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Greenville senior Trevor Boyer poses for a photo with coaches and family members at the annual Greenville High School College Signing Day event on April 23. Boyer will pursue academics and track and field at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. — DN file photo
GREENVILLE — Trevor Boyer is a name that will be cemented into the foundation of the Greenville boys track and field program for years to come.
The four-year varsity athlete has been a crucial part of the Yellow Jackets’ program the last four years, most recently being a key-scorer in their run at the first-ever River Cities Alliance (RCA) title and being a two-time MHSAA Division 1 state qualifier in the pole vault.
After capitalizing on a distinguished high school career with All State honors in the pole vault, Boyer will go out of state and make his NCAA Division 1 debut at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee next year with their men’s track and field team.
“In my eighth grade year, I realized that I was pretty good and I realized it was something that I loved to do,” Boyer said. “I knew from then on that I was going to shift my attitude towards that route, for sure.”
Greenville senior Trevor Boyer leaps over a hurdle in the 110-meter hurdles race at the RCA Jamboree at Kenowa Hills on April 22. — DN file photo
Boyer began his pole vaulting journey at the young age of 10 and has since gone on to compete both indoors and outdoors as a member of the Landon Athletics Club out of Vermontville and individually for the last five years.
It wasn’t until he reached the eighth grade that he discovered hurdles and the rest was history.
“Ever since I started vaulting, I’ve just loved it,” he said. “When I picked up the hurdles in the eighth grade, I grew to love those as well.”
On a team that had 19 seniors this spring, Boyer was one of five captains and had a great wealth of knowledge to share with others given his many seasons of experience. He claims the biggest thing he wanted to portray to others was what a strong work ethic looks like.
“I made sure that they know that it takes work and they’ll never see me not working,” he said. “Everyone knew that if they needed something, if they needed the track open, if they needed help with blocks, help that they didn’t know that they could ask me for, I could do those kinds of things. Other than that, I just brought a positive attitude any chance I could and was being supportive. I think that’s very important.”
In his senior season alone, Boyer competed in 13 different meets in the pole vault and finished no lower than seventh place throughout the entire season; six of those meets were first-place wins, including an individual conference championship. He set a new personal record in his last meet with the Jackets at the Division 1 state finals at East Kentwood with a height of 14-feet-six-inches to finish seventh overall.
As a hurdler, he competed in the 110-meter race 16 times and the 300-meter race 11 times. In the 110-meter event, he had 14 top-five finishes, of which five were first-place wins. He finished third at regionals to qualify for the state meet, his second event of the season, and unlocked a new personal best of sub-15 seconds at the Daily News Meet of Champions at the end of May (14.87). He was the conference champion in the event last year as a junior.
Greenville senior Trevor Boyer takes an attempt in the pole vault at the MHSAA Division 1 Region 3 track and field regional at Portage Central on May 17. — DN file photo
In the 300-meter event, he acquired eight top-five finishes and hit a new personal record time (41.67) at a conference jamboree at Kenowa Hills in April.
In addition to his All State finish this year, Boyer has been a three-time state qualifier across two events, a four-time All Conference athlete, a two-time MVP and has earned individual Academic All State honors with a 4.0 GPA during his four years with the Jackets.
“Trevor has been working on his pole vault skills with coaches Jerry Landon and Jeff White and the hurdles with coach Michael Woods since middle school,” Jacket boys head coach Tim O’Brien said. “His leadership and commitment to track and field were an inspiration to his teammates. He sets some very high standards for himself in the classroom and athletics. He will be a good coach someday and continue to excel at the next level and life.”
Even with all he’s accomplished during his short high school career, he believes he’s grown the most in something that has nothing to do with his technical skills.
“I’ve improved in my hurdling, for sure, but I think more than that, it’s my leadership overall,” Boyer said. “Our team wasn’t very strong my freshman year, so it kind of threw me into a role immediately of being someone people look up to, regardless of age, just because of how well I did. I think that and the character growth that came from that is more life-altering.”
Boyer is set to attend the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where he’ll be a member of their track and field team. Up until 2024, their program has achieved 50 total Horizon League team championships between both the men’s and women’s teams, 16 indoor and 16 outdoor for the men.
“Pretty much everything about that school really made me want to go,” Boyer said regarding his decision. “When I went there, their team chemistry was unbelievable and they were all super supportive. I knew that if I went there, I’d be around like-minded people who want to succeed in this as much as I do. The facilities are amazing and their coaching staff is incredible. I know that I’ll be cared about as an athlete and as a person there.”
Greenville senior Trevor Boyer leaps over his final hurdle in the 300-meter hurdles event at the MHSAA Division 1 Region 3 track and field regional at Portage Central on May 17. — DN file photo
Boyer’s success the last four years hasn’t come easy to him due to the rigorous opponents the Jackets compete against both during the regular season and the postseason. In fact, he credits the competitiveness he’s had to obtain to his confidence as he heads into his collegiate career.
“I think it has prepared me well,” he said. “Our program has been historically successful. We’re one of a few Division 1 sports here and we’ve succeeded in it over the past few years. Our coaches, Coach O’Brien, Coach Woods and Coach White, all hold us to a very high standard and because of that, we find a lot of success because of how disciplined we are. It’s helped me understand my responsibilities as an athlete and as a teammate and I think that I’ll be able to carry that forward.
“I’m definitely going to miss my teammates and my coaches. I love the coaches here. They’re genuinely unbelievable people who’ve done unbelievable things for me. They’ve absolutely changed my life and I could not be where I am without them.”
