Sports
Grandville track and field duo breaks 119 years' worth of school records
GRANDVILLE, MI – The track and field record board at Grandville High School is scheduled for a facelift this summer, and two current athletes have made sure their names will be emblazoned on the shiny new display. Junior Jayden Kulhanek and sophomore Caden Livermore each broke long-standing school records this season, with the former surpassing […]

GRANDVILLE, MI – The track and field record board at Grandville High School is scheduled for a facelift this summer, and two current athletes have made sure their names will be emblazoned on the shiny new display.
Junior Jayden Kulhanek and sophomore Caden Livermore each broke long-standing school records this season, with the former surpassing a 29-year-old mark in the high jump, and the latter eclipsing a 53-year-old record in the 800-meter run and a 37-year-old record in the 1,600 run.
Kulhanek’s 6-foot, 8-inch high jump shattered his previous personal best of 6 feet, 3 inches and was Grandville’s best effort since Cody Hendrixson cleared 6 feet, 6 inches in 1996.
“Honestly, it was kind of crazy to me. I couldn’t even process it at the time,” Kulhanek said. “My coaches were so happy for me. I remember right after I did it, we ran up to each other and hugged, and he told me I broke the record.”
Livermore’s time of 1:54.35 in the 800 run at an April 23 meet against Rockford clocked in at nearly seven seconds faster than his previous personal best and one second quicker than Jim Herrema’s 1972 time of 1:55.4, which was Grandville’s longest-standing track and field record.
In the 1,600 run, Livermore’s time of 4:12.50 at the April 26 GR Elite Challenge beat his previous PR by almost eight seconds and was a half-second faster than the 4:13.00 logged by Chris Buursma in 1988.
The sophomore standout said the 1,600 record had been on his radar for a while, but setting a school record in the 800 came as a surprise.
“Going into the meet, I didn’t think I was going to get that time, and I was just hoping for a small PR, but when I crossed the line, I saw the time, and then I was like, ‘I think I just broke the school record.’”
After missing the cut for the Division 1 state meet last season, Livermore has already secured his spot at the state finals in the 1,600 through early qualifying, and his record-setting time in that event currently ranks first in Division 1, while his PR in the 800 is currently fifth in D1, making him a strong contender for all-state honors.
“I want to place at states, but it’s going to be a pretty competitive field, so we’ll see how that goes,” Livermore said.
The lack of arrogance in Livermore’s attitude regarding the state meet indicates he knows there’s more work to be done before things get underway at East Kentwood High School on May 31, and Grandville mid-distance coach Hunt Atkins said the young runner is making strides with his maturity.
“I certainly think Caden can continue to establish himself as one of the best mid-distance runners in Michigan, and patience will be a key,” Atkins said. “To continue to develop at the right times in this sport, you have to be patient, and neat things will usually come if you are patient, and you stay with your craft over the long haul, rather than just in a short period of time, and Caden is learning that more and more.”
Though Kulhanek qualified for last year’s state meet in the high jump, his emergence as a title contender might be more surprising than that of Livermore.
The junior jumper competed in middle school track as an eighth-grader, but opted to play lacrosse in the spring as a high school freshman, before returning to the track last year as a sophomore.
Though Kulhanek cleared 17 feet in the long jump as a middle-schooler, he had no prior experience in the high jump and only tried out for the event after impressing in the vertical leap test.
It didn’t take long for Grandville jumps coach Mike Carey to see Kulhanek’s raw talent.
“He’s always kind of had that freak athletic ability when it comes to jumping,” Carey said. “He had no idea what he wanted to do in track, but he had the second-highest vertical out of all of our athletes, so I said, ‘Dude, you need to give high jump a chance, see if you like it, go through it, and everything like that.’
“He ended up qualifying for state last year, and it was awesome to see his progression, but I think over this past year, he realized that he had a lot more potential. He kept working on his body, and he got so much stronger over this past year.”
Kulhanek’s focus on track and his dedication to offseason training have created the possibility of competing beyond high school – something that wasn’t on his radar a year ago – and Carey sees a lot of potential in the junior’s legs.
“I had a lot of college coaches asking me about him after he cleared that, and all that was great,” Carey said. “He’s still learning this sport and learning both of these events (high jump and long jump), so he can keep improving, and I think that’s what he’s most excited about.
“It sounds crazy to break a school record and say that’s a steppingstone, but for him, he’s not satisfied with that.”
Part of Kulhanek’s motivation comes from the fact that his 5-foot-8 frame isn’t that of a prototypical high jumper.
“It was intimidating at first, obviously, but it kind of gives me more motivation to know that I’m there with them, and I’m doing the same thing they’re doing,” he said. “I have that in my mind the whole time, and it helps me, if anything.”
