Engadine junior Bianca Briggs (left) and Big Bay de Noc freshman Destiny Bleau battles to cross the finish line in the 100 meter dash during MHSAA Division 3 regionals on May 14, 2025 at Rapid River High School. Briggs, who won the event with a time of 13.40, bested Bealu by 0.05 seconds in this race. (“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)

RAPID RIVER — The Rapid River boys made it a three-peat here Wednesday, running away with the Division 3 regional track and field title for the third straight year with 70 points.

Superior Central edged Rock Mid Peninsula 30-28 for runner-up honors on an afternoon which featured light rain sprinkles with temperatures in the low 60s.

“We just asked the guys to do their best,” Rapid River coach Steve Ostrenga said. “The boys and girls gave a lot of effort and got a lot of personal bests. We had a lot of sickness going around. We had guys not feeling well, but they gutted it out and competed hard.”

The Engadine girls won for the second time in three years by edging the Rockets 47-45. Big Bay placed third with 33 points.

“We knew we were going to have to fight for it,” Rockets’ coach Greg Rubick said. “There’s nothing we did wrong. It was all about what Engadine did right. Hats off to them. Our girls competed hard and I’m very proud of that. The girls were upset and you would want them to be. We knew Big Bay was also going to be tough. Destiny (Bleau) is a phenomenal athlete. She may not have had her best day, but she’ll be better for it.”

The Rapid River boys grabbed the top three places in pole vault, including sophomore Lane Olson’s winning leap of 10 feet.

Senior Eddie Forslund uncorked a winning toss of 138-6 in discus and classmate Ethan Harrison was second (120-11), two inches further than Mid Pen senior Trey Micheau.

Micheau won shot put (38-1) and Forslund placed second (37-11½).

Freshman Lewis Holmes added a first for the Wolverines in high jump (6-0).

Sophomore Camden Holmio helped the Rockets win the 400 relay and take second in the 800.

“Our relays went well,” he said. “We had to push hard today and our adrenalin made you want to do it. This feels great. I feel happy for my teammates. Everybody did his best.”

Senior Jayden Sagataw became the first Hannahville athlete to earn a regional title in a school-record 2:13.67 and helped the Soaring Eagles run a school-best 3:56.76 while placing second in the 1600 relay.

“My strategy in the 800 was to sit behind the leaders, then take off in the final 200,” he said. “It feels very good to do well in another sport. The main thing I was holding on in the last 100. The weather wasn’t too bad. I think having the clouds helped and the wind wasn’t too bad coming into the finish. Our program is growing. We have more kids coming out and I’m very happy to be part of it. It was a good day.”

Engadine senior Dakota Taylor cruised to victory in the 1600 (4:48.56) and 3200 (10:46.36) and helped the Eagles take second in the 3200 relay.

For the Engadine girls, eighth-grader Molly McNamara won the 1600 (5:56.78) and 3200 (13:00.42) and anchored the winning 3200 relay in her varsity track and field debut.

“It was fun,” she said. “I’ve been looking forward to this all season. I didn’t want to start too fast. I didn’t get the times I wanted, but was pleased with the way everything went overall. I’m looking forward to the U.P. Finals (May 31 at Kingsford). I’ll be able to race with faster people.”

Rapid River senior Emma Sundling, who will miss next Wednesday’s Skyline Central Conference meet due to a class trip, took the 400 in a personal-best 1:02.3, anchored the winning 400 relay and was runner-up in the 200 (28.11) and third in the 100 (13.7).

“I kind of picked it up in the end,” she said. “I PRd which I’m happy about. We won’t be running but we’ll do a lot of walking on our class trip. We were two points away from winning, which is a little disappointing, but we still did good.”

Freshman Julia Poma added a first for Rapid River in the 800 (2:45.81), placed second in the 1600 (6:00.23) and Big Bay eighth-grader Evonna LaCosse (6:04.34).

Big Bay junior Caragan Thill became a triple-winner, taking the 100 hurdles (19.1) and 300 (52.12) and high jump (5-0), edging Holy Name eighth-grader Rayne Martin on a tie-breaker.

Bleau won the 200-meter dash in a personal-best 26.49 seconds and was runner-up in the 100 (13.45) and third in high jump (4-8).

LaCosse was runner-up in the 800 (2:50.45) and 3200 in a personal-best 13:24.34.

Engadine junior Bianca Briggs edged Bleau by .05 second in the 100 and helped the Eagles win the 800 relay in a season-best 1:59.45, then false started in the 200.

“This was not my best day, but it’s rewarding to qualify for the Finals,” Bleau said. “She had a little better start than I did in the 100, then I had a better start in the 200. It’s unfortunate Bianca had the false start. Hopefully, having one more meet before the Finals will help.”

Mid Pen junior Hope Brunngraeber was also a double-winner, taking shot (29-6) and disc (97-9).

Results

Boys

Rapid River 70, Superior Central 30, Rock Mid Peninsula 28, Engadine 24, Escanaba Holy Name 18, Hannahville 14, Big Bay de Noc 1.

