Pirates qualify 21 total athletes for state finals
REMUS, MICH. – Hart’s girls track team got over the final hurdles on their way to a potential fourth-straight D3 state championship. The Pirates took third as a team at the Region 22-3 meet at Chippewa Hills High School Saturday May, 17, qualifying multiple athletes for the state finals in the process.
The girls team has 11 athletes across nine events now qualified for state. The boys team – which took fourth as a team in Remus – qualified 10 athletes across seven events.
Hart’s girls entered the day with a plethora of athletes that had met the MHSAA’s Early Qualifying Standards (EQ). Among those who already had qualified for events throughout the season was Addi Hovey (400-meter relay, 800 relay), Lilly Hopkins (400 relay, 800 relay, 1,600 relay), Lexie Nienhuis (400 relay, 800 relay, 1,600 relay), Addison Hain (400 relay, 800 relay, 1,600 relay), Natalie Rosema (1,600 relay, 3,200 relay), Shelbie Choponis (discus) and Joselyn Flores (high jump).
Hovey had come close to meeting EQ standards in the short distance sprinting events throughout the season, but always fell seconds or milliseconds short. On Saturday, Hovey qualified for the 100 (12.91) with a third place finish, while also taking first in high jump (5-2).
Hopkins led the way with the most events qualified for (five), adding the 400 (1:00.52) and pole vault (9-6) to her list. Nienhuis (9-0) and Lauren Hopkins (9-0) also qualified for pole vault.
Rosema qualified for her second relay event, joining Alaina Schaner, Harriet Kidder and Bryn Riley (10:11.95) for a fourth place finish in the 3,200 relay.
On the boys side, Chase Lorenz finished off his incredible run of qualifying events by bringing his total to five. Lorenz reached EQ in the 200, 400 and 1,600 relay earlier in the year, but added the 400 relay (44.12) and 800 relay (1:32.77) at the regional meet.
Carter Ramseyer (400, 1,600 relay), Lyric Fielder (1,600 relay) and Jack Slotman (1,600 relay) were the only other Pirates on the boys team to have met the EQ standards. Ramseyer and Fielder both joined Lorenz to qualify for the 400 and 800 relays. Fielder also qualified for the 300 hurdles (41.46) on Saturday, claiming first place.
A bevy of Hart’s boys qualified for their first events on Saturday as well. Eman Hertzler was part of the 400 and 800 relay teams that qualified, while Trevor VanderKodde, Grant Ackley, Mason Opalewski and Martin Fetterhoff took fourth in the 3,200 relay (8:31.21) to qualify.
Freshman Silas Ackley finished off state qualifiers for the boys, taking fourth in the 3,200 with a personal record time of 10:05.20.
All 21 of Hart’s state qualifiers will compete at the MHSAA D3 State Finals Saturday, May 31 in Kent City. That day will kick off with the boys pole vault at 9 a.m.
