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What's the outlook for Livingston County boys track and field in 2023?

bill khan, livingston daily
·6 min read
Brighton's Brady Matuszewski (left) and Luke Campbell were state qualifiers in the 3,200-meter run last season.
Brighton's Brady Matuszewski (left) and Luke Campbell were state qualifiers in the 3,200-meter run last season.

Brighton

► Last season: KLAA, 2nd place; regionals, 5th place

► Top returners: Griffin Bell, Sr.; Joseph Burke, Sr.; Luke Campbell, Jr.; Bode Cooper, Jr.; Hunter Harding, Sr.; Liam Kinney, Sr.; Tyler Langley, Jr.; Brady Matuszewski, Sr.; Sam Meriweather, Soph.; Cade Riddle, Sr.

► Outlook: Brighton has 102 boys out for track and field, including four returning state qualifiers. Harding made all-state in discus by placing eighth in Division 1, Matuszewski ran the 3,200 and 3,200 relay, Campbell ran the 3,200 and Kinney qualified in pole vault. Kinney opened the season by breaking the school pole vault record, clearing 15 feet. A big boost will be the return from injuries of Riddle and Bell. Riddle can score in throws, high jump and sprints. Bell will combine with Burke to give Brighton a solid 1-2 in sprints.

► Coach Amanda Bell: “Our field events and distance are going to be really competitive, just because we’re coming back with so many upperclassmen with experience.”

Mitchell Vaske holds Charyl Stockwell's school records in both hurdle events.
Mitchell Vaske holds Charyl Stockwell's school records in both hurdle events.

Charyl Stockwell

► Last season: MIAC, 2nd place; regionals, 6th place

► Top returners: Merrick Abner, Sr.; Henry Munkres, Sr.; Raymond Rogers, Sr.; Adam Surowiec, Sr.; Anthony Urbaniak, Jr.; EJ Worden, Jr.; Joe Vance, Sr.; Mitchell Vaske, Sr.; Nathan Vaske, Jr.

► Outlook: The other team in Brighton doesn’t have a roster of 102, but a turnout of 27 is the best turnout in the six-year history of the program, which competes in Division 3. The Sentinels can score anywhere, with a good balance of sprints, distance and field events. Rogers began the season by setting school records in the 800 and 1,600. Mitchell Vaske holds the school records in both hurdles. Munkres, back on the team after taking a year off, set the school discus mark in the first outdoor meet. Surowiec is an all-around athlete who can score in high jump, long jump and sprints.

► Coach Ron Abner: “We have the best balance of any track team we’ve ever had, which is fantastic. We can score in every event. The boys are going to be a force to be reckoned with, particularly in the conference.”

Owen Presley (left) and Lorenzo Wojcik lead Fowlerville's sprint crew.
Owen Presley (left) and Lorenzo Wojcik lead Fowlerville's sprint crew.

Fowlerville

► Last season: CAAC Red, 3rd place; regionals, 3rd place

► Top returners: Adam Aeschliman, Jr.; Evan Atkinson, Sr.; Jacob Esch, Jr.; Brett Marschall, Sr.; Carl Neuman, Sr.; Owen Presley, Jr.; Lorenzo Wojcik, Sr.

► Outlook: Fowlerville returns its top two sprinters in Presley and Wojcik, giving the team a strong foundation for its sprint relays. The Gladiators suffered a blow when Aeschliman, a state qualifier in pole vault, suffered a season-ending injury running a relay in a home invitational. Atkinson is a versatile athlete who can run three relays and may find his niche in the 400. Key additions are freshman Sam Shrader, who won high jump and long jump in the first dual meet, and senior Ben Wykes, who threw 42 feet, 8 inches in shot put in that meet.

► Coach Aaron Rickens: “Our sprints are looking pretty good right now. There’s a lot of really young talent. It’s kind of raw right now. It’s going to take time to refine it and make it better. We’re already seeing a lot of our new athletes, not necessarily freshmen but new to the program, step up in ways that are just unreal.”

