HUDSONVILLE – As school records fell all around them, the Holland Christian girls track and field team made a mark of their own.
The Maroons used their distance, depth, jumps and throwing power to claim their first conference championship since 2007, scoring 195.5 points at the OK Black Conference meet on Friday, May 8, at Hudsonville Unity Christian.
Zeeland East was second with 174, followed by Spring Lake (77), Zeeland West (60), Unity Christian (56.5), Holland (47) and Hamilton (43).
“It has been a while. It feels really good to have every position group score big and come through for us,” Holland Christian coach Michael Mulder said. “We had eight athletes hit a qualifier for the state meet, which will set us up well.
Meanwhile, Zeeland West continued its streak of conference titles, scoring 176.5 points. Zeeland East was second (146), followed by Unity Christian (89.5), Hamilton (71), Spring Lake (60), Holland Christian (59) and Holland (53).
In the girls meet, Holland Christian put the stamp on the historic championship with a win in the final event as Eliana Stob, Layla Geurink, Annika Stob and Esther Vanderbilt won the 4×400-meter relay in 4:03.48. The Stob sisters teamed with Ellery Lampen and Geurink to win the 4×800 (9:24.14).
“It is tough going to the state meet in the (distance events) and this meet sets us up well. Most schools don’t experience it unless they go to a big invitational, but we have it right here in our conference,” Mulder said. “We are fortunate to be in a conference like this.”
Holland Christian’s Kate Van Appledorn won the shot put in 39 feet, 7 inches to hold off Zeeland East’s Lily Huizenga (38-9), Laura Maartense (37-7 3/4) and Holland Christian’s Miya DeBlecourt (36-0 3/4). Van Appledorn (126-0) and DeBlecourt (121-0), who both broke the school record this year, went 1-2 in the discus to hold off Huizenga (118-0).
State champion swimmer Camryn Siegers won the high jump in 5-4 to finish ahead of East’s Rouge Kraker (5-2). HC’s Adelyn Halma won the long jump (16-4) ahead of Hamilton’s Jenna Dozeman (16-3 1/2) and HC’s Abby VanDusseldorp (15-11 1/2).
Vanderbilt was second in the 100 hurdles (15.82) and third in the 300 hurdles (47.87).
Zeeland East’s Adalyn Raab won the 1,600 meters in 5:04.00, ahead of Holland Christian’s Avery Engbers (5:08.54), Holland’s Johanna Mulder (5:09.13) and Olivia Weiss (5:19.74).
Raab broke her school record in the 1,600 earlier in the week at 4:55.
“I got the record at state last year and it felt good to dig deep and get it again. Today, I just wanted to hang on and then go in the final lap (to hold off the strong competition),” Raab said. “Being in this conference really helps when we get to state because we push each other.”
Raab won the 800 meters in 2:17.09. Holland Christian’s Eliana Stob (2:18.17) and Layla Geurink (2:18.88) went 3-4. CC Kuras was second in the 300 hurdles (46.97).
Holland’s Mulder won the 3,200 meters in 10:56.46, breaking a school record that stood since 1985.
“I went into the 3,200 thinking that I was going to give it all I have on the track. I felt really smooth in the first lap and thought I could do it,” Mulder said. “I wanted to pull away earlier (on the final lap) because I have a slower kick and I have been working on kicking at the 300 and it worked. I knew it was going to hurt, but I kept pushing.”
Mulder has come back from a stress fracture last season to also break the 1,600 school record earlier in the week – also from 1985.
“I think it shows how strong our team is, really. We have built up our community and shown that Holland isn’t a team to be put off to the side. We are competition and it shows how our girls push each other. We worked so hard to get to this point.”
Zeeland East’s Terra Schuberg won the 100 meters in 12.73 and the 200 (26.56). Meredith Cook won the 400 (58.37). Schuberg teamed with Brienna Cole, Kamilla Munoz and Skyla Kuras to win the 4×100 (51.49).
East’s Kate Murphy won the pole vault (10-0) ahead of Holland Christian’s Kensie Mulder (9-6).
In the boys meet, Zeeland West’s Garrett Kapenga won the 200 meters (22.61), holding off Zeeland East’s Isaiah Strom (22.83). Rob Dodd won the 1,600 meters (4:42.94), holding off Holland Christian’s Landon Gerritsma (4:28.44) and Zach Diller (4:29.73). Dodd also took second in the 800 (1:58.51) ahead of Keagan Smith (2:01.03).
Zeeland West’s Reid Cousins won the 300-meter hurdles in 40.51, followed by East’s Kameron Compagner (41.09) and Hamilton’s Hudsen Hulst (42.09).
The Dux swept the relays, winning the 4×100 relay with Brandon Holman, Cam Brouwer, Xane Herrygers and Kapenga (43.41). Holman, Ethan Dalman, Herrygers and Kapenga won the 4×200 (1:29.42). Dalman, Kapenga, Zach Anderson and Dodd won the 4×400 (3:27.72), while Smith, Cousins, Joshua Dodd and Rob Dodd won the 4×800 (8:05.86).
West’s Claydon Ramsdell won the high jump in 6-4, ahead of East’s Karson Lamer (6-2) and Bennett Bing (6-2). Holman was second in the long jump (20-9 1/4).
“A lot of it was senior leadership for us, battling through,” Zeeland West coach Jordon Lambers said. “Claydon Ramsdell won high jump for us and we weren’t sure he could jump today. We got it done. The guys were ready to win. It is good to see that the culture hasn’t changed, we still have high standards and they executed today.”
Zeeland East’s Samuel Manning won the 100 meters (11.03). Lewis Miller won the 100-meter wheelchair race (21.28).
East’s Sam Seitsema won the shot put (47-8 1/4), ahead of Hamilton’s Carter Ruzicka (45-11) and West’s Jonah Leslie (44-11). Seitsema won the discus (164-9) ahead of teammate Caven Fisher (144-3) and West’s Ethan Malec (143-0). East’s Austin Lee and Andrew Macy took 2-3 in the pole vault, each reaching 14-0.
Holland Christian’s Grant Lampen won the 3,200 meters (9:48.87), ahead of Zeeland West’s Tanner Smith (9:58.69) and Holland’s Aiden Lambers (10:00.22).
Holland sophomore Finn Galloway won the 400 meters in 50.28, holding off Zeeland West’s Ethan Dalman (50.36) and Zeeland East’s Levi Bannach (50.75).
Hamilton’s Hudsen Hulst won the 110-meter hurdles (14.58), going 1-2 with brother Garner Hulst (15.29) ahead of Holland’s Andres Lopez (15.93).
Contact sports editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Holland Christian girls track wins first conference title since 2007; Dux boys win
Reporting by Dan D’Addona, Holland Sentinel / The Holland Sentinel
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