The Glen Lake boys delivered a commanding performance, clinching the boys track championship and earning back-to-back NWC titles.
“Coming into these next two weeks, we are trying to peak at the right time and gauge everything while competing at our very best,” Glen Lake coach Jason Bradford said.
Glen Lake’s Liam Palmer took first in the 200-meter dash, narrowly over Zack Hendrick of Benzie Central.
The distance squad of Glen Lake proved lethal as Spencer McNitt took first in the 800 and mile with times of 2:06 and 4:53. McNitt, along with Lincoln Bailey and Abraham Feeney, took second and third as they crossed the finish line together.
Later in the field events, Glen Lake senior Jacob Plamondon won the high jump with a personal best of 6 feet 4 inches. Teammate Breckin Nerg followed by claiming first in the long jump at 19 feet.
The 4x200-relay of Kingston Palmer, Nerg, Hunter Cox and Liam Palmer won with a time of 1:36.
Meanwhile, for the Comets, Leland’s Carter Suttmann claimed the 400-meter dash with a time of 53.54. Wrapping up the night, the mile relay team of Christopher Knudsen, Suttman, Holden Peneta, and Campbell Fedderman secured the NWC conference championship in 3:37.
Although the Lakers did not win the 100-meter dash, their strong showing still earned them 13 crucial points.
Buckley freshman Easton Harrand set a new conference and school record in the pole vault, vaulting 14 feet, 6 inches. The previous Conference record was held by S. Strohmer from Frankfort (14’0).
Harrand also won the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.55, and took second in the 110-hurdles, while anchoring the second-place 4x400-meter relay team with Pavlo Narolskyi, Timber Chunn and Matthew Bentley. Chunn and Kaiden Proffer took third and fourth in the long jump (18’4.5 and 18’2.75), respectively.
Fosmore took second in the high jump and third in the long jump.
Benzie Central claims NWC championship
On the girls side, the Benzie Central girls track team captured its first Northwest Conference Championship since 2023, driven by a team effort during the NWC Championships Wednesday at Frankfort.
The Huskies emerged victorious over Frankfort, 167-121. Buckley followed in third (87), with Glen Lake (54), Onekama (50), Leland (35), and Brethren (5) rounding out the standings.
Individually, Leland sophomore Sophie Grinage placed second in the two-mile with a time of 12:22, and added third-place finishes in the mile and 800. In the sprints, Leland junior Magnolia Marsh finished third in the 100-meter dash (13.61) and fourth in the 200 (27.88).
The Glen Lake 4x100-relay team of Addisen Harrand, Brooklyn Griffin, Mikayla Kulawiak, and Brooklyn Frazee (51.90) competed following the sprint events.
Scarlett Vanderline, a Glen Lake senior, finished second in shot put (30’11), while sophomore Emma Bosscher finished second in discus (99’3”)
Girl winners:
Frankfort: Sofia Alaimo Schindler (100, 12.62); Alaimo Schindler (200, 26.10); Alaimo Schindler (400, 1:00); Alice Luther (100-hurdles, 17.94); Willa Roth (pole vault, 9’9); 4x200-relay (Luther, Riley LaVack, Addison Jarosz, Alaimo Schindler, 1:47).
Benzie Central: Avery Kelly (two-mile,12:13); Ashlyn Hughes (300-hurdles, 49.47); Elsa Carter (shot put, 34’2); Carter (discus, 104’1); 4x400-relay (Sarah Heuser, Ingrid Molins Rallo, Hughes, Kelly, 4:18); 4x800-relay (Hughes, Kaitlyn Kaple, Maggie McClellan, Lilly Whaley, 10:28).
Onekama: Callie Sinke (800, 2:24); Sinke (mile, 5:19).
Buckley: Mikayla Kulawiak (high jump, 4’ 10); Brooklynn Frazee (long jump, 16’ 5”); 4x100-relay (Addisen Harrand, Brooklyn Griffin, Kulawiak, Frazee, 51.90).
Boy winners:
Buckley: Easton Harrand (100, 11.55); Harrand (pole vault, 14’6)
Glen Lake: Liam Palmer (200, 23.93); Spencer McNitt (800, 2:06); McNitt (mile, 4:53); Jacob Plamondon (high jump, 6’4); Breckin Nerg (long jump, 19’0); 4x200-relay (Kingston Palmer, Nerg, Hunter Cox, Liam Palmer, 1:36); 4x800-relay (Abraham Feeney, Lincoln Bailey, Christian Feeney, McNitt, 8:24)
Leland: Carter Suttmann (400, 53.54); 4x400-relay (Christopher Knudsen, Carter Suttmann, Holden Preneta, Campbell Fedderman, 3:37)
Benzie Central: Eli VanPoortfliet (two-mile, 10:08); Joseph Abeyta, Hollis Bell, Zack Hendrick, Parker Pritchett (4x100-relay, 45.30); Parker Pritchett (shot put, 53’ 11”); Parker Pritchett (discus, 144’ 8”).
Frankfort: Kade MacDonald (110-hurdles, 15.37); MacDonald (300-hurdles, 42.50).
