The 2021 Portland boys Track team got in their first Invitational competition of the year, and for many, it was their first ever!   The Marshall Invite is a pretty good early season test, with some strong distance teams and equally solid individual performances.   Because the competition is strong, that usually pulls teams to better times and this was the case for the young Raiders, many who are running in their first meets. 

Andrew Maynard dropped his 100m time racing to a 3rd place finish, then took 3rd in the Long Jump with another personal best of 18’ 1”.   Noah Simpson was the other medalist also grabbing a 3rd place medal in the Discus with his personal best.   

Many others who did not medal, still recorded “personal bests”.   Baron Seal sprinted to one in the 100m, Yannis Maurer and Nate Pianosi in the 200m, and Ben Wassmus and Maurer both dropped their times in the 400m.   Jake Olsen ran great races in the 800m & 1600m, each personal bests, while Evan Bowe grabbed 4th place in the Shot, with teammates Zane Warner and Braden Kehr each turning in personal bests.     

The boys team then took the long bus ride to Comstock High School Friday night with a skeleton crew of unquarantined athletes and made the most of the night!   The ride didn’t seem to bother the young Raiders, because with 4 events empty and 4 with only 1 athlete competing, the Raiders scored enough points to take home a 4th place finish overall.         

Leading the way individually was Andrew Maynard who sprinted to a 1st place in the 100m and leaped to a 2nd in the Long Jump.   Noah Simpson took 1st in the Discus moving into the Top 10 in Region 15 with his personal record (PR) throw.   Caiden Pelc ran a marvelous time in the 800m and is sitting in 4th place in Region 15.   In Brett Beard’s first meet and first time ever High Jumping, all he did was get high enough for a 3rd place medal.   

The Raiders placed in all three relays; the 4x100 team of Maynard, Simpson, Dylan Wolf, and Baron Seal grabbed 2nd place, the 4x200 team of Maynard, Beard, Dylan Wolf, and his brother Dustin turned in the best time of the year finishing 3rd, and the 4x400 team of the Wolf brothers, Pelc, and Jacob Rensberry turned in the best time of the year and took 4th place.

Many people had strong performances like Seal in the 400m, Rensberry in the 200m both dropped their times, while Logan Rogers PR’d in the, Conner Kazamaer ran a quick 200m in his first Track meet ever, and Boden Nye cut almost 30 seconds off his 2 mile.   

The team will be close to full strength for the first time this year Tuesday, when they travel to Eaton Rapids for a CAAC White Division showdown.