It was not a good d
ay for the Hopkins boys’ track team Saturday at the Division 3 Michigan Track Coaches’ Association state team track meet at Shepherd.
The Viking boys, after winning their first-ever regional championship and taking the O-K Silver Conference title since 2001, finished 13th among the 14 teams. Hillsdale won it with 1,517 points and Dundee was runner-up with 1,220.5. Hopkins checked in with 663 points, 29 fewer than 12th place Berrien Springs and well ahead of Saginaw Nouvel’s 478.5.
Two huge factors worked against coach Jamies Kiss’ squad. One was that, as usual, the meet was held the morning after Hopkins graduation and the Vikings’ top point getter, Quincy Collings, did not compete. Collings is the defending state champion high jumper and earlier this month he broke the school record in the long jump.
The best individual efforts Hopkins could muster were in the sprints. Spencer Timm tied for sixth in the 100-meter dash at 11.52 seconds and Anthony Steffens was eighth. Steffens was in a four-way tie for second in the 200 dash at 23.2 seconds.
Michael Francis copped an eighth in the 110-meter hurdles at 16.68 seconds.
Timm, Nik Schoonveld, Wyatt Stegeman and Steffens hooked up to run the 400-meter relay in 46 seconds flat to finish eighth. However, two other relay teams did not finish and the 3200 placed 12th.
Francis tied for seventh place in the high jump by clearing 5-7.
The Hopkins girls’ team did not qualify for the MITCA meet, missing out for the first time in four years. Schools invited to the state team meet are based on performances in the regionals and the best runner-up finishes.
