Busy Block Does it All During 3-Sport Spring
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
May 3, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
LANSING – Dawson Block has his seven varsity letters earned over the last 2½ years piled on a table in his bedroom.
They aren’t in any particular order or out for display. In fact, they’re probably the most disorganized part of an incredibly organized guy’s impressive high school sports career.
As sports teach lessons, it’s obvious what the Lansing Christian junior is learning most this spring. Time management is a must when you’re playing three sports in one season, with competitions usually four or five days a week and one day to practice for all of them.
But he’s pulling it off – and then some.
In fact, the main downside – not counting the busy schedule – is that he can’t dedicate more time to all three. He’s run a personal-best in track in the 800 meters and is only a few seconds from his best in the 1,600. He’s a regular scorer for a golf team that’s in serious contention for its first league title and could make the MHSAA Finals for the first time. His return to the pitcher’s mound has included two solid outings – not bad for someone who hasn’t played baseball since middle school. And on top of it all, he’s carrying a 3.95 grade-point average as he makes academic lessons a priority while picking up more on the track, course and diamond.
“I’m a big fan of sports,” Block said. And it’s just that simple, even when scheduling gets complicated.
“I like running. I like being outside, playing golf, trying to get the swing down. And baseball is something (where) I have a decent throw, so it makes it a lot easier. I just like pitching.
“I’ve done track for a long time, and I feel I’m pretty good at it and I can’t see myself not doing it. The past few years I’ve fallen in love with golf, and I have a drive to want to be good at it and potentially play in college if I get good enough. Baseball, I’m more just there to help the team out; they need arms, so I do it for that reason.”
A spring day in the life of Block looks like this:
On days when he doesn’t have a game/match/meet, he’ll go to golf or track practice after school. If he goes to track, he’ll get done at 4:30 or 5 p.m., then head over to the driving range by himself to hit balls. Or, he could go from golf or track practice after school and catch the end of baseball practice, where coach David Miranda will work with him on pitching. Or, Block will hit track practice, then the golf range, and as happened last week, pitch to his dad Jason in their yard until it’s too dark to see the ball. If Dawson goes to golf and baseball practice, he’ll finish his sports night with a running workout.
And then from about 8 p.m. until he’s done, Block takes care of his homework.
“I’ve never met a kid – and I’ve been coaching for 12 years or more at Lansing Christian in baseball, golf, basketball and soccer – Dawson is just, ever since I can remember, over the top,” said Jason Block, who in addition to being Dad is also the Pilgrims’ boys golf coach. “Whatever he’s in, he’s going to try to within reason be the best he can be. When we’d play flag football, he’d do practice and then run with a parachute after practice; he always does the extra mile.
(But) if anyone can do it, it would be Dawson. His work ethic is off the charts. It basically became a situation of we got the calendar out, (said) here’s a track meet, here’s a golf match, where are the holes? Is there any way without killing ourselves that we can make this work?”
Track and golf always were sure to be part of Dawson’s schedule. He’s competed in both all three years of high school so far. But he hadn’t thrown since middle school – although he pitched well enough back then that Miranda, who had coached against some of Block’s teams when Dawson was a kid, approached him in church a few times to ask him to join on – if only to lend another left-handed option to the pitching staff.
“I told him no for a long time,” Block said. “But then I was like, maybe this wouldn’t be bad. Maybe I can do this with the other things, just come when I can and pitch. I just decided that one day at church.”
It no doubt helped that Block had done similar juggling before. In addition to two previous years of spring dual sporting, Block was the second-fastest finisher on the cross country team that placed 13th at the Lower Peninsula Division 4 Finals in the fall, coming in 45th with a time of 17:29.6 – and balanced that sport with playing on the junior varsity soccer team.
During the winter, Block was on the junior varsity basketball team – but then also ran every night after practice to keep his mileage up for spring.
Block has run the 800 this spring in 2:13.87, his career best, and his 4:55.23 in the 1,600 at a tri-meet April 18 was fewer than three seconds off his personal record for that race. On the golf course he’s averaging 45 strokes for nine holes and shot an 86 as Lansing Christian won last week’s Duane Blatt Invitational hosted by Pewamo-Westphalia. He threw one inning Saturday in his second baseball outing after allowing only one run over multiple innings during his first.
