Coldwater Sends 7 Shot Putters to Finals
May 26, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Individually, Coldwater’s shot putters might not be the most sizable guys muscling up to the pit at this weekend’s MHSAA Track & Field Finals.
But as a group, the Cardinals might be the largest ever to advance to championship weekend – and perhaps the most athletic as well.
Coldwater has qualified an incredible seven shot putters for the Lower Peninsula Division 2 Finals at Zeeland.
They’ve been produced by throws coach Mike McConnell, one of the state’s more reputable in those events. But the magnificent seven also are a product of all-around athleticism – six are three-sport athletes, and the seventh plays two sports.
It’s difficult to track if seven qualifying shot putters from the same school was a first-time accomplishment at an MHSAA Regional. But it’s more than fair to call it rare.
“We have three seniors that are the cornerstone of our throwing team, but through the course of this year we have had three juniors and a freshman that have stepped up with them to make us, what I like to believe, one of the best throwing teams in the state,” Coldwater head boys track & field coach Jeff Schorfhaar said. “A lot of this has to do with the athleticism of our throwers … (and) I believe, and of course I am biased, that (McConnell) is one of the best throwing coaches in the state of Michigan.
“This will be something that we will remember for a long time, no matter what happens Saturday at Zeeland.”
McConnell’s work speaks for itself over two decades of Finals placers. He’s had at least one thrower score at an MHSAA Finals in 22 of the last 24 seasons at Coldwater and formerly Camden-Frontier. Highlighting some of the most recent successes, Coldwater’s Logan Targgart won shot put in Division 2 in 2015 and discus in 2014.
Senior Connor Covert, who finished fifth in both shot put and discus at the 2016 LP Division 2 Finals, led a group of Cardinals that took the top seven places in shot put at the Regional two weeks ago in Mason. Four throwers tossed personal records – third-place freshman Dylan Targgart, fifth-place junior Nathan Spray, sixth-place junior Cole Targgart and seventh-place senior Colin Klein.
Covert and senior runner-up Sam DeMeester advanced to the Finals by finishing among the top two in the event. The other five Coldwater throwers cleared the automatic qualifying standard of 48 feet, 5 inches. Fourth-place junior Zach Gipple joined the personal record-setters with his third-farthest toss of this season.
DeMeester and Gipple also competed at the Finals in shot put last season, DeMeester just missing the medal stand with a ninth place finish. Covert’s 54-7 at this year’s Regional was half an inch farther than last year’s Finals throw. He, Dylan Targgart and Cole Targgart also made the Finals in discus, Covert and Dylan Targgart finishing first and second, respectively, at the Regional with Cole Targgart coming in fourth but clearing the automatic qualifying standard of 142-0.
The Coldwater boys track & field team is enjoying another memorable season as a whole and will be seeking a fourth straight top-10 Finals finish and winning its league and that Regional earlier this month.
Last season, they Cardinals finished eighth as a team at the LP Division 2 Finals, but only 3.5 points out of fifth. Theys were ranked fifth in the final Michigan Interscholastic Track Coaches Association LP Division 2 poll two weeks ago before finishing ahead of No. 3 Battle Creek Harper Creek at both the Regional and league meets.
Block, Pilgrims Power to 1st League Title
We told the story at the start of this month of Lansing Christian junior Dawson Block, a multi-sport athlete contributing to three teams this spring – golf, baseball and track & field.
He’s now also a champion.
Block helped the Pilgrims to their first-ever league title in boys golf, as Lansing Christian finished one point ahead of Olivet in the Greater Lansing Activities Conference standings based on league jamborees and the end-of-season tournament.
Lansing Christian topped the standings heading into that final tournament, at Michigan State’s Forest Akers East, needing to finish no lower than second to clinch the title. Furthermore, they had to play without two seniors who were on a class trip to Washington, D.C.
With only five players available, the Pilgrims did finish second, just three strokes behind the Eagles. Parker Jamieson and Andrew Preiskorn were co-medalists with 83s, and Block shot a fourth-place 86 – in doing so, he earned the seventh and final spot on the all-league first team.
