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March 12, 2012

Check out our must-know scores and news from March 5-10.

(Click on links for coverage.)

Gymnastics

Where no team has gone before: Grand Ledge indeed accomplished what no team had before Friday by winning its fifth-straight MHSAA team championship. Senior Christine Wilson and junior Sara Peltier then won the Division 1 and 2 individual titles, respectively, on Saturday. (Second Half Team) (Second Half Individual)

Swimming and Diving

Celebratory dip: Saline isn’t the first boys swimming and diving program to win three straight MHSAA championships. But it’s definitely the program of the day after claiming another Division 1 title Saturday and breaking four records -- including two all-division/class records -- in the process. (Second Half)

Hockey

Consider it avenged: There are few better ways to go out than with a championship after falling in the Final the year before. That’s how Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice and super senior Mackenzie MacEachern  finished off this season Saturday, beating Grosse Pointe South 4-1 after falling by the same score in the 2011 championship game. (Second Half)

Girls Basketball

Only one can move on: Detroit Martin Luther King won its third and final meeting this season against Detroit Pershing to move on to this week’s Class A Quarterfinals. King had lost to Pershing by five during the regular season, then beat Pershing by three in the Detroit Public School League Final before defeating Pershing again 54-53 on Thursday in a Regional Final. (Mlive.com)

Boys Basketball

Another championship down, two to go: Top-ranked and reigning Class B champion Lansing Sexton eliminated what was perceived heading into the postseason as one of the biggest obstacles standing between the Big Reds and a repeat. They downed No. 4 Lansing Catholic 66-56 in a District Final on Friday to improve to 22-1. (Lansing State Journal)

Editor's note: Did we miss something? Comment below and tell us about it. Is there an event coming up that we should make sure to note? Comment or e-mail [email protected]. 

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.

Gladstone's Luke Bracket (4) gets over the last hurdle before Houghton's Brody Mattila to win the 110 hurdles. 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.

Click for full results.

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.)