Graham Gumper, right, of Hanover-Horton High School battles Kirby Carsten of Ida during the Napoleon Invitational last Friday at NHS.
By Jeff Steers
JTV Sports
(April 16, 2023 8:00 AM ET) As a freshman in high school Hanover-Horton athlete Graham Gumper thought baseball would be his future.
That was until he laced up a pair of spikes and hit the track as a sophomore.
Now, track and field appears to be his best opportunity to advance to the next level.
In his first year in track, Gumper finished fourth in the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 3 state finals in the 100-meter dash. Then a sophomore, he ran 11.33 seconds to earn all-state honors.
“My freshman year I was all-conference and all-district in baseball,” Gumper said. “Last year I felt like I was pretty fast, so I tried out for track.”
The hunch paid off as Gumper won the Cascades Conference title in the 100-meter dash, a regional title, and the Selby Meet.
He hopes to be at the top of the podium at every level.
“My goal is to win the state in the 100,” Gumper said. “One of my other goals is to break 11 seconds in the event.”
Gumper said performing Plyometric exercises – A form of exercise that involves the rapid stretching and contracting of muscles to develop muscular power. Plyometrics, also known as jump training or plyos, are exercises in which muscles exert maximum force in short intervals of time, with the goal of increasing power, speed, and strength – has helped his development
The Hanover-Horton junior still plays baseball and football, but track is his new go-to sport.
“I love to run with my competition,” Gumper said. “If they go fast I go with them.”
He is hoping to run track in college and believes his work will get him there.
“Sports teaches you perseverance and hard work pays off,” Gumper said.
Gumper has the top time in the 100-meter dash (11.47) and also has the Comets in the top four in the 400-meter relay (45.87).
Here are the top five times/distances/heights by area athletes two weeks into the season. Top athletes in each event will be invited to the James R. Selby Track and Field Meet at the end of the season.
Selby Track Meet Top 5 Times/Distances/Heights So Far For 2023
Girls
100 Meters
Alyssa Budd Napoleon 13.04
Kloe Franklin Lumen Christi 13.16
Rylie Aylesworth Columbia Central 13.28
Jenna Bradley Lumen Christi 13.56
Madison Tracy Homer 13.58
200 Meters
Paige Austin Homer 27.52
Rylie Aylesworth Columbia Central 27.60
Kloe Franklin Lumen Christi 27.88
Lydia Bennett Manchester 28.12
Addisyn Rudd East Jackson 28.61
400 Meters
Allie Koch Manchester 1:02.31
Rylie Aylesworth Columbia Central 1:02.61
Sophia Reynolds Hanover-Horton 1:03.57
Leila Messner Leslie 1:06.38
Gracee Robidou Stockbridge 1:06.66
800 Meters
Madison Osterberg Lumen Christi 2:13.12
Allie Koch Manchester 2:26.87
Sophia Reynolds Hanover-Horton 2:34.68
Olivia Perrine Hanover-Horton 2:37.68
Olivia Ortell Jackson Prep 2:44.21
1,600 Meters
Madison Osterberg Lumen Christi 5:05.79
Olivia Perrine Hanover-Horton 5:42.76
Chloe Khon Northwest 5:48.07
Sydney Fazekas Lumen Christi 5:49.48
Cieara Barrett Concord 6:05.90
3,200 Meters
Macy Fazekas Lumen Christi 12:37.91
Chloe Khon Northwest 12:46.93
Jalynn Schmelter Leslie 13:15:00
Hope Wilkes Columbia Central 13:21.21
Sarah Anastasiadis Lumen Christi 13:54.04
100-Meter Hurdles
Olivianna Watkins Hanover-Horton 18.07
Melyssa McJennett Columbia Central 18.1
Zionah Gardner Homer 18.80
Alexandra Ream Leslie 19.32
Erin Maloney Napoleon 19.35
300-Meter Hurdles
Keiyera Johnson Jackson 48.39
Olivianna Watkins Hanover-Horton 50.67
Zionah Gardner Homer 52.32
Melyssa McJennett Columbia Central 52.36
Lillian Heydenburg Western 53.07
400-Meter Relay
Homer 52.76
Napoleon 54.31
Hanover-Horton 54.44
Western 54.63
Springport 55.72
800-Meter Relay
Western 1:53.40
