Alpena boys track team wins first BNC title

Alpena, Mich. — The Alpena Wildcats boys track team have won the schools fifth Big North Conference title this season, but first boys track conference trophy in school history. The Wildcats dethroned Traverse City Central, a team that held the title for a decade. Alpena won the BNC by 80 points.

“We’ve never beaten the TC’s in track ever,” said senior long distance runner and Michigan State signee Aden Smith. “To do that was just an amazing feeling. To win as a team is… I just don’t know how to describe it.”

BNC Boy’s Varsity Standings:
Alpena – 215 Points
Traverse City West – 135 Points
Traverse City Central (Former Champs) – 119.25 Points
Gaylord – 62.25 Points
Cadillac – 50 Points
Petoskey – 45.5 Points

The Wildcats won 10 of the 17 events at the BNC meet. A great confidence boost going into the state finals on June 1st. Junior Gabe sits first overall in the state of Michigan for pole vault with a height of 15’9″ and junior Eli Winter is second overall in D1 for discus with a throw of 175’10”.

Three girls have qualified for states, Maddy Boyd, Faith Weide and Karli Myers. Boyd, the Alpena female athlete of the year, is 14th in D1 for the 3200 M run with a time of 10:59.22. Weide sits fourth in shot put with a personal best of 42′ 1.75″, the distance she threw at the BNC Championships. Weide continues to get better as the season progresses and she says that her grandmother is her inspiration.

“She is currently in hospice and she doesn’t have that much longer to live on this Earth, so I said that I was throwing for her,” said three-time state qualifier Weide. “Then I threw that PR and I just knew that was something I accomplished while she is still here on this Earth for her. This last meet at conference I threw another PR, a foot farther than that one at regionals, and it’s just amazing because I feel like I’m doing it with a purpose.”

The state meet will be held at East Kentwood H.S. in Grand Rapids on June 1st. Field events start at 9:30 a.m. and that includes boys/girls pole vault, boys/girls long jump, boys discus, girls shot put and girls high jump.

Alpena State Qualifiers (D1 – East Kentwood):
Maddy Boyd – 3200 M
Gabe Bullis – Pole Vault
Jadon Duncan – 4×800 M Relay
Haydn Goebel – 110 M Hurdles
Josiah Matuzak – Pole Vault
Karli Myers – Pole Vault
Arthur Paad- Discus
Drew Seabase – 800 M and 4×800 M Relay
Aden Smith – 1600 M, 3200 M and 4×800 M Relay
Josh Smith – 1600 M and 4×800 M Relay
Faith Weide – Shot Put
Eli Winter – Discus and Shot Put