Best Throws Crews: Boys Week One

To review, these “best crews” were started last year to try to recognize the best teams in each event area, whether that’s the jumps here, or sprints or throws elsewhere. Last year’s version was more complex and relied on having three participants in each event. I’ve changed things a bit this year, mostly to ease the process on my end and have the ability to include more teams.

Here’s the process:

Over the winter, I created my own version of World Athletics Tables, but for Michigan athletes. These are based on times/marks from the 2022 Outdoor Season throughout the US.

GIRLS TABLES

BOYS TABLES

There are two guidelines for being included. Your mark has to be from this outdoor season and it has to be better than the Regional Additional Qualifying Mark. Marks from this season are taken from the athletic.net performance lists. There will likely be some instances where someone has run a time, but it’s not included on that list. I can’t help that! Please contact the necessary folks to get your name on there.

For each event, with a maximum of four athletes, those scores are added together. Then within a category, those events are added together. There is some scaling done for relays and more than four athletes included if you’re especially dominant in an event, but we’ll get to those in time.

Here’s an example of Zeeland East’s already dominant girls:

Grade	Name	Feet	Inches	Total	Team	Division	Score
12	Mariah Sackett	111	9	1341.0	Zeeland East	1	409
12	Kallie Taylor	104	6	1254.0	Zeeland East	1	389
11	Anna Tilden	98	5	1181.0	Zeeland East	1	372
Grade	Name	Feet	Inches	Total	Team	Division	Score
12	Faith Bonnema	35	11	431	Zeeland East	1	410
12	Mariah Sackett	35	0.75	420.75	Zeeland East	1	401
11	Anna Tilden	34	7	415	Zeeland East	1	396

These are from this season only, containing meets up until Saturday. They do contain shot AND disc, I know many of the indoor meets didn’t contain the discus, but I felt it necessary to reward those that have braved the outdoors.

Of the 22 throwers that qualified for the 2022 State Finals in the Shot Put, 14 were seniors, leaving a void both in advancement and perhaps on the medal stand. Utica’s Daniel Yarrington has made an early bid for jumping on stage. His 49’2 throw won the Macomb County Indoor Championship (which has thankfully returned under Matt Fecht) and is a 3’ foot personal best.

D1 Rank	Team	Shot	Disc	Team Score
1	Zeeland East	1542	0	1542
2	Holland West Ottawa	393	421	814
3	Warren DeLaSalle	813	0	813
4	Saginaw Heritage	452	0	452
5	Midland	433	0	433
6	Utica	416	0	416
7	Saline	398	0	398
8	Rockford	394	0	394
9	East Kentwood	391	0	391
10	Monroe	385	0	385

Grade	Name	Event	Distance	Team	Points
11	Parker Williams	Shot	48′ 4″	Zeeland East	409
11	Garrett Weeden	Shot	45′ 8″	Zeeland East	387
12	Drestin Ter Haar	Shot	44′ 0.25″	Zeeland East	374
12	Evan Berghorst	Shot	43′ 8″	Zeeland East	372

This will be a common theme and it makes sense; throwing is a technique and strength driven activity. The top 6 finishers in Division 2’s discus are all gone (and the great throwing crew of Zeeland East has moved up to D1). The top returning finisher sure made his mark to begin the year. Michael Griffey threw 20’ further than his 2022 opener. He wasn’t bad in the Shot Put either, only nailing down the best mark of any D2 competitor thus far.

D2 Rank	Team	Shot	Disc	Team Score
1	Portland	382	1134	1516
2	Coopersville	1182	0	1182
3	Plainwell	393	436	830
4	Edwardsburg	370	439	809
5	Milan	780	0	780
6	Hopkins	740	0	740
7	Hastings	384	350	734
8	Ionia	0	701	701
9	Whitehall	434	0	434
10	Carleton Airport	424	0	424

Grade	Name	Event	Distance	Team	Points
12	Noah Simpson	Shot	45′ 0″	Portland	382
12	Evan Bower	Disc	142′ 6″	Portland	403
12	Noah Simpson	Disc	133′ 4″	Portland	380
12	Logan Rogers	Disc	121′ 10.75″	Portland	351

Kellen Kimes just won’t let up on his destructive path. MITS titles in the Weight Throw and Discus, Indoor Record in the Weight Throw. His weakness may be the Shot Put. And by weakness, I mean he lobbed a 57’er that would’ve been a top-10 throw in Michigan last year. Can he pull of the double this year? Early returns suggest a high possibility!

Also, please check out his interview with Jeff Hollobaugh on the Michtrack newsletter.

D3 Rank	Team	Shot	Disc	Team Score
1	Clare	725	0	725
2	Saginaw Valley Lutheran	690	0	690
3	Hart	478	0	478
4	Lawton	0	412	412
5	Montague	408	0	408
6	Manistee	380	0	380
7	Chesaning	372	0	372
8	Berrien Springs	370	0	370
9	Grand Rapids West Catholic	363	0	363
10	Caro	355	0	355

Grade	Name	Event	Distance	Team	Points
11	Jake Punches	Shot	43′ 3″	Clare	368
12	Kyle Potter	Shot	41′ 9″	Clare	356

Last year, Zane Forist was out doing Zane Forist things, winning titles, etching his name into record books. There will be at least one new champion crowned this spring. There will be a ton of new All-Staters coronated as well. One potential name to look for is Morrice’s Oliver Long. As a freshman, he’s already thrown 44’, a mark that would’ve placed him among the ten best freshmen of 2022.

D4 Rank	Team	Shot	Disc	Team Score
1	Morrice	715	0	715
2	Kalamazoo Hackett	326	335	661
3	Lawrence	329	326	656
4	Decatur	0	328	328
5	Marcellus	319	0	319

Grade	Name	Event	Distance	Team	Points
9	Oliver Long	Shot	44′ 6.5″	Morrice	378
12	Drew McGowan	Shot	39′ 2.75″	Morrice	336