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Ishpeming Steps Up to 1st in UP D2

By John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com

June 1, 2014

KINGSFORD — After taking home the runner-up trophy a year ago, the Ishpeming boys track and field team took that final step up the podium in Saturday’s Upper Peninsula Division 2 Finals.

The Hematites collected 115 points, earning their first title since 2003. They were followed by defending champ Manistique with 76 and Hancock with 61.

“We looked back at the seeding times, and it looked like we were 30 points better than them,” said Ishpeming coach Scott Syrjala. “We knew Manistique was faster than that. It’s a real feather in our cap to win by nearly 40. The guys were showing up for Saturday and Sunday workouts because we had practice whenever the sun was shining.”

Ishpeming senior Noah Olgren won pole vault at 12 feet, with classmate Jordan Tousignant runner-up (11-6).

Senior teammate Bobby Zhulkie was runner-up to Newberry senior Leroy Ward-Harbaum in high jump (5-8) on a tie-breaker, and junior Tommy Potter placed second in the 800-meter run in 2 minutes, 7.23 seconds, the 1,600 (4:57.9) and helped the Hematites place second in the 3,200 relay.

Ishpeming junior Nate Meyer placed second in the 400 (53.39) and senior Adam Prisk was third (54.07). Meyer added a third in the 200 (23.73). Prisk and Meyer also helped the winning 800 and 1,600 relays.

Manistique senior Ryan Ramey retained his 400 title (51.71), but yielded his 200 crown to L’Anse senior Ryan LaBerge (23.33). Ramey was runner-up in the 200 (23.63).

Senior teammate Tony Floyd won the 100 (11.64) and took fifth in the 200 (23.83).

Hancock had double-winners in senior Jacob Jarvis and sophomore Greg Hawthorne.

Jarvis won the 110 hurdles (15.65) and 300 (40.36) and helped the Bulldogs take second in the 800 relay. Hawthorne won shot put (51-/2) and retained his discus title (142-3).

“My starts have been good all day, and my legs have gotten a little quicker in the 110s,” said Jarvis, who will study at Michigan Tech this fall. “At the Regional (at West Iron County), I felt good and started thinking (winning both U.P. hurdle races) was a realistic goal.”

Ironwood junior Jared Joki became a triple-winner, taking the 800 (2:06.58), 1,600 (4:45.18) and 3,200 in a personal-best 10:19.36.

“It’s a great feeling to win here with some amazing competition,” said Joki. “It was hot out there. I have a couple friends in D-3 and you could tell the heat drained their energy. During the races, I didn’t think the heat was much of a factor. You just had to make sure you stayed hydrated.

“I had a lower body injury during the winter, otherwise I would have tried to go under 10 (in the 3,200). Overall, I’m pleased with the whole day.”

Click for full results. 

PHOTO: A pair of Ishpeming runners exchange the baton en route to winning the 1,600 relay at the U.P. Division 2 Final on Saturday at Kingsford. (Click to see more from RunMichigan.com.)

High 5s: 5/15/12

May 15, 2012

This week's honorees include arguably Michigan's top distance runner, top lacrosse player, and a baseball team looking to assert itself at the top while representing the state's largest city.

Lauren Hooker
East Grand Rapids senior
Lacrosse

(Updated May 19) Hooker, who plays attack, led the Pioneers to a 20-0 start. She's scored 101 goals -- already third-most for a single season in the MHSAA record book, and more than 25 percent of her team's total. Add in her 33 assists, and her 134 total points are fifth in MHSAA history for one season. East Grand Rapids is ranked No. 1 both in Division 2 and regardless of division based on the computer rankings supplied by LaxPower.com. Hooker also was the low scorer on the Pioneers golf team that finished eighth at the fall's Division 3 Final, and she missed the individual top 10 by only two strokes. She's signed to play lacrosse at Marquette University next season.

Scoring touch: "I don't try and dodge all the time. I don't like to work my way through people to score. I just try to find an opening."

Up next: "I'm not exactly sure yet (what I'll study), probably something in the sciences. Maybe something like criminology. I always wanted to be an FBI agent when I was growing up."

I learned the most about lacrosse from: "Two of my best friends play for the University of Oregon (Jana and Jess Drummond). And Coach (Jeff) Oates has spent a lot of time with me, talking to me, helping me during the offseason."

Different strokes: "I love the intensity (of lacrosse). I love the team aspect. It's competitive, but fun at the same time. Everyone on our team loves it together. ... In golf, I like how you're still part of the team, but an individual. To help the team, it's on you. It's a good contrast to lacrosse." 

Garret Zuk

White Lake Lakeland senior

Track and Field

Zuk, the reigning MHSAA Division 1 cross country champion, ran career bests of 9:09.2 in the 3,200 meters and 4:16.92 in the 1,600 to take first in the former and second by two hundredths of a second in the latter at Saturday's Kensington Lakes Activities Association championship meet at Pinckney. But his best moment might've come when he finished second on purpose -- to Walled Lake Northern's Devin Kimberlin in the 3,200 last Tuesday after pacing the sophomore through the race to a career-best time, and then letting him win at the end. (Click to read more). Zuk was an MHSAA Scholar-Athlete Award winner this winter and is the co-salutatorian of his class with a 4.22 grade-point average. He will run this fall at Michigan State University.

"I've done it for kids on my own team. Normally, I'm in a position where things are still hanging in the balance and we need the points to win. But the way this meet was ... there was no way we could win. I saw the kind of effort Devin was trying to put in, and there was no reason not to help out."

Up next: Zuk will run both cross country and track at MSU, as is the norm at the college level. He's planning to study mechanical engineering, with an eye on the aerospace field -- think NASA, Boeing, etc. Not surprisingly, math is his best subject.

I learned the most about running from: Retired longtime Lakeland coach Randy Wilkins and current cross country coach Joe Verellen. "The combination of those two (taught me) a lot of what I know and what I practice in my running.

I look up to: "Every American distance runner has to look up to Steve Prefontaine at one time or another. What Pre stood for, the way he went about running; it's inspiring to everyone."

Detroit Western International baseball

The Cowboys are 22-4 and winners of 11 straight heading into Friday afternoon's Detroit Public School League Tournament semifinal. They are the top seed after finishing the league regular season undefeated, and have their sights set on a trip to Battle Creek this month after coming within an out of the MHSAA Semifinals a year ago. Of 16 players on this spring's team, 14 were on last year's as well. Click to read more.

This spring's previous honorees