#TBT: Payment's Jump Sets Standard
May 28, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Brimley's John Payment entered the 1989 Upper Peninsula Track & Field Finals with a personal-best high jump of 6-foot-8¾ – achieved in a meet only four days before the final competition of his high school school.
He left Marquette High School that May 27 with an all-Finals record of 7-1 that remains the all-time high and is the only all-Finals boys track & field record held by an Upper Peninsula athlete.
The 6-foot-3 Payment graduated as a three-time U.P. Finals champion in the event and entered his senior season with a best jump of 6-6. He cleared 7 feet twice at the 1989 Finals to tie and then break the then-previous all-Finals records set by Sterling Heights Stevenson's John McIntosh and Ann Arbor Pioneer's David Elliott set in 1979.
Brimley swept the top three places in high jump at the U.P. Class D Final in 1989, with Payment followed by teammates Bob Carrick and Kevin Sutton. Payment twice missed at 7-0 before eclipsing that mark and going for more.
"We're one big team," Payment said at the time. "Bob was telling me how far I was jumping from the bar. Bob told me I was too far out and to come in. That's when I cleared 7-1."
Only four others have jumped 7-0 at MHSAA Finals.
Click to read more from the Sault Evening News and its piece that is published as part of the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame website.
Marquette Boys Score in 16 Events to Extend Team Championship Streak
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
June 1, 2024
KINGSFORD — The Marquette boys hung on to first place for the fourth consecutive year here Saturday, scoring 163 points at the Upper Peninsula Division 1 Track & Field Finals.
They were followed by Kingsford with 101 and Houghton with 67.
“We did really well,” Sentinels’ coach Derek Marr said. “I’m really proud of the fact we were able to score points in 16 of 17 events, and it was good to see our guys win three relays. It’s great to see a full team effort. A few years ago people talked about how good we were in the distances, but we weren’t satisfied with that. We wanted to be a well-rounded team.”
Junior Kyler Sager won long jump at 19 feet, 11½ inches and anchored the winning 400 relay, clocked at 44.4 seconds.
“Our coaches preach handoffs, and today they went real well,” he said. “Starts are also a big part of it.”
Junior Jacob MacPhee added a first in the 400 (50.47), anchored the winning 800 (1:32.47) and 1,600 (3:32.5) relays and placed second in the 200 (23.58).
The Sentinels also showed their depth in the distances. Even though they didn’t get any firsts in the longer races, they were able to take three places in the 800 and 1,600 and two in the 3,200.
Senior Cullen Papin was runner-up in the 800 (2:02.84), and sophomore Seppi Camilli took second in the 3,200 (9:42.89).
Sault Ste. Marie sophomore Gabe Litzner set the UPD1 Finals record in the 3,200 (9:35.62), shaving nearly 11 seconds off the previous best by Marquette’s Carson Vanderschaff (9:46.53) from two years ago.
“I was two seconds away from a PR (personal record),” Litzner said. “I was going to hold on for six laps and try to pick it up. I’m real happy about this one. After coming back from the injuries I had, this one is very special. (I’m) most proud of this of any of my events. It’s the greatest feeling ever. I didn’t think I’d ever make it to the Finals again, let alone win it.”
Litzner, who sustained serious injuries in a vehicle/pedestrian accident in Sault Ste. Marie this winter, was also runner-up in the 1,600 (4:27.33).
Houghton junior Luke Hill took the 800 (2:00.05) and 1,600 (4:26.32) and anchored the winning 3,200 relay (8:26.14).
The Gremlins also got a first in the 300 hurdles from senior Brody Mattila (39.87), who edged Negaunee junior Brady Mager by six hundredths of a second.
Earlier, Mattila was runner-up to Gladstone senior Luke Bracket in the 110s at 15.34. Bracket won in 15:09.
“Brody really pushed me,” Bracket said. “I’m good friends with Brody. It was good to have that competition. Winning this race was my goal. It feels good to get No. 1 after taking second two years in a row.”
Kingsford’s leaders were seniors Michael Floriano and Noah Johnson. Floriano took the 100 (11.54) and 200 (23.13), and Johnson won shot put (46-7) and discus (141-½).
Also winning were Menominee sophomore Darrent Butler in high jump (6-2) and Sault senior Rayce Rizzo in pole vault (13-0). Marquette junior Jim Bennett (100, 200 and 400) and Sault Ste. Marie junior Johnny Osborn (shot put) won adaptive event championships.
PHOTOS (Top) After crossing the finish line Saturday, Marquette's Kyler Sager celebrates winning the 400 relay. (Middle) Gladstone's Luke Bracket (4) gets over the last hurdle before Houghton's Brody Mattila to win the 110 hurdles. (Click for more from Cara Kamps/RunMichigan.com.)