Courtesy photo of the Alpena High School track and field team.

ALPENA – Alpena High School’s track and field program wrapped up a breakout season under Head Coach Spencer Kraft. The year was marked by explosive growth, three shattered school records dating back decades, and a historic qualification to the Division 1 state finals this weekend.

Kraft described the season as a “massive success from many angles.” Participation jumped about 40 percent, with a peak roster of roughly 105 athletes across the boys’ and girls’ teams. The program also boasts a very young, highly motivated group that stayed deeply engaged all year.

The biggest highlights came from the boys’ relay teams, which rewrote the Alpena record book. The 4×100-meter relay team of Andrew Szymoniak, Joe Lacross, Braeden Mathis and Thorin Rogers clocked 44.24 seconds to break a mark that stood since 1973. The same quartet then smashed the 4×200-meter record with a time of 1:32.11, eclipsing another mark set in 1978.

The 4×400-meter relay delivered the most dramatic moments. It was first broken by Lacross, Austin Lasagna, Carson Heath and Mathis at 3:26.20. The record fell again at the regional meet when Szymoniak replaced Lasagna in the lineup, with the quartet of Lacross, Szymoniak, Heath, and Mathis running the same 3:26.20 time. That performance secured third place in the region and a berth in the Division 1 state finals this Saturday in Rockford.

The success came despite unexpected challenges. Between spring break and the ice storm, the team lost approximately three weeks of training, and two early season meets were cancelled.

Even so, the Wildcats far exceeded preseason expectations.

“They outperformed themselves massively and set Alpena up to be a force in Division 1 next year,” Kraft said.

The program will lose two standout seniors. Braeden Mathis anchored every record-breaking relay this season, while Thorin Rogers was one of the team’s fastest athletes and contributed to two of the historic marks.

Looking ahead, Kraft’s off-season focus is simple:

“Keep up the momentum and let Alpena know that we are competing against truly the best athletes in the state and winning more and more every year,” Kraft said.

With a young core returning and fresh records already on the books, Alpena track and field appears poised for continued success in the years ahead.