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While the individual brilliance of Bell, senior Jessica Nichols and pole vaulter Caitlyn Wonski dominated the fans' attention ... and garnered most of the headlines ... the entire team excelled. The Ramblers finished a surprising second at the Lake Michigan Conference meet in Kalkaska, beating teams that had regularly defeated them all season, and took third at the Division 3 regional.

Charlevoix took the league title with 145 points to Boyne City's 123.

No one expected it to be that close. Bell's performance, winning three league titles - including the long jump - shone above all the rest for the Ramblers, who might have been nicknamed "Gamblers" on this day for the risks Coach Andy Place took in shuffling his lineup.

Place realized he had something special in Bell when she qualified for the Division 3 state championship meet in the 100-meter dash last year as a freshman.

Coming into this season, one of her own personal goals was to advance to the semifinals

at state in the 100. Her coach's goal was to get her to run the 200 meters more often.

"As true sprinters are, they don't like to go those long distances," Place said by phone Saturday afternoon. "For a freshman, 200 meters is a long distance."

Despite not running the 200 more than three or four times all year as a freshman, Bell still managed to break the school record last year.

This year, she ran the 200 as well as the 100 at most meets, and grew even more as a sprinter. She was the league and regional champion in both events.

Bell accomplished her personal goal, too, in becoming the first Boyne City girl to reach the semfinals in the 100 at state, according to Place.

Place said the Ramblers have had girls qualify for state in the 100 before, but none ever made it to the semifinals until Bell did it this year.

ÔAmazing to watch her run'

A bigger surprise came in the 200, where Bell not only made it to the semifinals, but raced in the finals and came away with a seventh place medal and All- State recognition.

"It's amazing to watch her run," Place said. "Just talking to you, I think about this. The 200 is a great distance for her. She runs the curve fairly well, and then she just comes off the curve and just blasts down the straightaway."

Showing her blossoming versatility, Bell added the 400-meter and 1600-meter relays to her burgeoning repertoire. She ran the leadoff leg in the 1600 relay, which qualified for state.

Her speed in the 400 has Place thinking of perhaps trying her in the open 400 at some point, maybe next spring, just to see what she could do.

Bell's athletic talent seems almost limitless. In addition to her sprinting prowess, Bell proved a stand-out long jumper, winning the Lake Michigan Conference title this year.

Place hasn't tried her out in high jumping or pole vaulting yet, but he's not discounting her ability to do both if asked.

"An athlete and coach have to understand what we're after here," Place said. "We're very happy with the way she ran this year."

Consistency is another hallmark of a good athlete, and Bell regularly ran the 100 meters in 12.5 seconds this season.

Each of her races in the 200 at state were under 27 seconds. Her time in the final was 26.9. It's enough to get a coach to beaming proudly.

"Natasha didn't have any sophomore slump, that's for sure," said Place. "Now, we have to work next year to see where her boundaries are, what she can do.

"(We have to) get her stronger, and faster. It should be a very exciting year for her."

Risks almost pay off

As if this year wasn't thrilling enough, for Bell and her teammates,the Ramblers stunned the conference when they gave Charlevoix a run for the league title at the championship meet at Kalkaska High School, finishing a close second. Charlevoix had the talent and the depth to go into the conference meet as the favorite to win the title.

But the Ramblers, pegged for a fourth place finish at best, decided to take some risks and make a run at the Rayders.

Place moved some people around, taking them out of relays and putting them in individual events, and the gambles paid off handsomely.

Although the Ramblers could never quite catch up with the Rayders, they had them looking over their shoulders throughout the day.

In the process, Boyne City defeated Harbor Springs and Traverse City St. Francis, teams that had been beating the Ramblers all year. And it was depth that played a major role for Boyne City, as 16 out of its 22 girls contributed points.

"We haven't had that for a couple of years, and it was nice to have that again," Place said. Losing seniors Nichols, Wonski and Perry Fish definitely leaves a huge void to fill.

But the Ramblers got a taste of success this year, and proved they have the athletes who can step up and perform in the clutch.