By Staff
NILES – The Ring Lardner Vikings track team finished their season on a winning note by taking first place at the Allegan relays on Wednesday. The Vikes have won the Allegan Relays for six straight years.
After being rained out on Tuesday, the team made the trip north the next day to compete against seven other schools. Due to the change of dates for the meet, it was the smallest field of contestants in six years.
"It is always a tough meet and a good way in which to judge the Vikings against a great track conference," Ring Lardner coach Joe Zdziebko said.
The teams were co-ed with two boys nd two girls competing in each relay. There were 10 running events and three field events of the shot put, high jump and long jump. The Vikes held off a fast Allegan team to win the meet by a score of 100-87.
Coming in third was Plainwell with 74 points, while Paw Paw finished fourth with 60 points.
The team won only three first places, but finished second seven times, third once and fourth twice.
Trey Nichols, Antwaan Brann, Alex Haimbaugh and Jesse Sebastian took a third in the shot put with a combined throw of 127-feet.
Justin Potthoff, Nick Lucero, Brittani Brown and Taylor Brandstatter won the long jump with a distance of 58-11, while the Jordan Potthoff, Myles Busby, Whittney Ellis and Star Ford took second in the high jump.
Cole Allison, Sam VandenHeede, Samantha Wetzel and Maureen Craig then ran the longest race of the night taking 23 minutes for each individual to run a mile for second place.
The hurdle team of Ron Smith, Brandon Partee, Aimee Whetstone and Ellis took two seconds in both their events. The 800 relay team of Mikea Briggs, Chantel Baker and the Potthoff's, the 1,600 relay team of Austin Parks, Logan Harpenau, Brandstatter and Anne Tyler, and the 3,200 relay team of Ford, Craig, Lucero and Matthew McLaughlin all finished in second place.
The sprint medley relay was comprised of four athletes all running a different distance. Harpenau started with a 400, Briggs and Busby each had a 200 and in the final leg, Tyler had a 400. Tyler took a lead set by the others and held on as a last second attempt from South Haven fell short with Anne staying three seconds in front.
The most important race of the night occurred with only two events remaining and the Vikings at that time holding a five point lead. The distance medley started off with McLaughlin taking a lead in the 800 leg of the event. Then came a last second replacement, Desire Egmer. Egmer came out with a vengeance and left the other 400 runners almost 50-yards behind, giving Allison and Craig a wide enough cushion to finish the first.
The Viking's boys' team finished the season taking first place eight times and second place twice. The girls had a tougher year and wrapped up the season in first place six times and second place four times. Combined, the teams faced 47 opponents in all their meets. The boys were 45-2, while the girls were 43-4.