Block and his golf team continue their season Thursday with a Division 4 Regional at Hastings Country Club, seeking to make the MHSAA Finals for the first time. His baseball team will play in a Division 4 District on Saturday at Potterville. And while Block didn’t advance to the Division 4 Track & Field Finals, he did run a personal record and fifth-place 10:44.62 in the 3,200 meters at his Regional after finishing fourth in the 1,600 in 4:51.84.
PHOTOS: (Top) Coldwater’s throwers and throws coach, from left: Cole Targgart, Dylan Targgart, Zach Gipple, Colin Klein, coach Mike McConnell, Connor Covert, Sam DeMeester and Nathan Spray. (Middle) Lansing Christian’s boys golf team celebrates its first league title. (Photos courtesy of Mason and Lansing Christian’s athletic departments, respectively.)
Preview: Prepare for Unpredictable as Contenders Abound for LP Boys Titles
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
May 30, 2025
There’s at least one common possibility among the four MHSAA Lower Peninsula Boys Track & Field Finals to be competed Saturday in the Grand Rapids area.
All four could be closely contested with points spread across several contenders and single standouts setting the pace for the eventual champions.
That’s just one prognosis for this season’s championship meets, which are tougher to forecast than usual based on expectations for returning contenders and several others who have impressed this spring.
All four LP Finals will begin with pole vault and long jump beginning at 9 a.m., followed by race semifinals and the 3,200 relay at 10 a.m. and the rest of the running finals starting at noon. Tickets cost $11 and are available digitally only via GoFan.
MHSAA.tv will live-stream all four meets beginning at 10 a.m., viewable with subscription. Check out the Boys Track & Field page for meet information for all four sites and lists of all qualifiers. Those described as "seeded" below have received those seeds based on Regional performances or meeting early qualification standards.
Below is a glance at team contenders and individuals to watch in all four divisions:
Division 1 at East Kentwood
Team forecast: Kalamazoo Central’s first team title last spring since 1965 gave Division 1 its fifth different champion over the last five seasons. Belleville could rely on its sprint and hurdles power to become the sixth in six seasons as it pursues a first Finals title. Northville, with strength in the distance events, also is a first-time title possibility, especially if this meet sees scoring spread among several contenders.
Jeremy Dixon, Kalamazoo Central senior: After leading last year’s team title charge with an individual title in the 100, runner-up finish in the 200 and running on two scoring relays, he’ll return as the top seed in the 100 (10.56) and set to run the 200 and as part of two relays again.
Reece Emeott, East Kentwood junior: Last season’s pole vault champion by nine inches is the top seed in that event (15-8) by five.
Schmar Gamble, Belleville junior: He’s back after winning the 110 hurdles and just missing scoring in the 100 dash last season, this time seeded second in the 110 hurdles (13.69) and running the 100 dash and on two relays including the top-seeded 800 (1:26.01).
Quincy Isaac, Canton senior: The two-time reigning long jump champion is top-seeded in that event (25-2¼) by more than two feet and also fourth-seeded in the 100 and expected to run on a relay.
Will (Jaiden) Smith, Belleville senior: He finished fourth in the 110 hurdles, second in the 300 hurdles, just missed scoring in the 200 and contributed to a scoring 800 relay last season, but could enjoy an even mightier final high school meet. He’s seeded first in the 110 (13.53) and 300 (36.94), second in the 200 (21.11) and will run on a relay.
Division 2 at Hamilton
Team forecast: Berrien Springs and Corunna have taken turns winning the last three championships, the Shamrocks winning last year’s with Corunna finishing runner-up. While Berrien Springs looks like a possibility again especially in a wide-open meet, there are others with opportunities. River Rouge scored just one point at last year’s Finals, but could win four events. Parma Western has potential scorers across several after tying for fifth last season.
Declin Doroh, Stevensville Lakeshore sophomore: The reigning high jump champion is back as a sophomore with the top seed (6-10) and also could run on his team’s 800 relay.
Kaden Griffiths, Stevensville Lakeshore sophomore: He won long jump and ran on two relays as a freshman, and also is back as a top seed – by more than a foot in the long jump (23-7¾). He’ll also run the 400.
