STATE TRACK: Trojans finish 5th in 1A, set school record with 29 points
Inks repeats as 800 bronze medal winner, 4x400 takes runner-up slotBy Troy Banning, DFJ Sports Editor
POSTED: May 19, 2008
Article Photos
Along the way the Trojans hoarded five medals during the three day meet that culminated in front of a large and boisterous crowd on a picturesque day for running on Saturday. They finished with 29 points to place fifth in Class 1A.
"It was a great week," Northeast Hamilton head coach Mark Rusch, who was also the coach in 2004 when the Trojans scored a then school record 28 points to place third in 1A, said. "That's a lot of points at the state meet and we're not going to hang our heads about anything. Our guys competed to the best of their abilities and scored a bunch of points."
After placing second in the 4x800-meter relay on Thursday to kick start the state meet, Northeast Hamilton put the finishing touches on the festivities with a runner-up showing in the 4x400 on Saturday. The foursome of David Greenfield, Dirk Timm, Chad Fonken and Sean Inks finished in 3 minutes 29.84 seconds, trailing only state champion Lake Mills (3:28.99).
A day earlier, Greenfield, Trey Seiser, Fonken and Inks set a new school record (3:28.82) in the 4x400 prelims.
"We're happy," Inks, who went home with three state medals, said. "We're not as happy as we could be, but nobody's disappointed. We ran hard and did the best we could and that's all you can do."
Inks began his Saturday with a second straight third-place finish in the 800. He pushed the pace with the other leaders on the second lap, but he couldn't quite catch champion Ryan Krogmann of Northeast Goose Lake and runner-up Aaron Kirkvliet of West Lyon.
"I wanted to win real bad," Inks said after finishing in 1:57.31. "I was just trying to stay with Krogmann and I thought for a second in the last turn that I might get him, but it didn't work out."
Fonken accepted his own individual medal, as the Trojan senior sprinted to a fourth-place finish in the 200 in 22.94 seconds. Alex Feilmeier of Glidden-Ralston was the first to lean across the finish line in 22.63.
"There were a bunch of good runners and that Feilmeier kid is a hell of a runner," Fonken said. "It's state, it's just good to be down here."
On Friday, Northeast Hamilton picked up seventh-place points from its 1,600 medley relay — Greenfield, Seiser, Fonken and Timm. They finished the 200, 200, 400, 800 event in 3:39.69.
That same foursome completed Friday’s 4x200 in 1:34.44, good enough for 15th-place.
Jordan Anderson — who joined Greenfield, Timm, Fonken and Inks in Northeast Hamilton's outgoing class of seniors — just missed out on a top-eight medal in the discus. He had a best throw of 137 feet 9 inches to place ninth. He was only seven inches out of eighth-place.
"I'm just so proud of the kids," Rusch said. "These seniors have worked so hard for four years and it's good to see them be rewarded for their efforts."
West Hancock won its second straight 1A team title with 44 points. West Lyon was second with 40, followed by Northeast Goose Lake and Alta tied for third with 34.
Hansen finishes strong
Northeast Hamilton sophomore Rachael Hansen moved up from her 23rd seed to place 16th in the girls' 100 hurdles preliminary round on Friday inside Drake Stadium. She finished in 16.45 seconds.
