MILLBURY — Taking down perennial champion Eastwood at the Northern Buckeye Conference meet may be a difficult task, but Lake boys track is off to a solid start.

They have won every NBC meet on Tuesdays, except when they faced off against Eastwood, and finished second at all four invitationals they have competed in.

“We are very well rounded this year,” Lake coach Jason Schober said. “At invites we might win an event or two, but we will be second or third in a lot of them.”

Saturday’s NBC meet was scheduled for an early morning 9 a.m. start at Rossford’s Glenwood Athletic Complex and by afternoon the Flyers should start knowing where they stand. Eastwood has won 10 of 11 NBC championships with Genoa taking the title in 2021.

“We have some really good teams in our league, but I think we can be right up there with them,” Schober said. “Would love to see top two in both guys and girls, with a shot to figure it out and have a day. Oak Harbor is really good and Eastwood is always there.”

No school records broken so far, but Schober says junior hurdler Brady Hayward has a shot at breaking both hurdles records and Joah Herman has thrown 145 feet in the discus, “which is within striking distance.” Hayward and Herman are not the only ones.

“So far when we load up the 4×800 and 4×200 relays with the combinations of (senior) Connor McClellan, (senior) Figgy Garcia, (junior) Luke Steep, (junior) Micah Balsmeyer, Kam McDaniel, and (senior) ZayShawn Diggs they are getting closer and closer as well,” Schober said.

During Schober’s 11-year tenure as coach, Lake has won more invitational trophies, broken more school records, and had more trips to the state tournament than any other time in school history.

Schober had 13 lettermen return for the season, including four who have already won all-league accolades.

Garcia leads the team in all four sprint events, owning an NBC-best 200-meter dash time (22.39) and Schober says McClellan “can do it all and doesn’t complain.”

Top distance runners include Balsmayer and Steep, who have been pushing each other all season. In the NBC, Balsmayer has the best time in the 1600 (4:43.96) so far.

“(They) battle each other and keep getting better and better,” Schober said.

Top field event athletes include Matt Nietz, Joah Herman and Garrett Kistler. Nietz, a freshman thrower, has already established himself as one of the best in the area.

“He is competing week in and week out with two really good seniors. Has worked hard and earned their respect,” Schober said.

In the league tri-meets, Lake finished in the middle of a tri-meet at Otsego. Eastwood scored 93 points, followed by Lake (59) and Otsego (23).

Lake won the 4×200 meter (1:35.03) and 4×400 (3:32.42) relays, Balsmayer won the 1600-meter run (4:49.83), Garcia won the 400 (51.59), McClellan won the 800 (2:06.57). In field events Herman won the discus (145 feet) and Xavier Scott won the high jump (5 feet, 8 inches).

Lake scored 71 points to win a close tri-meet at Oak Harbor, followed by the Rockets (70) and Genoa (34). Oak Harbor may well be the team the Flyers have to contend with for a runner-up finish at the NBC meet.

At OH, Lake won the 4×800 (8:32.75) and 4×200 (1:33.62) relays, Hayward won the 110 hurdles (15.7), 300 hurdles (42.21) and long jump (18-9), Steep won the 1600 (4:50.02), and Balsmayer won the 3200 (10:43.3).

In a dual meet, the Flyers routed Rossford, 104-33, taking the 4×100 (45.78), 4×800 (8:51), 4×200 (1:36), and 4×400 (3:49) in a relay sweep.

Hayward won the 110 hurdles (15.28), 300 hurdles (42.78), Diggs won the 100-meter dash (11.06), Steep won the 1600 (4:58), Garcia won the 400 (53.41) and 200 (22.39), McClellan won the 800 (2:09), and Balsmayer won the 3200 (10:53).

In field events, Gerritt Kistler won the shot put (42-4), Herman won the discus (144-6), and Hayward won the long jump (18-4).