Negaunee’s Sadie Rogers leads and would go on to win this 100-meter hurdles race April 21 during a Tuesdays in Marquette track exhibition held at the Sentinels track. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

KINGSFORD — The Negaunee girls were overwhelming champions at the MHSAA Upper Peninsula regional track meet in Division 1 held in Kingsford on Wednesday, though it meant something more than just a meet title.

Regionals are used to qualify athletes for the MHSAA U.P. Finals taking place back in Kingsford for all divisions on Saturday, May 30.

In Divisions 1 and 2, where there are only 11 or 12 teams each, the top four finishers in both individual and relay events advance. In Division 3, where there are close to 30 teams, four individuals also advance, but only two relays.

The Miners girls scored 105 1/2 points, well more than the other four teams combined. Houghton was runner-up with 35 1/2, Kingsford third with 26, Calumet fourth with 19 and Westwood fifth with 1.

The boys meet was much closer, with the host Flivvers winning with 68 points as second-place Houghton had 61. Negaunee was a solid third with 37, while Westwood scored 16 and Calumet 5.

Here are highlights from each meet:

Girls meet

The Miners won 12 of the meet’s 17 events, with Sadie Rogers sweeping the hurdles and adding a victory in the 200-meter dash and a leg of the triumphant 1,600 relay.

“Sadie has not lost a hurdle race this season and has been bringing her times down over the last few meets,” Negaunee girls head coach Vickie Paupore said in an email detailing the meet.

She clocked 16.24 seconds in the 100 hurdles and 47.63 in the 300 hurdles — a win by about 4 1/2 seconds. She also timed 27.28 seconds in the 200 — that victory by only eight-hundredths of a second — and 4:17.5 in the 1,600 relay, joining teammates Riley Conklin, Josie Mechling and Brynn Wieciech.

Teammate Nori Korsman set a school record by clearing 9 feet, 11 inches in the pole vault, also winning the event by almost 2 1/2 feet.

“Nori Korsman also had a fantastic (day), winning the pole vault and improving on her own school record with a jump of 9-11,” Paupore said. “She also qualified (for the U.P. Finals) in all four of her events.”

Her finals qualifications included a second place in the 800.

And the Miners’ Keira Waterman also won a pair of events, taking the 400 in 1:02.02 and 800 in 2:39.55, events spaced just two spots apart in the meet.

“Keira Waterman also had an outstanding meet with two firsts, a second and a third,” Paupore said. “Keira had a tough schedule with three running events that are spaced fairly close together and little rest time. She was able to qualify in all her events by running smart races. 

“I am so proud of our overall team performance. The girls did not let up at all and really competed with a lot of heart.”

Elvera Coyne also accounted for four wins, taking the high jump with 4-8 as she won on a tiebreaker with two others, including teammate Clare O’Donnell. Coyne also won the 100 in 12.76 and ran with the winning 400 relay in 53.08 seconds and 800 relay in 1:53.44.

Those two relays had the same four athletes, also including Wieciech, Izzy Francisco and Ayla Reichel.

Negaunee’s other victory came from Paige O’Donnell taking the shot put with a heave of 29-6 1/4 as teammate Priya Morey was second in that event and the discus.

Some other Miners’ runner-up finishes included Waterman in the long jump, Mechling in the 100 and 300 hurdles, Francisco in the 100 and the quartet of Conklin, Adelyn Chapman, Eliza Sicotte and Liliana Saunders in the 3,200 relay.

Westwood’s lone qualifier was its fourth-place group in the 3,200 relay, including Kamryn Lavigne, Grace Shandonay, Piper Etelamaki and Ava Gobert.

Teammate Addelyn Hallum made a bid to qualify, too, but fell just short with fifth-place finishes in the 100 and 200.

Boys meet

The wins were tougher for Negaunee to come by in this meet, with the Miners accounting for one — Derek McEachern taking the 400 in 53.54, a victory by exactly a quarter-second.

He also placed third in the 200 and was part of two runner-up relays, the 800 that also included Blayne LaCosse, Marshall Peters and Evan Asikainen, and the 1,600 that also had LaCosse, Aaron Maki and Jace Collins.

Negaunee had a pair of second places in field events, Cole Prusi in the long jump and Ethan Gauthier in the discus.

Showing up in third place for the Miners was Cole Pekrul in the 110 hurdles, Simon Jaklin in the 1,600, Prusi in the 300 hurdles, Henry Plummer in the 3,200 and Nash Barabe in the discus.

Westwood joined Negaunee by winning an event, Louis Salmi taking the pole vault by clearing 12-6.

With the Patriots turning in an interesting set of relays — they finished third in all four — Salmi was part of three of them, the 400, 800 and 1,600.

Also in both the 400 and 800 relays was Jaks Williams, Ellis King and Gavin Comero, while in the 1,600 relay was Comero, King and Jared Waterman.

And for Westwood in the 3,200 relay was Waterman, Breckin Jensen, William Niemi and Johnny Jestila.

Comero added a third place in the pole vault, while Karter Scherer was fourth in the 300 hurdles.

Story contents based on email received from Negaunee girls track coach Vickie Paupore and an examination of the Superior Timing website at www.superiortiming.com. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.