The Wayland boys’ track team opened its outdoor track season with a first-place finish in the Wayland Invitational Friday afternoon.
The meet featured eight guys’ teams and seven for the girls and it was scored according to the system used by the Michigan Track Coaches’ Association (MITCA).
The Wildcats accumulated 893 points, almost 200 more than runner-up Plainwell. The girls checked in fourth behind Middleville Thornapple Kellogg, Plainwell and Coopersville with 94.5, a half point ahead of Otsego.
Junior Brock Wheeler captured third place in the open 400-meter run with a time of 53.2 seconds. Kelloggsville’s Jordan Tillman swept the sprints.
Breslin Vandenbos checked in second in the 800 with a clocking of 2:05.64. Dylan Pallett and Mason Fein went 3-4 in the 1600 meters. Pallett also picked up a second in the 3200.
Alex Hubbard was third in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles.
Wayland scored heavily in the relays, led by the 3200 team of Pallett, Xander Stepek, Maurgan Howard and Vandenbos with a winning time of 8:33.49, at least 12 seconds faster than anyone else.
Jake Reeder, Chance Lenhart, Henry Maass and Landen Dunahoo hooked up for a second place finish in the 400-meter relay. Brock Wheeler, Maass, Hubbard, and Reeder did the same for Wayland in the 800 relay. Wildcats Vandenbos, Maurgan Howard, Wheeler and Wheeler was the third quartet to finish second.
Adam Huff, last year’s state champion in the discus, took second in the shot put at 51-11 and was first in the discus at 155-10.
The Wildcats swept the top three slots in the high jump with Carter Marquard at 6-0, and Gavin Howard Carter Williamson both at 5-10
Justin Springs captured the other first for the day in field events by taking the long jump in 20 feet flat.
For the girls, sophomore Megan Brogger finished second in the 100-meter dash and was first in the 200 meters in 26.98.
Bre Hoogewind grabbed a third in the 800-meter run.
The Lady Wildcats copped a victory in the 400-meter relay with a time of 54.42 seconds.Brogger, Laney Wolf, Evie Mathis and Ryleigh Haveman combined efforts to win the 800-meter relay in 1:49.04, high seconds faster than all other foursomes.
Wolf, Ayva Mulder, Brogger and Havemen came in third in the 1600 relay.
MacKenzie Kozitsky was third in the discus.
Mathis came in first in the pole vault, but called it a day after clearing 10-6. She also won the long jump with a leap of 15-6.5
Gwen Howard tied for first place in the high jump by clearing 4-10.