Adam Huff, Wayland senior: He back to throw the discus after winning that event and finishing 10th in the shot put a year ago.
Sam Vesperman, Grosse Ile senior: He’s won the pole vault the last two seasons and is seeded third (14-0) this weekend.
Conan Weeks, Clare junior: He won the long jump last season in Division 3 and will make a run at Division 2 titles in that event and seeded second in the 300 hurdles (39.83) while also running on two relays.
DJ Wood, Battle Creek Harper Creek junior: After qualifying for the 110 hurdles last season, he’s expected to make a move on multiple titles seeded first in that race (14.28) and the 300 hurdles (39.27) and running on two relays.
Division 3 at Kent City
Team forecast: Nine schools have won this division once over the last nine seasons, with Pewamo-Wesphalia first and Clare (now in Division 2) second a year ago. The Pirates should be in the mix again and might be the favorites. But Chesaning should be right there and Traverse City St. Francis with its distance crew has a chance to contend in a lower-scoring meet.
Mason Mayne, Lawton senior: Last season’s champion in the discus and runner-up in the shot put is seeded first in both at 185-6 and 61-3, respectively.
Tayden Redding, Warren Michigan Collegiate junior: He won the high jump, placed sixth in the 110 hurdles and just missed scoring in the 300 hurdles last season and is back competing in all three including as the top high jump seed (6-8).
Cicarella Santino, Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett senior: He finished fourth in the 100 and second in the 200 last season and is top-seeded in both (10.62 and 21.66, respectively) and second-seeded in the 400 (49.78).
Trevor Smith, Pewamo-Westphalia senior: The reigning champion in the 100 and fifth-place finisher in the 200 last year is seeded second in the 100 (10.71) and 200 (21.89) this time and will run on two top-three seeded relays.
Tryce Tokar, Ovid-Elsie senior: He’ll pursue his fourth pole vault championship and is seeded first (15-0) by nearly half a foot. He’ll also run on three relays including the top-seeded 800 (1:30.35).
Max Ward, Elk Rapids senior: He’ll seek to repeat in the 300 hurdles as the top seed (38.74) and also is fifth-seeded in the 110 hurdles after finishing third in that race last season.
Division 4 at Hudsonville Baldwin Middle School
Team forecast: Fowler broke Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep’s two-year hold on the title last year with its first since 1988 and could follow its hurdles and relay contenders to a repeat. But Southfield Christian (11th last season) could be dominant in the sprints and Riverview Gabriel Richard (12th) has relay power. Hackett’s distance standouts could make this close as well as they look to jump back up from third a year ago.
Marek Butkiewicz, Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep junior: He won the 3,200, was second in the 1,600 and ran on the winning 3,200 relay last season. He’s seeded first in the 1,600 (4:18.18) and 3,200 (9:16.90) and also will run the 800 and as part of the top-seeded 3,200 relay (8:08.46).
Brady Feldpausch, Fowler senior: He played a massive role in the Eagles’ team title last year with a win in the 110 hurdles, runner-up finish in the 300 and competing on two championship relays. He’s seeded first in the 110 (14.47), second in the 300 (38.98) and could again run on two relays including the top-seeded 1,600 (3:24.42).
Oliver Long, Morrice junior: The reigning shot put champion is seeded first (56-6¼) by nearly six feet and also will throw the discus and run on a relay.
Brock Morris, Southfield Christian senior: He was fifth in the 400 and ran on two top-six relays last season, and this weekend he could lead a team title pursuit seeded first in the 200 (22.17) and 400 (48.65) and running on the top-seeded 800 (1:29.86) and second-seeded 1,600 (3:27.68) relays.
Bradley Richards, Muskegon Catholic Central/Fruitport Calvary Christian senior: The 2023 champion in the high jump – and runner-up last season – is back for Calvary Christian as part of this cooperative program with MCC and seeded first (6-7).
PHOTO From left, University Liggett’s Cicarella Santino, Pewamo-Westphalia’s Trevor Smith and Dearborn Advanced Tech’s Cobey Cureton run a 100-meter preliminary race at the LPD3 Finals last season. All three will return this weekend. (Photo by Jamie McNinch/RunMichigan.com.)