Select members of the Sailor track teams traveled to Byron Center High School to compete in the U of M Health–West Sports Medicine Scholarship Invite, hosted by Michiana Timing on Tuesday, May, 19 2025. Those athletes with top times in the greater West Michigan area were eligible to compete based on certain qualifying criteria. Senior athletes who completed an application and essay were eligible for several scholarships. Congratulations to senior Grace Kooyer for winning a $250 scholarship! The competition was some of the toughest of the season, and the Sailor athletes proved to be up for the challenge. The short sprints saw senior Ethan White blast out of the blocks in the 100-meter dash. Racing against a strong field, White clocked an impressive 11.14 seconds to anchor the Sailors' short-sprint crew. Freshman Dax Blackport showed great versatility on the track, handling a busy sprint double by running an 11.75 in the 100m and returning later to cross the finish line in 24.55 seconds in the 200-meter dash. Junior Garrett Zondervan led the team in the 200m, clocking a swift 24.27. In the hurdle events, senior John Onderlinde put together a highly productive day, attacking both disciplines with technical precision: 110m Hurdles: 16.37 seconds 300m Hurdles: 44.26 seconds The mid-distance crew turned in some of the most exciting performances of the day in the 800-meter run, where the Sailors went toe-to-toe with the field. Senior Thad VanderLaan led the pack with a spectacular new personal best (PB) of 2:00.88. Right on his heels was freshman Hudson Kemper, who crossed the line at 2:01.21, followed by senior Rex Jackson at 2:05.35. Kemper also proved his durability by pulling off a stellar distance double. In the 1,600-meter run, he set another personal best of 4:36.04. Junior Josiah Rozema also had a massive day in the longer distances, running a season best (SB) of 4:43.81 in the 1,600m before returning to gut out a gritty 10:21.28 performance in the 3200-meter run. Senior Ben Vos added to the team's depth in the 1600m, finishing in 5:10.06. South Christian’s field event athletes kept the momentum moving upward—literally. In the pole vault, senior Daniel Egler cleared an impressive 12 feet, 9 inches against a tough field of opponents and breezy conditions. Over at the high jump pit, a pair of freshmen proved that the future of the program is incredibly bright. Luke Onderlinde led the way by clearing 5 feet, 8 inches, while classmate Lukas Egler cleared 5 feet, 5 inches to round out a stellar day for the Sailors. The story of the day on the track for the girls’ team was the absolute clinic put on by the Sailors in the 400-meter dash. Senior Chloe Rinzema led the charge with an elite, blistering run, crossing the finish line in a spectacular new personal best of 57.56 seconds. Right behind her, freshman sensation Noah Lanning dipped under the one-minute barrier as well, capturing a stellar time of 59.78 seconds. Fellow freshman Isabelle Oostema completed the formidable trio, clocking a fantastic personal best of 1:00.84. The Sailor depth in the quarter-mile didn't stop there, as freshman Julia Sherwood (1:04.08), sophomore Jenna VanderLaan (1:07.44), and senior Lili Zondervan (who notched a season best of 1:10.05) all turned in strong performances. In the short sprints, freshman Noelle Hulst flew down the straightaway in the 200-meter dash, clocking a sharp 27.86 seconds to earn a shiny new personal best. Meanwhile, junior Gabriella Agar handled hurdle duties with poise, locking down a time of 53.93 seconds in the 300-meter hurdles. South Christian's distance crew was firing on all cylinders, particularly in a thrilling 1,600-meter run. Sophomore Tiffany DeMaagd and freshman Lily VanEyk ran beautifully as a tandem, keeping pace near the front of the pack. DeMaagd took 5th overall with a standout personal best of 5:22.22, while VanEyk crossed shortly after in 6th place at 5:23.95. Senior Lydia Huisman (5:37.44) and freshman Hailey Moorman (5:48.96) made it a clean sweep of personal bests for the Sailors in the 1,600m. In other distance action, freshman Annalise Wiltjer ran a smart race, clocking a personal best of 2:36.46 in the 800m run. Senior Grace Kooyer showcased her grit in the 3200m, battling through the grueling eight-lap race to finish in 13:25.86. Over in the field events, junior Ellie Pettinga put together a highly productive double-duty afternoon in the throws. Pettinga anchored the Sailor shot put crew with a top throw of 29 feet, 2.75 inches, and followed it up by tossing the discus 77 feet, 1 inch. In the long jump pit, junior Lila Brown hit the sand with a strong leap of 14 feet, 7.25 inches. Full meet results can be found at https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/619109/results.