From the Dad point of view, Jason can be impressed with Dawson’s organization; his son always has his clothes laid out for the next day and hand-writes his schedule in a calendar he keeps handy. At the same time, Jason said occasionally he wishes Dawson would find time for more fun and going out with friends. But Block’s parents have made sure not to push any of these athletic opportunities on him, and the fact he continues to be a model student in the classroom is a good sign he’s making everything fit.
Anticipating three varsity letters this spring and at least four over his senior year, Block could graduate with 14 after playing more than 20 sports seasons. That pile in his room is going to get a little higher.
And so will that stack of benefits from playing so much. Along with time management, Block quickly points to patience – especially on the golf course – as a lesson he’s derived from athletics. There’s something there about bouncing back as well after a bad shot or other mistake.
And he got an interesting history lesson from one of his teachers, Eric Thomas, who told Block the story of Jim Thorpe, who won Olympic gold medals and played Major League Baseball and in the National Football League a century ago.
As noted above, the main downsides to this spring for Block have been less sleep – he’s staying up a little late getting that homework done and has to talk himself into a second wind sometimes – and the inability to be everywhere at once. He doesn’t like feeling like he’s letting any of his teammates down – and he does his best to be with all of them as much as possible.
But he’d also tell anyone interested to give three sports in one season a try.
“It can be a lot of work, a lot of struggle,” Block said. “But if you’re willing to work hard and have some determination, you can do it.”
Geoff Kimmerly joined the MHSAA as its Media & Content Coordinator in Sept. 2011 after 12 years as Prep Sports Editor of the Lansing State Journal. He has served as Editor of Second Half since its creation in Jan. 2012. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for the Barry, Eaton, Ingham, Livingston, Ionia, Clinton, Shiawassee, Gratiot, Isabella, Clare and Montcalm counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Lansing Christian’s Dawson Block races down the straightaway during a race this spring. (Middle) Block lines up a putt during a golf competition. (Below) Block throws during a baseball game Saturday, May 7. (Photos courtesy of Jason Block.)
Preview: Team Contenders Seek to Make Stars Align at LP Boys Finals
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
May 29, 2026
Saturday’s Lower Peninsula Boys Track & Field Finals again will bring together a serious collection of star power at four sites across the Grand Rapids area.
But adding to an intriguing day is the relative unpredictability of the team title races. A large variety of schools have won championships over the last several years in all four divisions, and forecasting which might climb the podium this weekend remains a difficult task.
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. (Although not noted for most, several individuals below also will run on contending relays.)
Below is a glance at team contenders and individuals to watch in all four divisions:
Division 1 at Rockford
Team forecast: We’re up to six teams that have won LPD1 championships over the last five seasons (with Fenton and Rockford tying for first in 2021). Belleville is the reigning champ and has some points potential again this weekend. But Detroit Catholic Central’s star power across several events could be a difference maker, with Oak Park, East Kentwood and potentially Grand Haven and Northville among others that could have the right mix of standouts, depth and variety to make a run at the team title.
Zacchaeus Brocks, Detroit Catholic Central senior: He’s one of the nation’s top high school hurdlers and seeded first in the 110 (13.26) and 300 (36.23) by notable margins, but is seeking his first title after his 2025 ended early because of an injury.
Wendell Childs Jr., Clarkston junior: He’s seeded second in the 800 (1:51.49) after winning that race a year ago.
Beckett Crooks, Ann Arbor Pioneer senior: The reigning 3,200 champion is seeded fourth (9:03.74) and won’t run another individual race as he’s scratched from the 1,600, where he also would have been seeded fourth.
Reece Emeott, East Kentwood senior: He’s looking to cap his high school career with a third-straight Finals championship in the pole vault and has the top-seeded vault (16-0) by three inches.
Samson Gash, Detroit Catholic Central senior: He won the 100 in an all-Finals record 10.41 seconds last season and also finished third in the 200, and he enters this weekend seeded second in both in 10.51 and 21.53 seconds, respectively.
Luka Hammond, Grand Haven senior: The reigning 1,600 champ is seeded first in that race (4:08.29) and the 3,200 (8:58.33) and fifth in the 800.
De-Mani Roberts, East Kentwood sophomore: He could make a splash entering as the top seed in the 400 (47.55), third seed in the 200 (21.55) and sixth seed in the 100.
