Marquette’s Colin VanderSchaaf runs the anchor leg of the boys’ 1,600-meter relay during the MHSAA Upper Peninsula Division 1 regional meet held at the MSHS track on Friday afternoon. (Journal photo by Alexandria Bournonville)

MARQUETTE — Despite cold and rainy conditions, Marquette didn’t have too much trouble sweeping to both titles at the MHSAA Upper Peninsula Division 1 regional track meet it hosted on Friday afternoon.

The Redmen boys had the wider margin of victory, scoring 81 points to 47 for runner-up Sault Ste. Marie. Following them were Gladstone with 38, Escanaba 12 and Menominee 9.

The Blue Devils were also a much closer second place to Marquette in the girls meet, with the Redettes scoring 67 as the Soo had 56, Escanaba 35, Gladstone 16 and Menominee 13.

Here is a rundown of each meet:

———————–

Marquette boys dominate field

Despite their rather decisive victory, the MSHS boys won just a half-dozen events.

Three came in field events Dasan Smith took the discus, Jacob MacPhee the high jump and Kyler Sager the long jump.

The Redmen also won two relays — the 400- and 1,600-meter — as Colin VanderSchaaf picked up their only individual running victory in the 400 dash.

In those relays, VanderSchaaf was in the 1,600, joining MacPhee, Kai Chouinard and Cullen Papin.

Sager was part of the 400 relay winners and was joined by Nate Benninger, Adam DuVall and Wyatt Lakenen.

Usually a good score with a lower-than-expected number of wins means that the team picked up plenty of points in the other places, in this case between second and fourth places as the top four finishers in each event, both individual events and relays, advance to the Division 1 U.P. Finals on June 3 in Kingsford.

That looked to be the case here, with MSHS picking up 10 runner-up finishes among the 17 events. They included Benninger in the 100 and 200, MacPhee in the 400, Colin VanderSchaaf in the 800, Carson VanderSchaaf in the 1,600, Jacob Norman in the 110 hurdles, Ben Rayhorn in the 300 hurdles, Drew Bradley in the pole vault, Lakenen in the long jump and the Redmen’s 800 relay.

“(They are) a great group of guys that are working extraordinarily hard,” MSHS boys head coach Derek Marr said. “I think some people just kinda throw that out there … our team truly is working hard.

“We’ve shoveled (snow off) the track twice this year, we’re out here late working on our disciplines and that’s starting to pay off with some really good performances, so hopefully we keep that going for the next two weeks.”

Among the double winners from other schools was the Soo’s Carter Oshelskin in the 100, 200 and a leg of the Blue Devils’ winning 800 relay, and Luke Bracket of Gladstone in both hurdles events.

———————–

Redettes just win, win, win

Despite the close score at the top, the Marquette girls were dominant with eight victories despite not winning any of the field events.

Instead, the Redettes doubled up with Baux Truckey taking the 100 and 400 dashes and Siena Lingle capturing both 100 and 300 hurdles.

Two other MSHS athletes also accounted for two wins apiece, one in an individual event and one in a relay. It was a interesting combination as the Redettes won the shortest, 400, and longest, 3,200, relays.

Marquette’s Julia Ott won the 200 and ran a leg on the winning 400 relay, while Ella Fure took the 3,200 and ran with the 3,200 relay victors.

And the Redettes had a half-dozen runner-up finishes, including in the 800 relay, as Ott was second in the 100 and high jump, Fure in the 800, Bella Coleman in the 300 hurdles and Abigail Harma in the 3,200.

From other schools, the Soo’s Isabella DeWildt won the 800 and ran with the Devils’ winning 1,600 relay, while teammates Dayna Szabo and Tarynn Pratt ran on both of the Soo’s winning relays, the 800 and 1,600.

Alexandria Bournonville can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 506. Her email address is abournonville@miningjournal.net.