Ishpeming Sweeps UPD2 boys titles
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
October 25, 2020
Ishpeming’s boys continued their winning ways Saturday, earning their third consecutive Upper Peninsula Division 2 cross country championship with 17 points at George Young Recreational Complex.
The Hematites, who won for the sixth time in seven years, were followed by Painesdale Jeffers with 57 points and Bessemer Gogebic with 98.
Ishpeming grabbed five of the top six spots, led by senior Silas Broberg, who retained his title on the snow-covered 3.1-mile course in 20 minutes, 24.8 seconds, nearly three minutes slower than last year’s winning time amid the wintery conditions.
He was followed by classmates Jordan Longtine (20:59.6) and Joseph King (21:03.8), Jeffers sophomore Tavin Larson (21:18.7) and Ishpeming senior David Liimatta (21:23.2).
Broberg was the fourth Ishpeming runner in five seasons to win the Division 2 race, and second straight from his family. Silas' older brother Jonah won the 2019 Final, where Silas finished 11th.
PHOTOS: (Top) Ishpeming’s Silas Broberg leads the pack during the Upper Peninsula Division 2 Final at George Young Recreational Complex. (Below) The Hematites claimed their third straight team championships. (Photos by Theresa Proudfit.)
Performance of the Week: Anchor Bay's Thomas Westphal
November 3, 2022
Thomas Westphal ♦ New Baltimore Anchor Bay
Cross Country ♦ Junior
Westphal continued his stunning rise this season, winning his team’s Lower Peninsula Division 1 Regional at Croswell-Lexington by 27 seconds with a time of 15:12.2 – the eighth-fastest time in the Lower Peninsula this fall. Westphal has won four of his last five races and finished first or second in eight of his nice races this season. The Regional win followed up another victory at the Macomb Area Conference all-divisions championship race Oct. 22.
As a sophomore last fall, Westphal’s best finish was a seventh place, and he didn’t advance to the MHSAA Cross Country Finals either of his first two seasons. His personal record heading into this fall was 17:26.7, and he bested it by more than a minute in his 2022 season debut. He’s broken 16 minutes in six races this season, with his Regional-winning time his newest all-time best. Westphal’s elite abilities actually began to emerge on the statewide scene in the spring, when he finished eighth in the 1,600 meters and 10th in the 800 at the Lower Peninsula Division 1 Track & Field Finals.
@mhsaasports 🏃♂️POW: Thomas Westphal #performanceoftheweek #crosscountry #running #record #pr #fast #finalsbound #goodluck #anchorbay #MHSAA #highschoolsports #tiktalk #interview #TikTok #mistudentaid #fyp @thomas_westphal ♬ original sound - MHSAA
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2022-23 Honorees
Oct. 27: Justin Wickey, Colon football - Report
Oct. 20: Owen DeMuth, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood tennis - Report
Oct. 13: Mia Melendez, Ann Arbor Greenhills golf - Report
Oct. 6: Shawn Foster, Grand Ledge football - Report
Sept. 30: Hannah Smith, Temperance Bedford swimming - Report
Sept. 22: Helen Sachs, Holland West Ottawa cross country - Report
Sept. 15: Nina Horning, Lake Orion volleyball - Report
Sept 8: Arturo Romero, Muskegon Oakridge soccer - Report
Sept. 1: Austin King, Midland Dow tennis - Report
Aug. 25: Olivia Hemmila, Troy Athens golf - Report
(Photos courtesy of Rick Leslie [action] and Anchor Bay High School [head shot].)