By Journal Sports Staff

MARQUETTE — The Westwood girls and Houghton boys already have a victory in hand even before the Upper Peninsula Swimming and Diving finals open this morning.

Westwood freshman Bethany Laakso and Houghton senior Sal Sharp earned victories on the one-meter diving board Friday afternoon.

Laakso totaled 149.60 points in the girls competition, more than 13 points ahead of Manistique sophomore Abby Burnham, who had 135.95.

Sharp scored 177.75 points, nearly 30 ahead of runner-up and junior teammate Andrew Garland with 149.30.

All divers entered in the competition completed four dives with the field cut to the top 12 scorers for the final two rounds.

Marquette senior Sarah Matson finished fifth in the girls event with 116.30 points, while Manistique senior Mia Hyland was sixth with 113.95 and Westwood freshman Katelyn Anttila was 10th with 80.60.

On the boys side, Westwood freshman Brock Sundberg was third with 130.25 points and junior teammate Joey Boburka was fourth with 128.15.

Ishpeming-Negaunee freshman George Lasko was sixth with 109.45 points, I-N sophomore Thomas Bagley seventh with 101.20, Marquette senior Garrett Lewis eighth with 96.20, Manistique senior Brendan McCaffrey ninth with 80.35 and Westwood junior Andrew Kalbfleisch 10th with 78.60.

Swimming races are schedule to resume at 10:05 a.m. with organizers expecting the meet to conclude at around 4 p.m.

Admission is $10 today with a limited amount of bleacher seating above and to the side of the pool, with plenty of seating in the school’s Little Theater showing a live video feed.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Writer Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.