If all goes well on Saturday, he might just have another contender at the top of the list.

Roznowski is one of nearly two dozen local athletes who will compete in the track and field state finals Saturday across the state.

For Roznowski, a senior, this trip to the state finals means a lot. Not only will he end his high school career competing against the state’s best, but he had to work hard just to get here.

His discus distance of 145 feet, 3 inches was exactly enough to qualify for the Division 1 finals and it’s a chance he relishes after a season’s worth of hard work.

Hillman's Brandon Banks will compete in the 1,600 run. Banks qualified in the same event last season and finished 10th.

“It was the exact qualifying mark and I didn’t think I had it. As soon as I saw the tape I was jumping up and down, ran right over to coach (Jamie) Bullis in complete jubilation. It’s probably the most memorable moment of my high school career,” Roznowski said. “I think it’s going to (take) 150 feet in the discus. It’s something I know I can achieve with a lot of hard work in practice this week.”

Roznowski isn’t alone in his excitement and anticipation for the finals. For newcomers like him, it will be a chance to test themselves against the state’s best. For others it will be a chance at redemption.

Alpena will send seven athletes to the Division 1 finals in East Kentwood and will have two veterans returning along with a group of talented newcomers.

Among those veterans is senior distance runner Mitchell Day who will try to end his stellar Alpena career with all-state honors. Day has qualified in the 3,200 run each of the last two seasons and come up just shy of all-state honors. He finished ninth last season and 10th in 2015 and will aim for a top eight finish in his final try.

Aden Smith will join Day in the 3,200 run today and the two of them will partner with Josh Smith and Aidan Day in the 3,200 relay.

Fairview's Andrea Ford will compete in the 200 dash and will join teammates Tala Barton, Sarah Handrich and Mara Krupinski in the 400 relay.

Alec LeTourneau will also make a return appearance for the Wildcats in pole vault and will try to improve on a 19th place finish last season.

Roznowski and Faith Weide, who will compete in the shot put, got off to a good start this week after winning their respective events handily at the Alpena News Honor Roll Invitational. Roznowski won the discus with a distance of 147 feet, nine inches and Weide won the shot put with a throw of 36 feet, 7 3/4 inches.

“It’s going to be an unbelievable experience. I’m just excited to represent Alpena and my team,” Roznowski said. “It’s been an unbelievable experience this year (in) that we’ve worked so hard all season and it’s great to end at the state finals with my high school career.”

For Rogers City senior distance runner Emily Malocha, Saturday’s Division 4 finals at Houseman Field in Grand Rapids represents a final chance to finish among the state’s best. Two seasons ago as a sophomore, Malocha finished seventh in the 3,200 run for an all-state finish and she’ll look to get back to that level Saturday.

As a four-year qualifier, Malocha isn’t nervous about competing, but knows it will take hard work to place again. After competing in the 1,600 and 3,200 runs in each of the last three years, Malocha will run in just the 1,600 run today.

Josh Smith, left, and Aden Smith will compete along with Mitchell Day and Aidan Day. Aden Smith will also compete in the 3,200 run.

“I’m ranked like 13th right now (she’s ranked 14th), so I’m hoping I can place again; try for eighth that’s all I can really hope for,” Malocha said on Tuesday. “(It will take) a lot of hard work. I’ve got to practice these next few days and hope I’ve got the right amount of motivation and dedication to do it.”

Posen’s Lindsey Randall and Kelsey Jakubcin will be looking to make good on their final time at the state finals as well. Both of them qualified last season, but finished well beyond reach of an all-state finish. After sizing up the competition and soaking in the experience last year, both of them are ready to write a better ending to their senior seasons.

Randall will run in the 400 dash and Jakubcin will compete in the shot put.

“This year I learned that form is definitely important because I always thought, ‘Oh you just need to be strong,’ but form is definitely the main problem I’ve had. I would need to be mentally tough and overcome all the challenges I might face,” Jakubcin said. “It was definitely overwhelming, it was definitely very cool though because you get to see how different it is. Everyone throws a different way, everyone does everything different from their pre-game rituals (to other things) and it was cool to just absorb everything.”

Fairview and Hillman will be well represented at the finals. Hillman junior Billy Kolcan will have a busy day after qualifying in the high jump, long jump and 300 hurdles. Hillman’s Brandon Banks and Emilee Noffze will compete in the 1,600 run and high jump respectively. Banks finished 10th in the 1,600 run last season and Kolcan’s best finish was 12th in the 300 hurdles.

Posen's Kelsey Jakubcin will compete in the shot put. Jakubcin qualified last year as a junior in the same event.

Fairview distance runner Tylor Ross will compete in the 1,600 and 3,200 runs and Andrea Ford will compete in the 200 dash. Ford will also join Sarah Handrich, Mara Krupinski and Tala Barton in the 400 relay.

Other local competitors today include Alcona’s Brooke Shultz and Rose Schopfer in the pole vault and John Sharboneau in the discus, Onaway’s Jaclyn Nash in the discus and Rogers City’s Luke Augsburger in the high jump.

James Andersen can be reached via email at sports@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5694. Follow James on Twitter @ja_alpenanews.

Hillman's Billy Kolcan will have a busy day Saturday as he will compete in the 300, hurdles, high jump and long jump. Kolcan competed in multiple events last season and finished 12th in the 300 hurdles.

Fairview's Mara Krupinski will compete in the 400 relay along with teammates Tala Barton, Andrea Ford and Sarah Handrich.

Alpena's Alec LeTourneau will compete in the pole vault. LeTourneau qualified in the pole vault last season and finished 19th.

Rogers City's Emily Malocha will compete in the 1,600 run. Malocha has qualified for the state finals four years in a row and earned all-state honors in the 3,200 run as a sophomore. Malocha will be one of two Rogers City athletes competing along with Luke Augsburger who will compete in the high jump.

Alpena's Mitchell Day will compete in the 3,200 run. Day has finished just shy of an all-state finish in each of the last two seasons and will also compete in the 3,200 relay.

Posen's Lindsey Randall will be returning to the state finals for the second straight year and will compete in the 400 dash.

Fairview's Tylor Ross will compete in both the 1,600 and 3,200 runs.

Alpena's Trevor Roznowski will compete in the discus. Roznowski reached the exactly distance needed to qualify for the event at regionals.

Alcona's Brooke Shultz competes in the pole vault during the 2015 Alpena News Honor Roll Invite. Shultz and teammate Rose Schopfer will both compete in the pole vault today at the state finals.

Alpena's Faith Weide will make her first trip to the state finals and will compete in the shot put.