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Hamann, Swisher, Marsh tops at Durant meet
by Matthew Dickinson, sports editor · Sports · April 10, 2024
After canceling its April 4 home meet due to weather, the West Branch boys’ track team returned to action Friday evening with a second-place finish at Durant’s boys-only competition.
“I thought overall we ran well, we competed,” Bears Head Coach Taylor Larson. “We had a smaller group than what we usually do. I thought we did a pretty commendable job. We ran a lot of the same times than what we have run, so I was happy with where we were at. We’ll get better.”
The Bears were sidelined from competing by a day after the home Chad Gates Invitational was canceled due to inclement weather. Despite not getting to run one last time in front of the home fans, West Branch took full advantage of another chance to participate in a meet despite not having eight team members available.
Three events earned meet wins. Joe Hamann took the 800 meter run in 2:08.03, while Jake Swisher had an individual running event victory of his own with a winning 5:28.85 in the 1600. The coach said that Swisher won the race by 13 seconds and had an improved strategy despite having a similar time to the week before.
Auron Marsh had a strong day in the long jump, leaping 17 feet, 11 1/2 inches to take the top spot.
“Marsh has really bought into trying to do really well in the long jump, and he’s been jumping a lot better in practice,” the coach said. “He’s improving, he’s getting some confidence.”
The Bears had a strong day in field events. Outside of Marsh’s winning effort, Reese Trepanier took second in both the shot put (46 feet, 1 inch) and discus (137-04). Nathan Hills took third in the high jump with a 5-06.00, while Logan Christoffel added a 16-11.00 in the long jump to give West Branch another field event placing.
Larson said that Trepanier “is pretty consistent” and that the senior will work on some tweaks to improve further. He added that he is pleased with Christoffel’s development in the long jump.
Several relays had high placings as well. The 4x400 meter relay of Lincoln Naber, Hamann, Reid Hansen, and Lynden MacGillivray took second with 3:45.48 while the sprint medley team of Connor Rios, Trenton Schutte, Naber, and Hamann took second as well with a 1:40.96. A trio of relays finished third. The 4x100 team of Christoffel, Marsh, Schutte, and Rios took third in 46.53 while the 4x200 quartet of Rios, Hansen, Marsh, and Schutte placed third in 1:40.29. The shuttle hurdle of Nolan Staker, Marsh, Swisher, and Eli Farmer had a time of 1:14.33.
Larson said that handoffs will be an area to work on, adding that “we’re pretty young.” The coach also said that he was glad to get some runners extra experience with the opportunity provided by the lower available team members.
Individual running events had positive results. Oliver Trepanier followed Haman’s winning 800 with a third-place 2:30.54 while Preston Mayhew had a fourth-place 5:54.16 behind Swisher in the 1600. Naber took second in the 400 meter dash with 53.79. In the 3200, MacGillivray took second with an 11:22.49 while Mayhew followed with a 12:52.49 for fourth. Hansen placed second in the 400 hurdles with a 1:02.32 in his first time competing in the event. Larson said that Hansen “is a talented young freshman kid” and could not see race winner Ryker Dengler of West Liberty due to the lane he ran out of.
Eli Farmer had a fifth-place 21.12 in the 110 meter hurdles. Spencer Green took fifth in the 200 meter dash with an even 25.00.
“In the open 400, we gave Lincoln Naber his first chance to run,” Larson said, adding that he did not have the chance to see race winner Charlie Huesmann of Durant coming up behind him due to being in lane four. The coach said that Trepanier earned his placing despite running by himself in the second-to-last heat of the 800, and that “it was good to see him step up, push himself.” Of MacGillivray, Larson said that he could have contended for the 3200 crown if he had decided to run with the winner earlier in the race.
Larson felt that the Bears are primed to build on the promising results from the smaller Durant meet heading into an April 9 competition at Lisbon.
“Overall, I thought we had some good things,” he said. “I think we’re going to see some more growth and maturity out of our kids. And hopefully we will get better and better and better as we go.”
Team scores: 1. Durant 150 2. West Branch 134 3. Wilton 114 4. West Liberty 81 5. Midland 49 6. Easton Valley 27.
100 meter dash: 9. Nathan Hills 12.50
200 meter dash: 5. Spencer Green 25.00
400 meter dash: 2. Lincoln Naber 53.79
800 meter run: 1. Joe Hamann 2:08.03; 3. Oliver Trepanier 2:30.54; 12. Carter Hetrick 3:05.09
1600 meter run: 1. Jake Swisher 5:28.85; 4. Preston Mayhew 5:54.16
3200 meter run: 2. Lynden MacGillivray 11:22.49; 4. Preston Mayhew 12:52.49
110 meter hurdles: 5. Eli Farmer 21.12
400 meter hurdles: 2. Reid Hansen 1:02.32
4x100 meter relay: 3. (Logan Christoffel, Auron Marsh, Trenton Schutte, Connor Rios) 46.53
4x200 meter relay: 3. (Connor Rios, Reid Hansen, Auron Marsh, Trenton Schutte) 1:40.29
4x400 meter relay: 2. (Lincoln Naber, Joe Hamann, Reid Hansen, Lynden MacGillivray) 3:45.48
Sprint medley relay: 2. (Connor Rios, Trenton Schutte, Lincoln Naber, Joe Hamann) 1:40.96
Shuttle hurdle relay: 3. (Nolan Staker, Auron Marsh, Jake Swisher, Eli Farmer) 1:14.33
High jump: 3. Nathan Hills 5-06.00
Long jump: 1. Auron Marsh 17-11.50; 5. Logan Christoffel 16-11.00
Shot put: 2. Reese Trepanier 46-01.00
Discus: 2. Reese Trepanier 137-04
4x100 meter relay (JV): 2. (Spencer Green, Nolan Staker, Reese Trepanier, Nathan Hills) 50.34
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