GLADSTONE — Scoring points wasn’t a problem for the Gladstone boys in a season-opening track meet.

That especially held true in the sprints and hurdles where the Braves grabbed a combined 13 places while taking runner-up honors by 12 points to Kewaunee, Wis. in the Purple Power Invitational at Marinette April 11.

“We seem to have depth in the sprints,” coach Gary Whitmer said. “It’s just a matter of getting the guys in shape. We have a good group of seniors and a lot of freshmen. The sprints and hurdles are our main strengths.”

Gladstone has 36 on its roster, including nine seniors and 13 freshmen.

The Braves, who hosted their invitational Friday, resume action in Thursday’s Delta County Invitational at Bark River-Harris.

In the opener, senior Luke Brackett breezed to victory in the 110-meter hurdles at 16.17 seconds and sophomore Mason Peltin settled for second after stumbling over the last hurdle in the 300s.

Senior Nate Young, who was runner-up on a lean in the 100 at Marinette, leads a deep pool of sprinters.

Others include seniors Eli Berthaume and Nick Matthews, juniors Evan Woelffer and Ayden Scott and freshman Andrew Karl.

Woelffer, who’s entered in the 400 relay, will also do high jump and long jump with freshman Nic Bellows ready to help in the hurdles.

Senior Kostya Olsen copped pole vault with a personal-best jump of 12 feet and classmate Tanner Howes dominated the 3200 and was runner-up in the 1600.

“Nobody was close to Luke in the 110s,” Whitmer said. “Tanner is in good shape, but he ran too hard in the 3200 relay. We didn’t want him to go out too hard in the other races and he kind of cruised in the open 3200. We very easily could have won that meet.”

Joining Howes in the distances are sophomores Max Beauchamp, Grady Nelson and Carter Farnes and freshmen Christian Hayer and Chuck Cameron.

“Aaron Hughes (junior) is going to try the 800 again,” Whitmer said. “Aaron ran a 2:09 last year and I think (senior) Elliot Vitito can make it to the U.P. Finals in the 400. Mason and (sophomore) Cole Williams will also be doing the 400.”

Hughes is also in the throwing events where he is joined by seniors Josh Racine and Vinny Howes, sophomore Trevor Thorbahn and freshman Andrew Howes, who’s also entered in the 100.

Also on the Braves’ roster is junior relay specialist Blair Nehemiah.

Sharing the coaching duties are longtime assistant Mick Maslowski (hurdles), Travis Wiltzius (weight events) and Casey Young (hurdles).

Whitmer again points to Marquette as the team to beat in the Upper Peninsula and Great Northern Conference.

“It’s hard to compete with them, although we’ve done it in the past,” he said. “They definitely have the numbers and Houghton and Kingsford are always tough.”

Beside their invitational, the Braves will host the Division 1 regional May 15.

The remaining schedule:

April 25 — Delta County Invitational at Bark River-Harris; April 30 — at Marquette.

May 3 — Escanaba Invitational; May 7 — Manistique Emerald Invitational; May 10 — Negaunee Lions Invitational; May 15 — Division 1 regional; May 20 — Mid-Peninsula Conference at Ishpeming Westwood; May 23 — Great Northern Conference at Menominee.

June 1 — U.P. Finals at Kingsford.