Both the Hopkins boys and girls track teams placed third in the O-K Silver Conference meet Friday at Belding High School.
Sparta won the boys’ competition with 203 points, Grandville Calvin Christian was second with 95.5 and Hopkins third at 89. Belding was the girls’ champion with 161.5, Sparta was runner-up at 145 and Hopkins had 99.
It would be an easy argument to assert that the throwers carried the day for the Vikings. Junior Mason Tomes hurled the shot a personal best 47 feet, 7.5 inches for the win, teammate Tanner Neuman was second and Josh Tew fifth. Tomes was fourth and Neuman sixth in the discus.
Trevor Shealy nailed a third in the 200, as did Adam Ball in the 800. On the girls’ side, Grace Brenner won the shot at 35-8 and was sixth in the discus, eclipsed by freshman teammate Leah Schumaker.
Senior Logan Kline blew away the field in the pole vault by going 12-8, more than a foot higher than his closest competitor.
Though not a thrower, freshman Kambria Moored was impressive in the hurdles yet again, with firsts in the 100-meter highs in 17.24 seconds and the 300-meter intermediates in 49.73. It isn’t often that a freshman is a conference champion in both hurdle events.
Jaeden Harshbager, Nevaeh Helderop, Helena Kerber and Navaya Ingle hooked up for a second place performance in the 3200-meter relay. Harshbarger also scored fourths in the 400 and the high jump, and Vanessa Barry was fourth in the long jump. Moored added a fourth in the 200. Helderop came up with her best performance to cop a third in the 800.
