Hornets Outran Competition All Season Long

The Saline Hornets boys' track and field team ran hard all season, racing to a 4-1 record in dual meets and winning the SEC Red League and Regionals.  The Hornets sent eleven guys to the State meet, and came home with six All-State athletes.

Despite a rainy spring that hampered practice early in the season, the Hornets had a strong dual-meet season.  The team pounded on Bedford (115-22), Ann Arbor Huron (107-30) and Ann Arbor Skyline (111-18) and beat Monroe by fifteen (76-61).  Their only dual meet loss came at the hands of Ann Arbor Pioneer, who beat Saline by one point, 69-68.

Saline’s guys ran well in invitationals, but came in first only at the Milford Coed.  They earned second at the Holly Invitational, and fourth at the Ypsilanti, Jackson, River Rat and Williamston Invitationals.  The team went on to win the SEC Red League Meet, Regionals and the County Championships.

“[The team] competed in every meet very well.  They took pride in doing things well and the right way.  I had some very good senior leaders that really took the team by the shorts and did what they needed to do to make sure we were successful this year,” said head coach Allan Leslie.

Eleven athletes earned the right to represent Saline at the State meet.  Nick Renberg (1600m, 3200m), Steven Bastien (Pole Vault, Long Jump), Rocky Schilke (Pole Vault), Andrew Barnett (3200m Relay), Spencer Bishop (3200m Relay), Jonathan Parker (3200m Relay), Matt Elms (1600m, 3200m Relay), Garrick Roemer (200m, 400m, 1600m Relay), Mitch Osadchuk (1600m Relay), Matt Hays (1600m Relay) and Matt Goeman (1600m Relay).  Of those eleven, six came home as All-State athletes; Rocky Schilke took seventh in the Pole Vault, Nick Renberg took sixth in the 3200m and the 3200m Relay team of Parker, Barnett, Bishop and Elms took fourth.

“The great thing about the [3200m relay] is that we have placed on the podium twelve out of thirteen years.  There is no team on the state that has ever matched that in any event.  There’s a lot of pride and tradition in that relay team,” said Leslie.

Something that Coach Leslie is particularly proud of is the fact that the team’s grade point average, all 120+ athletes, was a very solid 3.25.  Eleven Hornets earned SEC Scholar Athlete Awards, and two (Barnett and Renberg) earned Academic All-State honors.

“[Academics] are a big part of our team.  We have a team scholastic award for anyone above a 3.5 [GPA].  The team having a 3.25 is amazing,” said Leslie.