By John Rittenhouse
The Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth boys' track team nearly landed its first team title of the 2002 season at the Central Lyon Relays in Rock Rapids, Iowa, Tuesday.
The Patriots turned in a strong performance that featured them winning six meet titles and scoring 65.5 points.
Unfortunately for H-BC-E, Akron-Westfield compiled 80 points to win the Class B team title.
"All in all, our boys ran fantastic. We got a lot of first- and second-place finishes," said Patriot coach Tom Goehle.
Chris Reid and Brad Haak won two individual events each to set the pace for H-BC-E.
Reid, who was second in the 200-meter dash in 24.32, won the 100 in 11.37 and took top honors in the long jump with a distance of 20-8.
Haak, who cleared 5-8 to place second in the high jump, won the 800- and 3,200-meter runs with respective 2:01.53 and 10:52.06 times.
Patriot Tyler Bush also captured a meet title in the 1,600-meter run with a time of 4:48.16. Bush placed second to Haak in the 800 in 2:06.4.
H-BC-E also won the boys' 1,600-meter relay with a time of 3:40.99. Bush, Lee Walraven, Reid and Haak formed the team.
Patriot Greg Van Batavia turned in a notable effort by finishing second in the 1,600 in 5:08.02.
The H-BC-E girls placed fifth in a six-team field with 44 points.
The Patriots won three events, including a record-setting performance by Cassi Tilstra. Tilstra won the 3,000-meter run with a new school standard time of 13:05.1.
Bev Wurpts won the 1,500-meter run in 5:37.76 and ran a leg with H-BC-E's winning distance medley relay team, which was timed at 4:48.21. Kelly Mulder, Danielle Fransman and Brittney Rozeboom are the other members of the team.
H-BC-E placed second in the 400-meter and sprint medley relays with respective 54.84 and 2:02.9 efforts. Melinda Feucht, Tilstra, LaDonna Sandstede and Erin Boeve formed both teams.
Here is a look at the rest of H-BC-E's top-six performances from the Central Lyon Relays.
H-BC-E boys
Third place: Lee Jackson, 3,200, 11:42.26; 3,200 relay (Kale Wiertzema, Adam Sieff, Devin DeBoer and Drew Spykerboer), 10:24.01.
Fourth place: medley relay (Tyson Metzger, Sieff, Jackson and Van Batavia), 4:08.8.
Fifth place: Bush, high jump, 5-4; Wiertzema, 400, 1:00.3; 400 relay (Metzger, Van Batavia, Jackson and Walraven), 49.7.
H-BC-E girls
Third place: Rozeboom, 1,500, 5:56.24.
Fourth place: Boeve, 100, 13.34; Kari Roozenboom, 400-meter hurdles, 1:30.1.
Fifth place: Roozenboom, 100 hurdles, 19.55; 800 relay (Feucht, Mulder, Fransman and Rozeboom), 2:04.8.