Smart Choices Pay Off for Sanford Meridian
May 31, 2014
By Butch Harmon
Special to Second Half
COMSTOCK PARK – The Sanford Meridian baseball team was down a man Saturday as it worked its way to a District title.
Senior Jacob Wenzlick was busy on the other side of the state, helping the Sanford-Meridian boys track and field team win the championship at the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 3 Finals.
Wenzlick was a member of three winning relay teams for the victorious Mustangs. He also is a member of the Mustangs baseball team and had a pair of hits in the District opener earlier in the week.
But the lure of a lofty finish at the Track and Field Finals had him on the track Saturday afternoon.
“This was just nuts,” Wenzlick said. “We didn't even win our conference or our Regional. To win a state championship is incredible.”
That Sanford-Meridian was in a position to win was pretty incredible.
Wenzlick was not the only assist the Mustangs’ track team received from the baseball team. Senior Dan Johnson, who played baseball last season, broke his wrist before the season this spring. Unable to play baseball, he decided to come out for the track team.
On Saturday, Johnson found himself running a leg on the 1,600 relay team that not only won but set a meet record in the process.
“This is my first year of running track, and it was awesome,” Johnson said.
The track team received an even bigger assist from the Sanford-Meridian basketball team. Seniors Kevin Scheibert and Jacob Ham are first-year runners and members of the basketball team. They were busy in previous springs playing travel basketball together to prepare for the next season.
But with their high school basketball careers finished, the duo was talked into coming out for the track team by Sanford-Meridian coach Dave Pettyplace.
Scheibert and Wenzlick stepped in to open vacancies on the 400, 800 and 1,600 relay teams and helped all three squads win championships Saturday.
“We had three guys who were in their first year running track,” Pettyplace said. “They were part of three relay teams that took first place and that was a big key.”
Another big key was a fifth-place performance from Ham in the 200-meter run. Seeded eighth, Ham told a teammate he was going to take it easy in the 200 to save himself for the 1,600 relay at the end. His teammate let him know that those points in the 200 would be key for the team, and Ham changed his game plan.
“Those points were pretty important,” Ham said. “I had the mile relay after that and I wasn’t going to try very hard, but when I was told we needed those points, I ran as hard as I could.”
A feeling he and Scheibert would not have enjoyed had it not been for his coaches’ recruiting efforts.
“Coach has always talked to me about coming out for track,” Ham said.
“I’m at a loss for words,” Scheibert said. “This was the first year for the two of us. We just came out for the fun of it never realizing we would get in this position.”
For New Haven junior Josh Harris, the Finals were a very special occasion. Not only did Harris win the 110 hurdles in a personal-best time of 14.96, but he also celebrated his 17th birthday.
“This has been a goal of mine since my freshman year,” Harris said. “I also made a promise to my deceased coach, coach Rob who coached me as a freshman, that I would do this for him. Doing this on my birthday just adds the icing on the cake.”
Harris just missed qualifying as a freshman and last season he did not run track as he played travel basketball instead.
“Once the race began I felt very loose and confident, “Harris said. “I had no nervousness at all.”
Union City junior Aaron Watson also missed out on the Finals last year. Watson suffered a torn hamstring early last season and was never at full strength.
Healthy this year, Watson not only made it but won the 100 dash in a personal-best time of 10.9.
“As a freshman I made it to state but I was knocked out in the prelims,” Watson said. “Last year in the first meet of the season I tore my hamstring. At the beginning of this season my goal was just to qualify for state. As the season went on I started setting my goals higher and higher.
“I came out of the blocks real good. The leaders kind of bunched up in the middle of the race, but then I pulled away at the end. I started strong and finished strong today.”
Thanks to some help from his teammate, Niles Brandywine senior Andrew Duckett came away with a championship in the 300 hurdles. Duckett turned in a winning time of 39.1 while his teammate, senior Nathan Anders, placed third.
“Finishing in the top three together is a big deal for us,” Duckett said. “It is so helpful having a teammate like Nathan. He pushes me in practice every day. Most teams don’t have that luxury.”
Almont sophomore Jacob Battani picked a good time to make a big improvement. Battani won the pole vault with a vault of 13-9, a nine-inch improvement over his previous personal record.
“I had a better invert today, and that was something I was working on all week in practice,” Battani said. “I’m really excited and happy. I was just hoping to make it to state this year. I was not expecting to finish first.”
Hopkins junior high jumper Quincy Collings went out for track for the first time last season. One year later he not only made it to the Finals but he won the high jump with a leap of 6-9, three inches better than his previous record.
