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History made in FHS Track:

Nick Parker, then Brett Magnus, break 3200-meter school record at Blue Jay Invite; Elise Barden closing in girls' time

  A trio of Frankenmuth varsity track and field team athletes made school and personal records at the Shepherd Blue Jay Invitational held Friday evening, May 2.

  Eagle thinclads Brett Magnus and Nick Parker, and Lady Eagle distance runner Elise Barden competed in this invite after running at the Bay City Western Invitational earlier that day.

  Delivering one of the greatest performances in boys’ distance history, Magnus, a senior, and Parker, a junior, shattered the school record in the 3200-meter run as they and Barden both qualified for the Elite 3200. Through their times, they automatically qualified for the MHSAA Division 2 State Finals.

  First up was Parker, in the second heat of the 3200m run, where he broke the school record of 9:22.68 by clocking a 9:21.65. In the very next race, Magnus broke Parker’s 12-minute old mark with a time of 9:20.92.

  “Their times placed them among the deepest 3200-meter field in Michigan this season, a race that featured more than 100 competitors and a winning time of 8:58.33,” FHS varsity boys’ Coach Scott Jacobs said. “Yet Magnus and Parker held their own against powerhouse programs from across the state, closing with poise and racing well under the state auto-qualifying standard.”

  Barden ran a leg in her 3200m relay at Western, then hit the road for the solo 3200m run. She qualified to be in the fast heat with 27 of the top girls in Michigan, Divisions 1-4. Barden finished 13^th overall, setting a personal record time of 10:52, just 2.14 seconds from the FHS school record currently held by Mary Richmond, FHS varsity girls’ Coach Mike Snyder said.

  Jacobs reiterated that for Frankenmuth, the significance of the two boys’ performances was enormous.

  “Two athletes under the school record in the same race, two automatic state qualifiers, and two personal bests on a championship-caliber stage,” Jacobs pointed out.

  Magnus has been a senior leader and delivered the breakthrough performance he has been building toward all season. Parker matched him stride for stride and stamped himself as one of the top underclassmen distance runners in Michigan.

  “Moments like this don’t happen often . . . and almost never twice in the same race. Brett and Parker have now positioned Frankenmuth as a legitimate threat in distance events heading into the postseason. Their performances at Shepherd just weren’t fast; they were program-defining,” Jacobs exclaimed.

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