Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

BERRIEN SPRINGS — Several area athletes punched their ticket to the state track and field finals in two weeks with superb performances in Friday’s Division 2 regional meet at Berrien Springs. 

The top two finishers in each event, plus anyone meeting a pre-determined height, distance or qualifying time in the meet or during the season advances to the MHSAA state finals on Saturday, May 31 in Hamilton. 

Edwardsburg’s junior high jumping duo of Zachary Overmyer and Sarah Pippin were both regional champions. Overmyer (6-2) won the boys’ event, while Pippin (5-3) was first in the girls’ competition. 

“We had great weather and effort today from our kids with lots of personal bests. It was nice to see Zach and Sarah win titles in high jump. We were again missing our top sprinter in Mobias Stubblefield due to him attending another school event. I’m just so proud of our kids though. We are looking forward to the state meet,” said Edwardsburg boys’ coach Lito Ramirez. 

Edwardsburg junior Madelyn Peat took fifth in pole vault (9-3) with a personal best and qualified on height.

Also placing were Jesten Gregory fourth (5-10) for the Eddies and Dowagiac’s Natalie Poorman eighth (4-9) in the high jump.  

In the sprints, Niles’ Ben Bruckner finished second (11.25) in the 100-meter dash. Dowagiac sophomore Ethan Nearpass was a double regional champion in the Wheelchair Adaptive category with a personal-best time in the 200 (57.53) following a winning time of 26.53 in the 100. 

Niles senior hurdler Ayden McCarey was disqualified in the finals of the 110 high hurdles and decided to scratch the 300 Intermediate Hurdles. McCarey had already qualified for the state finals in both hurdle events prior to the regional. 

McCarey finished the day strong, however, as regional champion with a personal-best in the 400 (48.92) and he later teamed up with Andre Wells, Lucas Debortoli and Bruckner to win the 1600 relay (3:27.23). 

“It was a banner day for us. Ayden had a bad race in the 110s, but he still qualified. He’s still the No. 1-ranked hurdler in both races in Division 2 and in the 400. It was really pleasing to have our 1600 relay qualify. Isabel just missed qualifying in the hurdles, but she’s going to Southwestern Michigan College to run and should have a good career for them,” said Niles head boys’ coach Tony Todd. 

Edwardsburg’s George Scupham placed eighth in the 800 (2:06.88).

Dowagiac’s Owen Saylor placed third (4:29.24) with a season-best in the 1600. Scupham finished fourth (4:29.41). 

Maguire Johnson from Edwardsburg took seventh in the 3200 (10:26.35). 

Bruckner teamed with Wells, Sam Rucker and Peyton Gordon for fourth in the 400 relay (43.14) and Edwardsburg earned eighth (45.55) with Fredrik Sante, Chase Karkiewicz, Gregory and Gio Orue. 

Niles qualified its 400 relay based on its time.

Edwardsburg placed third and qualified in the 3200 relay with Scupham, Gregory Jon Leith and Johnson (8:13.09). 

Dowagiac claimed seventh in the 800 relay (1:32.46) with Devin Rock, Isaiah Weatherspoon, Quentin Hill and Jaylin Medrano. 

Edwardsburg’s Lucas Frentz tied for third in pole vault (12-2).  

Well placed fifth (20-8) for Niles in long jump and Bruckner earned seventh (20-5). 

Edwardsburg’s Georgia Babcock placed third (5:20.57) in the 1600 but qualified for state with her time.

Layla Gableman took fifth (13:05.95) with a personal best for the Lady Eddies in the 3200. 

In the girls’ hurdle events, Izabel Hoskin took third (16.19) in the 100 hurdles and just missed qualifying. Dowagiac’s Nadia Poorman swiped eighth in the 300 hurdles (50.22). 

Shamrya Clark of Dowagiac placed eighth in the 100 (13.27). 

Clark and Poorman joined Tessa Deering and Khamari Mack on Dowagiac’s eighth place 400 relay (51.58) that qualified on standard time. 

Annika VanBuren, Piper Bryant, Caliana Manfred and Kennedy Goorhouse of Edwardsburg took seventh in the 800 relay (1:50.40). 

Babcock, Goorhouse and Manfred joined Cassidy Frentz and finished fifth (4:17.79) in the 1600 relay. 

Mike Williams, Dowagiac’s head boys’ coach, was pleased with the effort given by his team and the Lady Chieftains and stated that the program is looking forward to hosting Wednesday’s Lakeland Conference Meet. 

“It was nice to see our 400 girls relay qualify and Ethan in the two adaptive races. They have all been working hard. There were several other young athletes for us who missed qualifying by three or four tenths of a second,” said Dowagiac head boys’ coach Mike Williams. 

“This was our second season running on our new track. We are a very young program with no seniors on the girls’ team and we lose just three off the boys’ squad. The future looks very bright.”