By: Jonathan Szczepaniak | Roseville-Eastpointe Eastsider | Published May 31, 2024
ROSEVILLE — A change of scenery can do wonders, and the Roseville boys track and field program was in need of a new look.
All throughout the 2010s and into the 2020s, Roseville spent the better part of its years at the bottom of the Macomb Area Conference Gold, compiling a league win here and there but never anything else to show for it.
Understanding its struggles, Roseville dropped down to the MAC Silver in hopes of getting a fresh look and seeing some progress, and the Panthers did just that.
Under head coach Thomas Snowden, who took the job at the start of the 2018-2019 season, Roseville went unbeaten in the league to earn the MAC Silver dual-meet title. Roseville then dropped the MAC Silver divisional meet to Madison Heights Lamphere.
Snowden, the running backs coach for the school’s talented football team, said Roseville’s transformation on the track was courtesy of numerous athletes all improving.
“We had more depth this year than I’ve had in the past, so that was definitely helpful,” Snowden said. “I had some distance runners, which I usually lacked. My speed guys were really good and I had a good 100, and the 4x100 and 4x200 teams were rock solid.”
Senior Ayres Hollins, junior Herman Searcy and sophomore Terrence Bowers led the way in the 100-meter as Searcy took first at the divisional meet on May 14 at Warren Lincoln High School.
Roseville’s 4x100 and 4x200 stole the show as Hollins, Searcy, junior Darius Iverson and junior Desmond Straughton earned first in the 4x100 and Searcy, Iverson, sophomore Milton Standifer IV and junior Elizah Jolly took first in the 4x200.
Senior Michael Chastine was efficient in the 110-meter hurdles and both high jump and long jump, while junior Shawn Jones finished third in shot put and sophomore Daniel Kesterson posted impressive times in the 1,600 and 3,200-meter at the divisional meet.
Kesterson is one of many runners Snowden hopes to have competing in distance events in the future, which hasn’t been Roseville’s strong suit in the past.
“We’ve gotten better each year, and the numbers have gotten better each year,” Snowden said. “The distance program is something I’ve been focused on with growing it and convincing guys to run it. Everybody is not a sprinter. That’s been the big thing.”
Roseville will graduate some key pieces heading into next year, but for Snowden and company, it’s all about keeping the momentum going and progressing each year.
A dual-meet league title is a great step forward, but Snowden said he has larger goals in mind for the program based on the expectation he sets for his guys.
“You know what is expected of you every day,” Snowden said. “There’s no ins and outs and not knowing what’s expected. Every day, the kids know they have to show up, compete and work hard. That’s just our motto. That’s what we’re building and continue to build at Roseville. We’re going to compete every day. Even in the track program, that’s what we continue to push. It’s no different in football or basketball. That’s just where we’re at, and the track program is trying to get there to compete for state titles, regionals and division championships just like our football and basketball program is doing each year.”