The Otsego Bulldog track and field program had a standout day at Friday’s Regional Championship, highlighted by a boys team title and a strong third-place finish from the girls team in a highly competitive field.

The Bulldog boys captured the Regional Championship with 84.83 points in a meet where every event proved to be critical to the final outcome. Coach Steve Long credited the team’s depth and consistency from top to bottom, as Otsego held off a strong field of opponents. 

Standout performances came from senior leader Jack Cook, Ty Oaks in his return from injury, Alex Robbins, Ethan Simpson, Zeke Andrina, Kenny Sheffer, Carson Brooks, and Cole Kortokrax. Underclassmen also made a major impact on the championship effort, with Kaleb Koestner, Ryan Long, Sam Cook, Roman Mitchell, George Whitaker, and Kingston Lennan all contributing key points to secure the title.

The championship carried added weight given the strength of competition throughout the season. The Bulldogs faced several top programs in both conference and regional competition, including Paw Paw, Vicksburg, Three Rivers, and St. Joseph, making the regional victory a significant accomplishment for the program.

The boys also feature a deep group of state qualifiers across a wide range of events. Jack Cook leads the way with qualifications in the 4x100, 4x200, 4x400, 200-meter dash, and a qualifying time in the 400-meter run, making him the first track athlete in school history to qualify in five events. He is joined by Ty Oaks (400, 4x400), Kenny Sheffer (3200), Kaleb Koestner (4x400), Zeke Andrina (4x100, 4x200, 4x400), Roman Mitchell (4x100, 4x200), Sam Cook (4x100, 4x200), Alex Robbins (shot put, discus), Carson Brooks (pole vault), and Ethan Simpson (long jump).

The season has also been defined by record-breaking performances, most notably from Robbins, who reset his own school records in both the shot put and discus, improving his marks to 58 feet and 184 feet, 7 inches, respectively. The 4x200 relay team of Zeke Andrina, Roman Mitchell, Sam Cook, and Jack Cook also broke a 44-year-old school record with a time of 1:29.48.

While the boys secured the team title, the Bulldog girls also delivered an impressive performance, finishing third overall with 74 points in a tightly packed team race.

The girls were led by a strong group of individual performances, including Alayna Verhage, who claimed the regional championship in the 3200-meter run and finished runner-up in the 1600. Madden Fitzpatrick added a runner-up finish in the discus, while Olivia Klimp earned two podium finishes with third-place efforts in both the 100- and 300-meter hurdles.

Coach Justin Scott highlighted the depth of the team, with multiple athletes scoring in key events. In the shot put, Otsego placed three scorers with Audrey Holmes (3rd), Madden Fitzpatrick (5th), and Josie Dennis (8th), while the 3200 also featured a trio of point-scorers in Verhage (1st), Addelyn Sabatke (5th), and Rebekah Stachura (6th).

The girls have a strong group advancing to the state meet, including Fitzpatrick (discus), Kyla Haak (4x400), Holmes (shot put), Klimp (4x400, 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles), Skylar Mejeur (4x400, 4x800, 800), Addelyn Sabatke (4x800, 3200), Adelyn Verhage (4x400, 4x800), and Alayna Verhage (4x800, 1600, 3200).

As for getting their names in the record books, the girls 4x800 relay team of Mejeur, Verhage, Verhage, and Sabatke set a new school record with a time of 9:41.58, while Klimp established a new program best in the 300-meter hurdles at 47.73.

Across both programs, coaches emphasized a shared foundation of hard work, consistency, and team culture, noting that athletes have embraced both the competitive grind and the enjoyment of the process.

With the state championship meet ahead, both Bulldog teams now turn their focus to finishing the season strong at Hamilton High School on May 30th.