Logan Hardwick

MUNISING — None of the current Mid Peninsula High School girls are old enough to remember when their school last won a track regional.

The Mid Pen girls were celebrating a Division 3 championship Thursday, however, which is believed to be their first in 30 years.

Mid Pen scored 53 points on this sunny, but chilly and breezy day along the Lake Superior shoreline. Runner-up Munising had 47, followed by Rapid River 38.

“We have a lot of kids going to the U.P. Finals in four events,” said Mid Pen coach Bob Reichel. “In most of the meets we’ve been taking second place. The girls have worked so hard for this. It has been a long time coming and they really deserve it. The girls are pretty much best friends. This is something they’ll remember all of their lives.”

The Rapid River boys captured their third straight title with 83 points. Munising edged Engadine 34-32 for the runner-up spot.

“This was an excellent effort by our team.” said Rapid River coach Steve Ostrenga. “All 17 events are important. We didn’t get our 400 relay in, which is unfortunate. But the guys gave a good effort. I’m happy for our young guys who qualified (for U.P. Finals). This is also a tribute to our seniors and the kids in general for stepping up.”

Freshman Daisy Englund had a hand in four firsts for the Mid Pen girls, winning the 800-meter run in two minutes, 34.84 seconds and helping the winning 400 (55.05), 800 (1:54.69) and 1600 relay (4:35.65).

Englund was in a tight race with Munising junior Madeleine Peramaki before pulling away in the last 200 meters.

“I tried to keep my head down when we were going into the wind (on the back stretch),” said Englund. “When we got through that I knew I had to kick it in. It was a little cold, but it was better than at the Rapid River Invitational (May 10). I felt the meet went pretty good.”

Peramaki won the 400 (1:06.18) and placed second in the 800 (2:41.62), 1600 (5:46.79) and 3200 (13:43).

Mid Pen eighth-grader Landry Koski took the 3200 (13:12) and was third in the 1600 (5:46.85) and fourth in the 300 hurdles (58.46), a day after her grandfather passed away.

“There was special motivation for me to do well,” she said. “I wanted to do this for him. This feels great to do this in my first year of varsity track. I’m nervous about about the Finals, but I’m also looking foward to it.”

Superior Central sophomore Danika Walters won a tight 1600 race (5:46.79), edging Peramaki by a step and Koski by .06 second.

Rapid River senior Logan Hardwick won boys’ discus with a school-record throw of 154 feet, nine inches and shot put (45-9). Junior teammate Gunnar Larson was runner-up in disc (147-7 1/2).

‘Logan is a good role model for our school and a good leader for our students,” said Ostrenga. “Gunnar also had a nice throw (in disc) and Nate Schwartz did a nice job. Our throwers did real well.”

Rockets’ senior Lucas Sundling won the 100 (11.3), 200 (23.21) and 400 (53.79) and helped the winning 800 relay (1:38.31) and classmate David Johnson took the 110 hurdles (17.28) and 300s (46.09).

“My starts are getting better,” said Sundling. “I’m coming out pretty hard around the curve. Our 800 relay was pretty good last year. We miss Luke (Gustafson) out there, but we’re still doing pretty good. I’m a little disappointed in my 400. The wind didn’t help any on the back stretch. It takes a lot out of you.”

Gustafson, who missed the past two weeks due to a hip flexor, won pole vault at 11-6.

“It felt good to be back,” he said. “I’ve been going to physical therapy twice a week. I was jumping pretty good. But the more I jumped, the more it hurt. I didn’t keep going because I didn’t want to take a chance on re-injuring my hip. I hope to be able to run at the Finals.”

Rockets’ senior Cameron Willemsen won the 800 (2:07.5) and placed second in high jump (5-10).

Mid Pen senior Terry Brower took high jump (5-10) and second in long jump (19-1/2). Classmate Brandon Nummilen won long jump (19-1) and was runner-up in the 1600 (5:10.24).

The top four individual finishers and top two relay teams qualified for the U.P. Finals June 2 at Kingsford.

Most area D-3 teams, however, resume in Tuesday’s Skyline Central Conference meet at Stephenson.