Jeff Chaney
Sports Scene
North Branch junior Aaron Fielder isn’t going to let a disappointing Division 2 track and field regional affect his quest of getting on the medal stand at the state finals at Forest Hills Eastern High School in Grand Rapids on June 1.
Fielder had the chance to qualify in four events at the Algonac regional, four events he has excelled in during the year, but he was only able to accomplish it in the pole vault.
“I’m satisfied,” Fielder said. “It would have been nice to go in all four events, but our 800 relay dropped the baton, I just missed the high jump, and we took third in the 400 relay. That was only time we dropped the baton all year, so that was disappointing.”
Fielder made the state finals in the pole vault with a leap of 12 feet, 10 inches. That height has him in a tie for the 17th seed in the event. The top jump in the pole vault heading into the finals is by Chelsea’s Michael Hovater at 14’10”.
The 400-meter relay team was just two-tenths of a second from finishing in second place, and Fielder was tied for fourth in the high jump at 5’10”, but neither that time nor height made the qualifiers’ list.
So now instead of having a busy day on June 1, he can concentrate on the pole vault and hope to make a height that will get him in the top eight and on the podium.
He has cleared 15 feet in practice, so it is possible.
“I just hope to place,” said Fielder, who played football and wrestled at North Branch in the past, but who has recently focused all his efforts on just track. “I think I’ll need at least a 14-foot vault to place. I’d like to get 15 feet but never done that before in competition.
“I’m excited,” he added. “I think it will turn into a camping trip. We are renting a cabin and staying.”