Harper Creek boys make history - win All-City track title for first time ever

BATTLE CREEK - For the first time ever, there will be a different boys team name etched into the All-City Track Championship Meet trophy.

The Harper Creek boys won the All-City Track Meet for the first time ever, breaking a streak of 13 straight titles for Lakeview. In fact, Harper Creek is the first team other than Lakeview to win the boys meet since the event began keeping team scores in 2010 after not naming an overall team champion in the years previous to that.

"It was a good day for Harper Creek," Harper Creek boys coach Larry Quick said. "Our kids work hard. So it's nice for them to win this. They did their research ahead of time. They knew Harper Creek has never won it before. So this feels good."

Harper Creek had 231 team points to finish first in the 2024 All-City event with Lakeview second with 178 and Battle Creek Central third.

The Lakeview girls continued to dominate when it comes to the All-City Track Meet as the Spartans won the event for a 14th straight time.

Lakeview had 209 team points to win the girls title with Harper Creek second with 167 and Battle Creek Central third.

"It was a team effort. We had girls digging for points in every single event. Our talk before was that every single place counts," Lakeview girls coach Becky Pryor said. "It was a hard-fought victory. Harper Creek came after us and we just had to keep digging."

Lakeview didn't win the boys title, but the Spartans' Davis Barr was voted Most Outstanding Performer of the boys meet, taking four first places and breaking a 44-year-old All-City Meet record in the long jump. Barr finished first in the 300 hurdles (40.77), the 110 hurdles (15.70) and set the meet record in the long jump at 23-feet, 2.75-inches. He was also part of the first-place 1,600 relay which finished first in a time of 3:32.39, with Carter Hughes, Camari Smith, Aiden Moore and Barr running the anchor leg.

"I saw my teammates win this award the last couple of years, so I have been wanting to win this for few years now," Barr said. "I took four firsts today. I know my teammate Aiden Moore had four firsts also and I am proud of him. But I think the meet record kind of did it for me."

Battle Creek Central's Erykah Alexander was voted Most Outstanding Performer of the girls meet for the second year in a row. Alexander duplicated her effort from a year ago, winning the 100 (12.79) for the second straight time, as well as repeating in the 200 (26.35). She was also part of the first-place 1,600 relay with Nae'Ary Wilson, SaQuesla Sardin and Alexis Green, winning in 4:18.96. Her fourth first place came as part of the 400 relay (52.12) along with Green, A'Mya Hodges and Alanna Smith.

"I'm just so excited to win it again," Alexander said.

The Harper Creek boys came out on top in the team score because of the the squad's overall depth, taking first in 10 events overall, including three of the relays and four field events.

The Beavers' Nehemiah Wert won the 100 (11.55) and the 200 (23.95). Wert was also part of the first-place Harper Creek 400 relay team that finished in 45.54 with Chase Nichols, Bronson Carpenter, Carter Brenner and Wert running the anchor leg. Wert had four first-place finishes overall, as he was also a member of the winning 800 relay team with Nichols, Carpenter, and Alex LaFleur.

Harper Creek's other relay win came in the 3,200 in a time of 8:54.02 with the team of Brock Hibbs, Johnny Ramos, Cooper Gardner and Dominic Lowrie.

Also taking first for Harper Creek in the running events was Tre'Quon Cotton in the 400 (52.56).

Zach Kitchen won the shot put for Harper Creek in 49-4.5 with the Beavers' Ricky Johnson winning the discus at 146-11. Harper Creek's Kaden Sears won the high jump at 6-0 and the Beavers' Mason Korn won the pole vault at 10-6.

The Lakeview girls had six first-place finishes to earn the overall team title.

Lakeview's Isabella Adams won the 400 in 1:03.41 and she finished first in the long jump at 15-9.75.

Jaeonna Shelton took first for Lakeview in the 100 hurdles (16.64) and won the 300 hurdles (51.71) and Lakeview's Evelyn Calow won the pole vault at 8-6.

The Spartans' lone relay win came in the 3,200 with the team of Calow, Alyssa Hinton, Amelia Kraemer and Lilamae Frank in 10:45.52.

Harper Creek was led by Izzie Miller, who took first in the shot put (38-10) and the discus (104-7.5).

The Beavers' Julia Faber won the 1,600 (5:41.) and the 3,200 (13:08). Harper Creek's Emma Monroe took first in the 800 (2:42.11).

The Harper Creek 800 relay team took first with the team of Alyssa Brust, Cassidy Pratley, Camille Robinson and Sophia Kline in 1:50.05.

Pratley also won the high jump at 4-10.

