The varsity boys track and field team proved this weekend there is a first time for everything.
In their first season competing at the Sterling Heights Invitational on Saturday, May 7, the boys track and field team won the event, finishing with 127 points.
‘The meet management said this was the first time a team has come into the meet their first year and won,? said varsity track and field coach Bob Blunk.
According to Blunk, the boys scored points in 15 of 17 events on the day. They won the pole vault, the high hurdles, intermediate hurdles, the 800 and 400 sprint relays, the 1600 meter relay, the 200.
‘We had a very good day overall,? Blunk said. ‘It was a good showing by all of our kids.?
Aaron Stuk set the school record in the 300 intermediate hurdles with a 39.7. Darren Lumpkin won the 200 meter dash and was the anchor leg on all three winning relay teams.
The girls track and field team finished in sixth place with 33 points.
Sophomore Brooke Kovacic set the school record for the 3,200 meter run, finishing second with a time of 11:04.8. She also finished fourth in the 1600 meter run with a 5:10.9. The three girls who finished ahead of her all broke the meet record.
The 3200 meter relay team of Kovacic, Megan Seeley, Chelsea Johnson and Brittany Johnson finally broke the 10 minute mark, finishing with a time of 9:58.9.
One of the strengths on both the boys and the girls varsity has been the efforts of their pole vaulters. On Saturday, May 7, junior Sarah Hillebrand completed a 10 ft. vault, finishing second.
A week prior at the Walled Lake Western Relays on April 30, Hillebrand set the school pole vault record at 10 feet, one inch.
Katherine Bosetti has held the record since May 2009.
On the boys side, junior Cody Westmoreland finished first in the vaults with a 13 foot vault.
‘All the credit for the pole vaulters goes to Coach Russell, who has been working diligently with these kids,? Blunk said. ‘They are both hard workers, Cody Westmoreland and Sarah Hillebrand, and we have some young kids coming up, but all the credit goes to him for getting the best out of these kids.
The boys track team is currently 4-0 on the season, while the girls have three wins and one tie.
Up next for the Wildcats is championship meet season which begins on Friday, May 13 with the OAA White Championship at North Farmington. On Saturday, May 14 the Wildcats will travel to Dakota Invitational.