By By ERIKA PICKLES / Niles Daily Star
NILES - On Saturday, 11 Niles High School track and field members will head to Forest Hills High School in Grand Rapids for the MHSAA State Finals.
The meet is set to begin at 9:30 a.m. with the girls shot put and prelims in the sprints and hurdles, followed by finals in the 4 x 800 relay. At 1:30 p.m., all other final running events begin, making for a long day at the stadium.
“ It's always an honor to go to state, but we are looking to really make an impact this year and set the ground work for a run at the championships next year,” boys head coach Tony Todd said.
Todd has nine members from the boys team attending the finals, which includes just two seniors.
Heading to Grand Rapids for the boys team are seniors Stephen Scally and Andrew Wuthnow.
Scally and Wuthnow will both compete in the 4 x 800 relay, along with juniors Daniel Geiger and Nick Schuck.
Schuck will also be competing in the 4 x 200 relay and the 4 x 400 relay.
Other 4 x 200 teammates include junior Craig Rumpf, sophomore Luis Del Muro and junior Alex Zanders.
Other 4 x 400 relay members include Del Muro, Rumpf and junior Isaiah Glaze.
Glaze will also be competing in the 100- and 200-meter dash.
Junior Kurt Poehlman, who took fifth place honors at state last year when he cleared 6-foot-4 in the high jump, is the lone field event qualifier this year.
Todd said he and his team is very pleased with their seedings heading into the meet.
Poehlman is seeded second in the high jump, the 4 x 400 relay team is seeded fifth. Glaze is seeded 10th in the 100 and 13th in the 200. The 4 x 800 team is seeded 11th. Rumpf is seeded 13th in the 400. The 1600-meter relay team is seeded fifth and the 3200-meter relay team is seeded 11th.
For the girls track team, Kaylynn Stephenson and Ashley Austin will be representing the Vikings.
Stephensen will be competing in the 200-meter dash, while Austin will compete in the shot put.
Stephenson is seeded 11th and Austin is seeded 33rd.
Foster stated that, like the boys team, she too has a very young group of athletes who will only get better.