Manistique Earns First Title Since 1960
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
June 2, 2013
KINGSFORD — John F. Kennedy was running for President and gasoline was selling for less than 30 cents a gallon when the Manistique boys last were crowned Upper Peninsula track champions.
The year was 1960, and the Emeralds earned their first Class A-B crown.
Manistique ended that drought Saturday by scoring 102 points to capture the Division 2 title. The Emeralds were followed by Ishpeming with 96 and West Iron County with 75.
The Emeralds held a 92-88 edge over Ishpeming heading into the 1,600 relay, which was delayed roughly an hour by a thunderstorm.
Manistique, however, placed an exclamation point at the end of its season by winning the day's final race. Ishpeming placed second and West Iron was third in the closing event.
"I was getting a little worried about having to come back and run after that long of a delay," said Emeralds' coach Mary Lou Lund. "But the guys found a way to get it done."
Manistique was trailing Ishpeming by approximately 20 yards when junior Ryan Ramey got the baton. He responded with a 48.2-second anchor leg, enabling the Emeralds to slip past the Hematites for the win.
"It feels great to finally win this (U.P. Finals)," said Manistique senior Kenner Broullire, who led off the 1,600 relay. "Ishpeming definitely wanted to run, and we wanted to run. We didn't want the last race to get cancelled. We wanted to win this meet fair and square. Ryan had a lot of ground to make up, but nobody will ever doubt Ryan. He just finds another gear."
Ramey also won the 200-meter dash in 23.82 seconds, the 400 in a school-record 51.12 and anchored the winning 3,200 relay.
Ishpeming sophomore Nate Meyer, who beat Ramey in the 400 in the Mid-Peninsula Conference meet May 23 at Norway, was runner-up this time (51.68).
"I slipped out of the blocks in the 200," Ramey said. "I knew I had to find another gear in the first 100 and use the home stretch for my kick. I also knew I had to take Meyer early in the 400. I was more relaxed and got out of the blocks faster than in the M-PCs."
Broullire, who will run track at West Point next season, set the U.P. meet record in the 300 hurdles (39.35), topping the previous mark (41.0) by Munising's Lee Denman run in 2004.
Broullire also won the 100 (11.37), followed by West Iron's Tyler Stafford (11.43).
"I didn't get a great start in the 100, but decided to go for it in about the final 15 meters," Broullire said. "I was hoping to run in the 38s in the 300 hurdles, but you can't complain about a title. I'm excited about our team winning. Deep down I knew we had the potential to win it. This is a great way to end a high school career."
Ishpeming took the 400 relay in a U.P. meet record 45.16, topping the previous mark (45.35) by St. Ignace in 2008.
Newberry senior James Sutton set the high jump record (6-4), an inch higher than the previous record holder Rick St. Amour of Munising from 2001.
"I seem to jump better in the cold," said Sutton, who cleared 6-8 in the Straits Area Conference meet at Sault Ste. Marie on Tuesday. "I'm happy with the U.P. record, but I'm a little disappointed I didn't go higher. I like this track and its nice, soft surface. Some of the kids said they didn't like the pits, but I didn't have a problem with it."
Iron Mountain senior Dan Kulas was a double winner, taking the 1,600 (4:42.03) and 3,200 (10:15.4).
St. Ignace, which won D-2 the past three seasons, competed in D-3 this year.
PHOTOS: (Top) Manistique's Kenner Broullire carries the baton for his team during a relay Saturday. (Middle) The Emeralds pose with their first MHSAA boys track and field championship trophy since 1960. (Photos courtesy of Manistique High School.)
VanderSchaaf Brothers Help Marquette Pull Away for UPD1 3-Peat
By
Jason Juno
Special for MHSAA.com
June 4, 2023
KINGSFORD – The Marquette boys had a little more breathing room Saturday than last year.
They defeated Kingsford at the Upper Peninsula Track & Field Finals by just one point a year ago, but were 20 points better than the Flivvers this time around to claim a third-straight Division 1 championship.
Marquette finished with 134 points, Kingsford had 114, third-place Sault Ste. Marie 90 and fourth-place Gladstone scored 51.
Like the team, Marquette’s Carson VanderSchaaf won an event for the third straight year – the 3,200-meter run. He finished in 9:55.25, edging Sault Ste. Marie freshman Gabe Litzner by less than a second.
“I ran a little bit quicker last year, but (in) a little more favorable conditions,” VanderSchaaf said. “It’s pretty hot out, and I’m not quite feeling the best today.”
He might have had two U.P. titles Saturday, but his brother Colin, also a senior, gave Carson a runner-up finish in the 1,600 by less than two seconds.
“My brother outkicked me in the 1,600,” Carson said.
Colin won it in 2021, Carson in 2022 and now Colin in 2023.
Colin also won the 800 for Marquette on Saturday, edging teammate Cullen Papin by six hundredths of a second.
Marquette also won the 400 and 1,600 relays. Nate Benninger, Adam DuVall, Wyatt Lakenen and Kyler Sager made up the 400 relay team with Kai Chouinard, Ben Rayhorn, Papin and Colin VanderSchaaf on the 1,600 relay.
Sault Ste. Marie’s Carter Oshelski won two U.P. titles, in the 200 and 400 dashes. He outpaced runner-up Colin VanderSchaaf in the 400.
“In the 400, I just tried to stick with the top guy and try to beat him down the stretch,” Oshelski said. “And then the 200, I sprinted it all.”
Kingsford won the 800 relay (Cole Myllyla, Jack Olson, Conor Quick and Michael Floriano) and Sault Ste. Marie placed first in 3,200 relay (Caleb Klier, Logan Haskins, Cody Aldridge and Litzner).
Iron Mountain’s Will Fairchild was also a double winner, taking both of the hurdles races. Floriano took first in the 100 dash.
The Flivvers were strong in the field events. Noah Johnson won the discus, tying the U.P. Division 1 Finals record at 160 feet, 5 inches (with Terry Martin of Manistique). Cardel Morton won the long jump and Garrett Veale the shot put. Darrent Butler claimed the high jump for Menominee’s only event win on the day, and Sault Ste. Marie’s Rayce Rizzo took the pole vault.
In the Division 1 adaptive events, Marquette’s Jim Bennett won the 100, 200 and 400 and Sault Ste. Marie’s Johnny Osborn took first in the shot put.
PHOTOS (Top) Marquette's Colin VanderSchaaf crosses the finish line first in the 1,600 relay Saturday. (Middle) Kingsford's Michael Floriano, second from right, edges Sault Ste. Marie's Carter Oshelski in the 100. (Below) Iron Mountain's Will Fairchild, left, and Gladstone's Luke Bracket are step for step with each other in the 300 hurdles. (Photos by Cara Kamps/RunMichigan.com.)