Advertisement

They accomplished that goal last Saturday, as they finished tied for third with Athens at the D4 State Finals at Forrest Hills Eastern in Ada. Potterville won the state crown with 49 points, while Reading was second with 38, followed by the third place teams, which had 35 points each.

Of all the outstanding efforts on the day for the Pirates, the best had to be the 3,200 relay team of Alicia Erdman, Holly Buchholz, Ali Wessels, Bri Woycehoski, who won a state title in their event with a time of 9:42.71. "It feels really good... it hasn't even sunk in yet," Woycehoski said after Saturday's meet.

Buchholz added, "We worked hard for it all year and we really wanted it."

What made Harbor Beach's win even more satisfying for the athletes was the fact that they beat their rival Ubly in the process. The Bearcats had state titles and set state finals records in the event the past two years. Woycehoski explained, "We've been going after them all year and we finally got them."

With three sophomores and one junior on the relay team, this group will have more opportunities for state titles in the 3,200 relay and possibly a shot for a team championship as well. Buchholz knows it will take a strong effort and commitment to build on this success for the future. "We are going to have to keep working hard, so we can do it again (next year)," she said.

Other standouts for the Pirates included Jacqueline Kirsch, who finished third in the pole vault (9-6), sixth in the 300 hurdles (47.58) and seventh in the 100 hurdles (16.66), as well as Woycehoski who was fourth in the 800 (2:25.02) and Wessels fifth in the 3,200 (11:50.69). Harbor Beach also finished fourth in the 1,600 relay (4:14.85).

Other area teams who competed in D4 included North Huron, Ubly and USA who all finished tied for 25th place with eight points.

For the Warriors, Megan Heffner finished second in the 300 hurdles (45.91) as she was edged out by Athen's Miranda Iles who was first with a time of 45.84.

The Bearcats were led by the 3,200 relay team of Kayla Kubacki, Lyndsay White, Jennifer White and Chelsey Kubacki finished third (10:00.29), while Tammy Rutkowski was seventh in the long jump (15-9).

For the Lady Patriots, Sara Turschak finished third in the 1,600 (5:21.21) and teamed up with Amanda DiSemplare, Mercy Martinez and Cami Valentine to finish fourth in the 3,200 relay (10:11.53).

In D4 boys' action, two area athletes placed as Harbor Beach's Travis Schock finished seventh in the 110 hurdles (16.02) and USA's Carl Bednarski was eighth in the shot put (47-11).

In Division Three at Comstock Park, EPBP's Kaycee Damm was the only local athlete to place as she finished sixth in long jump (5-1).