Track: Tekonsha sends 3 to MHSAA State Finals, Athens qualifies 8 at Regionals

HILLSDALE, MI. - The Tekonsha Indians and the Athens Indians traveled to Hillsdale College’s Ken Herrick Track on Friday looking for postseason glory as they competed in the MHSAA Division Four Regional 35 Invitational.

Tekonsha Indians 

Tekonsha had three athletes earn the right to compete at the MHSAA (Michigan High School Athletic Association) Individual State Finals by either finishing in the top two of their respective event or by reaching the MHSAA mandated additional qualifying standard.

On the girl’s side of the competition, it was Marshall Academy co-op athlete Dani VanLente booking her return trip to the MHSAA Individual State finals as she qualified in the 3200-meter run. VanLente finished in third place overall in a qualifying time of 12 minutes, 31.96 seconds, bettering the qualifying time of 12 minutes, 47 seconds. VanLente will be making her third straight trip to the MHSAA state finals after having qualified in the 3200-meter run her sophomore, junior and now senior season, with her best career finish coming in an eighth place finish her sophomore year. VanLente, like every senior competing this year, saw her freshman year wiped out due to Covid, thus keeping her from being a four time state finalist.

On the men’s side of the competition, it was senior Wyatt Blashfield booking his return trip to the state finals as he qualified in the discus for the second straight season. Blashfield finished in fifth place at the regional level with a throw of 128 feet, 10 inches, beating the qualifying standard of 123 feet, 0 inches. Blashfield finished in fifteenth place last year at the state finals in the discus. Blashfield also earned a medal in the shot put, finishing in sixth place with a throw of 39 feet, 4.75 inches.

Also earning a trip to the state finals representing Tekonsha will be senior sprinter Kyle Redd who finished in second place in the 100-meter dash in a time of 11.69 seconds. This will be Redd’s first trip to the state finals.

Rounding out the Tekonsha effort with a medal thanks to a top eight finish in their respective event was the boys 400 meter relay team of Blashfield, Redd, Isaac Henry and Derek Booker, fifth place in a time of 48.07 seconds and the girls 3200 meter relay team of VanLente, Alyssa Aldrich, Leah Newbre, and Carissa Shedd with an eighth place finish in a time of 12 minutes, 38.41 seconds.

Athens Indians 

The Athens Indians will be sending a total of seven individual athletes in nine events in addition to a relay team to the MHSAA State Finals.

On the girl's side of the competition Athens saw four individuals qualify in five events while one relay team also punched their ticket to the finals.

Leading the way for Athens was senior Kylie Quist who qualified in two different events. Quist finished in fourth place in the 800-meter run in a qualifying time of 2 minutes, 32.04 seconds, beating the qualifying time of 2 minutes, 34 seconds, while also finishing in third place in the 1600 in a qualifying time of 5 minutes, 36.75 seconds, beating the qualifying time of 5 minutes, 44 seconds.

Punching her return ticket to the state finals will be senior Jocelyn Hall who finished in third place overall in the 100-meter hurdles in a time of 16.85 seconds. Hall beat the additional qualifying time of 17.80 seconds by nearly a second to advance to the state finals in her signature event for the third straight season. Hall brought home the Division Four State Championship in the 100 meter hurdles her sophomore season with a time of 16.30 seconds and took runner-up honors her junior season with a time of 15.96 seconds.

Also advancing on to the state finals will be junior Kamryn Parlin who finished in fourth place in the high jump with a jump of 4 feet, 10 inches, tying the qualifying mark, while teammate Shelby Evans will move on to the finals in the long jump thanks to her third place finish with a jump of 15 feet, 5 inches, beating the qualifying mark of 15 feet, 1 inch.

Athens will also see one of their relay teams head to the finals as the 400-meter relay team of Charley Williams, Layla Williams, Parlin and Hall finished in fifth place in a qualifying time of 54.81 seconds, beating the standard time of 55.0 seconds.

Pacing the Athens effort by earning medal with a top eight finish in their respective event was Layla Willias, fourth place in the 100 in a time of 13.71 seconds; Charley Williams with a sixth place finish in the 100 in a time of 14.00 seconds; Jocelyn Hall, eighth place in the 200 in a time of 29.91 seconds; Zoey Williams, sixth place in the 400 in a time of 1 minute, 8.91 seconds; Mallory Kincaid, eighth place in the 400 in a time of 1 minute, 9.17 seconds; Chloe Badger, sixth place in the 1600 in a time of 6 minutes, 19.27 seconds and eighth place in the 3200 in a time of 13 minutes, 53.65 seconds; the 800 relay team of Charley Willaims, Kalencia Garza-McNutt, Mallory Kincaid and Hall, fifth place in a time of 1 minute, 57.86 seconds; the 1600 relay team of Shelby Evans, Zoey Willaims, Mallory Kincaid, and Kylie Quist, sixth place in a time of 4 minutes, 45.59 seconds; and the 3200 relay team of Zoey Williams, Whitney Hernandez, Badger and Quist, sixth place in a time of 10 minutes, 59.77 seconds.

On the boy's side of the competition Athens will see three different athletes move on to the state finals in four events.   Leading the way for Athens is junior hurdling ace Landon Bennett who qualified in two events, winning the 300-meter hurdles in a time of 41.12 seconds while also taking runner-up honors in the 110 hurdles in a time of 15.49 seconds.

Also earning a spot at the state finals for Athens will be Nollan Fry who finished in third place in the pole vault with a vault of 11 feet, 9 inches, beating the qualifying mark of 11 feet, 3 inches; while teammate Kenyon Mandoka will move on to the finals in the long jump with his second place finish with a jump of 20 feet, 2.75 inches.

Pacing the Athens effort with a medal thanks to a top eight finish in their respective event was Mandoka, sixth place in the 100 in a time of 12.32 seconds; Ethan Oconnor, seventh place in the 1600 in a time of 5 minutes, 3.00 seconds; Dru Slater, eighth place in the 110 hurdles in a time of 20.32 seconds; Addison Stanton, sixth place in the 300 hurdles in a time of 45.43 seconds; the 400 relay team of Kai Williams, Dakota Converse, Fry and Mandoka, sixth place in a time of 48.15 seconds; the 800 relay team of Williams, Brock Milam, Converse and Bennett, third place in a time of 1 minute, 37.76 seconds; the 1600 relay team of Bennett, Milam, Slater and Stanton, fourth place in a time of 3 minutes, 46.58 seconds; the 3200 relay team of Landen Drake, Stanton, Slater and Oconnor, sixth place in a time of 9 minutes, 22.82 seconds; and Bock Milam, sixth place in the long jump with a jump of 19 feet, 2.00 inches.

Team Standings 

In the men’s portion of the competition the Athens Indians finished in third place overall with a score of 61 points while Tekonsha finished in eleventh place with a total score of 19 points. Reading brought home the regional title with a score of 154.5 points while Hillsdale Academy finished in second place with 127 points.

In the women's division it was Athens taking sixth place with a score of 59 points while Tekonsha finished twelfth with seven points. Hillsdale Academy ran away with the regional title, winning with 131.5 points while Morenci and Pittsford tied in second place with 74 points. Addison suffered a bit of heartbreak at the event, finishing just a half a point out of runner-up status, taking fourth place with 73.5 points.

Both Tekonsha and Athens will now focus on the SCAA Conference Championships to be held Tuesday on the grounds of Hillsdale College, followed by their respective trips to the MHSAA Division Four State Finals to be held June 3 at Baldwin Middle School in Hudsonville.

This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Track: Tekonsha sends 3 to MHSAA State Finals, Athens qualifies 8 at Regionals