Saints Surge to 3rd Straight Finals Win
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
June 2, 2019
KINGSFORD – The St. Ignace girls achieved a three-peat in convincing fashion here Saturday, taking their third consecutive Upper Peninsula Division 2 track title with 130 points.
They were followed by Ishpeming with 61 and Bark River-Harris at 54.
St. Ignace grabbed seven firsts, including a trio by Libby Becker.
The senior distance ace captured the 800-meter run in two minutes, 23.1 seconds; 1,600 (5:20.63) and 3,200 (12:13.88).
"It was really hot," said Becker, who plans to run track and cross country at Michigan State in 2019-20. "The heat kind of got to me. My main goal was just to win the 3,200. I was pretty happy with my 800 and 1,600. Madeleine (Peramaki) really helped me with those."
Peramaki, a senior from Munising and Cedarville (Ohio) University recruit, was runner-up in the 800 (2:27.32) and 1,600 (5:40.86).
St. Ignace freshman Ally Schultz captured the 200 (27.05) and 400 (1:02.24) and placed second in the 100 (13;18).
"I usually run a negative (200) split in the 400, but today I got a positive split," said Schultz. "Often you're feeling good, then you get to the last 100 and your legs start to tighten up. You just have to push through it."
Junior Heather Lamb, who was battling hip problems, provided the Saints with a first in long jump at 15 feet, 10½ inches, and freshman Brooke Brandstrom won high jump (5-1).
"Libby is amazing in all her events," said Saints' coach Trudy Olsen. "Ally also had an amazing day. Heather did well for having hip problems, and Sarah Lamb had a real good day."
Although this wasn't Heather's longest jump, she was happy with the victory.
"My PR (personal record) is 16-5¾," she said. "My sister helped me count my steps. I tried to get as far as I could on my first jump and make adjustments when needed. I hope to break the school record (17-7½), but I have a ways to go. I have to practice in the offseason."
Gwinn senior Emily Curtice took the 100 (12.95) and anchored the Modeltowners to a U.P. Finals record in the 400 relay at 52.34, shaving two hundredths of a second off the previous best by Manistique run in 2010.
Junior teammate Marissa Delmont added a first in shot put (37-0).
Sophomore Rebekah Loman provided Ishpeming with its lone first, in discus (104-7).
BR-H senior Hailee Demers won the 300 hurdles (47.66) and anchored the winning 800 relay (1:54.82).
"We practiced a lot on handoffs," she said. "This was a perfect time to have good handoffs. This was one of our better times."
Manistique senior Ashley McDonald retained her pole vault title (7-6) and helped the Emeralds establish a school record in the 1,600 relay (4:25.67) and take the 3,200 relay (10:52.86).
PHOTOS: (Top) St. Ignace’s Libby Becker checks the clock as she approaches the finish line in the 800 on Saturday. (Middle) The Saints’ Ally Schultz, far left, wins the 200. (Photos by Cara Kamps.)
Freshman Distance Ace Impressing Again as Sault Gets on Track
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
April 14, 2023
SAULT STE. MARIE — Gabe Litzner made quite a first impression here April 7, dominating the 3,200-meter run at the Second Annual Yooper Invitational track & field meet.
The Sault Ste. Marie freshman was clocked at 10 minutes, 7.84 seconds in the 16-lap race on the 200-meter track inside Lake Superior State University’s Norris Center, more than a minute ahead of the field in his high school varsity debut.
“I’m pretty happy with that,” said Litzner, who was crowned Upper Peninsula Division 1 cross country champion last fall. “I wanted to take it somewhat easy because of all the turns. I didn’t want to injure myself. I’m surprised by my time. I was shooting for 10:20.”
Charlevoix squeezed past Kalkaska by half a point for the boys team title, with the Blue Devils finishing fourth. The Indian River Inland Lakes girls won with 100 points, five ahead of Sault Ste. Marie.
“I was a little nervous at first,” said Litzner. “I had a little bit of butterflies, but they tend to go away after you get started. This is a big step up from junior high track. I’ve definitely been able to build off what I did in cross country.”
Senior teammate Cody Aldridge was runner-up to Kalkaska junior Gavin Guggemos in the 1,600. Guggemos was clocked in 4:42.3 with Aldridge at 4:43.92.
“It wasn’t a PR (personal record), but it’s a good start to the season,” said Aldridge, who led until well into the final lap. “I just tried to do my best and see where I’m at and got a chance to see where the competition is at. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to pull it off. I hit a hurdle (near the inside lane) coming into the final straightaway, although I think he had me anyway. He got a PR, which is good for him. It feels like I have room for improvement.”
Sault senior Cassandra Gallagher placed second in the girls 3,200 (13:19.52), 11 seconds behind Cheboygan sophomore Samantha Harke.
“For the beginning of the season, I’m happy with that,” said Gallagher. “I thought it was more difficult to pace myself because we were on a smaller track. I had IT band syndrome and spent a lot of time in physical therapy this winter. I didn’t get to train as much as I wanted, but this was better than I expected.”
Gallagher won the 3,200 (13:27.84) and was runner-up in the 1,600 (6:19.7) in a triangular meet at Alpena on Tuesday.
The Sault girls won at Alpena with 66 points, followed by Traverse City Central with 34 and Alpena at 32.
Litzner won the boys 800 (2:13.45) and 1,600 (4:43.35), and Aldridge took the 3,200 (10:14.56) as the Blue Devils boys (34) finished third to Alpena (62) and the Trojans (41).
John Vrancic has covered high school sports in the Upper Peninsula since joining the Escanaba Daily Press staff in 1985. He is known most prominently across the peninsula for his extensive coverage of cross country and track & field that frequently appears in newspapers from the Wisconsin border to Lake Huron. He received the James Trethewey Award for Distinguished Service in 2015 from the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.
PHOTO Sault Ste. Marie’s Gabe Litzner leads the Upper Peninsula Division 1 Cross Country Final in the fall. (Photo by Cara Kamps.)