Boys Track: Short-Handed but Surging: Breakthrough Performances in Back-to-Back Meets

  By Blaire Puls  

The early outdoor season is already shaping up to be something special for the team, as back to-back meets showcased both resilience and breakout performances despite a less-than-full roster.  Competing shorthanded due to illness, school activities and dual-sport commitments, the team  leaned on its upperclassmen—and nowhere was that more evident than in the throwing events. With the  squad’s top thrower unavailable, others stepped up in a big way, delivering crucial points and personal  bests.  

At Waverly last week, the conditions couldn’t have been better. A picture-perfect late March  evening set the stage for one of the most impressive collective performances in recent memory. The  team racked up nearly 25 personal bests, a testament to over five weeks of consistent hard work paying  off in dramatic fashion.  

The result was a fifth-place finish with 77 points against a strong field that included Waverly Shell Rock, Dike-New Hartford, New Hampton and Clear Lake. Among Class 2A teams, the squad  placed an impressive third.  

The 4x800 relay team of Colten Jensen, Payton Bishop, Casey Greiman and Alik Dodge set the  tone early, capturing silver while shaving an incredible 31 seconds off its previous best.  Owen Bell delivered a standout night as well, earning two silver medals in the 400 and 200  meters—both lifetime-best performances. Liam Rhymer dropped more than two seconds in the 400  meters to earn bronze, while multiple relay squads contributed key points.  

The sprint medley team of Hunter Coulson, Liam Rhymer, Drake Griffin and Bell placed fourth,  highlighted by a lifetime-best anchor split from Bell. The distance medley and 4x200 teams also posted  strong finishes, with several athletes recording personal-best splits.  

Individually, Rylan Dunbar and Jackson Nesteby impressed in the hurdles with big PRs, while  Alik Dodge cut a remarkable 38 seconds from his 1,600-meter time. In the field events, Devin Lang and  Jack Holbach led the way in the throws with PR performances, while Drake Griffin and Nesteby turned in  strong long jump efforts.  

If Waverly was a breakthrough, the very next night at West Delaware proved it was no fluke.  Facing the challenge of competing on back-to-back nights—with many athletes participating in  seven or eight events across the two days—the team once again rose to the occasion. Another fifth place finish (75 points) put them within striking distance of the top four, just four points shy of fourth and  nine away from a top-three finish.  

Bell continued his dominant stretch, claiming gold in the 400 meters and adding a bronze in the  200. Griffin soared to a runner-up finish in the long jump, while the sprint medley relay team of Hunter  Coulson, Jackson Nesteby, Drake Griffin and Bell also took second.  

One of the night’s most thrilling moments came in the distance medley relay, where Coulson,  Payton Bishop, Liam Rhymer and Jensen narrowly missed gold by just 0.14 seconds in a dramatic finish.  Bishop and Rhymer both delivered key PR splits to keep the team in contention.  

Dunbar added another runner-up finish in the 110-meter high hurdles, battling a headwind and  coming just off his PR from the night before. Bishop earned bronze in the 800 meters, matching his best  time, while Cooper Hamer cleared his way to a third-place finish in the high jump.  

Once again, the throwers delivered. Holbach recorded his fourth PR of the season in the shot  put, and Lang added another big PR in the discus—highlighting a group that continues to exceed  expectations.  

Through two meets in two nights, the message is clear: this team is determined and improving  rapidly. With big smiles at the finish line and breakthrough performances across the board, the early season momentum is undeniable—and there’s plenty more to come.  

Make sure to “Like” the team’s Facebook page, Hudson Boys Track & Field, for more live results,  photos and updates. 

Waverly Invite - Team: 5th place, 77 points  

Long jump  

4. Drake Griffin — 20-10¼ 

6. Jackson Nesteby — 19-10½ 

14. Brady Greiman — 18-9½ 

High jump  

9. Cooper Hamer — 5-4  

Shot put  

8. Devin Lang — 38-8  

15. Jack Holbach — 36-6  

25. Karson Loeb — 27-11  

26. Max Schroeder — 27-8½ 

Discus  

7. Devin Lang — 103-0  

8. Jack Holbach — 98-8  

22. Max Schroeder — 66-1  

24. Karson Loeb — 57-3  

Sprint medley relay  

4. Hunter Coulson, Liam Rhymer, Drake Griffin, Owen Bell — 1:39.05 

4x800 relay  

2. Colten Jensen, Payton Bishop, Casey Greiman, Alik Dodge — 9:09.89 

100m dash  

8. Jackson Nesteby — 12.2  

14. Cooper Steele — 12.66  

18. Carter Swanson — 16.01  

Distance medley relay  

6. Rylan Dunbar, Brady Greiman, Cooper Hamer, Alik Dodge — 4:22.59 

400m dash  

2. Owen Bell — 52.04  

3. Liam Rhymer — 54.95  

12. Carter Swanson — 1:14.78  

4x200 relay  

6. Hunter Coulson, Brady Greiman, Cooper Hamer, Payton Bishop — 1:41.26 

110m high hurdles  

6. Rylan Dunbar — 16.78  

800m run  

5. Colten Jensen — 2:21.14  

8. Casey Greiman — 2:22.23  

200m dash  

2. Owen Bell — 23.34  

5. Drake Griffin — 24.17  

12. Carter Swanson — 32.32  

400m hurdles  

6. Jackson Nesteby — 1:02.01  

1,600m run  

5. Alik Dodge — 5:16.23  

4x400 relay  

6. Payton Bishop, Casey Greiman, Rylan Dunbar, Colten Jensen — 3:54.36

West Delaware Invite  

 Team: 5th place, 75 points 

Long jump  

2. Drake Griffin — 20-7½ 

5. Jackson Nesteby — 19-0  

High jump  

3. Cooper Hamer — 5-4  

Shot put  

6. Jack Holbach — 37-2  

13. Hazen Kilpatrick — 34-1  

14. Devin Lang — 32-9  

Discus  

6. Devin Lang — 105-11  

9. Jack Holbach — 95-3  

21. Mack Schroeder — 68-7  

Sprint medley relay  

2. Hunter Coulson, Jackson Nesteby, Drake Griffin, Owen Bell — 1:39.96 

3,200m run  

6. Alik Dodge — 11:51.11  

8. Colten Jensen — 12:00.76  

100m dash  

9. Drake Griffin — 12.21  

15. Rylan Dunbar — 12.81  

16. Maddox Krizek — 12.83  

26. Carter Swanson — 15.35  

Distance medley relay  

2. Hunter Coulson, Payton Bishop, Liam Rhymer, Colten Jensen — 4:01.89 

400m dash  

1.Owen Bell — 53.43  

2.Cooper Hamer — 57.41  

3.Carter Swanson — 1:41.41  

110m high hurdles  

Rylan Dunbar — 16.75  

800m run  

3. Payton Bishop — 2:16.14  

17. Alik Dodge — 2:39.94  

200m dash  

3. Owen Bell — 23.61  

11. Liam Rhymer — 25.56  

16. Cooper Steele — 26.26  

26. Carter Swanson — 32.19  

400m hurdles  

6. Jackson Nesteby — 1:05.32  

1,600m run  

11. Colten Jensen — 5:47.24  

12. Alik Dodge — 5:47.89  

4x100 relay  

4. Drake Griffin, Jackson Nesteby, Hunter Coulson, Owen Bell — 46.28 

4x400 relay  

4. Liam Rhymer, Payton Bishop, Rylan Dunbar, Cooper Hamer — 3:54.66