Thrower Claims Lone Individual Title to Lead Hackett to Team 3-Peat
By
Tom Lang
Special for MHSAA.com
June 3, 2023
Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep just keeps winning and winning.
This time the Irish took home their fourth title in the last five Lower Peninsula Division 4 Track & Field Finals, on Saturday at Hudsonville.
Hackett’s only individual title was taken by discus winner Nathan Buchmann, a senior, who was fine knowing he was the shortest in stature among all the sizable competitors.
“In the offseason after football I worked out every day, working towards this goal,” he said after getting his medal. “I would say this takes 80 percent technique and 20 percent strength to throw the discus. So, length can help but if you have good technique and are really strong, that will play into it.
“I think we are very balanced throughout the meet today,” he said about teammates that scored points in finishes other than first place. “We have 13 guys here today, and we have people in a lot of the races. But I do not run; I have too short of legs to be a fast runner,” he said with a chuckle.
Buchmann had to work through a hip injury to compete this spring.
“I think the setbacks are what make you strong,” he said. “You can either give up through the setbacks or push forward and become better.”
Coach Charissa Dean agreed.
“The kids have big hearts,” she said after all the points were totaled and the Irish were on top once again, with 53. “They worked hard. They had a lot of potential when we started the season. And we had a lot of drive to put in the work, and we are happy the results came out the way they did.”
Reading was runner-up at 47 points, followed by Wyoming Potter’s House Christian with 42, then Fowler and Flint Beecher each with 37 points.
Senior Lezawe “Moses” Osterink, of Potter’s House Christian, placed second in 1,600 but took the 3,200 title as defending champ of both. He dominated the latter by lapping the field with a final lap kick that resembled more of a superhero speedster.
“Nobody really took it out that hard at the start,” he said. “There was a freshman (Marek Butkiewicz of Hackett) that tried to get the pace going quick, but me and Dakota (Dykhuis of Montabella) just kind of sat back and gradually pulled him through.
“We took it gradually, and I was just relying that I could kick.”
Kick did he ever. The trio were neck and neck the majority of the race in a grouping ahead of the pack.
“With 400 to go I just tried to go all out,” Osterink said. “I had a lot more left than I thought and I was pleased with the win. Not really the time, but that doesn’t matter, especially this hot out.”
The overall meet was in the low 90s/high 80s heat and searing sun all day. So, race officials allowed the unique opportunity for coaches to spray the runners with water and give them water bottles.
“It was very weird because I’ve never taken water to drink while I’m running, so I didn’t know how that would feel,” Osterink said. “And they were spraying us and hitting us in the face. It was kind of fun.”
Junior Tyler Lenn of Marine City Cardinal Mooney defeated Osterink at his own game in the 1,600.
“I’m feeling great,” Lenn said after grabbing the medal. “I said to a newspaper after one of my races (during the season) I was right where I wanted to be. This has been a long rebuilding process for me since an injury back in the fall, and I set a pretty high goal the day the injury happened. I was telling myself I needed to fulfill what I said I would do at the beginning of last cross country season. And that is what I did today.”
Lenn suffered an ankle sprain from a misstep that turned worse because he kept running through the season on it.
“Coming back from that was pretty tough, but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said. 
“Perseverance; I said from the beginning what I was going to do. I kept my eye on that target, and no matter the circumstances life threw at me, that I was going to make it happen and I am a man of my word.”
Jaylin Townsend, a senior from Flint Beecher, dominated the short races. He won the 100 dash (10.67) and 200 dash at 22 seconds flat. It was his third 100 win at a Finals.
“I put in a lot of work; I had to three-peat,” he said after the 100. “There’s a lot of great competition here, so I knew I had to come out and run my best.”
Concord in the 400 (43.72), Buckley in the 800 (1:30.76) and 1,600 (3:29.13) and Potter’s House in the 3,200 (8:14.18) were relay champs Saturday. Reading’s Tayshawn Bester won the 110 hurdles (15.13), and Athens’ Landen Bennett won the 300 (39.85). Caseville’s Nathan Feltner won the 400 (50.76), and Vestaburg’s Owen Patton claimed the 800 (1:55.11).
