Hornaday’s group aiming toward postseason
By Lenny Sementi
Tuscola boys’ track coach boasts one of the biggest rosters in the area year in and year out, but it’s never just quantity. The long-time coach of the pack consistently leads one of the top programs in Class 1A, and they proved that Friday, April 27 at the St. Joe Invite. A meet that not only has 27 teams with some of the best small school talent in the state but also more than a few of the best 2A squads in the area.
Hornaday did what he’s done more than a few times over the years and leaned on his field entrants and his relays to secure a fifth place finish (48 points) for the team. Hunter Woodard led the way in the points department donating 18 points to the cause. The big man won the shot by more than 3 feet, touching the sand at 57 feet 6 inches and took second in the discus with a toss of 154 feet 1 inch. CJ Picaso joined him in both finishing just outside the top ten in 11th overall in the shot (43’10”) while landing in third collecting hardware in the disc with a personal best throw of 133’ 10”. Gage Russell just missed the team scoring as well in the pole vault taking eighth in the loaded field, while Ben Dixon set a PR in the triple jump of 36’9” capturing 10th.
The Warriors did their damage in the relay collecting 10 points, placing in two of the four races. John Hill, Mathew Cantu, Dixon, and Brandon Douglas turned the track twice in the 4×200 meter crossing the line in a season best 1 minute and 34 seconds to take third. And, the 4×800 meter team of Bradley Kramer, Michael Holmes, Mason Day, and Hill took fourth in the event with a time of 8 minutes 35 seconds.
JJ Wells and foreign exchange student Tim Jaster both PR’d in the 200 taking 18th and 28th with times of 25.47 seconds and 27.99, respectively. Tuner Hastings turned in a season best effort in the 400 with a time of 57.57 to take 16th overall. Clayton Hausman PR’d as well in the 800 with a time of 2 minutes 20 seconds. Kramer broke the 5-minute barricade in the 1600 for the first time in his career finishing in 4 minutes and 59 seconds.
The full story can be found in the Wednesday, May 2 edition of The Tuscola Journal.
