TRAVERSE CITY -- On a day when a former Antrim County track star was honored, another defended his two Honor Roll events.
Mancelona's Adam Duerksen swept the 110 high hurdles (15.05) and 300 intermediates (39.94) Tuesday at the Record-Eagle meet.
It was a meet in which officials renamed the 1,600-meter races after former Central Lake star Ryan Shay, who died during last November's Olympic Marathon Trials (see story on Page 1A).
Like Shay, Duerksen made the Honor Roll meet his domain.
"This is my favorite meet of the year," the senior said. "It's a good tune-up for the state meet (on Saturday)."
Duerksen, the defending Division 4 state champion in the two hurdle events, was seeded third in the high hurdles Tuesday.
"I have not been real consistent with my times," he said. "We just haven't had good weather this spring."
Kingsley's J.J. Sanchez was second to Duerksen in both races.
"I saw his shadow (in the intermediates)," Duerksen said. "That's the closest I've seen anybody (this year). He's the first to push me."
Duerksen was most pleased with his time in the intermediates, since he expects that will be his toughest race at the state meet. Duerksen is seeded 17th in the 300 meters after winning the Bellaire regional in 43.13 seconds.
"Right before the 300s, the rain came, the wind came," Duerksen said. "It was blowing me back (down the straightaway). That killed me."
Duerksen will have to defend his title from a slower heat, which he said will make it tougher.
"My plan is to run a time in the high-38s or mid-38s," he said. "If I can do that, I can win it. But it's going to be a whole lot harder because of my ranking."
Duerksen was shooting for a time under 40 seconds Tuesday.
"My goal was the 39s," he said.
Traverse City Central's Blair Bell won the 100, but was denied a double by St. Francis sophomore Ben Swan in the 200.
Bell won the 100 in 11.14 seconds. This after receiving some encouragement from school record-holder Eric Burke prior to the race.
"He said, 'I heard you're going after my records. Get it done.' " Bell said.
Bell, who missed qualifying for the Division 1 state meet in the 200 by six-tenths of a second, came up short of the record, but still ended his season in style.
"It's good to go out with win in the 100," he said.
Bell's attempt to add the 200 to his list of accomplishments was curtailed by Swan, who edged the Trojan 22.59 to 22.78.
Swan's made a remarkable recovery from a football injury to excel in track. He'll run three events at the Division 4 state meet on Saturday.
Swan broke his left fibula in November when he was injured in practice a week before the state championship football game. He has a plate and eight screws in the leg.
"He's lucky to be running, let alone this fast, this competitive," coach Rick Woods said. "We're blessed and fortunate to have him on the team."
Swan said he's "grateful" for the chance.
"I wasn't supposed to be running this season," he said.
Swan's time in the 200 was just off the school record of 22.47 set in 1965 by Vince Fochtman.
Swan is a key cog in two relays. The 800 relay team broke a school record set in 1967.
Benzie Central's Scott McKeel claimed the 400 (52.75), Kingsley's Tom Sedlacek the 800 (2:06.02), Traverse City Central's Jacob Secor the 1,600 (4:25.12) and TC Central's Alex Lance the 3,200 (10:09.60).
In the field events, Traverse City West's Dylan Comer took the discus (150'), Traverse City Central's James Barbera the shot put (45'83/4"), Frankfort's Shawn Waara the high jump (6'2"), Kingsley's Jordan Prahl the pole vault (12'6") and St. Francis' Brady Mikula the long jump (20'1/2").
In the relays, St. Francis won the 400 (44.71), Kingsley the 800 (1:34.21) and 1,600 (3:32.88) and Benzie the 3,200 (8:21.14).
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