The action was delayed more than an hour due to expected rain in the forecast, but it cleared up nicely for this meet with huge implications.

The Hematite boys pounced on the competition for a dominant victory with 74 points. The next closest team was St. Ignace with 45 points, while Manistique and Newberry tied for third with 30 apiece. BR-H came in fifth with eight points, while Gwinn didn’t score.

The girls’ meet was much closer, and it was the Broncos that prevailed with 50 points. St. Ignace was again the runner-up with 41, with Ishpeming third with 35 and Manistique just another point back in fourth with 34. Gwinn was fifth with 22 and Newberry sixth with 5.

The Ishpeming boys cruised to 10 victories in 17 events as the Hematites were led by quadruple winner Jonny Matson with wins in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes and the long jump.

Gwinn's Jordana Hardy makes a leap while winning the girls' 300-meter hurdles race during the MHSAA Upper Peninsula Division 2 track and field regional meet held at Gwinn High School on Friday. (Journal photo by Travis Nelson)

“My team just pushes me to give it to them, I just do my best for my team, it’s like a family,” said Matson, a senior. “This is my last season, so I’ve just really been pushing it. I’ve been having a great time.”

The Hematites also had individual victories in the 110 hurdles from Tramon Gauthier, 3,200 from Parker Gauthier, discus from Dawson Lawry and high jump from Hunter Smith.

IHS had relay winners in the 1,600 and 3,200. Ethan Corp, Preston Gauthier, Caden Luoma and Smith represented the 1,600, while Luoma, Parker Gauthier, Connor Gauthier and Levi Nicholls were the 3,200 victors.

“As first-time head coaches, my wife and I had shoes to fill with the boys being co-champs with Norway last year,” Ishpeming coach Troy Smith said, also referring to his wife Trisha Smith as Hematites girls coach. “The boys, being as young as they are, stepped up and came through in a big way today.

“I think they surprised themselves, and I’m sure they’re super proud to do the Ishpeming family good.

“We have been PRing (personal records) like crazy, I think we’re peaking at a good time right now. I’m looking forward to June 4, I really am.”

June 4 will be the U.P. Finals in all three divisions, held at its traditional site of Kingsford High School.

The runner-up St. Ignace boys had three winners, led by double winner Jonathan Ingalls. With an individual win in the 300 hurdles, Ingalls also was a part of the winning 400 relay along with Trevor Visnaw, Reese McLean and Christian Koivuniemi. Pole vaulter Owen Lester was the other winner for the Saints.

Manistique and Newberry also scored two victories each. The Emeralds had a strong distance day with a win from Grant Mason in the 800 and Ben Gilroy in the 1,600. Eric Edwards was a double winner for the Indians with an individual win in shot put, while he was also the first leg of the 800 relay with Matthew Rahilly, Kennedy Depew and Colton Labadie.

The wins in the girls meet were quite balanced, with champion Bark River-Harris claiming five. Mckenzie Hoffmeyer led the way for the Broncos as a triple winner with individual wins in the 200 and long jump and was a leg of her school’s 800 relay with Aspen Fredrick, Lauren Zawada and Julia Olson. Zawada was a double winner with an individual win in the high jump, and Carley Varoni took the pole vault.

“It’s very rewarding, it means a lot,” BR-H coach Jason Lockwood said. “This particular group of girls has been working really hard all season, and they set the goal at the beginning of the year that they wanted to win the regional track meet.

“We worked hard to try to build the program to get more kids to participate, and to put ourselves in a position to compete and win in the regional. Their hard work paid off today.”

Despite finishing behind St. Ignace, Ishpeming and Manistique each had one more win — four — than the Saints. Lola Korpi had another strong day for the Hematites as a quadruple winner. With wins in the 800, 1,600, 3,200 and the anchor leg of the 3,200 relay with Taylor Longtine, Laynie Korpi and Kadie Kaukola, Korpi’s dominant season continued.

“I was just trying to get as many points for my team as possible, so four first places was my goal today,” Korpi said. “I knew I wasn’t going to have any trouble qualifying for my events, so it was just for my team today. My dad said that I’m looking a lot stronger out there, and even though my times are pretty consistent right now, I think that I can build on those for U.P.’s.”

Danielle Lund was a triple winner for Manistique with individual wins in both throwing events — discus and shot put — and was a part of the 1,600 relay with Emma Jones, Kelsey Muth and Leah Goudreau. Muth was a double winner for the Emeralds with a winning effort in the 400.

St. Ignace might not have had as many wins, but their collective team effort pushed it into second place. Ally Schultz was a double winner in the 100 and as the final leg of the 400 relay with Gwen Kellan, Jillian Fraser and Heidi Dorenbecker. Kylee Peters also claimed the 100 hurdles title.

Gwinn also had several athletes qualify, including a regional winner with Jordana Hardy taking the 300 hurdles.

Travis Nelson can be reached by email at tnelson@miningjournal.net.