Christopher Dotson had advance notice that Dakota was in for a good day at the Division 1 track and field regional at Romeo.

“I heard a little birdie say something about the Dakota boys being fast, and the Dakota boys are fast,” Dotson said after he won both hurdles races to lead the Cougars to the championship on a warm and sunny Friday.

Dotson ran a personal-best time of 39.30 seconds to win the 300-meter hurdles, and the senior’s 15.51 paced the field in the 110 event. Meanwhile, the Cougars had state qualifiers in seven other events as they scored 94.5 points and edged Troy Athens, which had 92.

“We all push each other at practice to make each other better,” Dotson said of his teammates. “It’s a great team spirit. Now we’re on to team states, too.”

Dotson edged Anchor Bay senior Jonah Konarz by a half-second in the 300 hurdles. The Dakota hurdler said he and Konarz share a mutual respect that has grown from their battles in the Macomb Area Conference Red Division.

“He’s beaten me too many times this year to let him go,” Dotson said with a smile. “He’s one of my favorite people to run against. We’re in AAU together.”

Dotson said he and Konarz make each other better.

“Iron sharpens iron,” he said. “He’s always around, pushing me.”

Dotson was a state qualifier in the longer hurdles race last year but then finished outside the top eight that make all-state.

“This year is my get-back year,” he said.

“This year, I’ve focused a lot on my form,” Dotson added. “Last year, I was getting through races mainly with my speed.”

Dotson was on the 4-by-200 relay team that finished second and qualified. The quartet that included Tra Von Palmer, Micah Mikanga and Cory Franklin finished in 1:29.54.

The first two finishers in each event advanced to the state finals that will be at East Kentwood on May 31. Others qualified by meeting standards set by the Michigan High School Athletic Association.

Other Cougars who advanced were Tyler Torey in the shot put; Brendan Meehan in the discus throw; Aaron Royster in the pole vault; Franklin in the 100; Lucas LaMilza in the 3200, and the 400 relay team of James Nash, Mikanga, Palmer and Franklin.

Ford’s Michael Brown and Troy Athens’ Nathaniel Linden were double winners.

Brown won the 100 and 200 dashes. Brown’ 22.73 beat Chippewa Valley’s Will Jones-Terrell by .01 seconds in the 200.

“My man, Will; he’s a crazy athlete,” Brown said. “In the last 50 meters, I thought, I’ve got to push like my coach, coach (Nick) Chambers, told me to do.”

Linden won the 1600 in 4:25.35 and the 3200 in 9:33.47.

Other individual winners were Ronnie Hill, Stevenson, 400, 49.33; Myles Linden, Troy Athens, 800, 1:57.99; Dominic Weatherly, L’Anse Creuse, shot put, 57 feet, 4.75 inches; Cameron Gramzow, Anchor Bay, discus, 171-10; Corey Holmes, L’Anse Creuse, high jump, 6-2; Jackson Sines, Fraser, pole vault, 11-9, and Jonathan Carter, Utica, long jump, 21-1.25.

Other relay winners were Stevenson’s Hill, Landon Porter, David Keel and John Taylor, 400, 41.98; Chippewa Valley’s Joe Lulgjuraj, Duayne Johnson-Joplin, Dominik Kozlowski and Jones-Terrell, 800, 1:29.30; Troy Athens’ Julian Farrell, Myles Linden, Tony Jordan and Ethan Bieniek, 1600, 3:23.52, and Utica’s Charlie Curtis, Luke Morehouse, Gavin Frandle and Harper Wesley, 3200, 7:59.33.

Hill won the 400 by .04 seconds over Troy Athens’ Jordan.

“I had to run my heart out on the last straightaway,” Hill said. “On the backstretch, I pushed out, and I had to dig on that bottom curve. I got to the last straight and saw that lane 5 got me. I had to dig deep. I thought about all the work I’ve put in since football was over. I wanted it more.”

Cooper Shain of L’Anse Creuse North won adaptive races in the 100 and 200. Luke Bowman of Anchor Bay won the 400 and shot put.