At last year’s Division 1 state meet, Kulhanek finished 14th with a personal-best jump of 6 feet, 3 inches, and his ability to step up on a big stage showed Carey what the kid was all about.
“When we showed up to state finals last year, he was someone who was new to the event and new to the sport, and I think he looked around and saw a lot of kids that were 6-foot-2, 6-foot-3 and 6-foot-4, and I think at first, it was a little daunting,” Carey said. “I think he showed up and wanted to prove something, and he did.
“There were a lot of coaches, a lot of kids that came up to him and said, ‘Dude, that was impressive to see someone of your height and stature be able to get up that high.’”
Sports
Training Partners Burns and Young Pushed Each Other to NCAA West Bids
Story Links RIO GRANDE VALLEY – Track & field is a fairly individual sport which often pits teammates against each other. When a team is tight, like The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s (UTRGV) men’s and women’s squads, that doesn’t create animosity – it fosters an uber-competitive, yet endlessly supportive, environment which […]

RIO GRANDE VALLEY – Track & field is a fairly individual sport which often pits teammates against each other. When a team is tight, like The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s (UTRGV) men’s and women’s squads, that doesn’t create animosity – it fosters an uber-competitive, yet endlessly supportive, environment which makes every individual better.
Perhaps the best example of that is the duo of Corin Burns and Richard Young. Burns, a junior called “CB” by his team, and Young, a freshman better known as Ricky, are both short sprinters at UTRGV. They are extremely talented individuals, but most importantly, they are selfless and uplifting training partners.
After a season of battling in the 100- and 200-meter dash, the rookie and the vet are both heading to the 2025 NCAA West First Round. Once again, they’ll be competing against each other in the men’s 200-meter dash running Wednesday at 8:45 p.m. in College Station. They’re going in with the same qualifying time of 20.79 – a shared program and personal best.
“I’m excited it worked out with them coming in with the exact same time. I know no matter what they’re going to shake hands and get back to work at the end of the day. Their future is very bright together,” head coach Shareese Hicks said. “They cheer for each other and they want to beat each other. It’s the perfect combination, that push and pull that you need to have an ideal training partner. CB has definitely taken Lil’ Rick under his wing in a big way because he understands the better this kid is, the better I’m going to be. And Ricky has been extremely coachable.”
The friendly competition between the duo started during the indoor season and can be perfectly summed up by the events of Feb. 14 at Texas Tech’s Jarvis Scott Invite. Two weeks prior, Burns set two indoor program records at only his second meet competing for UTRGV. One of those records was in the 60-meter dash as he ran 6.71.
“All year I was running 6.7, and then at the second Tech meet, I saw Rick get in his heat and run 6.6. I was like, ‘Oh this guy just took the school record from me.’ He had a great race so I had to give it to him,” Burns recalled.
Young ran 6.69 in the second of three heats of the 60 semifinals. In the third heat, Burns ran 6.68, regaining his top spot in the record books.
“It lowkey hurt my feelings a little bit,” Young reminisced as they shared a laugh.
Burns has gotten the better of Young for the most part this first year training together, but that wasn’t unexpected or unwelcomed. In fact, getting beat by Burns has been motivating for the youngster.
“He pushes me a lot,” Young said. “Coming from high school, I’ve always kind of been the faster guy, so training with someone who’s older and faster than me is like, dang, now I got to really put pedal to the metal. And even when I do that, I still get beat by him, so training with him keeps me focused on being able to run at the best of my abilities.”
Burns appreciates having Young right on his heels. Hicks had the two rooming together during meets all year, and they’ll be roommates again for the week of NCAA West. Burns welcomes the opportunity to share his knowledge with his young teammate, who prevents him from resting on his laurels.
“Rick always asks questions, or at practice he’ll say, ‘I saw you do this. How does it help with getting faster?’ He keeps me on my toes, and that’s one thing I like about training with him,” Burns said. “Iron sharpens iron is what I say. We go head-to-head in everything we do and that’s how we get better. I can’t get too complacent because he’s right there always pushing me.”
Young has won some reps here and there, and Burns jokes it’s only when the elder athlete is working on something specific and therefore not really trying to go fast. But the junior did credit the freshman for his “dog mentality,” which is something Young says Burns has helped him develop this year.
“At the beginning of the season I wasn’t running the best because I was so in my head. Being able to talk to CB about everything really boosted my confidence a whole lot. He’s been a lot of help for me,” Young said.
The connection between the speedsters is anchored by the similarity in their values and personalities, Hicks said. They’re both respectful, humble young men who like to work hard. Their differences are in their strengths on the track. Where Burns is seasoned with his mechanics and able to correct mistakes during a race because of his body awareness, Young is raw and learning to harness his natural speed and strength. Young is good with his starts and has outstanding speed endurance, while Hicks believes Burns’ best quality is his acceleration.
