Hopkins junior Emma Helder turned in the most successful individual performance Tuesday at the Wendy’s Classic Track Invitational that featured 18 boys’ and girls’ teams.
Helder crossed the finish line second in the open 800-meter run, less than a second slower than freshman Hannah Bodine of East Grand Rapids. Helder’s time was 2:34.96. Teammate Gracie DeZeeuw finished seventh in that race with a time of 2:46.61.
The Wendy’s Track& Field Classic, held at the Alksnis Athletic and Receation Building near the John Ball Zoo west of Grand Rapids, ushered in the season for many schools.
There were other Viking boys and girls who finished in the top 10 in their competitions.
Junior Brittney Houseman took fifth in the 60-meter dash at 8.27 seconds.
Junior Jasmine Fisher was sixth in the open 1600-meter run at 5:46.67.
The 800-meter relay team of Houseman, Anna Washburn, Cassidy Finney and Laura Velderman took seventh in 1:59.29.
Finney, Helder, DeZeeuw and Velderman hooked up for a seventh-place finish in the 1600-meter relay at 4:37.31.
The 3200-meter relay, with Velderman, Helder, DeZeeuw and Fisher, finished sixth with a time of 10:47.
Lauren Brown, Washburn, Houseman and Finney combined efforts to finish eighth in a medly relay of 400, 200, 200 and 400 meters.
Junior Savannah Emmaus placed tied for fourth in the pole vault, clearing an even seven feet, and she was seventh in the long jump at 15-3.
Schulz also was 11th in the shot put with a toss of 32-0.
On the boys’ side, sophomore Todd Henley was 10th in the 1600.
The 3200-meter relay team of Jacob Pastoor, Henley, Zach Nutter and Dan Rausch finished fifth in 9:11.58.
The medley relay team of Brady Bockheim, Grey Castello, Cameron White and Rausch just missed ninth place by less than a second.
Nathan Roberts was 11th in the shot put.
Trey Collins, only a sophomore, tied for 10th in the high jump. He also tied for ninth in the long jump at 18-10.
The Viking boys and girls will take a spring break before getting into O-K Silver Conference dual meet action.