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MANISTIQUE -- The Manistique girls created a little bit of excitement at the end of the Kiwanis Invitational track meet here Friday night.
Although the Emeralds didn't take the team title, they had reason to celebrate after winning the final race.
The Emeralds, clocked at four minutes, 32.4 seconds, hung on to edge Sault Ste. Marie by .04 seconds, and Marquette placed third (4:33.36).
"This is the first time we've been able to run head-to-head with somebody," said junior Kelsey Muth, who anchored the relay. "We struggled with the last handoff, but still had our best run of the year. Everything we tried worked out real well."
Sault was crowned team champion with 129 points, followed by Marquette 108 and Escanaba 97.
"This is a big win for us," said Sault coach Scott Menard. "We lost quite a bit to graduation, but a lot of younger kids stepped up. It's always nice to run against Escanaba and Marquette because they're good competition. A lot of things can change before the (Division 1) regionals and U.P. Finals, but we're happy with where we're at."
Sault junior Cassandra Gallagher became a double-winner, taking the 1600 (5:59.55) and 3200 (12:56.86).
The Marquette boys won, with 151 points, followed by Pickford 82 and Sault 64.
Esky senior Ciara Ostrenga copped the girls' 800 (2:41.06), and sophomore Sophia Wagner won pole vault at 7-6, six inches shorter than in Thursday's Delta County Invite at Rapid River.
"My pole is starting to bend a little better, and I think my speed on the runway is definitely good," said Wagner. "The Gladstone girl (senior Emily Seibert) who won at Rapid River is very good. I think that opened my eyes to what the competition is going to be like this year. I think I need to work on swinging my left leg and getting my feet together at the top. I thought yesterday was the confidence builder. We did pretty well as a team."
Coach Dan DeLong was happy with Esky's overall performance.
"We knew we wanted to see some stiffer competition at Manistique," he said. "Some of our legs were tired after doing back-to-back meets and we held most of them to three events. I'm sure a lot of the other schools held their kids back, too. Marquette looked like they may have been missing a few of their athletes. Sophia did a nice job at pole vault. Our field events held strong, and we scored about 50 points in those. Allison Korpi was a little disappointed in her throw in disc because it wasn't as long as in the Delta County meet, but still had a pretty good throw."
Muth added a first in the 400 (1:05.83) and sophomore Daniel Lund provided Manistique with a first in shot put (30-7), edging Sault senior Joanne Arbic by half an inch, and helped the winning 1600 relay.
"I wasn't very happy with my 200 time, but in the 400, I ran my best time all year," said Muth. "I was real happy with that."
Bark River-Harris junior Hazel Conklin won the 100 hurdles at 18.43, and Esky sophomore Mara Liss was runner-up (18.49).
"I didn't stutter-step this time," she said. "I felt pretty good about that. I've been going lower to the hurdles. I only land on my right leg and been able to shave a little time off. I thought the competition was real good over here, which pushes you and makes for good sportsmanship."
Liss was followed by Marquette junior Halle Graves (18.67).
"Mara taking second in those hurdles was kind of a surprise," said DeLong. "All our hurdlers did well, and Mari Bink is trying to get her track legs under her. She's coming along."
Marquette junior Julia Ott won high jump (4-10), 200 (27.23) and helped the winning 800 relay.
In the boys' meet, Marquette senior Tyranon Dahlin took high jump (5-10) and long jump (19-8 and sophomore Cullen Papin copped the 400 (54.13) and 1600 (4:43.81).
Munising junior Micaiah Peramaki won the 100 (11.24) and 200 (22.9) and placed second in discus (119-8 and twin brother Josiah Peramaki captured pole vault (13-0).
Esky got its lone first in disc on junior Dan Smith's toss of 120-7.
Junior Grant Mason led Manistique by taking runner-up honors in the 400 (55.82) and third in the 200 (23.97), both personal-bests.
"I was very happy with my 200," he said. "That's the first time I've been under 25 seconds. I've been working on my starts and had a good one today. I'm also real happy with the 400. This is the third time this year I ran a personal-best. It helps a lot to be on the track rather than in the gym."
