The Wayland boys’ varsity track team captured the championship trophy Saturday in the Hopkins Invitational.
The Wildcats edged Allendale 142 points to 140 in a 12-team field. Hopkins was fifth with 60 points and Martin was ninth with 22.
The Hopkins girls finished third among 11 teams with 106 points, behind Lowell’s 170 and Allendale’s 133. Wayland, despite not having the services of ace hurdler Corrina Courser, was fourth with 82 and Martin was 10th with 12.
Wayland boys were led again by sprints, middle distance, the 1600 relay quartet and a double winning performance by thrower Robert Bausick, who took the shot put with a distance of 46-1.5 and the discus in 133-01.
The Wildcats seem to own the 400-meter run and the combination of four 400s in the 1600 relay. Caleb Wolf was first in the open 200 dash in 22.69 seconds and Seth Sevenski-Popma was second in 22.77. Sevenski-Popma turned the tables in the 400 by winning it in 50.85 seconds and Wolf was second.
Wolf, Devin Jakey, Justin Holtz and and Josh Butler hooked up to claim the 1600 relay in 3:38.69. Jakey, Sevenski-Popma, Ian Thompson and Wolf finished second in the 800 relay.
A mild and pleasant surprise came in the 3200 relay, which claimed its first first with a time of 8:27.41.
Jakey won the long jump with a leap of 19-7.
Perhaps the most interesting development of the day came in the pole vault. Hopkins freshman Logan Klinge had been threatening to break Jack Klunder’s 18-year-old school record of 12-6, and he did go a half-inch better.
But the school record now belongs to junior Trey Collins, who came out of nowhere to clear an even 13 feet.
Martin proved it has some pretty decent throwers, as sophomore Mitchell Jager checked in third in the discus.
Brady Bockheim, Hunter Braford, Klinge and Dan Rausch finished fourth in the 800 relay for Hopkins. Braford, Jason Sapp, Bockheim and Collins copped a third in the 400 relay.
Other noteworthy efforts were Wayland’s Devin Westfahl, third in the 300 hurdles and Butler, third in the 800; Hopkins’ Todd Henley, second in the 3200 at 10:24.87, and Sevenski-Popma, runner-up in the 100-meter dash.
Hopkins junior Evangelina Helderop claimed first place in the open 400-meter run with a time of 61.13 seconds and she was third in the 200. Wayland’s Madelyn Probst was third in the 400 at 1:06.15.
Lady Vikings’ thrower Shannon Henshaw took first in the shot put and was third in the discus. Teammate Grace Brenner was third in the shot, and Martin sophomore Natalie Yowler finished second.
The Lady Vikings took first in the 3200 relay in 10:34.42 with Jasmine Fisher, Alyssa Beilby, Mary Wells and Emma Helder.
Other noteworthy performances included Lady Wildcat Rylee Cronkright, second in the 1600 and fourth in the 800 and 3200; Hopkins’ Savannah Emaus, third in the 100 and Emma Helder, second in the 800; the Wayland 400 relay with Mackenzie Wolf, Jazmyn Santos, Probst and Khylea Wells; Wolf, Wells, Probst and Audrey Lepper, second in the 800 relay; The Hopkins 800 relay, third, with Cassidy Finney, Helderop, Alex Jackson an Emaus; The Lady Vikings’ 1600 relay, third, with Finney, Helder, Lauren Brown and Helderop; Emaus third in the long jump, and Wayland’s Jessica Hortman, second in the discus and fourth in the shot.