Hartland's Jaxson Wilson was the KLAA and regional champion in shot put in 2022.
Hartland's Jaxson Wilson was the KLAA and regional champion in shot put in 2022.

Hartland

► Last season: KLAA, 3rd place; regionals, 6th place

► Top returners: Evan Bryan, Jr.; Cameron Cheetam, Jr.; Vance Larson, Jr.; Dylan Lawrence, Jr.; Ben Smith, Sr.; Jaxson Wilson, Sr.

► Outlook: The Eagles graduated two runners who are competing at Michigan State, Riley Hough and Alex Yon. Cheetam could fill Yon’s role in the sprints, having won the 100, 200 and 400 in the first dual against Northville. Returning state qualifiers are Wilson, the KLAA and regional champion in shot put, and Lawrence, who was the regional runner-up in high jump. Smith could be ready for a big season on the track after placing 36th in the state cross country meet and running 15:54 in the KLAA meet. An influx of newcomers from the football program has boosted the Eagles’ numbers.

► Coach Matt Gutteridge: “The new football coach, Thomas Stevenson, has really pushed track and field, so we’ve got a lot more football players than in the past. We have 10, 15 guys who are football guys who may not have run in the past, so that’s been helpful. We’re obviously not going to be as strong as last year when we had Yon and Riley, but we’ve got pieces and got kids who want to work hard and get better and succeed.”

Luke Eros of Howell made huge improvement in discus.
Luke Eros of Howell made huge improvement in discus.

Howell

► Last season: KLAA, 15th place; regionals, 12th place

► Top returners: Adam Binkley, Jr.; Noah DeLand, Jr.; Luke Eros, Sr.; TJ Fischhaber, Sr.; Joe Foster, Sr.; Austin Grunwald, Sr.; John Lovich, Sr.; Noah Thames, Jr.

► Outlook: Howell’s greatest chance for success is in field events with Eros and Foster in throws, Thames in pole vault, Grunwald and Binkley in long jump, and Fischhaber in high jump. The only returning Highlanders who finished in the top 10 in the KLAA meet last season are Thames, who was second in pole vault; Fischhaber, who tied for seventh in high jump; and Binkley, who was 10th in long jump. Eros is a potential all-stater in discus after making a massive improvement.

► Coach Chris Gadjev: “We had a huge influx of boys into the program. Program-wide numbers are up, for sure. We picked up more freshmen this year, but really we’re getting a lot more of these multi-sport athletes. We’re pulling from more teams, which is great to see. It benefits us as an athletic program.”

Pinckney's Andrew Otberg has already achieved personal bests in high jump and long jump this season.
Pinckney's Andrew Otberg has already achieved personal bests in high jump and long jump this season.

Pinckney

► Last season: SEC White, 1st place; regionals, 1st place

► Top returners: Zach DeBeauclair, Sr.; Gavin Duncan-Osburn, Sr.; Jack Hull, Sr.; Evan Loughridge, Jr.; Colten Lumadue, Sr.; Paul Moore, Jr.; Zach Newman, Soph.; Andrew Otberg, Sr.; Jake Prince, Sr.; Ben Richards, Sr.; Ethan Sandula, Jr.; Colton Spinelli, Jr.; Conor Trotter, Sr.

► Outlook: Pinckney is deep on the distance side with the inclusion of runners who finished third in the state Division 2 cross country meet. Loughridge and Moore were top-11 finishers in cross country. DeBeauclair, Richards and Sandula were the other scoring runners in the state meet. Elsewhere, the athlete who could do the most damage is Otberg, who has already achieved personal bests in high jump and long jump. Duncan-Osburn swept hurdles in the first dual meet and Price made huge gains in discus, throwing 133-1 against Chelsea. Trotter and Spinelli will provide scoring in pole vault.

► Coach Jim Wicker: “We’re trying to win our fifth straight SEC title and third straight regional title. With our field and distance, if we can get a little more consistent in the sprints, we’re definitely going to be in the hunt for both those titles.”

Contact Bill Khan at wkhan@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillKhan.

This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: What's the outlook for Livingston County boys track and field in 2023?