“I’ve been working on my technique a lot lately,” Collings said. “I was told to back up when the height goes up to get over the bar, and I’m happy with the result. My goal was to clear 6-8 and finish in the top three.”
PHOTO: Sanford Meridian's Jacob Wenzlick carries the baton for one of his team's relays. (Click to see more from RunMichigan.com.)
Chesaning Boys Vault to Top of Podium, Ovid-Elsie's Tokar Completes Pole Vault Sweep
By
Tom Lang
Special for MHSAA.com
May 31, 2025
KENT CITY – Chesaning came into Saturday’s Lower Peninsula Division 3 Boys Track & Field Finals with some confidence.
But truly, some might not have seen coming what the team went on to accomplish.
After all, Chesaning’s boys did not crack the top 20 last year – but they zoomed to the top in 2025, winning the team title with 57 points ahead of 2024 champion Pewamo-Westphalia with 34 points, Reed City with 33 and Lawton with 32.
Chesaning became the seventh team to win the boys title over the last seven seasons.
“It’s a great group of boys,” said Chesaning coach Dylan Harrington. “They are supportive of each other. They are in it for the team above all else. They work hard together and motivate each other. They pick each other up if they’re down a little bit. And they put their best foot forward today. It was great to see.”
Harrington said there were not really any surprises. He said Caleb Walker has been as solid as anyone can be in the hurdles, and Walker indeed won the 110 race Saturday and finished second in the 300.
“I don’t think he’s been beaten all year in the 110 – and overall, every event we stepped up where they needed to. Our throws got us points. It was just a great team effort.”
The team of Cole Maier, Blake Hoerner, Zach Harlan and Walker won the 1,600 relay at 3:25.20, just ahead of Traverse City St. Francis by 0.59 seconds. That was Chesaning’s only other outright win on the day, proving that team balance works.
Both the 100 and 200 dashes were photo finishes.
Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett senior Cicarella Santino won the 100 at 10.86 seconds, less than a whisker ahead of Pewamo-Westphalia senior Trevor Smith, the 2024 champion, at 10.88. Smith redeemed himself by winning the 200 in 22.40, just ahead of Chesaning’s Harlan at 22.44 and Cicarella in third.
“I knew Trevor is a great competitor,” Santino said about the 100 race. “I knew it was going to be a close race and come down to the wire. And I was prepared for that, but thankfully I came out at the end.
“There are ups and downs throughout the season, but I think I stayed consistent all the way through. I started out indoors, and I worked at it and slowly kept bringing my time down and getting better every single week. Last year, I came in fourth in the 100 (to Smith). Trevor was obviously the guy I was going for all year as the returning champ.”
Smith would have loved to take both titles, but he was content with the 200 win.
“Being able to get another photo finish opportunity, and win this one, was really great,” Smith said about the second race. “I prefer running the 100, but today, I love the 200 win. They were both really great races, really close, and I enjoy that the most out of anything.”
Smith ran in two relay races as well.
“Usually, my favorite race anytime is the 4 x 100,” Smith said. “It’s because I’m running my favorite open race, the 100, but I’m at full speed by the time I get the baton, and I’m able to run, so it just makes you feel a lot faster and a lot better about yourself.”
Smith said he is going to Ferris State on Tuesday to talk to the coaches about a possible future there.
Another college bound senior is heading to Alma College, but to play football.
Pole vaulter Tryce Tokar of Ovid-Elsie won his fourth title in that field event, completing a Finals career sweep. He finished at 15 feet.
“It’s relieving now to win four straight,” he said. “That pressure is off. But it was fun today. I like vaulting.
“I had a couple of injuries early on, which I normally do honestly,” Tokar explained about the start to the spring season. “That’s pretty consistent when you transfer from football to track; you have some injuries to overcome. Everyone does, I’m not singled out. But I overcame it.
“I’m not really the fastest guy,” he added about excelling in pole vault. “I don’t really run sprints or anything. But I’m pretty athletic and just good enough to be a good vaulter. It takes a lot of technique. I owe a lot of it to coaches, and I like the athletic aspect of it.”
PHOTOS (Top) From left, Chesaning's Zach Harlan, Pewamo-Westphalia's Trevor Smith and Detroit Edison's Dennis Jackson push to the finish of the 200 championship race at Kent City. (Middle) Ovid-Elsie's Tryce Tokar crosses over the pole vault bar on the way to winning that championship for the fourth-straight season. (Click for more from RunMichigan.com.)