Ishpeming Dominates with Record Total

By John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com

May 31, 2015

KINGSFORD — It was a dominating performance by the Ishpeming boys during Saturday’s Upper Peninsula Division 2 Track and Field Final, to say the least, as they retained their title with a U.P.-record 164 points.

The Hematites were followed by archrival Ishpeming Westwood with 75 and Iron River West Iron County at 64.

Senior Nate Meyer paced the Hematites with four firsts, taking the 100-meter dash in 11.64 seconds, 200 (23.36) and 400 (54.33) and anchoring the winning 1,600 relay.

“I’ve run my 400 faster, but had PRs (personal records) in the 100 and 200,” said Meyer. “I had very good starts, and my brother Zach who runs in college (at Hillsdale College) has worked with me. I don’t think I would have won those races without him helping me.”

Ishpeming grabbed the top three places in the 800. Tommy Potter won that race (2:11.64), followed by Daren Guichin (2:12.38) and Derek Mahoski (2:15.87).

“Nate and Tommy are the backbone of our team, and we surround them with good people.” said Hematites coach Scott Syrjala. “Taking the top three places in the 800 is huge. We have a great group of seniors who are just very competitive.”

Ishpeming captured the 400, 1,600 and 3,200 relays and was runner-up to West Iron in the 800.

Potter added a second in the 1,600 (4:45.92), with Guichin fourth (4:59.31).

Westwood’s Vincente Carlson dominated the 110 hurdles (15.77) and 300 (42.59), finishing more than two seconds ahead of the field in each race.

Brandon Olson provided West Iron with a first in long jump at 19 feet, three inches. Rusty Johnson was runner-up in the 400 (56.23). Teammate Nik Thoney took second in the 200 (23.87), and Johnson placed third (23.96).

Fourth-place L’Anse scored 34 of its 55 points in the weight events, with Levi Hoskins winning discus (139-9) and Ryan Delene taking third (102-4). Brandon Kempainen took shot put (42-7¾) and Hoskins was runner-up (41-0).

Ironwood senior Jared Joki won the 1,600 (4:43.35) and 3,200 (9:58.02).

The 3,200 combined runners in Division 1 and 2, with Marquette junior Lance Rambo the overall winner in a U.P. Division record time (9:50.03).

“I was happy with how everything went, although I would have liked to have kicked it in a little sooner (in the 3,200),” said Joki, who plans to attend Brigham Young University this fall. “Lance got little bit of a gap on me and I did my best to minimize that. My place was to stay with him as long as I could.”

Joki, who hopes to run cross county and track in college, liked Saturday’s cooler weather conditions better than the 86-degree heat the athletes endured a year ago.

“We had nicer weather than we had last year,” he said. “It was more comfortable for running this time.”

Click for full results.

PHOTOS: (Top) Nate Meyer pulls ahead of the field for one of his three sprint championships Saturday at the U.P. Division 2 Final. (Middle) Tommy Potter, right, and teammate Daren Guichin take off at the start of a race; they finished first and second, respectively, in the 800, and second and fourth in the 1,600. (Photos courtesy of Cara Kamps.)

Moment: Noeker Hurdles into Elite Club

April 24, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Tyrone Wheatley is as heralded a legend as any in MHSAA track & field history.

On June 5, 2010, Pewamo-Westphalia’s Cory Noeker joined the former Dearborn Heights Robichaud star in an accomplishment no other Lower Peninsula runner has matched.

Noeker closed his high school career by becoming the second to win four titles at an LP Boys Track & Field Finals, claiming the 110 (14.70) and 300 (38.95) hurdles and 100 (11.16) and 200-meter (22.6) dashes at that year’s Division 4 meet.

“I always knew I could do it, but I always had this nervousness. ... The whole year I didn't lose in those big meets. I felt confident that I could pull it off,” Noeker told the Lansing State Journal the following week.

His feat came 20 years after Wheatley’s in 1990, and the four titles gave him six total in individual events to go with three in relays won during his sophomore and junior seasons. Five Upper Peninsula athletes also have won four titles at a boys Finals meet, making for seven total to achieve the rare accomplishment. Noeker went on to compete for Central Michigan.

See below for his four 2010 championships from the NFHS Network. (Photo courtesy of the Lansing State Journal.)