3200 relay — 1, Escanaba Holy Name (Rexford, H. Serpien, M. Serpien, VandeHey), 9:11.29; 2, Engadine; 3, Rapid River.

110 hurdles — 1, Taylor, RR,17.85; 2, Casey, MP; 3, Kee, RR; 4, Flath, RR.

100 — 1, Holmes, MP, 12.36; 2, Vining, SC: 3, Kulik, SC; 4, M. Serpien, HN.

800 relay — 1, Superior Central (Vining, Moore, Korpi, Spranger), 1:40.28; 2, Rapid River; 3, Hannahville; 4, Big Bay de Noc.

1600 — 1, Taylor, E, 4:48.56; 2, Denkins, RR; 3, Gerow, MP; 4, VandeHey, HN.

400 relay — 1, Rapid River (Harrison, Holmio, Husky, Shiverdecker), 49.19; 2, Superior Central; 3, Hannahville.

400 — 1, Spranger, SC, 53.23; 2, Green, RR; 3, Krenek, E; 4, M. Serpien, HN.

300 hurdles — 1, Stielstra, E, 46.21; 2, Taylor, RR; 3, S. Beaver, H; 4, Flath, RR.

800 — 1, Sagataw, H, 2:13.75 (school record); 2, Goudreau, RR; 3, Stielstra, E; 4, Krenek, E.

200 – 1, Spranger, SC, 24.9; 2, Husky, RR; 3, Holmes, MP; 4, Green, RR.

3200 — 1, Taylor, E, 10:46.36; 2, Denkins, BB; 3, Stiglitz, MP; 4, Truitt, RR.

1600 relay — 1, Rapid River (Green, Boston-Marsh, Thorbahn, Huskey), 3:50.76; 2, Hannahvile, 3:56.55 (school record); 3, Escanaba Holy Name; 4, Superior Central.

High jump — 1, Holmes, MP, 6-0; 2, Smith, RR; 3, Rexford, HN; 4, Taylor, RR.

Pole vault — 1, Olson, RR, 10-0; 2, Goudreau, RR; 3, Nichols, RR; 4, Chouinard, HN.

Long jump — 1, Rexford, HN, 19-8; 2, Moore, SC; 3, Holmes, MP; 4, King, E.

Shot put — 1, Micheau, MP, 38-1; 2, Forslund, RR; 3, Blomgren, SC; 4, Shiverdecker, RR.

Discus — 1, Forslund, RR, 138-6; 2, Harrison, RR; 3, Micheau, MP; 4, Blomgren, SC.

Girls

Engadine 47, Rapid River 45, Big Bay de Noc 33, Rock Mid Peninsula 19, Superior Central 18, Escanaba Holy Name 17, Hannahville 0.

3200 relay — Engadine (McLellan, Kovar, Russell, McNamara), 11:50.95; 2, Rapid River; 3, Rock Mid Peninsula.

100 hurdles — 1, Thill, BB, 19.1; 2, Coppock, RR; 3, Freed, E; 4, Stoliecki, SC.

100 — 1, Briggs, E, 13.4; 2, Bleau, BB; 3, Sundling, RR; 4, Kempker, SC.

800 relay — 1, Engadine (Christianson, Schubert, Chapman, Briggs), 1:59.45; 2, Superior Central; 3, Escanaba Holy Name; 4, Rapid River.

1600 — 1, McNamara, E, 5:56.78; 2, Poma, RR; 3, LaCosse, BB; 4, LcLellan, E.

400 relay — 1, Superior Central (Johnson, Peterson, McDonnald, Kempker), 58.09; Rapid River; 3, Engadine.

400 — 1, Sundling, RR, 1:02.37; 2, Johnson, SC; 3, Tourangeau, MP; 4, Trottier, HN.

300 hurdles — 1, Thill, BB, 52.12; 2, Freed, E; 3, Coppock, RR; 4, Stoliecki, SC.

800 — 1, Poma, RR, 2:45.81; 2, LaCosse, BB; 3, Gustafson, RR; 4, McLellan, E.

200 — 1, Bleau, BB, 26.49; 2, Sundling, RR; 3, Johnson, SC; 4, Allender, SC.

3200 — 1, McNamara, E, 13:00.42; 2, LaCosse, BB; 3, Poma, RR; 4, Quinn, RR.

High jump — 1, Thill, BB, 5-0; 2, Martin, RR; 3, Bleau, BB; 4, Paquette, RR.

Pole vault — Martin, HN, 6-0.

Long jump — 1, Briggs, E, 14-5; 2, Martin, HN; 3, Frappier, RR; 4, Paquette, RR.

Shot put — 1, Brunngraeber, MP, 29-6; 2, Butkovich, E; 3, Bradfield, HN; 4, Taskey, SC.

Discus — 1, Brunngraber, MP, 97-9; 2, Butkovich, E; 3, Casey, MP; 4, Olson, RR.