Fruitport Calvary Christian’s Bradley Richards won the high jump (6-10), and Peck’s Alex Affer won the long jump (23-4). McBain Northern Michigan Christian’s Isaac Bowden was first in pole vault (13-0), and Brown City’s Kyle Affer won shot put (49-2).
PHOTOS (Top) Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep celebrates its third-straight LPD4 title Saturday. (Middle) Cardinal Mooney's Tyler Lenn, far right, sets the pace in the 1,600. (Below) Flint Beecher's Jaylin Townsend, middle, crosses the finish first for one of his two sprint championships. (Photos by Ken Swart/RunMichigan.com.)
Ironwood Savors Home-Track Advantage in LaBlonde Memorial Invitational Sweep
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
May 15, 2025
IRONWOOD — Most high school tracks have at least six lanes and are 400 meters.
But there’s an exception to every rule.
That’s the case at Ironwood, where the Red Devils run on a 350-meter, five-lane asphalt surface.
“That’s something we’ve addressed,” Ironwood coach Cecilia Aho said “We’re probably the last ones who have a track this small, although the distances are the same. When we do mile repeats the kids don’t like it, but it’s better than not having a track. We make it work. Some of the smaller schools don’t have a track.”
Both Ironwood teams retained their titles Saturday afternoon at the Jim LaBlonde Memorial Invitational at Longyear Field, with the boys scoring 74 points to stay ahead of Hurley, Wis., at 57, and the Ironwood girls collecting 104 points to pull away from the field.
“The kids come here and have fun,” Aho said. “We have a nice group of kids who are working real hard.”
Ironwood junior Talon Hughes, who had a hand in four meet records, said the smaller track provides some challenges.
“It’s a pretty unique track,” he added. “We have different lanes and it’s hard to switch lanes. It can be intimidating for visiting teams. It’s sometimes hard for them to adapt, although we get used to it through practice. The biggest adjustment for us on 400-meter tracks is they have longer straightaways.”
Hughes won the 100-meter dash in 11.74 seconds and also took first in the 200 (24.42), 110 hurdles (16.84) and helped the Red Devils take the 800 relay (1:40.37).
“It’s a great feeling to win at home,” he said. “Many of your friends are here to cheer you on. We’re looking forward to our last few meets.”
The different exchange zones appeared to affect the Bessemer girls 800 relay the most. After a fast start, the Speedgirls struggled with all three handoffs, dropping them to third place (2:06.05), fewer than two seconds behind the winning team from Ironwood.
“I think it has a mental block on you,” Bessemer sophomore Sarah Hoffenberg said. “It really depends on the person. In my opinion, I think it helps if you don’t think about it. It’s really a learning experience.”
Hoffenberg later helped the Speedgirls bounce back with a victory in the 400 relay (1:01.38).
Ironwood senior Aubrey Smith, who will be attending classes at University of Michigan this fall, said it’s like having a homecourt advantage.
“It’s a little confusing,” she added. “It’s a little less than 4½ laps for a mile. It’s hard to tell where everyone is.”
Smith dominated the distances, taking the 800 (2:38.84), 1,600 (5:59.53) and 3,200 (11:58.87).
The Red Devils also ran in Wednesday’s Upper Peninsula Division 2 Regional at West Iron County, the boys team winning and the girls finishing runner-up to the host Wykons. Ironwood travels to Lake Linden-Hubbell for the Copper Mountain Conference meet Monday before ending the season at the Upper Peninsula Finals on May 31 at Kingsford.
“Our seniors are looking forward to their last couple meets,” Aho said. “I’m going to miss them. Our school is 100 years old. We started celebrating our centennial last July. We’re in the process of finishing up our celebration.”
John Vrancic has covered high school sports in the Upper Peninsula since joining the Escanaba Daily Press staff in 1985. He is known most prominently across the peninsula for his extensive coverage of cross country and track & field that frequently appears in newspapers from the Wisconsin border to Lake Huron. He received the James Trethewey Award for Distinguished Service in 2015 from the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.
PHOTO Skyla Ballew clears a hurdle during a race at Ironwood High School. (Photo by Jason Juno/Ironwood Daily Globe.)