Ishpeming will be among more than 50 schools that were eligible to participate at the U.P. Finals in Kingsford for all divisions on Saturday, May 30.

At Division 3 regionals, the top four finishers in individual events and the top two relay teams get to advance to Kingsford.

The Hematites boys finished runner-up at the D-3 regional as Stephenson won with 66 points. Ishpeming was a distant second with 35, while Forest Park scored 32 1/2, North Dickinson 24, North Central 17 and Hannahville 7.

Republic-Michigamme was seventh with 3 points as Carney-Nadeau had 2 1/2.

Ishpeming’s Kemper Gearhart, right, is followed closely by Stephenson’s Canon Kuntze in the boys 3,200-meter run at an MHSAA Upper Peninsula Division 3 regional track and field meet held at the Hematites track in Ishpeming on Wednesday. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

In the girls meet, FP won a close decision with 62 1/2 as Stephenson totaled 57 1/2. ND was third with 38, followed by Ishpeming with 13, C-N 12 and NC 2 as R-M didn’t score.

Here are details from the meet:

Boys meet

Distance specialist Kemper Gearhart led the Hematites by qualifying for the finals in all four events he participated in.

He not only won the 1,600-meter run in 5 minutes, 6.46 seconds, a victory by more than 13 seconds, but he claimed the 3,200 in 11:36.28, a triumph by more than 25 seconds. He was also runner-up in the 800, losing by just 2 1/2 seconds, and ran with Ishpeming’s second-place 3,200 relay that also included Josh Wojie, Legend Hewitt and Mateusz Wozniak.

Ishpeming’s Nora Jo Anderson attempts to clear the bar in the girls’ high jump at an MHSAA Upper Peninsula Division 3 regional track and field meet held at the Hematites track in Ishpeming on Wednesday. Anderson would finish second, only losing on a tiebreaker to winner Aubrey Applekamp of North Dickinson. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

The other three members of that relay each were three-time finals qualifiers.

Wozniak won the pole vault by clearing 10 feet, 6 inches, and was fourth in the 3,200, while Hewitt was second in the high jump and Wojie fourth in the 400.

Hewitt and Wojie also ran with the Hematites’ second-place 400 relay that included Jason Firby and Brayden Longstaff.

Longstaff added a runner-up finish in the 110 hurdles, while teammate Davis Hyatt was third in the shot put.

R-M’s single U.P. Finals qualifier was Brendan Mattila in the discus. He was runner-up with a toss of 115-1, just a few feet behind winner Ricky Haney of North Dickinson’s 117-10.

Girls meet

Sophie Mahoski and Nora Jo Anderson starred for Ishpeming, Mahoski accounting for the Hematites’ only victory and Anderson qualifying for the finals in three events.

Mahoski carted off victory in the 3,200 in 13:35.57, a win by more than 40 seconds, while also placing second in the 1,600 just over five seconds behind winner Audrey Williams of Forest Park.

Anderson was a gut-wretching second in the high jump after she and North Dickinson’s Aubrey Applekamp both cleared 5-feet even, but Applekamp won a tiebreaker.

Anderson was also fourth in the 100 and 400.

R-M didn’t get a finals qualifier, its closest being Zoe Blubaugh finishing eighth in the 100 hurdles and Isabel Anderson ninth in the long jump.

Story contents based on an examination of the MHSAA website at www.mhsaa.com. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.