Jackson-Area Runners Look for Heavy Medal Counts

Madison Osterberg.  Photo by Jeff Steers, JTV Sports.

By Jeff Steers
JTV Sports

(May 29, 2023 11:45 AM ET) Jackson-area runners are ready for a medal haul on Saturday at the Michigan High School Athletic Association state track and field finals.

More than 100 athletes will compete in state track and field finals at Rockford High School in Division 1, Forest Hills Eastern High School in Division 2, in Division 3 Kent City will host that final, and Baldwin Middle School in Hudsonville will host the Division 4 meet. All of the finals are in the Grand Rapids area.

Field events and preliminaries are expected to begin at 10 a.m. and running finals at 1 p.m. The top eight earn all-state medals and honors.

Below is a list of the state qualifiers, his/her school, event, time/distance/height, and state ranking going into the state finals. 

Rankings are based on regional finishes nearly two weeks ago. 

Several athletes should have busy and successful days on Saturday.

Napoleon sprinter/hurdler Holden Van Poppel is ranked No. 1 in the 110-meter hurdles in 14.87 seconds and is expected to participate in the 300-meter hurdles, 200-meter dash, and on the Pirates’ fifth-ranked 800-meter relay team in Division 3. 

Van Poppel earned a pair of medals last year in the hurdle races.

Madison Osterberg is ranked No. 1 in the 1,600-meter run (4:59), first in the 3,200-meter run (11:01), and No. 2 in the 800-meter run (2:16) in Division 3. The race of the day may be in the 800 with Osterberg vs. Emmry Ross of Onsted – two of the best distance runners in the state.

Columbia Central runner Rylie Aylesworth will attempt to medal in the 100-, 200-, and 400-meter dashes – a very busy day – in Division 3 

Mekhi Wingfield of Concord had one of the longest jumps of the season and should be a threat in the Division 4 long jump (21-2.5). 

Napoleon, Western, and Concord boys’ teams are regional champions looking for a shot at winning state team titles. The magic number at the state meet for teams is traditionally 45 points. Unless there is a team that runs away with everything or someone has a Bargesser-kind of day, finishing near 45 points puts a team near the top of the pack.

So don’t forget sunscreen, drink plenty of water, and represent Jackson County well. 

