Gladstone’s Andrew Karl competes in pole vault on May 2, 2025 at Escanaba High School. (“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)

ESCANABA — Gladstone sophomore Andrew Karl reached new heights in pole vault here Friday, soaring a personal-best 14 feet in the Eskymo Invitational track and field meet.

“He was going for the school record,” Gladstone girls’ coach Jim Murtha said. “I’m sure he’s pretty excited.”

Karl’s latest effort left him just four inches shy of the school record set by Josh Syverson in 2009.

He’ll try again in Tuesday’s Manistique Emerald Invitational.

The Gladstone girls were crowned champions Friday with 115 points. They were followed by Sault Ste. Marie 71.75, Houghton 68.75, Escanaba 66 and Manistique 64.75.

“It was another good performance by our girls,” Murtha said. “Although, a lot of them felt Friday was a letdown, which is good. You want them a little hard on themselves. They know they can do better. You don’t want them to be too content. There’s still a lot of work to do.”

The Sault boys won with 131 points. Houghton was runner-up at 110.5 and Gladstone edged Bark River-Harris 48-43 for third place.

“The kids find a way to do it,” Sault coach Jim Martin said. “They’re tough kids. We’ve got such a balanced attack. We have 15 kids scoring. They’re doing a real good job. We’ve got only five seniors so we’re a fairly young team. Scott (girls’ head coach Menard) does a great job with the sprinters and Becky Arbic helps with the high jumpers and hurdlers and Rick Stupak is working with the weight events. We’ve got a great staff.”

Gladstone won the 400, 800 and 3200 relays and was runner-up to Menominee in the 1600.

“The girls gave an outstanding effort in all four relays,” Murtha said. “I was really happy. They’re working well together.”

Sophomore Lucy DeGroot won long jump with a personal-best leap of 15-11 and helped the Braves sweep the sprint relays.

“I just felt very excited,” she said. “My goal is to get over 16 feet. My handoff was a little shaky in the 4×100, but once we get those down I think we’ll have a good shot at the school record. The wind made it pretty rough, but we have some strong runners.”

Junior Lauren Sundquist, also part of the winning relays, added a first in the 200-meter dash in 27.07 seconds and was runner-up to Manistique senior Leah Goudreau in the 100.

Goudreau was clocked at 13.79 into a stiff breeze in the 100 and Sundquist ran a 13.85.

“Into the headwind, it was challenging,” Sundquist said. “My start in the 200 was really good. I’m happy with my time. We do 40-yard dashes in softball which really helps. Both of our relay teams did really well.”

Goudreau took second in the 200 (28.29) and third in long jump (14-2.5).

Freshman Ella Bracket also helped the Braves take the sprint relays and placed second in the 400 (1:02.7).

“Ella is getting better and Lauren did really well,” Murtha said. “Lauren was able to start the year ahead of where she was last year.”

Houghton senior Emilyn Fay took pole vault (9-0) with Gladstone senior Chelsey Demeuse second (8-6) and Manistique junior Kyra Carlson third (8-0).

Esky senior Alisha Mabie won the 800 (2:33.36), 1600 (5:32.03) and 3200 (12:04.89).

Houghton junior Tessa Rautiola was runner-up in the 1600 (5:37.91) and 3200 (12:15.59) with Gremlins’ senior Lily Ross second in the 800 (2:38.61), followed by Gladstone junior Payton Takkunen (2:43.01).

Carney-Nadeau senior Mariska Laurila topped the century mark for the second straight day in discus with a winning toss of 100-8.

Manistique junior Gwen Brewster took shot put (34-0) with Laurila runner-up with a season-best 33-3.

Sophomore Emma Zawada provided Bark River-Harris with a first in the 300 hurdles (51.42).

Freshman Bristol Shamion got West Iron County’s lone first in high jump at 4-10 and Sault senior Annabelle Fazzari copped the 100 hurdles (17.82), edging Esky junior Ava Stalboerger by .05 second.

Stalboerger then added a second in the 300s (51.56) and senior teammate Maggie Martin was runner-up in long jump (15-9).

Gladstone senior Aaron Hughes placed third in boys’ disc with a personal-best throw of 135-3 in disc and shot (43-3.5).

Houghton sophomore Michael Solena won shot (49-9.5) and classmate Mason Joyal was runner-up in disc (138-0).

Rudyard senior Ethan Hoolsema took disc (139-2) and Sault junior Braden Ditmeyer was runner-up in shot (43-3.25).

BR-H sophomore Gionni McDonough swept the hurdle races, taking the 110 (17.87) and 300 (44.08).