They’re heading to NCAA West after having opposite experiences at the Southland Conference (SLC) Outdoor Championships one week ago. Young ran well but finished one spot out of advancing to finals in both the 100 and 200. Burns took silver in the 100, bronze in the 200, and added a second bronze medal with the 4×400-meter relay.
Hicks said their conference performances show the difference in where they are in their respective careers. Burns, as a veteran, knows how to handle championship environments and was able to attack the meet with experience and execution. Young is continuing to learn how to focus on his race and not be affected by those running beside him.
The freshman is leaning on lessons and advice from Burns to be better prepared for the big stage of NCAA West. This is Burns’ second trip to the regional meet after advancing as a freshman himself in 2023.
“He’s told me that it’s a lot more competitive than any other meet we’ve been to, so I have to be ready. He can give me pointers on what to do and give me tips going into the race,” Young said. “Us being in the same event, I’m definitely ready to race him and beat him in a meet. I’m excited for us to race against each other full throttle.”
Burns is heading to College Station with a clear goal: finish in the top 12 and advance to NCAA Championships. He’s excited to take on the big stage with his training partner and six other teammates and knows the Vaqueros will give their best in every event.
“A lot of work went into this, a lot of treacherous practices this year. I’m glad to have been able to work with so many hard-working people and we’ve really pushed each other,” Burns said. “Every dog has its day, so you have to go out there and compete and try to show everyone what you’re capable of.”
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Sports
Kenadee Wayt ends Mount Union career with one more Al-American finish
GENEVA — Kenadee Wayt extended her Mount Union record for All-American finishes in the final race of her Purple Raiders career. Wayt teamed up with Madison Miles, Mary Mason and Carlie Besecker for a third-place finish in the 1,600 relay on Saturday, May 24 at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Mount […]
GENEVA — Kenadee Wayt extended her Mount Union record for All-American finishes in the final race of her Purple Raiders career.
Wayt teamed up with Madison Miles, Mary Mason and Carlie Besecker for a third-place finish in the 1,600 relay on Saturday, May 24 at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Mount Union’s time of 3:42.85 was just 85 one-hundredths of a second off a school record.
Wayt finishes her career with 23 All-American finishes.
Sports
GVSU women’s track and field claims NCAA championship by single point
The Grand Valley State women’s track and field team proved that every point counts this weekend as the Lakers claimed the NCAA Division II national championship by a single point. GVSU scored 60 points to hold off Adams State (59) and the rest of the field. “This team goes beyond just putting points on a […]

The Grand Valley State women’s track and field team proved that every point counts this weekend as the Lakers claimed the NCAA Division II national championship by a single point.
GVSU scored 60 points to hold off Adams State (59) and the rest of the field.
“This team goes beyond just putting points on a scoreboard,” Erika Beistle said. “All of the laughs, struggles and memories made a long way certainly top everything. We all did our part to etch our names into GVSU history. This had been something we’ve all wanted to accomplish since day one, and to finally achieve that goal is something so very special.”
After Erika Beistle won the discus and Maggie Stevenson was second, Shelby Ulven took second in the hammer throw and Alaina Diaz was second in the long jump earlier in the week, the Lakers earned some more trophies on the final day.
“The team championship is a huge thing for us to accomplish, and it took each and every one of us cheering and competing to earn it,” Ulven said. “I was not expecting to get first coming into this trip and it’s verry exciting to achieve it.”
Klaudia O’Malley reached the podium twice on Saturday in Colorado. She won the national championship in the 1,500 meters (4:29.11) and was sixth in the 5,000 (16:48.73).
Natalie Graber finished third in the 5K at 16:39.72. Brooke Bowers was fifth in the pole vault (4.17 meters. 13 feet, 8 1/4 inches). Mackenzie Bohrer took sixth in the shot put (15.41 meters, 50-6 3/4). West Ottawa graduate Megan Postma competed in the 800.
The GVSU men finished third as a team.
Jaivon Harrison won the high jump national title for the fourth time with a height of 2.18 meters (7 feet, 1 3/4 inches). His teammate JayJay Rankins finished second, giving the Lakers a 1-2 finish.
Zach Pray, Nick Walper, Jacody Sikora and Myles Rhodes took fourth in the 4×100 relay (40.03). Pray, Dominik Balenda, Trannon Taylor and Rhodes took fifth in the 4×400 relay in 3:06.76. Rhodes finished fifth in the 400 (45.99).
