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   Western entered championship season with a bang Friday afternoon at Williamston, or maybe it would be better to say “ka-chow!” as Jackson Jones and the sprint crew brought their own brand of lightning to the track. Jones won the 200m dash and lowered his school record in the event to a smoking fast 21.75, and was joined in the 4x200m relay by William Melton, Titan Parker, and Michael Brant for another win in and school record (1:29.34).

    In the 4x100m relay Brant and Jones teamed up with Jayden Willis and Jackson Barnes to place fourth and qualify for the state finals with a time of 43.27. As an indication of the depth of the region Western competed in this year, consider that nine of the 15 teams qualified for the state finals in the 4x100m.

    Parker and Melton, sprint hurdlers extraordinaire, placed third and fourth in the 110m high hurdles, went in the 2-3 in the 300m intermediate hurdles, and ran state-finals qualifying times in both events.

    In the field events, AJ Scutt won the discus with a personal best throw of 159’-5”, Brennan Vainner won the shot put (55’-8”), and Braden VanCalbergh won the pole vault (13’-6”). Also qualifying Friday for the MHSAA State Finals were Karter Knack in the long jump (20’-9.75”), Adam Carlson in the pole vault (12’-8”), Morgan Cameron in the shot put (48’-4.5”), and Vainner in the discus (156’-8”).

   This week the team has two meets. Tuesday they’ll be at Harper Creek for the Interstate-8 Finals and on Friday they’ll travel to Berrien Springs for the MITCA Team State Championship. The following week is the Selby Classic at Jackson High, the team banquet, and the MHSAA State Finals, at Hamilton.

   Western will send 16 boys to the MHSAA State Finals, with entries in all four relays, two entries each in the shot put, discus, pole vault, 110m hurdles, and 300m hurdles, and one entry each in the long jump, 200m, 800m, and 3200m.