Deep teams, elite athletes: What you need to know as boys track season gets underway
BATTLE CREEK - The spring track season has arrived to the area quickly, but speed is a good thing when it comes to this sport as we take a look at the city and area boys track squads for 2024.
There is impressive depth on several track teams in the city and area with Lakeview and Harper Creek showcasing over 70 athletes on their boys teams alone and Marshall having over 100 on its boys and girls team combined.
MORE: Who is the Preseason Boys Track Athlete of the Year in the Battle Creek area?
Fans of high school boys track will want to mark their calendar with key dates coming up, including the All-City Track Meet on April 19 and regionals starting May 16. The MHSAA state meet is set for June 1 at various locations.
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Here’s a closer look at the city and area boys track teams for 2024:
Battle Creek Central
Coach: Jerry Miller (6th season)
2023 record: N/A
Top returners: Vitor Colodino; Charles Sims, Noah Nichols, Yoshua McDonald, Ebbyon Wilson, Rolls Kerrigan, Kalifornia Bey
Outlook: After renovation at C.W. Post Field last year in the spring made the track unusable, Battle Creek Central has a better chance to compete in 2024 as it will have a home track to practice on and will host meets for the first time in years with the venue updated. The Bearcats will be led by a group of standout returners, including Charles Sims and Ebbyon Wilson in the sprints, Noah Nichols and Rolls Kerrigan in the distance events and Kalifornia Bey in field events. Foreign-exchange student Vitor Coldino returns for a second year at BCC and was a state qualifier in the high jump and looks to expand to the pole vault.
"We graduated a lot of seniors, but we’re excited for the young runners coming into the program. We will have a lot of younger guys looking to make their mark and establish themselves as solid track and field athletes," Miller said.
Harper Creek
Coach: Larry Quick (31th season)
2023 record: 6-1
Top returners: Bronson Carpenter, sr.; Mason Korn, sr.; Joey DeRose, sr.; Ethan Tabiadon, sr.; Dominic Lowrie, jr.; TreQuon Cotton, jr.; Chase Nichols, jr.; Kaden Sears, jr.; Ricky Johnson, jr.; Kyler Benneman, jr.; Zach Kitchen, jr.; Nehemiah Wert, jr.
Outlook: Harper Creek has over 90 students out for the track team to start the spring. However, the Beavers have only 13 seniors coming off a team that won the Interstate 8 Conference two years ago and finished second last year. Among those senior leaders include sprinter Bronson Carpenter, hurdlers Joey DeRose and Ethan Tabiadon as well as pole vaulter Mason Korn. A strong junior class includes distance runner Dominic Lowrie, sprinters Chase Nichols and Nehemiah Wert and several specializing in field event with TreQuon Cotton, Kaden Sears, Ricky Johnson, Kyler Benneman and Zach Kitchen.
"We graduated 17 seniors last year, but have a lot of experienced juniors and sophomores on this team. We stress the importance of team every day and the kids have bought in. If we end up performing up to the expectations, we will surprise some people. As coaches we are working hard to get our athletes into the right events and get this team prepared to compete and stay out of the bottom half of the I-8 conference," Quick said.
Lakeview
Coach: Matt Miller (23rd season)
2023 record: SMAC East champs, SMAC champs, All-City champs
Top returners: Davis Barr, sr.; Malaki Bell, sr.; Aiden Moore, sr.; Cohen French, sr.; Nate Harris, sr.; Namen Sharma, sr.; Camari Smith, sr.; Michael Glass, sr.; Alonso Baldwin, sr.; Isaac Greene, sr.; Josh Hennessy, sr.; Sam LaDuke, sr.; Jonah Bills, jr.; Malik Glass, jr.; Alex Rogers, jr.; Trevor White, jr.; Alonso Campos, jr.
Outlook: Lakeview had a banner season a year ago with another Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference East Division crown as well as winning the overall SMAC championship and taking the All-City title. However, the Spartans have suffered heavy graduation losses from that team, losing 26 seniors. Lakeview does have a lot to work with this year with over 80 athletes on the boys team, but only 15 seniors. Leading the returners is three-time state qualifier Davis Barr, who hold the school record in the long jump and was the team's leading scorer last year. Aiden Moore also returns, before getting ready to run track at Michigan State University, coming into his final year as the school record holder in the 1,600 and a state qualifier in two events a year ago.