Grass Lake 1:55.98
Springport 1:58.31
Homer 1:58.55
Manchester 2:00.04
1,600-Meter Relay
Lumen Christi 4:24.10
Hanover-Horton 4:25.34
Western 4:26.88
Leslie 4:28.22
Jackson 4:39.77
3,200-Meter Relay
Lumen Christi 10:02.47
Hanover-Horton 10:50.42
Napoleon 11:02.48
Leslie 11:09.10
Stockbridge 11:31.69
Shot Put
Ereka Risner Grass Lake 33-4.5
Mariah Kerley East Jackson 33-2.5
Megan Mackinder Stockbridge 33-1.5
Toby Leffler Michigan Center 32-9
Hope Overweg Springport 32-5
Discus
Jaylyn Perkins Homer 110-0
Megan Mackinder Stockbridge 109-1
Kaylee Kopulos Springport 104-7
Mariah Kerley East Jackson 97-7
Hope Overweg Springport 95-8
High Jump
Mara Mitchell Northwest 5-3
Kayda Herrick Western 5-0
Bayli Stewart Western 4-10
Gracee Robidou Stockbridge 4-8
May Clay Hanover-Horton 4-8
Pole Vault
Emma Wildt Homer 9-9
Addisyn Rudd East Jackson 8-6
Natalie Coleman Western 8-0
Alayna Shackelford Hanover-Horton 7-6
Alyssa Budd Napoleon 7-6
Long Jump
Alyssa Budd Napoleon 17-9.5
Keiyera Johnson Jackson 16-6.5
Bayli Stewart Western 16-3
Mara Mitchell Northwest 15-8
Kaytie Warren Hanover-Horton 15-7.25
Boys
100 Meters
Graham Gumper Hanover-Horton 11.47
Logan Fish Columbia Central 11.81
Luke Bergkoetter Western 11.83
Devian Franklin Lumen Christi 11.83
Caleb Rudd JonesWestern11.84
200 Meters
Andrew Stockton Grass Lake 23.72
Cooper Wyers Napoleon 23.85
Logan Fish Columbia Central 23.86
Javion Taylor Concord 24.10
Austin Warner Homer 24.23
400 Meters
Ahmad Ameen Jackson 49.46
Hudson Cooper Northwest 52.87
Adair Artis Concord 53.47
Maxwell Woods Manchester 53.81
Haden McLain Napoleon 53.94
800 Meters
Austin Brown Hanover-Horton 2:02.05
Cooper Singleton Western 2:02.48
Ethan Lubahn Leslie 2:10.47
Zach Hassenzahl Hanover-Horton 2:21.37
Wyatt Vowell Columbia Central 2:12.65
1,600 Meters
Rogan Melling Hanover-Horton 4:35.63
Isaiah Dinverno Lumen Christi 4:47.34
Caiden Kippnick Manchester 4:51.22
Cooper Singleton Western 4:52.02
Cameron Pierce Leslie 4:54.72
3,200 Meters
Rogan Melling Hanover-Horton 9:49.28
Landen Boulis Hanover-Horton 10:32.46
Isaiah Dinverno Lumen Christi 10:38.12
Michael Allen East Jackson 10:39.69
Javin Mericle East Jackson 10:48.50
110-Meter Hurdles
Holden Van Poppel Napoleon 15.37
Gavrik Belcourt Napoleon 16.42
Diego Lebron Homer 16.49
Noah Wisniewski Michigan Center 16.89
Xavier Gallant Lumen Christi 17.26
300-Meter Hurdles
Holden Van Poppel Napoleon 43.60
Gavrik Belcourt Napoleon 43.79
Noah Wisniewski Michigan Center 44.14
Kyson Cooper Jackson 44.53
Elijah Dyer Springport 45.02
400-Meter Relay
Western 45.61
Concord 45.62
Homer 45.86
Hanover-Horton 45.87
Columbia Central 45.88
800-Meter Relay
Napoleon 1:33.35
Western 1:35.06
Jackson 1:37.01
Lumen Christi 1:37.57
Michigan Center 1:39.13
1,600-Meter Relay
Western 3:37.82
Lumen Christi 3:43.77
Michigan Center 3:43.97
Manchester 3:44.38
Jackson 3:44.62
3,200-Meter Relay
Hanover-Horton 8:40.74
Manchester 9:06.64
Leslie 9:10.04
East Jackson 9:11.66
Western 9::14.91
Shot Put
Ronald London Western 47-0
Brennan Faber Western 44-6.75
Broden Steinke Columbia Central 43-4
Owen Fremeau Western 42-11.5
Garrett Corwin Manchester 42-0
Discus
Owen Fremeau Western 145-8
Jackson Tucksen Leslie 126-6.5
Ronald London Western 124-5
Braelon Carr Grass Lake 121-4
Lucas Cain Hanover-Horton 118-7.5
High Jump
Mekhi Wingfield Concord 6-4
Joshua Veneziano Western 6-4
Diego Lebron Homer 6-0
Aiden Thorne Napoleon 5-10
Kaiden Henry Hanover-Horton 5-10
Pole Vault
Lucas Inosencio Western 12-6
Grason Weber Leslie 11-0
Cyrus Comfort Western 10-0
Braden Vancalbergh Western 10-0
Jonathan Warner Michigan Center 9-6
Adam Carlson Western 9-6
Long Jump
Mekhi Wingfield Concord 22-4
Holden Van Poppel Napoleon 21-3
DeVonta Habern Napoleon 20-3
Anthony Evans Concord 19-10.5
Caleb Rudd Jones Western 19-9
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