Tuesday, June 28, 2022
Since 1854 — News from Montcalm County and Ionia County, Michigan
Second-place finishes were the theme of the day for local athletes at Saturday’s Division 4 state track finals.
Some were pleasant surprises while others fell short of state championship expectations. One of the pleasant surprises of the day came early in the morning field events with Carson City-Crystal junior Aubrey Hessbrook placing second in the long jump.
Josiah Magley channeled his idol in the 3,200-meter run at Saturday’s Division 2 state track finals at Forest Hills Eastern.
The Ionia senior was working in the middle of the pack, he wasn’t thrilled with the way the race was playing out in terms of pacing. He wanted to get it moving.
Daily News track Invitational rankings as of May 29. The meet features Greenville, Belding, Central Montcalm, Carson City-Crystal, Lakeview, Tri County, Vestaburg and Cedar Springs and will be held at Greenville’s Yellow Jacket Stadium on June 1.
The Carson City-Crystal boys track team has had a target on its back since the start of the season.
As the defending Division 4 state champions, every team competing against CC-C has given it their all to try and dethrone the champs.
Mickiah Allbee runs her practice hurdles on the track at Vestaburg High. She clears the three hurdles she has set up and goes back to her starting spot. As she’s walking back, Allison Wichert is there chatting and doing a bit of coaching with the freshman.
Despite the age difference, the two are already close friends, beginning in earnest last school year while Allbee was an eighth-grader and Wichert a junior. They discuss almost anything from track, to classes or whatever happens to be happening that day. However, it wasn’t necessarily like that in the beginning.
About five years ago, Ionia track head coach James Merrifield had heard stories of a fast middle schooler who would soon be a sprinter for the high school team.
“You don’t get to see all of the middle school meets but you’d hear about him running away from people all of the time,” Merrifield said.
Taiden Robinson gets out of school two days out of the week but doesn’t go straight home, like many of his classmates or even his Carson City-Crystal track and field teammates do.
No, Robinson hops in the car with the Forist family — Zane along with his father and assistant coach, Ron Forist — to make a 117-mile journey, one way, to Madonna University in Livonia and work with Nia Henderson, one of the best throws coaches in the state.
There’s a theme in the Ross family with team sports and a willingness to help where needed.
Senior Eliot Ross has been a key member of the Belding competitive cheer team for the last three seasons where she competed in all three rounds, served as the team leader and helped out wherever she could.
After garnering a lot of attention during an intense recruitment cycle, Zane Forist’s college decision was made official on Tuesday.
On Oct. 29, the Carson City-Crystal senior announced via his Instagram page his commitment to the University of Michigan track and field team. On Tuesday night, the best high school shot put and discus thrower in the country signed his letter of intent to join the Wolverines in front of friends and family at the CC-C High School media center.
One of the most high-profile college recruits the Daily News area has seen recently announced their college plans via social media on Friday.
Carson City-Crystal senior Zane Forist announced on his Instagram account his commitment to the University of Michigan Track and Field team on Friday.
