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Regional Track: Bronson's Shadix and Hayes qualify for state finals; boys finish in 12th, girls 13th

troy tennyson, the daily reporter
·4 min read
Bronson track qualifies two to state finals as Jordan Shadix (shot put) and Jaiden Hayes (300 meter hurdles) punch their ticket to the state meet
Bronson track qualifies two to state finals as Jordan Shadix (shot put) and Jaiden Hayes (300 meter hurdles) punch their ticket to the state meet

LAWTON, MI. — The Bronson Vikings traveled to Lawton High School on Friday in search of postseason track and field glory as they competed in their portion of the MHSAA LP Division Three Regionals.

Bronson saw two student-athletes earn the right to compete at the the MHSAA State Finals in two weeks as senior thrower Jordan Shadix and freshman hurdler Jaiden Hayes both booked their trip to the biggest stage in high school track in Michigan.

Senior thrower Jordan Shadix made a miraculous return from a devastating season ending leg injury during the basketball season, bouncing back to earn a trip to the state finals with his third place finish in the shot put. Shadix exploded for a personal best throw of 46 feet, 5 inches, a throw five inches past the MHSAA approved Additional Qualifying Standard of 46 feet, 0 inches. With the mark Shadix qualified for his first trip to the state meet.

Freshman hurdler Jaiden Hayes booked her ticket to the state finals in the 300 meter hurdles after finishing in second place overall in the event with a personal best time of 51.09 seconds, qualifying for her first trip to the state finals. Hayes also earned one other podium finish on the day, taking seventh place in the long jump with a jump of 13 feet, 5.5 inches.

In the mens portion of the regional the Bronson Vikings finished in twelfth place in the team competition, finishing with a total of 40 points. The Centreville Bulldogs took home the D3 Regional Championship, just outdistancing the Constantine Falcons who finished with runner-up honors. Centreville won the event with a score of 192 points, followed by Constantine in second place with 184 points. Lawton finished in third with 144.5 points, followed by Coloma, Buchanan, Watervliet, Schoolcraft, Bloomingdale, Hartford, Niles Brandywine, Bridgman, Bronson, Bangor, Comstock, and Galesburg August.

Earning a top eight finish for the Vikings effort, thereby earning a spot on the podium and valuable points in the team race, was freshman Boston Bucklin who brought home a pair of medals. Bucklin finished in fifth place overall in the 400 meter dash in a very deep field, crossing the line in a time of 53.46 seconds, a personal best time for the rookie. Bucklin also earned a fourth place finish in the high jump after clearing a height of 5 feet, 10 inches, missing state qualification by a mere two inches.

Also earning a top eight finish for the Vikings was the 400 relay team of Tyler Overholt, Steven Pfister, Gerardo Martinez, and Landon Fletcher, eighth place in a time of 48.63 seconds; the 800 relay team of Fletcher, Pfister, Tyler Wilber and Bucklin, eighth place in a time of 1 minute, 40.79 seconds; the 3200 relay team of Drew Seekman, Perry Lake, Tanner Norton and Wilber, seventh place in a time of 9 minutes, 42.6 seconds; and Isaac Grate, seventh place in the pole vault with a vault of 10 feet, 3 inches.

In the women’s portion of the competition the Bronson Lady Vikings finished in a tie for thirteenth place after recording 34 points. The team from Lawton rolled to the regional championship, winning the title with a score of 264.5 points. Centreville finished in a distant second place with 144 points, followed by Bridgman in third place with 120.5 points. Constantine finished in fourth place with 120 points, followed by Schoolcraft, Coloma, Buchanan, Galesburg-Augusta, Comstock, Bangor, Hartford, Watervliet, Niles Brandywine, Bronson, and Bloomingdale.

In addition to the two podium finish for Hayes, senior Sidney Swick brought home two top eight finishes for the Vikings. Swick finished in fifth place overall in the 3200 meter run in a time of 13 minutes, 21.17 seconds while also taking sixth place in the 1600 meter run in a time of 6 minutes, 8.02 seconds.

While Shadix and Hayes prepare for their trip to the MHSAA State Finals to be held June 4 at Kent City High School, the Bronson track and field program is far from done as they will next see action on Wednesday when they travel to Quincy High School for the Big 8 Conference Tournament.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Reporter: Regional Track: Bronson's Shadix and Hayes qualify for state finals; boys finish in 12th, girls 13th