Division 2 at Hamilton
Team forecast: Parma Western became a first-time champion in this division a year ago, and Harper Woods may be the next with two top-seeded relays and more possibilities in sprints and hurdles. Flint Powers Catholic is seeking a first title as well and has three top-three seeded relays and potential points in sprints, hurdles and distance. Frankenmuth has won three team titles, its most recent in 2021, and might have the right mix with strong relays and a variety of events covered individually.
Declin Doroh, Stevensville Lakeshore junior: He finished second in the high jump last season but may be on the cusp of history with his statewide-best 7-0 at his Regional just an inch shy of the all-Finals record that has stood since 1989.
Ryan Good, Parma Western junior: Last season’s runner-up in the 800 has finished lower than first in an individual race just once across three events this spring and enters top-seeded in the 800 (1:50.11) and second-seeded in the 1,600 (4:16.30) after scratching from the 400, where he would have been seeded fifth.
Kaden Griffiths, Stevensville Lakeshore junior: He’ll return to the long jump pit seeking a third-straight championship and after winning last season’s by nearly 20 inches.
Zachary Overmyer, Edwardsburg senior: He won the high jump just ahead of Doroh last season and has continued to impress, seeding fourth for this weekend.
D.J. Wood, Battle Creek Harper Creek senior: He swept the hurdles championships last season and is seeded first in both the 110 (14.18) and 300 (tied at 38.44).
Division 3 at Kent City
Team forecast: Hanover-Horton tied for 33rd at last season’s Finals, but looks to have the power at relays and elsewhere to make a massive jump this weekend. Lansing Catholic could do the same after finishing ninth a year ago, and Ann Arbor Greenhills may make some noise with two top-seeded relays among a strong group on the running side.
Jack Deitsch, Reed City senior: The reigning champion in the long jump enters with the top Regional jump (22-10¼) plus is seeded second in the 100 (10.77) and will run the 200.
Hunter Eaton, Charlevoix junior: The fall’s Division 3 cross country champion also will look to repeat in the 3,200 and carries the second seed in that race (9:33.24) plus the second seed in the 1,600 (4:18.52) and sixth in the 800.
Dennis Jackson, Detroit Edison senior: He won the 400 last season and returns seeded first in that race (48.26) and fourth in the 200 (21.95).
Chaze Lorenz, Hart senior: He ran on three high-placing relays last season, including the champion 800, and could add a few individual titles seeded first this weekend in the 100 (10.67) and 200 (21.72) and second in the 400 (49.10).
Nolan Schaap, Kalamazoo Christian junior: He could make a big jump in his hurdles races, seeded first in the 300 (39.40) after finishing 14th a year ago and seeded fourth in the 110 after placing 15th during the 2025 prelims.
Division 4 at Hudsonville Baldwin
Team forecast: Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep finished just a point behind champion Southfield Christian last season and most recently won back-to-back Division 4 titles in 2022 and 2023. Distance dominance could bring the Irish to the top of the podium again this weekend. Eau Claire, Manchester, Reading and Royal Oak Shrine also are intriguing possibilities on the board.
Marek Butkiewicz, Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep senior: The two-time Finals champion in cross country also has won the 3,200 the last two seasons and the 1,600 last spring. He’s seeded first in the 1,600 (4:14.83) and 3,200 (9:05.33) and third in the 800 (1:57.79).
Abenezer Cerone, Royal Oak Shrine Catholic senior: The reigning champion in the 800 is seeded first in that race (1:52.24) and the 400 (49.33), fourth in the 1,600 and also has qualified in the 200.
Grant Johnson, Manchester senior: He finished third in the 110 hurdles and fifth in the 300 last season but enters this weekend seeded first in the 110 (14.84) and sixth in the 300, and he’s also expected to long jump.
Oliver Long, Morrice senior: The two-time reigning champion in the shot put is seeded first (56-9) by nearly five feet, and also fourth in the discus.
Dawson Scharer, Hillsdale Academy senior: He won the 300 hurdles and finished second in the 110 a year ago. He is seeded second in both in 39.06 and 14.92 seconds, respectively, and he’s also scheduled to run the 200.
PHOTOS (Top) Royal Oak Shrine’s Abenezer Cerone leads during the 800 meters at Friday’s Oakland County Championships. (Middle) Grand Haven’s Luca Hammond, followed by Ann Arbor Pioneer’s Beckett Crooks, pushes toward the finish during the Diamond 1,600 at Romeo’s Barnyard Invitational this season. (Photos by Dave McCauley, at Oakland County, and John Brabbs at Romeo/RunMichigan.com.)