet 9 inches, 54.89 seconds, 1:19.75, 1:38.79 and 9:52 along the way.
The long jump (Seth Helfer and Ben Roland), shot put (Jackson Malcolm and Christian Buckmiller) and distance medley relay (Ian Swanger, Roland, Stanton and Webster) relays secured Almont’s thirds. They registered respective performances of 34 feet 8 inches, 71 feet 2 inches and 14:08.77 en route.
Almont’s Mason Smith looks to fend off the challenge of Imlay City’s Breydon Andrez at Friday’s meet. photo by Kevin Kissane.
The 400 (Jacob Castillo, Lucas DeLaurier, Rinke and Helfer) and sprint medley (Dyer, Weigand, Smith and Schapman) relays added fifths to Almont’s cause. They logged clockings of 50.56 seconds and 1:44.92 en route.
The discus relay (Ryan Johnson and Cameron Shirling) paced Imlay City with a first, thanks to a performance of 243 feet 2 inches.
Imlay City’s shot put (Austin DeRocher and Johnson) and distance medley (Holden Redd, Jager Land, Dean Aune and Aiden Cuthbertson) relays claimed seconds. They managed efforts of 80 feet four inches and 13:27.88, respectively, along the way.
The high jump (Christian Hoblet and Lonnie Wolford), 400 meter thrower’s relay (Kyle Rossen, Johnson, Shirling and DeRocher) and 3200 (Land, Redd, Aune and Cuthberston) relays contributed thirds. Those lineups generated respective performances
of 10 feet 3 inches, 57.41 seconds and 9:52.21 en route.
The 800 (James Ruolo, Raymond Liu, Breydon Andrez and Wolford), sprint medley (Jacek Klebba, Ruolo, Wolford and Andrez) and 1600 (Liu, Land, Wolford and Andrez) relays furnished Imlay City’s fourths. They logged respective clockings of 1:39.91, 1:44.57 and 3:56.79 along the way
The long jump relay of Land and DeRocher rounded out the list of Imlay City placewinners with fifths. The lineup provided a performance of 31 feet 6 1/2 inches en route.
Kevin Kissane has been covering high school sports for the Tri-City Times since 1985. When not standing on a field or court with his camera and notepad, he enjoys golf, travel and family. Kevin is a 1980 graduate of Capac High School, and is also a grad of St. Clair Community College and earned a degree in journalism from Central Michigan University.
