Packer Track: Boys Take 3rd in Conference Meet, Girls Finish 6th

Photo By Bryan Kolk

Photos by Bryan Kolk

Boys
Coach Somers: 
The boys placed third with 84 points, Whitehall won with 222, and Ludington was 2nd with 87, at the conference championship meet. This gave them a third place overall in the conference. The meet was held at Whitehall with almost perfect weather. We had a few hiccups (Lost Connor Pettis to injury on Tuesday, Daniel Romero took a tumble in the 110s, and we unexpectedly scratched a couple of events), but mostly lots of good performances with personal records. We were really happy with the way the boys stepped up at a championship meet, focusing on controlling their own performance.  Daniel Romero and Sean Pettis were our standout athletes; each earning a conference championship in two events. Daniel, the long jump and the 300 intermediate hurdles, Sean, the 1600 and 800 meter runs.   Daniel went down in the 110 hurdle finals but recovered to finish 6th.  He showed good character with his ability to shake that off and come back to win the 300s.  Sean ran four events and Prd in all four. He fought off a strong challenge with 400 to go in the 1600 and ran away convincingly in the last 300.  The boys 4 x 800 m relay team of Gary Springstead, Johnny Christensen, Chase Lowery, and Sean Pettis placed second with a time of 8:16.24.That’s the fastest time we have run since 2017.  In the 1600 Henrik Quist took one of the hardest falls I have seen in a race other than the hurdles, got up and proceeded to run a PR.  He also came back to PR in the 3200, dude is tough.  Khai Noordyke made the finals in both the 100 and the 200 recording Prs in both.
 
Conference Champions
Long Jump – Daniel Romero
300 Hurdles – Daniel Romero
800 – Sean Pettis
1600 – Sean Pettis
 
Athletes placing second or third were considered honorable mention all-conference. The following athletes earned this honor.
400 – 2nd Gary Springstead
4x800 relay – 2nd Gary Springstead, Johnny Christensen, Chase Lowery, Sean Pettis
 
Athletes placing in the top 6 scored points (athletes listed who have not already been above)
200 – 4th Jacob Burns, 6th Khai Noordyke
3200 – 3rd Sean Pettis, 5th Carter Sherman, 6th Blake Taylor
110 Hurdles – 4th Owen Hertel, 6th Daniel Romero
300 Hurdles – 5th Carter Rottman, 6th Owen Hertel
4x200 Relay – 6th Kyler Dekuiper, Khai Noordyke, Kolten Belmarez, Jacob Burns
4x400 Relay – 4th Chase Lowery, Owen Hertel, Bjorn Johnson, Gary Springstead
High Jump – 6th Owen Hertel
 
Girls
Linnea Paige captured 2nd in the 3600m coming in at 12:06.69 and also put up a Pr in the 1600m finishing in 5:28.86 for 5th place.
Victoria Ekkel placed 4th in the 100m with a 13.56 time then joined teammates  Rachel Maddox, Cayman Ramsey, Ariana Tanner for a 3rd place finish in the 4x100m relay (1:58.12) and 4th in the 4x200 (1:58.12).
Maddox also finished 4th in the High Jump with a leap of 4’2” and Tanner added a 6th in the Long Jump sailing 13’2” 
Olivia Stroven set a Pr in the Pole Vault capturing 3rd in the process by clearing 7’9” and added a 6th in the 400m hitting the finish line in 1:09.99.
Aerie Beecham flung the Discus 87’1”  for the 5th place spot.