Ramey, McKay finish in top 15 at state track and field final

By Emilie Lewis, Editor|June 5, 2017

IMAGE / Coach Mike Simms

Sophomore Makenzie Ramey holds the shot put she threw at the MHSAA Division 1 state final Saturday, June 3, at East Kentwood. It was the first trip to the state final for Ramey.

Two Hornets competed in the MHSAA Division 1 track and field state final Saturday, June 3.

Sophomore Mackenzie Ramey took 12th place in the shot put after advancing to the final at East Kentwood as an additional qualifier out of the regional meet.

Ramey placed fifth at the regional and went into the final seeded 17th. But her toss of 37 feet, 2.75 inches gave her a 12th-place finish out of 26 throwers, five spots ahead of of her seed.

The shot put was heavily contested.

All throwers in the top fifteen threw over 35 feet, while the champion — senior Aniya Davis from Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills — threw 40-10.5.

IMAGE / Coach Mike Simms
Senior Ave’r McKay (left) runs the 400-meter dash in Heat 2 of the MHSAA Division 1 state final at East Kentwood on Saturday, June 3.

As the lone Hornet competing on the track, Senior Ave’r McKay ran the 400-meter dash.

McKay finished 15th, out of 18 runners, with a time of 59.82 seconds.

The Hornets leading scorer this season, McKay qualified for the final with an automatic birth by placing second in the regional meet.

The 400 was also a speedy event.

The top 15 runners all ran sub-60 seconds, and the winning time was 53.21. The champion was East Lansing’s senior Taylor Manson.