Pickford won three relays. Sault senior Jon Willis took the 800 (2:12.55), and Engadine senior Mathias Miller captured shot put (43-4 1/2).
"I've been working a lot on technique," said Miller. "I just let it go, and it worked. My form is definitely getting better, and in the circle, I felt the speed was there."
Manistique Kiwanis Invitational
Boys
Marquette 151, Pickford 82, Sault Ste. Marie 64, Munising 50, Stephenson 47, Manistique 42, Cheboygan 25, Escanaba 21, Engadine 14, Bark River-Harris 10, Suprerior Central 9, Big Bay de Noc 8.
3200 relay -- 1, Pickford (Sullivan, Osborne, Hayden Hagen, Hunter Hagen), 9:10.78; 2, Sault Ste. Marie; 3, Manistique; 4, Marquette; 5, Stephenson; 6, Escanaba.
110 hurdles -- 1, Markey, Mqt, 16.59; 2, Awbrey, P; 3, Sullivan, P; 4, Mgafeeson, Mqt; 5, Strazzinski, Steph; 6, Way, Mstq.
100 -- 1, M. Peramaki, Mun, 11.24; 2, Mosher, C; 3, Beauchamp, Mqt; 4, Ridl, Mqt; 5, Jacek, S; 6, Swetich, SC.
800 relay -- 1, Pickford (Warner, Heal, Awbrey, Barowski), 1:39.33; 2, Stephenson; 3, Marquette; 4, Escanaba; 5, Bark River-Harris; 6, Munising.
1600 -- 1, Papin, Mqt, 4:43.81; 2, Aldridge, SSM; 3, White, Mqt; 4, MacDonald, P; 5, Willis, SSM; 6, Jones, S.
400 relay -- 1, Marquette (Ridl, Beauchamp, Simon, Sager), 46.82; 2, Munising; 3, Bark River-Harris; 4, Stephenson; 5, Sault Ste. Marie; 6, Escanaba.
400 -- 1, Papin, Mqt, 54.13; 2, Mason, Mstq; 3, Elson, Steph; 4, MacPhee, Mqt; 5, Demers, Mstq; 6, Kositzky, Esky.
300 hurdles -- 1, Ngafeeson, Mqt, 43.83; 2, Awbrey, P; 3, Sullivan, P; 4, Strazzinski, Step; 5, Markey, Mqt; 6, Kelley, Mun.
800 -- 1, Willis, SSM, 2:12.55; 2, Brown, S; 3, Hunter Hagen, P; 4, Ketzenberger, Mqt; 5, Haskins, SSM; 6, White, Mqt.
200 -- 1, M. Peramaki, Mun, 22.9; 2, Mosher, C; 3, Mason, Mqt; 4, Beauchamp, Mqt; 5, Martine, BR-H; 6, Sager, Mqt.
3200 -- 1, Thomsen, Mqt, 10:27.28, 2, Aldridge, SSM; 3, Hayden Hagen, P; 4, Daley, SSM; 5, Spieles, Eng; 6, Kraeg, Mqt.
1600 relay -- 1, Pickford (Awbrey, Sullivan, Heal, Hunter Hagen), 3:44.95; 2, Marquette; 3, Stephenson; 4, Manistique; 5, Escanaba; 6, Sault Ste. Marie.
High jump -- 1, Tyranon Dahlin, Mqt, 5-10; 2, Gillespie, BB; 3, Way, Mstq; 4, Smith, P; 5, Duran, Mun; 6, Trajon Dahlin, Mqt.
Pole vault -- 1, J. Peramaki, Mun, 13-0; 2, Gervasio, SSM; 3, Coldren, S; 4, Socia, P; 5, Rizzo, SSM; 6, Bradley, Mqt.
Long jump -- 1, Tyranon, Dahlin, Mqt, 19-8; 2, Swetich, SC; 3, Beauchamp, Mqt; 4, Markey, Mqt; 5, Kositzky, Esky; 6, Barowski, P.
Shot put -- 1, Miller, Eng, 43-4 3/4; 2, Smith, SSM; 3, Way, Mstq; 4, Peterson, Mstq; 5, LaPointe, C; 6, Ginop, SSM.
