Marquette’s Logan McFarren, front in purple-and-black suit, joins the other swimmers coming off the blocks to start the girls’ 100-yard backstroke during the MHSAA Upper Peninsula Finals in held at Marquette Senior High School on Feb. 15, 2025. McFarren finished runner-up in this event. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)

MARQUETTE — With the MHSAA Upper Peninsula Swimming and Diving Finals on tap today and Saturday, Marquette couldn’t have found a better way to ease into the biggest meet of the year than with victories over one of their closest rivals last week.

The Sentinels defeated the Houghton girls 104-79 as the MSHS boys prevailed over the Gremlins 104-69 on Feb. 10 at the Marquette pool.

That’s where the U.P. Finals take place, this afternoon for diving and Saturday over most of the day for all swimming events.

“What a great way to end the regular season for (the) Sentinels,” Marquette head coach Nate McFarren said in an email detailing the meet results. “The stage is set for the U.P. Finals and it should be a good one.”

Marquette is the six-time defending boys champion, having won that U.P. title 32 times in records shown on the MHSAA website, www.mhsaa.com, that date back to 1980.

The Sentinels are “only” four-time defending girls champ, winning that U.P. crown 29 times, also since 1980.

Last year, both Marquette teams posted nearly 100-point margins over the runner-up squad, the Sentinels boys scoring 338 points to 246 for second-place Houghton, while the MSHS girls earned 347 to runner-up Kingsford’s 252.

Last week against Houghton, the Sentinels won all but one event in each meet, including sweeps of all three relays.

Each MSHS team had a pair of four-time winners, all those swimmers winning two individual events and joining two victorious relays.

For the girls, Kaytlin Roell took the 50- and 100-yard freestyle, while Logan McFarren won the 100 backstroke and 200 free. Each also swam with the 200 free and 400 free relays.

In the boys meet, Josiah Youngren triumphed in the 50 free and 100 backstroke, while Cade Kruhak claimed the 100 free and 100 breaststroke. Both were also on the 200 medley relay, while Youngren swam with the 200 free relay and Kruhak with 400 free relay.

Five more swimmers claimed three events apiece, each of them being on two triumphant relays to go with one individual event.

Among the girls, Sophie Hausmann won the diving, Edith Jentoft the 100 butterfly and Loralei Maki the 200 individual medley. All three were also on the 200 medley relay, with Hausmann and Maki in the 200 free relay and Jentoft the 400 free relay.

On the boys side, Lucas Deiter won the 200 IM and Gavin Mills the 100 fly as both were on the 200 free relay and Deiter swam with the 400 free relay and Mills on the 200 medley relay.

There was still room for four more Sentinels to win two events each.

Hailee LaCombe was the lone doubler for the girls as she won the 100 breast and was on the 200 medley relay.

Among boys, Beau Deiter won the 200 free and 500 free, while both Anton Voigt and Landen McFarren were on two relays, both on the 400 free relay with Voigt also on the 200 free relay and McFarren the 200 medley relay.

One other winner was Liliana Fogaroli, who swam with the girls’ winning 400 free relay.

Story contents based on email received from Marquette head coach Nate McFarren. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.