Gladstone grabbed the top two places in high jump with junior Mason Peltin going 5-9 and classmate Carter Farnes at 5-7. Manistique senior Blake Mason took third (5-7).

Junior Michael Rexford provided Holy Name with a first in long jump (19-6).

Sault freshman Ian Southwell took the 400 (54.25) with Manistique senior Ben Gilroy runner-up (54.63).

Houghton senior Luke Hill copped the 800 (2:03.15) and 1600 (4:34.54) and Sault senior Shea Armstrong captured the 3200 (10:41.03).

“We’ve got a lot of injuries,” Martin said. “The kids who ran got a lot of PRs. It was good to see different teams and competition. The cold weather is hard on the kids. Hopefully, we’ll have a nice weekend to recover. When it gets up to 60 degrees, I think the spirits are lifted.”

Esky’s highest finish took place in the 1600 relay in which it took second.

Escanaba senior Sophie Weaver (right) stands on a set of blocks as North Central senior senior Lane Gorzinski competes in the 4×100 meter relay on May 2, 2025 at Escanaba High School. (“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)

Results

Boys

Sault Ste. Marie 131, Houghton 110.5, Gladstone 48, Bark River-Harris 43, Rudyard 39, Escanaba 37, Menominee 34.5, Iron Mountain 33, Manistique 25, Escanaba Holy Name 10, Powers North Central 6, West Iron County 5, Gwinn 3, Ishpeming 2, Hannahville and Carney-Nadeau 0.

3200 relay — 1, Houghton (Hemmer, Seagren, Van Karsen, Hill), 8:48; 2, Sault Ste. Marie; 3, Manistique; 4, Escanaba; 5, Menominee; 6, Gwinn

110 hurdles — 1, McDonough, BR-H, 17.87; 2, Niebuhr, S; 3, Denis, E; 4, Peabody, S; 5, You, Hou; 6, Rice, S.

100 — 1, Bellamy, S, 11.82; 2, Roth, Hou; 3, Grudge, Hou; 4, Bergquist, BR-H; 5, Kobussen, WIC; 6, Roll, BR-H.

800 relay — 1, Menominee (Bardowski, Daigneault, Geniesse, Komp), 1:36.69; 2, Iron Mountain; 3, Escanaba; 4, Sault Ste. Marie; 5, Bark River-Harris; 6, Manistique.

1600 — 1, Hill, Hou, 4:34.54; 2, Kirschner, R; 3, Hemmer, Hou; 4, B. Knauf, BR-H; 5, Seagren, Hou; 6, Bourion, Men.

400 relay — 1, Houghton (Xie, Goudge, Kocour, Roth), 46.53; 2, Iron Mountain; 3, Sault Ste.. Marie; 4, Escanaba; 5, Menominee; 6, Bark River-Harris.

400 — 1, Southwell, S, 54.26; 2, Gilroy, Mstq; 3, Kiler, S; 4, Marohnic, BR-H; 5, Wojie, I; 6, Davis, IM.

300 hurdles — 1, McDonough, BR-H, 44.08; 2, Niebuhr, S; 3, Rice, S; 4, Wawrzynowicz, Hou; 5, Denis, E; 6, You, Hou.

800 — 1, Hill, Hou, 2:03.15; 2, Bourion, Men; 3, Hills, S; 4, Huyck, S; 5, Van Karsen, Hou; 6, Mead, Mstq.

200 — 1, Bellamy, S, 24.3; 2, Karl, Glad; 3, Gorzinski, NC; 4, Roe, S; 5, Bardowski, Men; 6, Englund, E.

3200 — 1, Armstrong, S, 10:41.3; 2, Kirschner, R; 3, Van Karsen, Hou; 4, W. Knauf, BR-H; 5, Templeton, R; 6, Vendlinski, Hou.

1600 relay — 1, Sault Ste. Marie (VanDoren, Southwell, Rice, Kiler), 3:42.43; 2, Escanaba; 3, Houghton; 4, Menominee; 5, Manistique; 6, West Iron County.

High jump — 1, Peltin, Glad, 5-9; 2, Farnes, Glad; 3, Mason, Mstq; 4, Bardowski, Men; 5, Schultz, Hou.

Pole vault — 1, Karl, Glad, 14-0; 2, Niemi-Alcorn, R; 3, Lambert, E; 4, Golladay, R and Schmitt, BR-H (tie); 6, Peabody, S.

Long jump — 1, Rexford, HN, 19-6; 2, Ellis, IM; 3, Walcher, S; 4, Dove, IM; 5, Roth, Hou; 6, Woelffer, Glad.

