SAUGATUCK – The Diaz and Robison names hold a special place in this generation of Saugatuck athletes.
But just because the careers of constant state champion contenders Benny Diaz and Mazie Robison are done, their names are still doing fast things on the Saugatuck track.
Alek Diaz, Benny’s cousin, and Charlie Robison, Mazie’s brother, are freshmen leading the Saugatuck sprints into regionals.
“They grew up with this. Benny is his cousin but they are basically siblings,” Saugatuck coach Rick Bauer said. “He saw what Benny was doing and wanted to be that guy. Charlie grew up with it with his sister. He just likes to compete and that is the big thing.”
Diaz has been around elite athletes and a family of coaches his entire life, which gives him a unique perspective on athletics.
“I try to be the best version of myself that I can be. I strive to be like my cousin Benny but I don’t want to be the next Benny, I want to be this Alek,” he said. “I want to be as good as he was.”
Diaz has focused on the 200 and 400 meters. His biggest goal is to go sub-52 in the 400.
“The season is going pretty well. I had a couple injuries, but I have continued to build up from there,” Diaz said. “We have a lot of good athletes coming up and have a bunch of freshmen now doing well. We all have a lot in common and great coaches, so the possibilities are limitless.”
Robison is more of a pure sprinter who runs the 100 and 200 meters, and a bit of the 110-meter hurdles.
“I am just working to sharpen my skills. These guys are pushing me,” Robison said.
He got plenty of inspiration from the older kids, too.
“I remember in sixth grade seeing the older group (Benny Diaz and Mazie) and looking up to them,” Charlie said. “I went to all of her meets, but once I started track, it was really cool to watch what she did.”
With the freshmen leading the way, the Saugatuck future is bright on the track.
“Tell them they are doing any event and they get excited,” Bauer said. “They are a lot of fun. They love competing and have that wanting to win a state championship someday mentality. Anything is possible.”
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: Saugatuck track freshmen lead new wave of sprinting talent for powerhouse program
Reporting by Dan D’Addona, Holland Sentinel / The Holland Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