Discus -- 1, Smith, Esky, 120-7; 2, M. Peramaki, Mun; 3, Ginop, C; 4, Dahlin, Mqt; 5, French, Eng; 6, Suggitt, SSM.
Girls
Sault Ste. Marie 129, Marquette 108, Escanaba 97, Manistique 68, Bark River-Harris 39, Stephenson 27, Munising 20, Engadine 13, Superior Central 6, Big Bay de Noc 2, Pickford 1.
3200 relay -- 1, Sault Ste. Marie (Gallagher, Lori, Szabo, Walther), 11:05.95; 2, Manistique; 3, Marquette; 4, Escanaba; 5, Bark River-Harris; 6, Munising.
100 hurdles -- 1, Conklin, BR-H, 18.43; 2, Liss, Esky; 3, Graves, Mqt; 4, Hauser, Steph; 5. Jones, BB; 6, Peterson, BR-H.
100 -- 1, Truckey, Mqt, 12.81; 2, Carpenter, C; 3, Jorgenson, SSM; 4, Ives, BR-H; 5, Briggs, Eng; 6, Smith, SSM.
800 relay -- 1, Marquette (Kulbieda, Ott, Lingle, Truckey), 1:54.66; 2, Sault Ste. Marie; 3, Manistique; 4, Escanaba; 5, Stephenson; 6, Bark River-Harris.
1600 -- 1, Gallagher, SSM, 5:59.55; 2, Hinkson, Mstq; 3, Malherbe, Mqt; 4, Walther, SSM; 5, Matson, Mun; 6, Brisson, Mun.
400 relay -- 1, Sault Ste. Marie (DeWildt, Bell, Smith, Jorgenson), 54.08; 2, Marquette; 3, Bark River-Harris; 4, Escanaba; 5, Munising; 6, Engadine.
400 -- 1, Muth, Mstq, 1:05.83; 2, Malherbe, Mqt; 3, Goudreau, Mstq; 4, Szabo, SSM; 5, Bink, Esky; 6, Smith, Mun.
300 hurdles -- 1, Erickson, SSM, 51.92; 2, Barron, Esky; 3, Hauser, Steph; 4, Jones, SSM; 5, Coleman, Mqt; 6, Behning, Mun.
800 -- 1, Ostrenga, Esky, 2:41.06; 2, Walther, SSM; 3, H. Varoni, BR-H; 4, Matson, Mun; 5, Argeropoulos, Mqt; 6, Beauchamp, Esky.
200 -- 1, Ott, Mqt, 27.23; 2, Olson, BR-H; 3, Jorgenson, SSM; 4, Davenport, Esky; 5, Bell, SSM; Muth, Mstq.
3200 -- 1, Gallagher, SSM, 12:56.86; 2, Harma, Mqt; 3, Papin, Mqt; 4, Lori, SSM; 5, Cota, Mun; 6, McDaniel, Mstq.
1600 relay -- 1, Manistique (Jones, Lund, Goudreau, Muth), 4:32.24; 2, Sault Ste. Marie; 3, Escanaba; 4, Marquette; 5, Munising; 6, Cheboygan.
High jump -- 1, Ott, Mqt, 4-10; 2, Stalboerger, Esky; 3, Ecker, C; 4, Getzloff, Esky; 5, Johnson, Mun; 6, Collins, P.
Pole vault -- 1, Wagner, E, 7-6; 2, Grinsteiner, Steph; 3, A. Royer, Esky; 4, Kuntze, Steph; 5, V. Royer, Esky; 6, C. Varoni, BR-H.
Long jump -- 1, Lingle, Mqt, 15-5; 2, Weaver, Mqt; 3, Rutter, SC; 4, Bink, Esky; 5, Smock, Steph; 6, Kurz, Steph.
Shot put -- 1, Lund, Mstq, 30-7; 2, Arbic, SSM; 3, Gartland, Esky; 4, Schramm, C; 5, Anderson, Mqt; 6, Donmyer, SSM.
Discus -- 1, Arbic, SSM, 106-8; 2, Lund, Mstq; 3, Korpi, Esky; 4, Donmyer, Mqt; 5, Anderson, Mqt; 6, Anderson, SSM.