One county, two state champions.

Bureau County had a state track finals this spring like none other when it produced not one but two state champions in the same event.

Ian Morris won Princeton’s first state discus championship in 34 years, taking the Class 2A title, the 10th state championship in track and field in school history,

In the ring next to him, Bureau Valley senior Landon Hulsing made off with the 1A state discus crown, the Storm’s first state champion in 13 years.

Both were amazed to take part in such a historic moment, even if they didn’t get to watch one another.

“We were throwing at the same time, so we didn’t really get to watch each other. Would have been sweet to watch him,” Morris said. “It was awesome just to represent our community. We have great support. It’s a testament to both of our coaches. We have great programs. I’m glad to bring it back to a community that supported us so much.”

“I think it’s amazing. That’s not typical. It’s crazy to have one, but to have two in the same event is just crazy. Just goes to show we have good throwing around here,” Hulsing said.

For their shared accomplishment as state champions, Morris and Hulsing are the 2025 NewsTribune Boys Track & Field Co-Athletes of the Year.

On a mission

Morris made state in each of the past two years, but left empty handed. This year he was determined to make it happen.

“Went down there past two years throwing not great. This year, something changed,” he said. “Our coaches put in my mind we could do it and it clicked. It was amazing. It was a really good feeling.”

He knew his winning throw of 175-9 (53.38 meters) was good, but not that good.

“It felt good, I didn’t think it was that far, though,” he said. “Technique was getting better throughout the year, and at the end there it felt really good. Felt good out of the hand. The mark was awesome. Felt super excited.”

What made it interesting was Morris was looking up at freshman teammate Landen Hoffman until the last throw.

“When he threw that 52 (meters), we were like, ‘Oh my God, he’s going to win this thing,’” Morris said. “He is insane. I’m excited to see how far he goes. I felt a little bad taking out from him, but he’s got three more years.”

Hulsing even surprised himself at state with his winning toss of 187 feet,7 inches (57.19m).

“My best this season going in was a 51-something and then to throw a 57 (meters) was just insane,” he said. “I didn’t even hear the mark … I knew it was a good throw. I knew it was above 50 (meters). Heard my parents freaking out, and my coaches were super excited. And I was super excited.

“It didn’t feel any different. Your best throws never feel like your best throws. Then I heard the mark and I was just super happy. Was afraid somebody would come back to beat it later but it was pretty safe.”

Breaking the school record held by 2001 state champ Mike Behrens (169-7) by 18 feet was icing on the cake.

“Beginning of year, my goal was to qualify for state in high jump and discus and then it kind of changed to break the school record in discus because I was close,” he said. “Going into state, I didnt know if this was possible because I wasn’t there yet. I knew it would take just one good throw. When I found out I exceeded it by quite a bit I was super excited.

“To have the school record is huge. I’ll come back and see that in a couple years.”

Going to state in shot put was also an unexpected bonus.

“Shot put was interesting. Me and my coach (Dan DeVenney) didn’t have any expectations in shot put,” he said. “We wanted to focus on discus because that’s my main event. So really in shot put, I just went down there to have fun. I did better than sectionals, which is really all I can ask for and for throwing the past couple years it was fun.”

Strong in tradition

Both the Storm and Tigers have strong tradition when it comes to the throws.

Bureau Valley has produced eight state medalists in throws with 13 state medals since it formed in 1995-96. PHS has produced 17 state individual medalists in throws dating back to 1980 with a total of 29 state medals.

“Bureau Valley has a good history in track. I saw I was the fourth state champion,” Hulsing said. “Our team has been really good this year. Just competing for them is an honor. I know there’s a lot of eyes looking at me, a lot of younger kids, older kids, people who graduated, the community.

“Everybody’s really connected and track’s not the most popular sport. Winning a state championship … they’re excited about it.”

Morris became the third state champion in throws in school history, just the second in discus since Greg Groat won both throws in 1991.

“We have a very rich history. Our throwing’s always been great,” Morris said. “Our coaching is just next level. [Curtis Odell] knows exactly what works best for us. It’s awesome to be able to carry on that after Payne [Miller], Bennett [Williams], [Grant] Foes and Greg Groat back in the day. It’s just awesome to keep that tradition going.”

Next chapter

Morris has been accepted into the Air Force Academy and is hopeful to make the track and field team as a walk-on in the shot put next year.

“I’ve talked to the coach and he said I’ve met the walk-on’s standards. So, I’m just going to go there and try out and see how I do. See if they take me. It’d be a real good opportunity if I could do that,” Morris said, who is excited to be reunited with former teammate Bennett Williams, who is on the Air Force football team.

Hulsing’s next chapter is a bit up in the air. He gave some consideration to playing basketball in college, but believes track is his best ticket, most likely throwing for Sauk where his sister Jillian ran.

“I would like to go somewhere. I’m just kind of seeing my options right now,” he said. “Part of me still wanted to play basketball, but I think winning state definitely helps push for track more. My coach has been reaching out for me. I thank him for that.”

The Kenyan Championships drew to a close on Friday (27) at Nairobi’s Ulinzi Sports Complex with Mercy Oketch, George Mutinda, and Reynold Cheruiyot among the standout performers.

The event, initially scheduled for three days, had to be condensed into two days following the Gen Z commemoration protests on Wednesday. Kenya’s World Championships Trials will be held on 1-2 August, while trial races for the women’s 5000m and men’s 10,000m will be staged during the Prefontaine Classic.

