By DON EDEN
Dowagiac Daily News

A difference of 1.32 seconds meant an opening season Wolverine Conference victory for the Dowagiac male tracksters as a quartet of seniors won the final race (1,600 relay) for a 70-67 triumph over visiting Plainwell on Tuesday.

A quality, but not quantity female team of Chieftains were on the wrong end of a 77-54 score.

Saving Kasey Proshwitz from his normal 800-meter race to compete with classmates Damone Huff, Jon Myers and Pierre Reed proved to be the prolific choice as the latter hung on down the backstretch for the victory before falling face down on the grass from exhaustion.

“Our seniors stepped up and did a good job for us, which makes me proud,” noted boys co-coach Mike Stanger. “They knew the race was for the win and all of them did a good job.”

Myers and Huff were also members of the other two relays (400 and 800) for Dowagiac, which both crossed the finish line first by a comfortable three second margin.

Reed also won both of the hurdle events with two seconds to spare.

“Pierre (Reed) has won all the hurdles so far this year in both of our dual meets, but all of us are happy with the win and have a lot of work to do,” stated Stanger. “Vicksburg will be tough to beat in the conference as they are really deep.”

Another senior, Decatur transfer Mike Hemenway picked up valuable points in the shot put and discus by finishing as a runner-up in both events for Dowagiac.

Adding to his accolades of being named to a BankHoops.com freshman All-State team in basketball was Dontel Highsmith, who showed his leaping ability by topping everyone in the long jump and missing by two inches in the high jump of being the leader.  He also was in the 800-meter foursome.

Junior Austin Adams showed his prowess by besting teammates Troy Butcher (Jr.) and senior Bo Parsons in the 100-meter dash and finishing second in the 200, along with being on the sprint relay with Butcher.

The fabulous four females for Dowagiac were senior Andrea Bradshaw, juniors Kaisha Martin, Jacoya Brookins and sophomore Regina Kennedy who combined for 11 top spots, which equaled the number of girls competing this year.

“Numbers really are hurting us and it is too bad, because we have some really talented girls,” commented girls coach Ken Jordan. “Those that are out are really doing a nice job at invitationals, and big meets will be better for us where lack of events don’t hurt us as much.”

Martin won all four events by wide gaps with both dashes, long jump and the sprint relay with Bradshaw, Brookins and senior Cierra Mattix. Brookins had a two-second margin by winning the grueling 300-meter hurdle race.

Bradshaw was the victor in the shorter hurdle race as well as the 800 relay with junior Ashley Pritchard, sophomore Andrea Wade and Mattix.

Winning by more than two inches in both the shotput and discus was Kennedy.

Boys’ results
Plainwell…67
Dowagiac…70
3,200 relay: 1. Plainwell (Hampston, Tustin, VerHage, Timiney; 110 hurdles: 1. Pierre Reed (D) 19.05; 100-meters: 1. Austin Adams (D) 11.58; 800 relay: 1. Dowagiac (Jon Myers, Dontel Highsmith, Tremail Butcher, Damone Huff) 1:36.7; 1,600-meters: 1. Timiney (P) 4:32.9; Pole vault: 1. Kyle Wright (D) 11-0; Shot put: 1. Wolfe (P) 42-4.5; Long jump: 1. Highsmith (D) 19-5; Discus: 1. Wolfe (P) 119-3; High jump: 1. Fulgoni (P) 5-10; 400 relay: 1. Dowagiac (Troy Butcher, Myers, Huff, Adams) 45.28; 400-meters: 1. Tustin (P) 55.03; 300 hurdles: 1. Reed (D) 46.16; 800-meters: 1. Timiney (P) 2:07.16; 200-meters: 1. Fulgoni (P) 23.34; 3,200-meters: 1. Timiney (P) 10:31.55; 1,600 relay: 1. Dowagiac (Kasey Proshwitz, Huff, Myers, Reed) 3:49.77

Girls’ results
Plainwell…77
Dowagiac…54
3,200 relay: 1. Plainwell 13:23 (Brown, Koch, Nuyen, Minto); 100 hurdles: 1. Andrea Bradshaw (D) 18.12; 100-meters: Kaisha Martin (D) 12.58; 800 relay: 1. Dowagiac (Bradshaw, Cierra Mattix, Ashley Pritchard Wade); 1,600: 1. Thiel (P) 6:33.48; Pole vault: 1. Miller (P) 9-0; Shot put: 1. Regina Kennedy (D) 28-4.5; Long jump: Martin (D) 15-5; Discus: 1. Kennedy (D) 69-0; High jump: 1. A. Hultquist (P) 4-8; 400 relay: 1. Dowagiac (Bradshaw, Jacoya Brookins, Martin, Mattix) 54.96; 400-meters: 1. Mann (P) 1:08.2; 300 hurdles: 1. Brookins (D) 55.7; 800-meters: 1. Nuyen (P) 3:06.93; 200-meters: 1. Martin (D) 27.11; 3,200-meters: 1. Thiel (P) 14:35.41; 1,600 relay: 1. Plainwell (Minto, Kruezer, Koch, Mann) NA