HILLSDALE — Track and field was not always the envisioned path for the Scharer brothers, but the family’s recent high school and collegiate history has turned the sport into a defining part of their athletic identity — one that now stretches from MHSAA state finals to NCAA national championship competition.
At the center of that progression this spring is Hillsdale Academy senior Dawson Scharer.
Scharer recently closed out a standout basketball career for the Colts as a first-team all-league and all-area dream team selection under head coach — and his father — Dustin Scharer, helping guide the program to its best overall record since a state semifinal run in 2018.
But while basketball showcased his versatility, track and field has become his family link to the next level.
“I don’t think it was expected when we were younger,” Scharer said. “But just growing up, I started doing hurdles and I was okay at them. Then once I got into high school, I ended up getting way better somehow.”
That steady progression became a breakout postseason last spring. After earning all-state honors as a sophomore, Scharer captured the 2025 MHSAA Division 4 boys state championship in the 300-meter hurdles, finished runner-up in the 110 hurdles and added an eighth-place finish in the 4×400 relay.
Now back for his senior season, Scharer has returned as one of the division’s top contenders, chasing both individual and team goals.
“At the end of this year, I’m just looking forward to hopefully getting the 300s back, hopefully winning the 110s and just having a good final relay with my school as a senior,” he said. “Just having a good 4×4 at the end of the year.”
His senior campaign has reinforced that expectation. Scharer has already qualified for the state finals through early qualification and sits near the top of the Division 4 rankings in both hurdles events. His times of 15.03 seconds in the 110 hurdles and 39.06 in the 300 hurdles rank him second statewide, separated by only fractions of a second from each event leader.
Consistency has defined the season. Scharer has six wins in the 110 hurdles and six more in the 300 hurdles, with his only loss coming in a runner-up finish at the Saline Golden Triangle Invitational. He added multiple SCAA championships and was named SCAA Championship Male Athlete of the Meet.
His impact has extended beyond the hurdles as well, as Scharer also won conference titles in the 100-meter dash and as part of a relay unit, continuing a trend of versatility that has followed him across sports.
As dominant as the performances have been, Scharer said the final stretch of the season hinges on approach more than physical ability.
“Mentality and just having a good race — running my own race,” he said.
Another opportunity may await on the sport’s biggest stage.
“Last year I got the record at team state,” Scharer said. “This year I kind of want to try to break my PR at the state meet and get a Division 4 state meet record. That would be fun.”
Scharer is also a record holder for the Colts. That MITCA D4 team state championship will be held on their home track at Hayden Park on May 23.
Once his high school season concludes, Scharer will continue that climb at Spring Arbor University, competing collegiately in track and field. He said the decision carries family familiarity, but also its own expectations.
“I think there’s kind of a nudge to do that,” Dawson said. “We’ve got different expectations. I’ll figure out what I’m going to do next year.”
Spring Arbor is already home to his oldest brother, Damian Scharer, a former Jonesville standout who now competes in multi-events and the hurdles for the Cougars. A 2023 graduate, Damian was an all-state performer at the high school level, and his transition to the collegiate ranks marked the brothers’ first step beyond the MHSAA stage.
Dawson’s other brother, Dominic Scharer, is a redshirt freshman at Hillsdale College and has already established himself on the national collegiate scene. A former Hillsdale Academy state champion discus thrower and school record holder, Dominic earned indoor All-American honors earlier this year in the weight throw.
That success carried into the outdoor season, where Dominic qualified for the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Emporia, Kansas — a meet limited to the nation’s top athletes following a demanding qualification process. He will compete May 21-23 against an elite field that includes defending DII hammer throw champion, Charger Ben Haas, who is pursuing a fourth national title, and 2025 All-American distance runner Ross Kuhn.
Qualifying for the outdoor championships as a redshirt freshman places Dominic among Division II’s elite and underscores the level of collegiate competition Dawson is preparing to enter.
For Dawson, the pathway hasn’t been shaped by expectation as much as enjoyment.
“I just love running,” he said. “Being able to cheer other people on.”
Dawson has plenty of experience competing at the national level already. Last year, Dawson competed at the MITCA Champions of Champions event, placing top five in the 300 hurdles. He took 34th in the 400-meter hurdles at the Nike Outdoor Nationals with a time of 55.33, an event he’ll likely find himself competing in at Spring Arbor.
For now, his focus remains firmly on finishing his high school career helping his team finish with potential MITCA and MHSAA championships.
The MHSAA Division 4 state finals will be held Saturday, May 30, at Baldwin Middle School in Hudsonville.
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Dawson Scharer looks to add another state hurdles title before college
Reporting by Joseph Flaherty, Hillsdale Daily News / Hillsdale Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
