The Rotary Club of St. Joseph-Benton Harbor will host its annual track meet this Friday. The event is a chance for local student runners to compete for glory and scholarships. The Rotary tells us more:
The Rotary Club of St. Joseph-Benton Harbor will host the Rotary Track Meet on Friday, May 6, 2022 The event is coordinated in collaboration with St. Joseph High School Athletic Director, Kevin Guzzo. Preliminary events start at 4:30 PM with the finals starting at 6:00 PM on Friday, May 6, 2022 at St. Joseph High School Dickinson Stadium.
“This is the one track meet that area track participants and enthusiasts always look forward to. It’s a way for track stars from schools of all sizes to showcase their talents. There is always great energy at this event.” ~Randy Bettich, Track Meet Co-Chair
After having to limit capacity in 2021 due to COVID, the event is back to full speed in 2022 with 15 schools participating. Participants include the men’s and women’s teams from throughout Southwest Michigan. Participating schools include Benton Harbor, Berrien Springs, Bloomingdale, Brandywine, Bridgman, Cassopolis, Countryside Charter, Dowagiac, Lakeshore, New Buffalo, Niles, Our Lady of the Lake, South Haven, St. Joseph, and Watervliet.
The event will be held at St. Joseph’s Dickinson Stadium and the club welcomes all community members to join in celebration at the event. The cost to attend the event is $5 for adults and $2 for students. The proceeds from admission fees go to supporting the Rotary Track Scholarship.
About the Rotary Track Meet
This event began in May 1958 and was initiated by Joe Rogers, the Benton Harbor High School Athletic Director, Arnold Karsten, the St. Joseph High School Athletic Director, and Rotarian John Longacre. They wanted to develop a track meet where athletes could participate in a friendly competition in preparation for the State competition. This event would also serve as an opportunity for athletes in smaller schools to test their skills against their peers at larger schools.
The Rotary Club of St. Joseph-Benton Harbor was tapped for collaboration because of the broad volunteer pool needed to support this type of event, especially in earlier years when the technology was limited. The event has grown since that time to become one of the largest in Southwest Michigan and a great source of pride for the Rotary Club of St. Joseph-Benton Harbor. Events included in the track meet include the 4X100, 4X200, 4X400, 4X800 relays, 100 and 400 yard dash, high jump, pole vault, long jump, shot put, and more.
The Rotary Track Meet Scholarship was added to the event in 1977 to assist talented track athletes with funding their college education. In the 40+ years of the track scholarship, over 125 seniors have been awarded these education grants. This year, there will be three $2,000 scholarships awarded.
To be eligible for the Rotary Track Scholarship, the student must be a senior enrolled at a high school in Berrien County who has participated in either track or cross country during their senior year. Students must have at least a 3.0 GPA and must plan on attending a junior or four-year college in the fall after graduation. Plans for participation in college track or cross-country is not a requirement for eligibility. To apply, students submit an application form and are then interviewed by the Rotarian committee chaired by Dennis Bowen and including Brian Berger, Matt Hanley, Bill Marohn, Jack Sukup and Jacqui Winship. The committee takes into consideration extra-curricular activities, community service, SAT scores, recommendation, and the interview to determine the winners. Students from 18 schools participated in the Track Meet Scholarship competition, including Berrien Springs, Bridgman, Buchanan, Coloma, Lakeshore, New Buffalo, Niles, River Valley, St. Joseph and Watervliet.
The 2022 Rotary Track Meet Scholarship winners are:
Arianna Hackett, daughter of Trisha Roberts and Anthony Hackett, who will be graduating from Bridgman High School with a GPA of 4.1. She plans to attend Indiana Wesleyan University and major in secondary education/special education.
Eliza McGinn, daughter of Corey and Martin McGinn, who will be graduating from New Buffalo High School with a GPA of 3.9 and has been very active in school and community activities. She plans to attend Cornerstone University and major in literature.
Jayden Schmaltz, daughter of Shelley and Ken Schmaltz, will be graduating from Lakeshore High School with a GPA of 4.3 after an active and productive years of curricular and extracurricular activities. She plans to attend Michigan State University and major in environmental education.
The Rotary Track Meet’s primary funding source is program ad sales. The club would like to thank Whirlpool, Stifel, Professional Hearing Services, Schultz Roofing Supply Company, Berrien County Officials, Starks Family Funeral Homes & Cremation Services, Villa Environmental Consultants, Inc., Vail Rubber, Keller & Keller, JohnsonRauhoff, Honor Credit Union, Area Agency on Aging, Pri-Mart, Stephen Ross & Company, PC CPA, Lake Michigan College, United Federal Credit Union, Spectrum Health Lakeland, YMCA, Big C Lumber, Horizon Bank, Kruggel Lawton CPA, Sturgis Bank, Meijer and Affinity Salon & Spa for supporting the event. The club also thanks Pizza Hut, WSJM, H.E.I Wireless, and Xpress Printing for their in kind donations.
