Holland Christian Girls Track Team Secures State Runner-Up Title

HAMILTON - Exhaustion took its toll on Layla Geurink as she crossed the finish line, collapsing on the track after a fierce performance. The senior from Holland Christian was aided by her teammates, who pulled her off the turf to celebrate their impressive victory in the 4x800 meter relay at the Division 2 state track and field meet held at Hamilton High School on Saturday. “I just ran it as hard as I could,” Geurink remarked. “I really wanted to win, especially being a senior. I feel like all the emotions came out and knowing this was my last 4x800. I’m very excited with how we did.”

The Holland Christian girls finished a commendable second overall with a total of 35 points, while Spring Lake took first place with 42 points and Ludington followed closely behind in third with 31 points. Unity Christian scored four points, while Hamilton came in 38th with six points. The winning 4x800 relay team, consisting of junior Eliana Stob, sophomore Annika Stob, junior Ellery Lampen, and senior Geurink, clocked in at 9:20.75. Although they initially lagged behind, Lampen's final leg of the race propelled them into the lead decisively. “I just kind of set my eyes on the team ahead of us and I thought ‘I need to make up that gap,’” Lampen shared. “To do that for our team was pretty special.”

As Geurink took the final lap, she ran with determination, unaware of her substantial lead. “I didn’t know where I was at,” she confessed. “I was running scared the whole time. Going into it, we thought we were going to be in a really close race. I never looked back. I just kept running.”

In addition to the relay, Kate Van Appledorn showcased her skills in the shot put, achieving a personal best throw of 41-5 1/4 to secure fourth place, despite feeling dissatisfied with her discus performance, where she placed 15th with a throw of 111-11. Teammate Miya DeBelcourt finished 14th in the shot put and 18th in the discus. Junior Avery Engbers also had a noteworthy day, taking seventh in the 1,600 meters and 10th in the 3,200 meters, while freshman Esther VanderBilt impressed with a fourth-place finish in the 100 hurdles.

Further demonstrating their prowess, the Maroons achieved a fourth-place finish in the 4x400 meter relay. Junior Camryn Siegers also made headlines by tying for second in high jump with a leap of 5-foot-7, a new personal best. The Holland Christian boys team, while finishing with 5.5 points, highlighted their competition with a fourth-place finish in the 4x800 relay. This year’s Division 2 state meet was notably hosted by Hamilton for the third consecutive year.