Hillsdale Academy Finishes Championship Climb Securing 1st Title on Final Race
By
Brian Freiberger
Special for MHSAA.com
May 30, 2026
HUDSONVILLE – After years of climbing the standings at the Lower Peninsula Division 4 Finals but not yet reaching the top, Hillsdale Academy won its first championship Saturday at Hudsonville Baldwin – thanks to its depth and a heroic 1,600 relay win to close the meet.
The Colts scored 46 points to edge Eau Claire by two and Royal Oak Shrine Catholic by seven.
“We've been blessed to have a lot of success at the state meet for a number of years, but this is our first MHSAA state title, so it's extra special,” Hillsdale Academy coach Mike Roberts said. “This is a really good group of guys. … The depth of the team showed. There are two points in the high jump, one point in the two-mile. All of that mattered, and those extra points really added up.”
Hillsdale Academy clinched the team championship when its 1,600 relay team of Jordan Perry, Luke Molenkamp, Grayson Rorick and Dawson Scharer finished seventh with a time of 3:32 as Shrine finished 10th and Eau Claire took 11th. That left Eau Claire as overall team runner-up and Shrine third.
The Colts were led by Scharer, who also earned championships in the 110 and 300 hurdles with times of 14.63 and 38.52, respectively.
“I'm so glad that I was able to run a good time today and just everybody else was able to run good times,” Scharer said. “I was hoping for the back-to-back all year. I've just not had the fastest time in the 300 hurdles.”
Rorick and Molenkamp also helped lead the Colts to a championship in the 3,200 relay with a time of 8:09, as Jonah Cuthbert and Stephen Holm joined in the dominating win by eight seconds over Holland Calvary.
“It's absolutely incredible. I'm so happy. I was not expecting it, but then when it came down to the 4x400, we were all on the edge of our seats watching it, going crazy,” Rorick said. “That's a great thing for the team. It was a great time for everyone.”
Eau Claire had a remarkable day on its way to that runner-up finish. The boys 400 relay of Melvin Davis Jr., Devin Hill, A’darion Fort and Elijah Marlowe edged second-place Maple City Glen Lake with a time of 43.36. The same foursome also took home the top honor in the 800 relay.
“It means a lot to me that we came a long way from last year,” Davis Jr. said.
Devin Hill added: “I'm pretty shocked. But also at the same time, I knew we were going to be at this moment because we were talking about this all summer, our whole lives, basically.”
Shrine senior Abenezer Cerone capped off his high school career by breaking the meet record in the 800-meter run (1:52). He also took home the title in the 1,600 with a time of 4:14.
The senior finally ran the race he has been preparing for all season long.
“I didn't really know what was gonna happen, even though I wanted the record still. That 800 hurt. Literally from the first step, everything. But I believed in my training that my coaches gave me, and I believed in myself, and I just went for it,” Cerone said. “I always remember that my teammates and my coaches were the best part. Also, I got to thank God and the many blessings given to me. … I’m super grateful.”
After a midseason plateau, Manchester junior Jayden Johnson saved his best for last on his way to a 200-meter championship with a time of 22.34.
“I've been the underdog all year. I've been slept on by so many people. I thought I wouldn’t even end up here …,” Johnson said. “I gotta get better every single day. I decided that I had to put in the extra time. I did workouts after practice … and I got it done.”
Other champions included Blanchard Montabella’s James Rodriguez in the 100, Beal City’s Aaron Locke in the 400, Harbor Beach’s Brody Karg in the 3,200, Morrice’s Oliver Long in the shot put, Climax-Scotts’ Gabe Walliczek in the discus, Glen Lake’s Jacob Plamondon in the high jump, Buckley’s Easton Harrand in the pole vault and Webberville’s Matthew Howery in the long jump. Detroit Douglass won the 1,600 relay.
PHOTOS (Top) Hillsdale Academy's Dawson Scharer, far left, carries the baton in the 1,600 relay Saturday. (Middle) Eau Claire completes a handoff during one of its two relay championships. (Click for more from Ken Swart/RunMichigan.com.)
Flashback 100: Duckett's High School Domination Extended to Shot Put Circle
May 8, 2025
In 1997, Todd “T.J.” Duckett made history at the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Class A Finals by setting a meet shot put record with a throw of 63 feet, 6 inches. He surpassed his own milestone just two years later, launching the shot 64 feet, 0.5 inches at the 1999 Finals — an all-Finals (regardless of Class or Division) record that stood for 17 years until Oxford’s Connor Bandel delivered a remarkable toss of 67 feet, 5.75 inches in 2016.
Duckett's dominance in track & field was unmistakable. While competing for Kalamazoo Loy Norrix, he claimed four Class A Finals championships, including shot put titles in 1997, 1998, and 1999. He also was a member of the school’s victorious 400-meter relay team in 1997.
Though those accomplishments were impressive, Duckett was equally celebrated on the football field. Named Parade Magazine’s National Player of the Year as a senior, he drew national attention as a top recruit at both running back and linebacker. At Michigan State, Duckett left a lasting legacy, finishing his collegiate career with 3,379 rushing yards — sixth-most in program history, not far behind his older brother, Tico, who ranks third. T.J.'s 29 rushing touchdowns place him eighth on the Spartans' all-time list. One of his most iconic moments came in 2001, when he caught the game-winning touchdown pass as time expired in a thrilling 26–24 victory over rival Michigan.
Following his junior season, Duckett declared for the NFL Draft and was selected in the first round in 2002 by the Atlanta Falcons. He went on to enjoy a seven-year professional career, playing for four teams — Atlanta, Washington, Detroit, and Seattle — and finishing with 44 career touchdowns.
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(Football photo courtesy of Michigan State University.)