It was a season for the history books for the Hamilton track & field program. The boys track and field varsity team even spent time atop the state rankings in Division 2. The Hawkeyes, led by 14 senior boys had a lot of success from winning the conference title, to finishing second at regionals, and third at MITCA team state.
Individually, both the boys and girls track and field programs have worked hard to raise the standard in Hamilton. Three Hamilton High School records have been broken this year, including Aliyah Springer’s girls discus record at 138'1", Ben Boehm’s 21.7 in the 200 meter dash, and Abatu Dykstra with a 1:56.8 in the 800 meter.
“Our seniors have lead the way to a very successful seasons with leadership, sportsmanship and great work ethic,” said boys track and field coach, Kevin Spotts. “We lean on them to keep our spirits up and provide examples of how to be student athletes. I am very proud to be associated with these men."
Saturday, June 1 was another big moment on the season for the Hawkeyes as Hamilton Stadium played host to the MHSAA Division 2 Track & Field state finals. With 1,160 athletes and over 4,500 tickets sold to attendees across the state, it was a busy day for volunteers and Athletic Director, Eric Talsma.
To combine with hosting, Hamilton also saw a school record for state qualifiers with 16 Hawkeyes making the state meet! Aliyah Springer would finish fifth in the state in discus, Abatu Dykstra finished 8th in the 800 meter, and the 4x100 meter relay finished sixth! The big moment of the day for Hawkeyes however was in the boys 4x400 relay with Ben Boehm, Abatu Dykstra, Gabe Schrotenboer, and Josh Langeland taking home the state championship with a time of 3:23.40!
Meanwhile, the Hamilton Middle School boys track and field team also set seven school records this spring! A very successful spring for the Hawkeye track and field teams! What an impressive spring for the Hawkeyes. A big thank you to Coach Kevin Spotts, who is retiring after 26 years of coaching track!
Click here for more images from the MHSAA State Finals!
GIRLS-2ND TEAM ALL-STATE
Springer, Aliyah: 5th Place-Discus
BOYS-ALL-STATE HONORABLE MENTION
Dykstra, Abatu: 8th Place-800 M Run
BOYS-2ND TEAM ALL-STATE
Boehm, Ben: 5th Place-100 M Dash, 6th Place-4x100 M Relay
Calderon, Emilio: 6th Place-4x100 M Relay
Hawkins, Brooks: 6th Place-4x100 M Relay
VanderKamp, Austin: 6th Place-4x100 M Relay
BOYS-1ST TEAM ALL-STATE
Boehm, Ben: State Champion-4x400 M Relay
Dykstra, Abatu: State Champion-4x400 M Relay
Langeland, Josh: State Champion-4x400 M Relay
Schrotenboer, Gabe: State Champion-4x400 M Relay
GIRLS ACADEMIC ALL-STATE
Springer, Aliyah: 5th Place-Discus
BOYS ACADEMIC ALL-STATE
Boehm, Ben: 5th Place-100 M Dash, 6th Place-4x100 M Relay, State Champion-4x400 M Relay
Dykstra, Abatu: 8th Place-800 M Run, State Champion-4x400 M Relay
Langeland, Josh: State Champion-4x400 M Relay
Schrotenboer, Gabe: State Champion-4x400 M Relay
1st Team All-State: Finish in 1st-3rd Place at State Finals
2nd Team All-State: Finish in 4th-6th Place at State Finals
All-State Honorable Mention: Finish In 7th-8th Place at State Finals
Academic All-State: All athletes who finish in 1st-8th Place at State Finals with a 3.500 or above OR All athletes who participate in State Finals with a 4.000