"This is going to be a rebuilding year. We currently have over 80 boys participating, with only 15 seniors, so we are very young. The attitude and commitment to work have been outstanding so far. Looking forward to seeing what happens with this team. I think our team will develop over the season, and hopefully by the end we will have the younger athletes competing at the varsity level," Miller said.
Pennfield
Coach: Chris Lok (3rd season)
2023 record: N/A
Top returners: Xavier Lipscomb, sr.; Aiden Govier, sr.; Brendan Black, jr.; Hunter Jenney, jr.; Alex Lutgring, jr.; Dre'Shaun Bailey, so.; Landon Metty, sr.
Outlook: After not having a facility to practice at last year, Pennfield now has a new track to work on, which has brought more athletes to the team in 2024. The Panthers are still young, with only a handful of seniors returning with varsity experience, including Xavier Lipscomb, Landon Metty and Aiden Govier. Some underclassmen will be counted on to take the next step, including juniors Brenden Black, Hunter Jenny and Alex Lutgring as well as sophomore Dre'Shaun Bailey.
"We are starting off the season with a bit more excitement...having a new track and facility. Not having that last year and having to improvise around the school grounds was quite challenging. Just getting back to a set daily schedule we were already way ahead of last year. The extra numbers have really helped our returning guys realize they’ve got some talented guys to help them out. With the majority of our kids being sophomores and freshmen there’s a lot to look forward to," Lok said.
St. Philip/Calhoun Christian Co-Op
Coach: Jeff Minier (13th season)
2023 record: 6th in SCAA
Top returners: Luke Sprague, sr.; Ryan Casterline, sr.; Max Shugars, sr.; Owen Nofs, jr.; Colt Myers, jr.; Sawyer Weiss, jr.
Outlook: The St. Philip/Calhoun Christian co-op features some athletes who have had some success in regionals or at the state level, led by senior returners Ryan Casterline, Luke Sprague and Max Shugars, as well as junior Owen Nofs. That experience will be needed on a team short on numbers.
"There are plenty of returning athletes as well as some new faces to the program this season. While we haven’t yet determined the best fit for everyone, there is a promising outlook for the squads based on our experiences with and knowledge of the athletes we have on the rosters," Minier said.
Marshall
Coach: Eric Dale (2nd season)
2023 record: N/A
Top returners: Connor Griffith, sr.; Jack Bidwell, jr.; Reese Davis, jr.; Brandon Contat, sr.; Dominic Dent, sr.; Tayshawn Simpson, jr.
Outlook: Marshall went through a major rebuild a year ago with only three seniors in the program in 2023. Entering the 2024 season, in his second season as head coach, Eric Dale has helped Marshall grow with 115 athletes combined on the boys and girls track teams. The Redhawks have some depth in the distance events with junior Jack Bidwell as well as Connor Griffith and Reese Davis, as all three have qualified for the state meet in their varsity career. Seniors Brandon Contat and Dominic Dent headline the sprinters with Tayshawn Simpson highlighting the shot put group.
"We are excited to continue to build and create a successful track program with our coaches and athletes this spring and the following seasons," Dale said.
Athens
Coach: Shaun Slater (3rd season)
2023 record: 3rd in SCAA West Division; 3rd in regionals
Top returners: Landon Bennett, sr.; Addison Stanton, jr.; Nollan Fry, jr.; Dru Slater, jr.; Ethan O'Conner
Outlook: Athens is looking to build on a successful season a year ago, despite low numbers, as a core group of solid athletes helped the team finish third in regionals. The Indians bring back a state champion in Landon Bennett (300 hurdles) as well a group of juniors who excelled at the conference meet, including Addison Stanton, Nollan Fry and Dru Slater.
"The main goals are to compete for a conference championship and to make the MITCA team state tournament again. This team returns four all-conference athletes, along with a couple strong underclassmen. This team has legitimate championship aspirations," Slater said.
Contact Bill Broderick at bbroderi@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on X/Twitter @billbroderick.
This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Battle Creek-area boys track teams to watch for 2024 season
