Journal Sports Editor

IRON RIVER — Gwinn made a run at the boys title before falling just a few points short at a Division 2 regional meet in MHSAA Upper Peninsula high school track and field held at West Iron County High School on Wednesday.

Ishpeming also participated at this regional as both schools qualified a number of athletes for the U.P. Finals scheduled for Kingsford on Saturday, May 31.

The top four finishers in both individual and relay events continue on to the finals, with the same true in Division 1. In Division 3, the only difference is that only two relays qualify out of each regional, as there are twice as many regionals with a total of about three times as many teams in the smallest-schools division.

Here are more details about this regional:

Falling just shy

The Modeltowners scored 59 points in the boys meet to fall just five points shy of regional champion Ironwood’s 64. The host Wykons were third with 37, Ishpeming fourth with 12, followed by Hancock with 7 and Jeffers 4.

Including relays as single units, the Gwinn and Ishpeming boys totaled 30 finals qualifiers between them.

The Modeltowners had all four champions from area squads — Donald Jourden won the 300-meter hurdles in 49.47 seconds, Mason Beauchamp the discus with a toss of 115 feet even, Rylee Jones the pole vault by clearing 9 feet even, and Gage Jones the long jump with a leap of 17 feet, 8.25 inches.

Jourden, however, qualified for the U.P. Finals in three events with his top-four finishes in the 1,600 and pole vault, while Beauchamp added a finals berth in the shot put.

Teammate Jared Hinkhouse made it to Kingsford in the 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles, Zahir Topping and Andrew Soules both made it in the 100 dash, Quade Weiland in the 1,600, Eloi Lopez and Thomas Jenkins both in the 3,200, Tyler Nurkala in the shot put, and Ashton Ketola in the discus.

Ishpeming had six athletes earn seven finals berths, led by Josh Wojie in the 400 and 800. In addition, the Hematites’ Derek Meyer qualified in the 200, Ezekiel Post in the 800, Michael Starrine in the 110 hurdles, Brayden Longstaff in the 300 hurdles and Christopher Steele in the long jump.

Except in the 3,200 relay where only Gwinn got in, both area schools qualified for the finals in every relay. Gwinn’s starring moment there was a win in the 1,600 relay in 1:42.39, a nine-hundredths of a second win over Ironwood, with Gage Jones, Andrea Susanni, Topping and Soules doing the deed.

Relays traditionally qualify their school, but not specific athletes, for the U.P. Finals so that coaches have the ability to substitute members of those teams between the two meets.

The Modeltowners also finished second in each of the other relays, while the Hematites were third in the 400 and 800 relays and fourth in the 1,600 relay.

Relays do well

Ishpeming and Gwinn seemed to load up so they could get multiple relays qualified for the U.P. finals as neither team won an individual event in the girls meet.

West Iron prevailed on the team scoreboard with 55 points, while Ironwood was runner-up with 47.5, Ishpeming third with 30.5, then Hancock with 26, Gwinn fifth with 18 and Jeffers following with 9.

The Hematites’ only girls victory came in the 400 relay, where Laynie Korpi, Lani Paananen, Tiana Bosworth and Brittanie Piotrowski won in 57.84 seconds.

Ishpeming also placed second in the 1,600 relay with three-quarters of its 400 relay lineup, replacing Paananen with Nora Jo Anderson, and was fourth in the 3,200 relay.

Gwinn was runner-up in both the 400 and 800 relays with the same four girls — Kadence Ruggerio, Alexa Jakubowski, Alayna Soyring and Miaha Schiefel. And the Modeltowners were third in the 1,600 relay.

In individual events, the Hematites’ Anderson was the most prolific qualifier, making it to Kingsford in the 400, 100 hurdles and long jump.

Teammate Jadyn Negilski qualified in the shot put and discus, while Korpi got there in the 300 hurdles, Paananen in the long jump and Alexis Riley in the pole vault.

From Gwinn, Adeline Derwin was the lone double qualifier, getting to the finals in the discus and long jump.

Schiefel made it in the 100, Lexi Tadgerson in the shot put and Savannah Glaister in the discus.

Story contents based on results available from the MHSAA website, www.mhsaa.com. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.