By By SCOTT NOVAK / Vigilant/Argus
Six Cassopolis and Edwardsburg thinclads will compete this coming Saturday in the Division 3 and Division 4 state track championships.
The Rangers will send three boys and one girl to the Division 4 championships which will be held at Houseman Field in Grand Rapids.
Edwardsburg will be sending a pair of pole vaulters to the Division 3 championships at Comstock Park High School.
Cassopolis senior Kirk Baucom will compete in both the shot put and discus events at the Michigan High school Athletic Association Lower Peninsula Track &Field Finals which will begin with field events at 9 a.m. (see related graphic)
Also competing for the Rangers will be senior Troy Kennedy in the long jump and sophomore E.J. Harris in the 100-meters.
In the girl's portion of the meet, sophomore Sara McIntyre will compete in the 400-meters.
For the Eddies, seniors Ryan Warner and Amanda Bowers will compete in the pole vaults.
Coming into Saturday's state finals, Baucom has the second best throw from regional discus competition at 150-11. Maple City Glen Lake's Andrew Kemp, also a senior, had the best throw in regional competition with a toss of 161-1.
In the shot put, Baucom's toss of 47-3 is ranked No. 15. Gobles state wrestling champion Brian Leighton, a senior, has the best toss at 51-1.
In the long jump, Kennedy's lead of 20-1.5 had him ranked No. 10. Matt Epkey of Fowler had the best leap in regional competition with a distance of 21-3.
Harris's time of 11.36 in the 100-meters has him ranked No. 15. Senior Mark Ford of Mendon has the quickest time coming into the state finals with a 10.66. Decatur senior Willie Knight was second best at 10.74.
McIntyre will bring the regional's 17th best time into state competition on Saturday.
McIntyre ran 1:03.83 at the regional to qualify for the state meet. Reading sophomore Erin Dillion has the best time at 58.2.
Bowers did not have a good regional and is hoping to redeem herself at the state finals.
No stranger to state competition, Bower's will have the 32nd best height after clearing just 8-feet-3 at the regional.
Erie Mason senior Stephanie Miller will bring in the state's best regional jump at 10-feet-6.
Warner, who cleared 12-feet-6 at the regional, has the 17th best height heading into state competition. Portland senior Tom Stornant has the best regional jump with a height of 14-feet-7.
Girl's pole vault will begin the state meet at each site beginning at 9 a.m. Other field events will follow at 9:30. Running preliminaries are scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.