North Dickinson sprints, hurdles to first in D3
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
June 2, 2013
KINGSFORD — Hurdles and sprints have been major strengths for the Felch North Dickinson boys track and field team all season.
That continued at Saturday's Upper Peninsula Track Finals, as the Nordics gained their first Division 3 title in five years with 77 points.
Five points then separated the next five teams, with defending champ Pickford taking runner-up honors this time with 51. The Panthers were followed by St. Ignace with 48, Rapid River at 47 and Rock Mid-Peninsula and Bessemer with 46 apiece.
The Nordics, led by junior Tim Hruska, scored 32 points in field events to go with 28 in the sprints.
Hruska finished as a triple winner, taking the 100-meter dash in 11.53 seconds, 110 hurdles (16.17) and 300 in a personal-best 41.89.
"I just practiced a lot on hurdles," Hruska said. "I was hoping to get first in the hurdles, and the 100 was a bonus. This is awesome. Now that I know I can run these times, I hope to be faster next year."
Senior teammate Ken Pekarek grabbed third in the 110 hurdles (17.16) and junior Logan O'Neil took third in the 300 (43.46).
"This is really about the whole team," said Nordics' coach Mike Lindholm. "Everybody pushes each other. They've had confidence all year."
Mid-Peninsula senior Brett Branstrom was also a triple winner, including his personal-best leap of 6 feet, 1 inch in high jump. He also captured shot put (47-11½) and discus (153-9¼).
"I think just being here helped," said Branstrom, who will play basketball at Northern Michigan University next winter. "I didn't have my best throws in shot and disc, although going 3 for 3 is a nice way to end it. We had a perfect day for it. I just didn't perform as well as I liked."
Bessemer junior Alex Smith had a hand in two firsts, winning long jump (20-5) and helping the Speedboys take the 400 relay in a school-record 45.91 seconds.
"We were really pumped to come here," Smith said. "Our handoffs were working real well, and we really wanted to get the record for our school."
Cedarville senior Josh Hester won the 800 and 1,600 in season-best times of 2:03.63 and 4:37.79, respectively.
"The nice track and nice weather helped," said Hester, who plans to run cross country and track at Lake Superior State University next school year. "My training has gone well, and it paid off. We've been doing speed work the past couple weeks, and that also helped. I didn't want to go out too hard in the 1,600 because I didn't want to burn myself out in the first lap.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Three North Dickinson hurdlers (including eventual winner Tim Hruska, far right) made up nearly half the field of the 110 hurdles final. (Middle) Pickford won the 1,600 relay and finished second overall in U.P. Division 2. (Photo by Paul Gerard. Click to see more photo coverage from RunMichigan.com.)
Pickford Wins Matchup of Reigning Champions to Run Title Streak to 3
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
June 2, 2024
KINGSFORD — The Pickford boys extended their championship reign here Saturday, retaining top honors at the Upper Peninsula Division 2 Track & Field Finals with 137 points.
They were followed by Munising with 106 and Ishpeming with 79. The team championship was the Panthers’ third straight, as they also won Division 3 in 2022.
Sophomore Gunner Bennin was a double-winner for Pickford, taking the 200-meter dash in 23.85 seconds and 400 at 53.36.
“It feels great to come here and win a couple events as a sophomore,” he said. “We knew Iron Mountain had some good sprinters, and Munising is tough. We needed the points. I started faster than I usually do, especially in the 400.
Senior Hayden Hagen provided the Panthers with a first in the 800 (2:05.03), and sophomore John Anderson won high jump at 5 feet, 8 inches.
Panthers junior Tom Storey was runner-up in pole vault (10-6) and high jump (5-7). Hagen was runner-up to Munising junior Dan Goss in the 1,600 (4:39.84) and 3,200 (10:30.81).
Goss ran a personal-best 4:33.98 in the 1,600 and was clocked at 10:23.9 in the 3,200, and anchored the winning 3,200 relay (8:50.22).
“I like the weather today,” he said. “It was a little humid during the 3,200. Otherwise, it was a good day for running. That was a 10-second PR (personal record) in the 1,600. I’m real happy with that. I’ve been training my tail off the last two weeks.
“The field events hurt us, but overall I’m happy with how our team did. I had a PR in every event including a split of 2 minutes flat in the 3,200 relay.”
Munising – the Division 3 champion in 2023 – also took the 800 relay (1:36.19), and Pickford was runner-up (1:38.18). The Panthers claimed the 1,600 relay (3:43.36) and placed second in the 3,200 (8:52.74).
Munising senior Joe Kelley added firsts in the 110 hurdles (16.46) and the 300s (42.12) and helped the Mustangs take second in the 400 relay (46.19) and 1,600 (3:48.86). Mustangs’ senior Trevor Nolan added a third in the 1,600 (4:43.41), followed by Bark River-Harris freshman Ben Knauf in a personal-best 4:48.04.
Ishpeming got a first on senior Brayden Martin’s throw of 123-9¼ in discus, and Hancock senior Myles Lewis took shot put (42-11½).
The Hematites got seconds from senior Tramon Gauthier in long jump (18-7¾), 110 hurdles (16.47) and 300s (43.62), and freshman Kemper Gearhart was third in the 3,200 (10:41.5).
Ironwood sophomore Talon Hughes placed second in the 100 (11.51) and 200 (23.98) and third in the 110 hurdles (16.55).
Iron Mountain senior Matt Colavecchi had a hand in three firsts, taking the 100 (11.44), long jump (19-8¼) and anchoring the winning 400 relay (45.92).
Rudyard got a first on junior Jaydon Niemi-Alcorn’s leap of 11-6 in pole vault. Taking runner-up for the Bulldogs were senior teammate Kaeden Sistrunk in shot put (40-8) and junior Ethan Hoolsema in discus (120-0).
PHOTOS (Top) Pickford's Jacob Mitchell hands off the baton to Eli MacDonald for the last leg of the 3,200 relay Saturday at Kingsford. (Middle) During a rainy 1,600, Munising's Dan Goss (1) leads the race with Pickford's Hayden Hagen (2) and Munising's Trevor Nolan (3) right behind him. (Click for more from Cara Kamps/RunMichigan.com.)