Shot put — 1, Solena, Hou, 49-9.5; 2, Ditmeyer, S; 3, Hughes, Glad; 4, Davis, IM; 5, Nordstrom, WIC; 6, Kemppainen, Hou.

Discus — 1, Hoolsema, R, 139-2; 2, Joyal, Hou; 3, Hughes, Glad; 4, Solena, Hou; 5, Beauchamp, Gw; 6, Ditmeyer, R.

Girls

Gladstone 115, Sault Ste. Marie 71.75, Houghton 68.75, Escanaba 66, Manistique 64.75, Menominee 35, Bark River-Harris 29, Carney-Nadeau 23, Rudyard 22, West Iron County 19, Ishpeming 7.75, Powers North Central 4, Iron Mountain, Hannahville 0.

3200 relay — 1, Gladstone (Pankonien, Hanson, Mills, Takkunen), 11:15.88; 2, Houghton; 3, Escanaba; 4, Sault Ste. Marie; 5, Menominee; 6, Menominee.

100 hurdles — 1, Fazzari, S, 17.82; 2, Stalboerger, E; 3, K. Karl, Glad; 4, Searfin, Hou; 5, B. Shamion, WIC; 6, Anderson, I.

100 — 1, Goudreau, Mstq, 13.79; 2, Sundquist, Glad; 3, Fountain, R; 4, Sears, Mstq; 5, Smith, S; 6, Pickett, IM.

800 relay — 1, Gladstone (DeGroot, Bracket, Pankonien, Sundquist), 1:51.39; 2, Sault Ste. Marie; 3, Manistique; 4, Menominee; 5, Bark River-Harris; 6, West Iron County.

1600 — 1, Mabie, E, 5:32.03; 2, Rautiola, Hou; 3, Cooke, Hou; 4, Varoni, BR-H; 5, Sports, S; 6, Mills, Glad.

400 relay — 1, Gladstone (DeGroot, Bracket, Karl, Sundquist), 53.17; 2, Sault Ste. Marie; 3, Bark River-Harris; 4, Menominee; 5, Manistique; 6, Carney-Nadeau.

400 — 1, Fountain, R, 1:02.11; 2, Bracket, Glad; 3, Mayer, S; 4, Scholl, WIC; 5, Woodruff, Hou; 6, K. Carlson, Mstq.

300 hurdles — 1, Zawada, BR-H, 51.42; 2, Stahlboerger, E; 3, Serafin, Hou; 4, Martin, E; 5, B. Shamion, WIC; 6, Korpi, I.

800 — 1, Mabie, E, 2:36.33; 2, Ross, Hou; 3, Takkunen, Glad; 4, Jones, S; 5, Pankonien, Glad; 6, Cooke, Hou.

200 — 1, Sundquist, Glad, 27.07; 2, Goudreau, Mstq; 3, Fountain, R; 4, Smith, S; 5, Martin, E; 6, Nault, BR-H.

3200 — 1, Mabie, E, 12:04.83; 2, Rautiola, Hou; 3, Brandt, Men; 4, Sports, S; 5, Mills, Glad; 6, M. Carlson, Mstq.

1600 relay — 1, Menominee (Coduti, A. Schuettpelz, Marineau, E. Schuettpelz), 4:35.55; 2, Gladstone; 3, Houghton; 4, Sault Ste. Marie; 5, Manistique; 6, West Iron County.

High jump — 1, B. Shamion, WIC, 4-10; 2, E. Schuettpelz, Men; 3, K. Karl, Glad; 4, Anderson, I; 5, Riley, I, Giffen, S, Kendyl Flodin, Mstq and Woodruff, Hou (tie).

Pole vault — 1, Fay, Hou, 9-0; 2, Demeuse, Glad; 3, K. Carlson, Mstq; 4, M. Karl and DeGroot, Glad (tie); 6, Williams, Hou.

Long jump — 1, DeGroot, Glad, 15-11; 2, Martin, E; 3, Goudreau, Mstq; 4, Laurila, C-N; 5, M. Carlson, Mstq; 6, Erickson, BR-H.

Shot put — 1, Brewster, Mstq, 34-0; 2, Laurila, C-N; 3, Fazzari, S; 4, Willa, NC; 5, Ostlund, Glad; 6, Osumilli, S.

Discus — 1, Laurila, C-N, 100-8; 2, Fazzari, S; 3, Rice, Mstq; 4, Cortez, BR-H; 5, Ostlund, Glad; 6, Negilski, I.