The Dexter Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Dexter athletes win state titles
By Don Richter, Sports Editor
PUBLISHED: June 5, 2008
Dexter track and field represented itself well at last Saturday's Division 2 state track and field final at Zeeland.
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Including the boys' and girls' meets, the Dreadnaughts brought home three individual state titles.
In the boys' meet, Dexter, the defending Division 2 state champion, finished fourth overall with 28 points.
Winning the Division 2 state title was Williamston with 57 points.
East Lansing was second with 42 points, while Zeeland West was third with 32 points and St. Clair Shores South Lake fifth with 23 points.
Locally, Chelsea was 10th with 17 points.
Individually, senior Bobby Aprill led Dexter winning the 1,600-meter run and the 3,200-meter run. It was the second straight year a Dreadnaught athlete had captured both events. Last season, Dan Jackson, now running at Notre Dame, performed the rare feat.
Aprill, who'll run for the University of Michigan next season, blistered the field in the 1,600-meter run, breaking the state championship tape first with a personal best time of 4:12.98. He won by three seconds over Nathan Martin of Three Rivers who stopped the clock in 4:15.82. Aprill's time was not only the fastest in Division 2, but was the quickest in the state regardless of class.
"He was on his own in the final straightaway," said Dexter coach Chris Hanlon, of Aprill's dominating 1,600-meter race.
In the 3,200-meter run, Aprill battled teammate senior Ben Steavenson for the state championship.
"It was a close race for a while," Hanlon said of the 3,200-meter final. "But with 800 to 900 meters to go, it became a wide open race with Bobby and Ben running alone. It was pretty cool to see."
Aprill placed first with a state-best, regardless of division, time of 9:16.41. Steavenson was second in 9:24.83.
"To go 1-2 in the state, I have to give Coach (Ross) Martin a lot of credit," Hanlon said of Dexter's distance coach. "He had his guys ready to go."
In the girls' meet, the Dreadnaughts were also impressive.
Dexter ended up 10th overall in the state with a team tally of 13.5 points.
Capturing the Division 2 state crown was Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern with 54 points.
Placing second was Ypsilanti with 40 points, while Detroit Renaissance was third with 35 points, East Lansing fourth with 34 points and Chelsea and Holland Christian tied for fifth with 26 points.
Individually, senior Becca Pilkerton finished first in the pole vault, clearing 11-feet, 3 inches. Pilkerton, a University of Minnesota signee, was state runner-up the past two seasons. Earlier this year, she set a state record with a vault of 12-7.
"It was a tough day weather-wise for her," Hanlon said. "There was a stiff crosswind. The conditions weren't right for a PR (personal record). But she was clearly the best vaulter there (at finals)."
In the high jump, Dreadnaught freshman Nyki Caldwell placed fifth with a school record height of 5-3. Her mark earned her All-State status in the event.
"She definitely didn't look like a freshman," Hanlon said. "Coach Jane Thompson has helped a lot."
Last Thursday, Dexter senior Michael Schultz participated in the Last Chance Meet at Ann Arbor Pioneer. In his final prep meet, Schultz set a Dreadnaught senior class record in the shot put throwing a 46-11 ?.
"That was a nice way for him to close out his career," Hanlon said.
On May 27, Dexter competed in the Washtenaw County Meet of Champions at Ypsilanti.
In the boys' meet, Steve Ferguson finished third in the pole vault with a mark of 13-0.
In the 3,200-meter run, Ben Carruthers was fifth with a time of 10:15.06.
In the girls' meet, Pilkerton was first in the pole vault with an 11-6, while teammate Christine Murray was second with a height of 10-0 and Carly Dalton fifth with a 9-0 for the Dreadnaughts.
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