The state championship meet is at East Kentwood on May 31.

Team scores

Dakota 94.5, Troy Athens 92, Utica 71, Stevenson 60.5, Chippewa Valley, 53, L’Anse Creuse 45, Anchor Bay 43, Romeo 40, Eisenhower 39, Fraser 39, Port Huron Northern 32, Ford 27, Sterling Heights 7, L’Anse Creuse North 4, Port Huron 2.

State qualifiers

Shot put: Dominic Weatherly, LC, 57-4.75. Lincoln Watkins, PHN, 51-5. Caleb Stanberry, Fraser, 49-9.5. Tyler Torey, Dakota, 49-7.

Shot put adaptive: Luke Bowman, AB, 19-9.25. Cooper Shain, LCN, 13-5.5.

Discus: Cameron Gramzow, AB, 171-10. Dominic Weatherly, LC, 165-2. Brendan Meehan, Dakota, 149-5. Jackson Sines, Fraser, 147-6.

High jump: Corey Holmes, LC, 6-2. Joshua Calhoun, TA, 6-2.

Long jump: Jonathan Carter, Utica, 21-1.25. Ryan Varner, Eis, 20-11.25.

Pole vault: Jackson Sines, Fraser, 11-9. Ben Kapanka, Dakota, 11-3. Aaron Royster, Dakota, 11-3.

3200 relay: Utica (Charlie Curtis, Luke Morehouse, Gavin Frandle, Harper Wesley) 7:59.33. Troy Athens (Myles Linden, Logan Ference, Julia Farrell, Nathaniel Linden) 8:01.73.

110 high hurdles: Christopher Dotson, Dakota, 15.19. Nolan Viviano, Eis, 15.75.

100 dash: Michael Brown, Ford, 11.02. Cory Franklin, Dakota, 11.09. Jonathan Carter, Utica, 11.10.

100 adaptive: Cooper Shain, LCN, 19.34. Luke Bowman, AB, 21.89.

800 relay: Chippewa Valley (Joe Lulgjuraj, Duayne Johnson-Joplin, Dominik Kozlowski, Will Jones-Terrell) 1:29.30. Dakota (Tra Von Palmer, Christopher Dotson, Micah Mikanga, Cory Franklin) 1:29.54. Troy Athens (Jacob Watson, Tony Jordan, Ethan Bieniek, Christian Wilson) 129.56.

1600: Nathaniel Linden, TA, 4:25.35. Harper Wesley, Utica, 4:29.46.

400 relay: Stevenson (Ronnie Hill, Landon Porter, David Keel, John Taylor) 41.98. Chippewa Valley (Ennis Carter, Duayne Johnson-Joplin, Eric Thomas, Will Jones-Terrell) 42.90. L’Anse Creuse (Kaustyn Harris, Corey Holmes, Ahmad Orr, Jacob Marang) 43.03. Dakota (James Nash, Micah Mikanga, Tre Von Palmer, Cory Franklin) 43.06.

400 dash: Ronnie Hill, Stev, 49.33. Tony Jordan, TA, 49.37. Ethan Bieniek, TA, 49.64.

400 adaptive: Luke Bowman, AB, 1:17.22. Cooper Shain, LCN, 1:18.13.

300 intermediate hurdles: Christopher Dotson, Dakota, 39.30. Jonah Konarz, AB, 39.88.

800: Myles Linden, TA, 1:57.99. Colden Gray, Eis, 1:58.12.

200: Michael Brown, Ford, 22.73. Will Jones-Terrell, CV, 22.74.

200 adaptive: Cooper Shain, LCN, 36.43. Luke Bowman, AB, 40.73.

3200: Nathaniel Linden TA, 9:33.47. Lucas LaMilza, Dakota, 9:35.50.

1600 relay: Troy Athens (Julian Farrell, Myles Linden, Tony Jordan, Ethan Bieniek) 3:23.52. Romeo (Gavin Shade, Owen Perry, Henry Terrien, Ryan Rohrborn) 3:25.33.