Koby Fraaza took fifth in the 5K (14:35.28). Owen Westerkamp finished fourth in the steeplechase at a time of 9:02.19. Dolan Gonzales took sixth in the pole vault with a personal-best clearance of 5.22m (17-1.5). Michael Griffey earned his first outdoor All-American honor with a fourth-place finish in men’s hammer (64.23 meters, 210-8).
Contact sports editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports.
Sports
Liam Danitz and Sara Schermerhorn Sprint to All-America First Team Track Honors
Story Links Hope College sprinters Liam Danitz and Sara Schermerhorn ran away with All-America honors for the second time this season. The two juniors raced to medal-earning honors at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio, near Cleveland, to […]

Hope College sprinters Liam Danitz and Sara Schermerhorn ran away with All-America honors for the second time this season.
The two juniors raced to medal-earning honors at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio, near Cleveland, to add to the national accolades they claimed at the indoor championships in March.
Danitz (West Branch, Michigan / Ogemaw Heights HS) finished fifth in the men’s 200-meter final, clocking a time of 21.33 seconds. The exercise science major took seventh in the 200 at the indoor finals.
Schermerhorn (Traverse City, Michigan / Traverse City West) placed sixth in the women’s 400-meter final, posting a school-record time of 54.36 seconds. The exercise science major recorded a seventh-place finish in the event at the indoor championships.
On Thursday, Schermerhorn earned All-America Second Team distinction for the second time in the women’s 200 meters with an 11th-place finish.
Head coach Kevin Cole praised both runners for their performances amidst challenging competition and conditions.
“Sara was really focused today. That field, it could have been anybody’s race; it was fast. Sara crushed the school record on less than an ideal day. She rose to the level of the competition,” Cole said. “Liam’s race was everything we expected. It was just close, fractions of a second except for [the winner]. At nationals, you realize it’s not about time, it’s just trying to beat the people you’re racing against. Liam beat most of them.”
Danitz became the Flying Dutchmen’s first 200-meter All-American for the second time in as many NCAA Championships.
The University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse’s Sam Blaskowski repeated as national champion after clocking a time of 20.35 seconds. Danitz crossed the finish line just 0.18 seconds after national runner-up Kevin Arthur of Saint John’s University (Minnesota).
Schermerhorn became the Flying Dutch’s two-time First Team All-American in the 400 meters.
Sam Carchidi of Emory University (Georgia) captured the national title with a personal-best time of 53.94 seconds. Schermerhorn was one of seven runners in the field to record PR runs.
Sports
Two more Dutch All-Americans at national track meet
Story Links PELLA — Two more Central College track and field athletes are coming home from the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships with All-American recognition after the meet’s final day of action Saturday. Gunner Meyer (junior, Fairbank, Wapsie Valley HS) qualified for Saturday’s men’s 110-meter hurdles final in fifth place and was […]

PELLA — Two more Central College track and field athletes are coming home from the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships with All-American recognition after the meet’s final day of action Saturday.
Gunner Meyer (junior, Fairbank, Wapsie Valley HS) qualified for Saturday’s men’s 110-meter hurdles final in fifth place and was running well through eight of the 10 hurdles before taking a fall on the final hurdle. His time of 15.52 seconds was the slowest of nine runners in the final.
However, after protesting the results, it was revealed that the runner in the lane next to Meyer crossed the line and clipped his hurdle. He was disqualified, pushing Meyer to an eighth-place finish and a spot on the podium.
“He ran a great race until the last hurdle or two,” coach Brandon Sturman said. “The runner on the inside lane had his trail leg hit Gunner’s ninth hurdle. That’s just the sport; we caught a break. Gunner was deserving of a spot on the podium, but it just played out differently.”
Men’s triple jumper Kale Purcell (senior, Holton, Kan.) finished in 11th with a mark of 48 feet, 1.25 inches. A loaded field saw seven jumpers clear 15 meters (approximately 49 feet) after only six did it all season. Purcell still earned second team All-American honors.
“We obviously would have loved to make finals, but in the end he was happy with how he jumped,” Sturman said. “He jumped right around his PR. It was a tough competition. He was happy with how it ended but not satisfied.”
In her second event and third race of the weekend, Peyton Steffen (junior, Marion) was 19th in the women’s 5,000 meters in 17 minutes, 14.21 seconds.
“It was a lost faster race than last year,” Sturman said. “She was happy with how she ran. She hit her goal, but the faster race made it harder to get into those top 16 spots.”
In the team standings, the Dutch men tied for 26th and the women shared 52nd place. It was the men’s best finish since 2019, when they finished tied for 24th.
Sports
Pittsburg State men, Grand Valley State women win 2025 NCAA DII outdoor track and field championships
Pittsburg State men, Grand Valley State women win 2025 NCAA DII outdoor track and field championships | NCAA.com Skip to main content Link 0
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