The Wayland boys’ track team placed fourth in the O-K Gold Conference meet and the girls were fifth in the cold and rainy competition Saturday at Houseman Field in Grand Rapids.
Grand Rapids Christian was first in the field of seven league teams with 155.5 points and East Grand Rapids was runner-up with 121.5. The Wildcats had 80 points, one more than Wyoming.
The Lady Wildcats collected 43 points, two more than Wyoming. Forest Hills Eastern won it with 161 points and East Grand Rapids was second with 148.
The Wildcat boys’ greatest strengths proved to be the 400-meter run and 1600-meter relay. Junior Caleb Wolf was league champion in the open 400 with a time of 51.2 seconds and teammate Seth Sevenski-Popma was third and Ashton Ordway sixth. That threesome hooked up with Josh Butler to win the 1600 relay in 3:29.74.
The 800-meter relay quartet was no slouch, either, as it won in 1:33.71, with Devin Jakey, Ordway, Sevenski-Popma and Wolf carrying the baton.
Jakey also took a second in the long jump at 20-4.75, less than an inch short of the league title.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day was a runner-up finish in the high jump by senior Carter Morse, who spends most of his time on the baseball diamond, but cleared 5-8 in his best performance ever.
Devin Westfahl was fourth in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles and Jakey was third in the 200-meter dash. Robert Bausick picked up a fourth in the shot put, about a half-inch short than his personal best earlier this week at 44-9.
Highlighting the girls’ meet was a league championship performance in the 100-meter high hurdles by sophomore Corrina Courser, who broke her own school record in the event with a time of 16.34 seconds.
Sierra Greer, Kylea Wells, Madelyn Probst and Courser combined efforts to take second place in the 800-meter relay in 1:51.71.
Jessica Hortman tossed the discus a personal best 92-3 to grab third place in that event.
Greer, Maggie Whitney, Probst and Courser finished fourth in the 1600 relay.
COVER PHOTO: Corrina Courser was first in the 100-meter hurdles.
