INDIAN RIVER – Tanner Howard couldn’t sleep.
On the night before the biggest track meet of his career, the Inland Lakes junior sprinter was up late.
He was simply too hyped.
“I probably went to bed at (1 a.m.) in the morning just thinking about it,” Howard said. “I probably should have gotten more sleep, but hey, I’m still competing out here.”
Thankfully, lack of normal sleep time was never an issue for Howard, who went on to have what he called the best day of his sporting life on his home track.
Competing in an MHSAA Division 4 regional meet, Howard’s massive day consisted of a first place and a record-breaking time in the 400-meter run, while also being a part of three first-place relay teams, meaning he qualified for states in every event he participated in at Shanley Field on Friday, May 15.
Following first places as a leg on I-L’s 4×100 and 4×200 relay teams, Howard stepped up to start his 400, took off like a rocket, and left his competition in the dust, clocking a school-record time of 50.98, which surpassed previous 400 record holder Luke Passino, who ran 51.42 in 2017.
Ironically, the journey to a spectacular junior track campaign almost didn’t happen for Howard, who admitted that – while he ran with his mother Sarah all the time as a youngster – he didn’t want to be a part of the sport when he was in middle school. But thanks to the advice of Jake Feagan – a current teammate of Howard’s – he eventually got on board and gave it a try.
“In the first couple of years of middle school, I didn’t think much of it – and then I started running faster and faster,” Howard said. “I thought, (dang), I’m going to be good at this, and now I’m going all out.”
By his sophomore season, Howard took a big step by qualifying for states in the 4×200 relay, which also consisted of Feagan, who’s also a junior now. Earning a spot at states proved to be just the beginning for Howard, who’s exploded with a breakthrough season that’s consisted of several first-place finishes and of course the epic regional Friday in Indian River.
“It’s just been crazy – I love it,” Howard said. “It’s the only thing I can say.”
Howard has undoubtedly elevated himself to another level throughout this spring, but in the eyes of his coach, it’s been his star athlete’s ability to mature and develop into a pivotal leader in the program.
“He’s been putting in a lot of hard work this year,” Inland Lakes coach Adam Taglauer said. “He’s been a really good leader to the younger ones, and it’s been fantastic to see. He’s almost been like a senior leader, and he’s not even a senior yet. When any teammate of his watches him compete, they love watching it because they know he’s a competitor.”
As a track guru, there’s no question Howard wanted to elevate himself to star status. With the day he had at regionals, it a great indication of how far Howard has come. When he returns to Hudsonville for states, he’s not just aiming to earn a spot on the podium in some of his events.
He wants those Bulldogs he’s worked tirelessly with to have their moment in the sun as well.
“I want some of my teammates to have a chance to go down there and compete at that level and let them see what it is on a bigger scale,” Howard said.
Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf at jgreenleaf@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT
This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Inland Lakes’ Tanner Howard explodes with record-breaking regional
Reporting by Jared Greenleaf, Cheboygan Daily Tribune / Cheboygan Daily Tribune
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