Erica Albrecht was a four-event winner at the Bay County Track and Field Championships for Bay City Western.

PINCONNING, MI – Bay City Western coach Stefanie Wilson sees one name on the record board but envisions another.

She looks forward to the day when she can place senior Erica Albrecht’s name up on that board – and take her own name down.

“I would love to coach someone who breaks that record, and I can see it in her,” Wilson said. “I know she can do it. We’ve had that discussion, where I told her ‘That record up there could be you.’”

Albrecht moved within sight of Wilson’s record in the 300 hurdles Friday while leading the Warriors to the team title at the Bay County Track and Field Championships. Albrecht captured four first-place finishes as Western took the trophy for the third straight outing.

Western (131) outdistanced Bay City Central (86), John Glenn (70), Essexville Garber (43) and host Pinconning (21) in the annual event that gathers Bay County’s five high school programs. Western (148.5) took top honors in the boys standings for the 13th consecutive time, finishing ahead of Central (87), Garber (65), Glenn (19.5) and Pinconning (18).

Albrecht was a driving force for the Western girls, sweeping the 100 hurdles (15.95) and 300 hurdles (46.79), anchoring the winning 4x400 relay and breaking her own school record while winning the pole vault (10-9).

But another school record looms within reach, and it’s one with deep meaning to both athlete and coach. Stefanie Wilson – then Stefanie Doty – set a stunning standard in both the 100 hurdles (14.6) and 300 hurdles (45.1) in 1993.

Both are still holding strong 29 seasons later, but Wilson and Albrecht are doing their best to change that. And it’s been a four-year mission.

“When I was a freshman, Mrs. Wilson told me I needed to try hurdles,” Albrecht said. “Once I ran it one time, she said ‘That’s your event.’

“Coming into this year, I realized ‘OK, this is my event. Coach was right.’”

Perhaps Albrecht should have been convinced of that three seasons ago, when she made her first big splash at the Bay County Championships. Running against Central’s area-leading senior Ariella Cueller, Albrecht delivered a shocker by beating her to the wire.

“That was definitely an upset,” Albrecht said. “Ariella was really good and it was my freshman year. Everybody was saying ‘What?’ I really pushed myself in that one and I beat her by a good stride.”

Albrecht would go on to qualify for the state finals in the 300 hurdles as a freshman – and become a three-time Bay County champion in the event

“She’s a go-getter. She runs so aggressive,” said Wilson.

“You can’t be afraid to hit a hurdle, and she’s not. You have to attack the hurdle, almost run into it. Some kids get it in their head that they can’t jump the hurdle, so we get that right out of the vocabulary. You don’t jump hurdles, you run over hurdles. She does a good job of that.”

Albrecht still has work to do to reach Wilson’s record in the 300 hurdles, and she would have no qualms finishing as the second-fastest hurdler in Western history.

“Her time is crazy fast,” she said.

But she definitely has her sights on other major goals, namely qualifying for the state finals in all three of her signature events and clearing the 11-foot mark in the vault – a feat accomplished only by 2006 John Glenn grad Tammy Sheahan in Bay County history.

Western posted eight first-place finishes in the girls events to claim the championship for the ninth time in the past 12 times it was contested.

Ambria Nagel won the 800 (2:24.27) and Isabelle Becker claimed the 1600 (5:14.32) and that duo joined Albrecht and Shea Walli to win the 4x400 relay (4:15.19). Madeline Kochany was tops in the 200 (27.14) while Kylie Fredenburg, Elyse Kendziorski, Taylor Heimberger and Emma Rajewski captured the 4x800 relay (11:29.21).

In addition to Albrecht’s successful title defenses in the 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles and pole vault, five others repeated as Bay County champions. Eloise Keenan took the shot put (33-10) and Susie Schulz won the high jump (5-0) for Central while Emma VanTol was champ in the discus (118-0), Lauren Walker in the long jump (16-2.5) and Madison White in the 100 (13.27) for Garber.

White also prevailed in the 400 (1:01.95) for the Dukes and Pinconning’s Kinsie Jacques was first to the finish in the 3200 (11:48.48).

Central won the 4x100 relay title (53.68) with Alliyah Morse, Schulz, Stephanie Ramos and Nevaeh Mitchell and Garber won the 4x200 relay (1:50.66) with Heather Brownlee, Emma DuFresne, White and Walker.

Bay City Western's Daniel Ebel and Tate Dutcher dash for the finish in the 300 hurdles at the Bay County Championship.

On the boys side, Daniel Ebel won his second straight Bay County title in the 300 hurdles (43.89) as Western continued its dynasty. Ebel was a three-event champion, joining Jeffrey Stecker, Anden Robertson and Ty Macheso in winning the 4x400 relay (3:33.61) and teaming with Ty Schumann, Miles Killips and Robertson to take the 4x800 relay (8:59.09).

Noah Selvaraj captured the 800 (2:04.10) and the 1600 (4:32.72) for the Warriors while Gage Gransden was tops in the shot put (45-0) and Ian Becker won the pole vault (10-6).

Central’s Aden Thompson was the only other repeat champion, winning the high jump (5-8). The Wolves also got a win from Easton Anderson in the 400 (51.35) and Will Moore in the 110 hurdles (17.02).

Central won the 4x100 relay (46.24) with Jamario Harris, R.J. Kanous, Caiden Ramirez and L.J. McCullough and the 4x200 relay (1:32.55) with Anderson, McCullough, Harris and Kanous.

Carson Parks was a double winner on his home track for Pinconning, taking the long jump (20-7.75) and the 100 (11.39).

Glenn got titles from Carson Dabrowski in the 200 (23.16) and Emerson Laverty in the 3200 (10:37.17).

Brady McGee brought home the title in the discus (126-10.5) for Garber.

Essexville Garber's Heather Brownlee and Pinconning's Frieda Schendel race for the finish in the 400 at the Bay County Track and Field Championship.

Bay City Western's Ambria Nagel and Bay City Central's Emma Rodriguez race the shadows in the 800 at the Bay County Track and Field Championship.

(Alliyah Morse, Susie Schulz, Stephanie Ramos, Nevaeh Mitchell)

(Heather Brownlee, Emma DuFresne, Madison White, Lauren Walker)

(Shea Walli, Ambria Nagel, Isabelle Becker, Erica Albrecht)

(Kylie Fredenburg, Elyse Kendziorski, Taylor Heimberger, Emma Rajewski)

Will Moore leads the way to victory in the 110 hurdles for Bay City Central at the Bay County Championship.

John Glenn's Emerson Laverty leads the 3200 pack, with Garber's Liam Anderson, Western's Ty Schumann and Glenn's Braden Amthor on his heels.

(Jamario Harris, R.J. Kanous, Caiden Ramirez, L.J. McCullough)

(Easton Anderson, L.J. McCullough, Jamario Harris, R.J. Kanous)

(Jeffrey Stecker, Anden Robertson, Daniel Ebel, Ty Macheso)

(Ty Schumann, Daniel Ebel, Miles Killips, Anden Robertson)

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