2024 All-City Track Meet

Boys Results

100 meters: 1. Nehemiah Wert (H), 11.55; 2. Alex LaFleur (H); 3. Koran Gupton (B)

200 meters: 1. Nehemiah Wert (H), 23.95; 2. Koran Gupton (B), 3. Dreshaun Bailey (P)

400 meters: 1. Tre'Quon Cotton (H), 52.56; 2. Ryan Casterline (S); Carter Hughes (L)

800 meters: 1. Aiden Moore (L), 2:00.9; 2. Dominic Lowrie (H); 3. Johnny Ramos (H)

1,600 meters: 1. Aiden Moore (L), 4:27.7; 2. Dominic Lowrie (H); 3. Jonah Bills (L)

3,200 meters: 1. Aiden Moore (L), 9:55.89; 2. Dominic Lowrie (H); 3. Alex Rogers (L)

110 hurdles: 1. Davis Barr (L), 15.7; 2. Yoshua McDonald (B), 16.04; 3. Ethan Tabiadon (H)

300 hurdles: 1. Davis Barr (L), 40.7; 2. Ethan Tabiadon (H); 3. DJ Wood (H)

400 relay: 1. Harper Creek (Chase Nichols, Bronson Carpenter, Carter Brenner, Nehemiah Wert), 45.54; 2. BCC; 3. Lakeview

800 relay: 1. Harper Creek (Chase Nichols, Bronson Carpenter, Nehemiah Wert, Alex LaFleur), 1:34.6; 2. Lakeview; 3. BCC

1,600 relay: 1. Lakeview (Carter Hughes, Camari Smith, Aiden Moore, Davis Barr), 3:32.39; 2. St. Philip; 3. Battle Creek Central

3,200 relay: 1. Harper Creek (Brock Hibbs, Johnny Ramos, Cooper Gardner, Dominic Lowrie), 8:54.02; 2. Lakeview; 3. St. Philip

Shot Put: 1. Zach Kitchen (H), 49-4.5; 2. Ricky Johnson (H); 3. Alex Lutgring (P)

Discus: 1. Ricky Johnson (H), 146-11; 2. Nathan Harris (L); 3. Zach Kitchen (H)

High Jump: 1. Kaden Sears (H), 6-0; 2. Preston Welsh (H); 3. Marcus King (L)

Pole Vault: 1. Mason Korn (H), 10-6; 2. Alonso Campos (L); 3. Trevor White (L)

Long Jump: 1. Davis Barr (L), 23-2.75; 2. Malaki Bell (L); 3. Nolan Oaks (H)

Girls Results

100 meters: 1. Erykah Alexander (B), 12.79; 2. Aubree Newman (H); 3. Sophia Kline (H)

200 meters: 1. Erykah Alexander (B), 26.35; 2. Natalie Hensel (P); 3. Aubree Newman (H)

400 meters: 1. Isabella Adams (L), 1:03.41; 2. Lailah Jones (L); 3. SaQuesla Sardin (B)

800 meters: 1. Emma Monroe (H), 2:42.11; 2. Lilamae Frank (L); 3. Mimi Hibbard (S)

1,600 meters: 1. Julia Faber (H), 5:41; 2. Emma Monroe (H); 3. Alyssa Hinton (L)

3,200 meters: 1. Julia Faber (H), 13:08; 2. Alyssa Hinton (L); 3. Amelia Kraemer (L)

100 hurdles: 1. Jaeonna Shelton (L), 16.6; 2. Hannah Aye (L); 3. Adairiana Belenor (B)

300 hurdles: 1. Jaeonna Shelton (L), 51.71; 2. Hannah Aye (L); 3. Adairiana Belenore (B)

400 relay: 1. Battle Creek Central (Alexis Green, A'Mya Hodges, Alanna Smith, Erykah Alexander), 52.12; 2. Harper Creek; 3. Lakeview

800 relay: 1. Harper Creek (Alyssa Brust, Cassidy Pratley, Camille Robinson, Sophia Kline), 1:50.05; 2. Lakeview; 3. Battle Creek Central

1,600 relay: 1. Battle Creek Central (Erykah Alexander, Nae'Ary Wilson, SaQuesla Sardin, Alexis Green), 4:18; 2. Lakeview; 3. Harper Creek

3,200 relay: 1. Lakeview (Evelyn Calow, Alyssa Hinton, Amelia Kraemer, Lilamae Frank), 10:45.52; 2. Harper Creek

Shot Put: 1. Izzie Miller (H), 38-10; 2. Ella Chantrenne (H); 3. Gabriella Melges (L)

Discus: 1. Izzie Miller (H), 104-7.4; 2. Raegan Magnus (L); 3. Ella Chantrenne (H)

High Jump: 1. Cassidy Pratley (H), 4-10; 2. Natalie Hensel (P); 3. SaQuesla Sardin (B)

Pole Vault: 1. Evelyn Calow (L), 8-6; 2. Carmen Felton (H); 3. Makayla Lind (L)

Long Jump: 1. Isabella Adams (L), 15-9; 2. Sa'Ryh Mitchell (L); 3. Hannah Aye (L)

Contact Bill Broderick at bbroderi@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on X/Twitter @billbroderick.

This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Harper Creek boys, Lakeview girls win All-City track championship