Name School Event Time/Dist/Ht State rankings

Division 1

Ahmad Ameen Jackson 400-meters 50.04 16th

Keiyera Johnson Jackson 100- hurdles 15.98 20th

Keiyera Johnson Jackson 300- hurdles 48.48 23rd

Division 2

Western Girls 1,600-meter relay 4:15.14 17th

Kayda Herrick Western High jump 5-0 9th

Bayli Stewart Western Long jump 16-3.5 16th

Cooper Singleton Western 1,600-meters 4:25.37 16th

Joshua Veneziano Western 300-hurdles 40.98 6th

Western Boys 800-meter relay 1:31.96 14th

Brennan FaberWesternShot put49-1012th

Owen Fremeau Western Discus 150-11 9th  

A.J. Scutt Western Discus 140-0 22nd  

Joshua Veneziano Western High jump 6-2 7th  

Lucas Inosencio Western Pole vault 13-2 6th

Caleb Rudd-Jones Western Long jump 20-10.25 14th 

Division 3

Alex Pastrioza Lumen Christi 100-meters 11.34 15th

Travis Collins Michigan Center 100-meters 11.36 20th

Graham Gumper Hanover-Horton 100-meters 11.41 25th

Holden Van Poppel Napoleon 200-meters 23.32 26th

Alex Pastrioza Lumen Christi 200-meters 23.39 29th

Austin BrownHanover-Horton800-meters2:00.737th

Rogan Melling Hanover-Horton 1,600-meters 4:31.41 9th

Isaiah Dinverno Lumen Christi 1,600-meters 4:36.19 17th

Rogan Melling Hanover-Horton 3,200-meters 9:48.44 4th

Holden Van Poppel Napoleon 110-hurdles 14.87 1st

Eli Dyer Springport 110-hurdles 15.98 18th

Gavrik Belcourt Napoleon 110-hurdles 16.05 20th

Eli Dyer Springport 300-hurdles 42.15 18th

Holden Van Poppel Napoleon 300-hurdles 43.04 32nd

Napoleon Boys 400-meter relay 45.00 11th

Napoleon Boys 800-meter relay 1:31.94 5th

Columbia Central Boys 800-meter relay 1:34.22 22nd

Hanover-Horton Boys 3,200-meter relay 8:21.48 4th

DeVonta Habern Napoleon High jump 6-0 6th

Lionel Campbell Napoleon High jump 6-0 6th

Rylie Aylesworth Columbia Central 100-meters 12.96 16th

Grace Bullock Grass Lake 100-meters 13.13 19th

Rylie Aylesworth Columbia Central 200-meters 27.20 15th

Rylie Aylesworth Columbia Central 400-meters 1:01.69 16th

Madison Osterberg Lumen Christi 800-meters 2:16.56 2nd

Sophia ReynoldsHanover-Horton800-meters2:24.8411th

Macy Fazekas Lumen Christi 800-meters 2:26.87 16th

Sydney Fazekas Lumen Christi 800-meters 2:27.60 17th

Madison Osterberg Lumen Christi 1,600-meters 4:59.62 1st

Madison Osterberg Lumen Christi 3,200-meters 11:01.05 1st

Hope Wilkes Columbia Central 3,200-meters 12:23.55 26th

Melyssa McJennett Columbia Central 100-hurdles 16.94 15th

Olivianna Watkins Hanover-Horton 300-hurdles 49.85 11th

Melyssa McJennett Columbia Central 300-hurdles 50.39 14th

Grass Lake Girls 400-meter relay 52.04 7th

Grass Lake Girls 800-meter relay 1:49.33 6th

Hanover-Horton Girls 800-meter relay 1:51.08 17th

Grass Lake Girls 1,600-meter relay 4:15.26 5th

Lumen Christi Girls 1,600-meter relay 4:20.66 13th

Lumen Christi Girls 3,200-meter relay 9:50.13 2nd

Hanover-Horton Girls 3200-meter relay 10:21.05 11th

Napoleon Girls 3,200-meter relay 10:25.30 13th

Ereka Risner Grass Lake Shot put 35-11 3rd

Mya Viegelahn Grass Lake High jump 4-11 8th

Alyssa Budd Napoleon Long jump 16-7 2nd

Kaytie Warren Hanover-Horton Long jump 16-0 3rd

Division 4

Addisyn Rudd East Jackson 200-meters 28.02 25th

Cieara Barrett Concord 800-meters 2:28.43 7th

Olivia Ortell Jackson Prep 800-meters 2:35.50 28th

Concord Girls 3,200-meter relay 12:38.04 27th

Mariah Kerley East Jackson Shot put 33-8 12th

Mariah Kerley East Jackson Discus 90-2 20th

Addisyn Rudd East Jackson Pole vault 9-6 1st

Kennedy Goodwin East Jackson Pole vault 8-0 15th

Tyreke Brown Concord 200-meters 24.32 21st

Adair Artis Concord 800-meters 2:01.88 5th

Michael Allen East Jackson 3,200-meters 10:13.29 10th

Ashton Easterwood Concord 110-hurdles 16.51 10th

Concord Boys 400-meter relay 45.91 9th

Concord Boys 800-meter relay 1:34.06 3rd

Concord Boys 1,600-meter relay 3:31.77 1st

East Jackson Boys 3,200-meter relay 8:35.07 10th 

Collin Thompson Concord Pole vault 8-6 21st

Mekhi Wingfield Concord Long jump 21-2.5 3rd

Randy ReddickEast JacksonLong jump20-0.519th

Anthony Evans Concord Long jump 19-8 30th