By By DAN WEISS / Niles Daily Star
NILES -- A contingent of eight Niles student-athletes and three coaches will take part in the Division 2 State Track and Field Finals Saturday at Caledonia High School.
That's quite an accomplishment, considering three years ago the entire Niles boys track and field team consisted of only nine student-athletes.
Niles qualified three relay teams and two individuals for this year's state finals.
The 4×800-meter relay team of Logan Todd, Austin Neilson, Dan Geiger and Josh Mann own the 17th fastest time of the 30 teams which qualified. The top qualifying timein that event is 8:00.2. The Niles runners qualified with a time of 8:14.5.
The 4×200-meter relay team of Quinton King, Otis West, Robert Cinninger and Isaiah Glaze is seeded 13th with a time of 1:32.2. The top time in that event is 1:30.1.
Those same four individuals comprise the 4×100-meter relay team, which is seeded 15th with a time of 44.2. The best time in that event is 43.19.
West also qualified in the long jump and 100-meter dash. He is seeded 18th in the long jump with a distance of 20-4.75. The best jump in that event is 21-11.0. West is seeded 19th in the 100-meters with a time of 11.10.
Glaze also qualified in the 100-meter dash and is seeded 18th with a time of 11.10. The fastest time in that event is 10.55.
Of the eight qualifiers, only Mann is a senior this season.