The men’s 400m produced one of the standout moments as the top three finishers – George Mutinda, Brian Tinega and Kevin Kipkorir – attained the qualifying time for the World Championships.

Mutinda won the race in a time of 44.51 seconds, with Tinega and Kipkorir finishing second and third in 44.67 and 44.80, respectively. The trio will clash again at the Kenyan Trials in August when they will look to secure their place on the national team for the World Championships.

“I was not expecting to attain the time today, but when I woke up today morning (Friday), I prayed for a personal best,” said Mutinda. “The competition was tough because everyone was in their top shape.”

Mercy Oketch won the women’s 400m in 50.32, just 0.18 shy of the Kenyan record she set at the end of last month. Mercy Chebet (51.80) and Lanoline Aoko (51.81) finished second and third.

Kelvin Loti stole the show in the men’s 800m, clocking 1:43.61 – a PB by more than a second – to finish ahead of Laban Chepkwony (1:43.64) and Alex Ngeno (1:45.55).

In the men’s 1500m, 2019 world champion Timothy Cheruiyot was caught at the finish line by 2022 world U20 champion Reynold Cheruiyot. The 20-year-old won in 3:37.23, with Timothy Cheruiyot, the 2021 Olympic silver medallist, stopping the clock at 3:37.28. 2022 world indoor bronze medallist Abel Kipsang was third, clocking 3:40.20.

Ferdinand Omanyala claimed top honours in the men’s 100m in 10.08 ahead of Steve Odhiambo (10.27) and Meshack Babu (10.31). The 200m was Zablon Ekwam’s time to shine as he caught Omanyala at the finish line, clocking a PB of 20.47 to win by 0.06.

“It’s crazy, I didn’t expect to win,” said Ekwam, who represented Kenya in the 400m at last year’s Olympics. “Competing among the best is something I’ve always wished for. I think we are headed in the right direction. I have a series of international races to compete in before the World Championships.”

Sylvia Abigael Wafula for World Athletics
Produced as part of the World Athletics Media Academy project

Ayden Keeter of Yorktown and Carson Barnes of Ocean View, Delaware, beat a pair of higher-seeded teams Saturday to earn their way into the men’s elimination bracket of the Association of Volleyball Professionals’ Contender Series event at Virginia Beach’s Oceanfront.

Play will resume Sunday morning. The women’s quarterfinals are at 9 a.m., the semifinals at 11 a.m. and the championship match at 1:30 p.m.

The men’s quarterfinals are at 10 a.m., the semifinals at noon and the final at 2:45 p.m.

Keeter and Barnes have been college beach volleyball teammates for Webber International in central Florida. Seeded 16th in the main draw of 24 men’s pairs, they beat No. 9 Chase Frishman and Ian Satterfield 20-22, 21-13, 15-9 and No. 4 Marcus Carvalhaes and David Wieczorek 21-14, 24-22.

Keeter and Barnes were to face No. 11 Ian Bicko and Jacob Landel in the round of 16.

The winners and runners-up in the $60,000 event at 12th Street and Atlantic Avenue will gain wild-card berths into the AVP’s Manhattan Beach Open in California in August. There’s $30,000 in the prize pool for men and women.

Former Cox High and University of Hawaii player Brett Rosenmeier of Virginia Beach and Nick Drooker of Henrico, who qualified into the bracket, went 0-2 in their pool and were eliminated. They fell 21-15, 21-16 to No. 1 seeds Derek Bradford and Evan Cory and 21-13, 28-30, 15-11 to No. 13 Guille Jimenez and Charlie Siragusa.

Keeter’s younger sister, former Grafton High star Alexis Keeter, competed in women’s pool play with Florida Gulf Coast teammate Elaina Millaway of Greenwood, Delaware. They fell 21-11, 21-15 to second seeds Marine Kinna and Chloe Loreen and 21-14, 23-21 to No. 14 Reilly Allred and Kristi Tekavec.

Qualifiers Mariana Feliciano and Taylor Pierce, the lowest-seeded pair, upended top-seeded Maya Gessner and Jacinda Ramirez 18-21, 21-19, 15-12 to open pool play, though Gessner and Ramirez then won to ensure their spot in the final 16.

Montenegrin water polo players did not repeat their good performance from the first match at the prestigious tournament in Budapest.

After winning over Serbia (12:11), the “Sharks” were defeated by the hosts Hungary, who achieved a convincing triumph (15:8) with much better play in the second half.

For two quarters, our team’s offense “hid” the defensive failures, and at halftime the score was 6:6, but the Hungarians made the difference with a series of goals in the 3rd period.

More precisely, everything was decided in just over two minutes of that part of the game, after Montenegro reduced the score to 9:8 through Miroslav Perković. And then they let the opponent do all the wondering…

This was followed by a killer rhythm from the home team, who scored four goals in a row and almost decided the match before entering the final period, as they had a high lead of 13:8.

The “Sharks” never scored again until the end, Hungary did twice, and also missed two penalty areas…

Perković and Dušan Matković were double scorers, with Dmitrij Holod, Strahinja Gojković, Filip Gardašević and Vasilije Radović each scoring one goal.

Kristijan Manherc dominated for the Hungarians with five goals from six attempts.

Dejan Savić’s team will play against Spain in the final match of the tournament on Sunday at 9 am.

All four teams have a triumph ahead of tomorrow’s round, as the “red fury” – which was better than Hungary in the opening match – lost to Serbia 12:11 today.

News