The question has to be asked: Just how good is this Hopkins boys’ track team?
Part of the answer was provided Friday in the O-K Silver Conference meet at Comstock Park, where the Vikings piled up 191 team points to run away with the league title. The Viking girls weren’t too shabby either, capturing second place with 138 points behind Fruitport.
Then comes next Saturday’s Division 2 regional meet at Allendale, which will determine how many local lads will qualify for the state competition. Furthermore, the top three teams at regionals will get an invitation to compete for the Michigan Track Coaches Association (MITCA) state team championship.
The Hopkins boys have never been bested this spring, whether in dual meets or tournaments. However the calibre of competition gets stronger starting at Allendale. Fifteen teams will be there, including O-K Gold champion Wayland.
Highlights of the league meet:
- Senior sprinter Kellen Ford won the 100-meter dash, the only runner to break 11 seconds with a time of 10.92. He was second in the 200.
- Jack Estelle and Kash Moored went 2-3 in the 1600-meter run, followed by Grady Johnston, Noah Gibson and Gavin Schans, all under five minutes. Moored was second in the 800 and Estelle was second in the 3200.
- Clayton Kerber was first in the 110-meter high hurdles in 15.2 seconds and he won the 300-meter hurdles in 40.26, with teammate Graycin Ingle checking in second.
- Estelle, Moored, Gibson and Johnston combined efforts to take Hopkins’ only relay victory, in the 3200 with a time of 8:20.01.
- Luke Klinge and Graysin Ingle went 1-2 in the pole vault, with Klinge clearing 13-0 and Ingle 12-6.
- Parker Warners won the long jump with a leap of 20-875.
- Noah Opolski was second in the discus.
Lady Vikings are O-K Silver runners-up
- Riley Homrich was edged by seven-hundredths of a second in the 100-meter dash and was second by a whisker in the 200 as well.
- Andrea Brower captured first place in the 300 hurdles and was fourth in the 100 hurdles. Her winning time was 48.16 seconds.
- Keilah Bonga continued doing what she does best, winning shot put at 32-6.5 and the discus with a throw of 126-2.5.
- Taylie Burgess and Homrich went 2-3 in the long jump.
