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Tracksters ready for encoreBy Gary KaiaharDaily News Sports EditorIs another banner year on the way for Hillsdale area boys’ track teams?The 10 squads will be hard-pressed to top last spring’s performance, when four individuals won state championships and three teams finished in the top 10 at their respective State Meets.Here’s a glance at the teams as they prepare to run, jump and throw their way into the record books.HILLSDALE has finished third, second and third in the Twin Valley Conference the past three years. Is this the year the Hornets break through and claim the top spot?'A lot of people are saying we should give Sturgis a challenge for the championship, but it’s too early to tell,” says first-year coach Dan English. “The kids are working hard and I think we’ll be a strong team. We’ll find out right away — our first leaguemeet is April 14 atSturgis.In trying to dethrone Sturgis, the Hornets will count on a deep sprint and middle-distance corps and some outstanding field event performers.The sprinters are led by one of the state’s best, senior Lance Bowles. The 100-, 200- and 400-meter champion in the TVC and Area Best meets last year, Bowles finished second in the state in the 400 and fifth in the 200. He also competes in the long jump.Other top sprinters include Mark Seely, Duffy Sprang and Doug Erholtz. Seely also qualified for the State Meet and won the Area Best Meet in the pole vault last year while Sprang competes in the high jump and Erholtz in the pole vault and long jump.Middle-distance and distance runners include All-Area cross country picks A1 Rodriguez and JimPreview:V-r~IBoys' TrackParzych, along with Greg Vaughn, Ene U'wis and Robin Passmore. Rob Thielen and Doug Bildner will handle the throwing events.“We should be strong in the sprints and some of the field events,” sa.j English. “Our distance kids shocked some people in cross country, mabe they can do it again.”Hillsdale hits the track April 7 at home against Saline.READING is out to get back on top of the Big Eight Conference after having its four-year title run broken by Homer. The Rangers will be looking for help from some newcomers, as 18 of coach Rob Lutz's 29 athletes are seeing their first action. Freshmen and sophomores account for 20 of Reading’s trackmen.“We’re real young, but we do have two real good classes with our freshmen and sophomores,” saysLutz. “By the time the league meet rolls around we should be able to skip into the top half. And by early next year, we could have a very good team.”A pair of three-event state qualifiers head up Reading’s veterans. Dean Brown made the State Meet in the long jump and Todd Reppert in the 100-meter dash. Both were also members of the 800 relay squad which was eighth in the state, and they joined with sophomore returnee Mike Willmont to qualify in the 400 relay.Willmont also competes in the high jump and long jump and Reppert is the top returnee in the hurdles. Also back is sprinter Jason Rodesiler, while Bill Heindel and Erik Smith are veterans in the distance events.Reading goes to Pittsford Apnl 11.JONESVILLE will have to overcome a numbers problem if it’s to improve on last year’s sixth-place finish in the Big Eight Second-year head coach Dennis Peacock has a squad of just 14.“We’re going to get hurt not being able to fill some events,” says Peacock, “but I’m happy with the kids we have. We’d like to finish in the top four. Even with this number of kids, I think that’s possible.”Eight athletes return from last year’s team, including one of the area’s best high jumpers in sophomore Bruce Daniels. Also back are Robert West, Mike West and Chad Helmick in the sprints, Mike Burger at middle-distance, Mike Baird and Nic Zimmer in the distance events, and jumper Tom Dunn.Joining the Comets are Dan Page, Eric Trumper, David Ahles, Andy Hodge, Dustin Hale and Larry Jose.Jonesville hosts Camden-Frontier (Please see Track, Page 8)
Newspaper Details
Hillsdale Whig Standard
Hillsdale, Michigan, US
Wed, Apr 06, 1988
Page 7
Full Page
Clipped by
Jason R.
USA 17 Aug 2024
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