Marquette’s Ethan Martysz, center, is surrounded by three of his teammates and a pair of other runners while winning the boys 100-meter dash in 11.81 seconds during an MHSAA Upper Peninsula Division 1 high school regional track and field meet held at Marquette Senior High School on Friday. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)

By RYAN SPITZA

Journal Sports Writer

MARQUETTE — High school track and field athletes from five Upper Peninsula high schools were running, throwing and jumping for glory on Friday at an MHSAA Upper Peninsula Division 1 regional.

Hosted by Marquette Senor High School, these athletes were attempting to place in the top four of each event as that would send them on to the U.P. Finals in Kingsford on Saturday, June 2.

Marquette, Escanaba, Gladstone, Menominee and Sault Ste. Marie were the participating teams Friday.

MSHS won both boys and girls team titles, but more importantly sent numerous athletes through to the finals.

The boys team qualified 23 individuals, including at least one in every event, and all four relay teams, while the girls had 18 qualify also with all four relay teams.

The Redmen won the team title with 84 1/2 points followed by Gladstone with 53 1/2, Escanaba 30, Menominee 10 and Sault Ste. Marie 9.

The Redettes claimed the girls title by just about the slimmest of margins — a half-point — by scoring 57.5 points to Sault Ste. Marie’s 57. Menominee was third with 36 1/2, while Esky had 22 and Gladstone 14.

Marquette girls coach Natalie Messano, filled with emotion after a slow start and close run for the regional title, said she was proud of her team’s effort.

“We didn’t win an event until the 400(-meter dash),” she said about the seventh of 12 running events. “We had a rough start and it was close, clearly, but my girls really came through.

“The last relay (the 1,600), they ran their hearts out and that’s all I can ask for. We had a couple of girls move up a few places. We had a few go through in the field events that we might not have expected and we’re used to winning the relays, but we didn’t win a single one (Friday).

“It was a total team effort. We had had some different girls in and everybody did their part. We needed every girl out on the track. We do our best and I couldn’t be happier with our girls. They pushed it.”

Messano added that it will be nice to breathe a little easier going into the Great Northern Conference meet on Thursday.

“This last week and a half has been crazy,” she said. “We’ve been racing every other day. We just breathe, get it together and rest. It’s always nice that the conference meet is after regionals because we get that one last race in before finals to tune up.”

As Messano mentioned, the Redettes’ first victory Friday came in the 400. But it wasn’t just a victory, but a clean sweep as Marquette took all four scoring — and qualifying — spots, led by Delaney Sall winning in 1 minute, 0.83 of a second. She was followed by teammates Rachael Hunt, Clarissa Remillard and Guinn Wuorinen.

Sall also won the 800 in 2:32.89, while Wuorinen was third.

In the 200, Hunt came out on top in 27.80 seconds, defeating Menominee’s Makenzie Wellner by less than a second.

Hunt also won the long jump with a leap of 16 feet, 1 inch. Teammate Enola Jeevar was runner-up and Ella Jones fourth.

Sault Ste. Marie kept Marquette from winning any relay, as the Blue Devils won three and Menominee one with the Redettes runners-up in three.

In the boys meet, the Redmen won eight events.

MSHS head coach Kyle Detmers said his team came through big as well, and was happy with how his lower-seeded athletes advanced.

“We had some surprises, some guys that were fifth and sixth seeds get through (in the top four),” he said. “My freshmen got through in the hurdles and we had Jacob Johnson in the 800….

“Overall I’m very happy with how everybody performed. It was a great day in the U.P. and a shout-out to Gladstone, Menominee, Escanaba and the Sault. They have some quality programs.”

Detmers added that he and his team will use next week’s GNC meet as a tune-up for finals, but not without a competitive spirit.

“We take it seriously because it is the conference championship,” he said. “But our goal is really the U.P. Finals, so we try to train maybe through that and use that as a workout but still still compete and be smart with it that way.”

Drew Thomas and Jonas Blum finished second and third for the Redmen in the 110 hurdles, while Blum also was second in the 300 hurdles.

Marquette won the three longest relay while taking second in the 400 relay behind Escanaba.

Ethan Martysz and Elijah Pickard went 1-2 in the 100, Martysz clocking 11.81 seconds, just ahead of Pickard at 12.03.

The Redmen also went 1-2 in the 400 with Garrett Rudden crossing the line in 53.53 seconds while teammate Julien Malherbe was second.

In the 800, Mathurin Gagnon nailed down another win for the Redmen in 2:03.66, beating out Gladstone’s Adam Bruce by less than a second.

In field events, Marquette’s Raffy Millado won the high jump by clearing 6-7, while Skyler Fortin won the discus with a throw of 121-7.5.

Marquette hosts the Great Northern Conference meet at 3:30 p.m. Thursday.

Email Ryan Spitza at sports@miningjournal.net.