May 26, 1981 — The Escanaba girls captured their second straight Upper Peninsula Class A-B track and field championship with 72 points. Menominee squeezed past Gwinn 46-45 for the runner-up trophy. Esky’s Jean Tolfa won the 100-meter dash in 13.36 seconds and long jump at 16 feet, 10 inches. Lisa Phelan added a first in the 400 in 1:00.58 and Gladstone’s Sherri Ahola took the 800 (2:29.35).

The Menominee boys were crowned champions with 83½ points followed by Marquette 62 and Esky 45. Esky’s John Tolfa captured the 400 (50.53). Jim Harris copped the 3200 (10:07.44) and Greg Eastman won discus (142-7). Gladstone’s Alan Verbrigghe was a double-winner with victories in the 110 hurdles (16.09) and 300s (40.25).

In Class D, Bark River-Harris’s Debbie Ives captured girls’ long jump with a U.P.-record leap of 17-2 and John Sheski copped the boys’ 300 hurdles in 40.92.

Jeff Murray tossed a three-hitter as the Escanaba Bruins blanked the Menominee Red Wave 4-0 in American Legion baseball. Dean and Tony Altobelli provided the Bruins with two hits each.

John Meehan struck out nine and scattered five hits, helping Pioneer Kitchens squeeze past Mead 4-3 in the Escanaba Senior Little League. The winners took advantage of eight walks. Mead’s Todd Johnson threw a perfect game for four innings before being pulled after reaching the league’s nine-inning pitch limit.

May 27, 1981 — Ward Steimert sank a hole-in-one in the Highland Golf Club Men’s Twilight League on the par-three No. 14 hole, using a six-iron. Jim Dufresne eagled the No. 5 hole and Bill Carlson shot 33 on the back-nine. Carlson, who fired 39 on the front nine finished with an 18-hole total of 72. Fred Michaud became the nine-hole leader at 34. He was followed by Mickey Douglas 35, Bob Heyman, Steimert and Pat Manning 36, Dufresne 37, Stan Paul, Con Pratt, Bob Irish, Paul Zelenick 38 and Clay Corrigan, John Nelson, Jon Servant and Randy Daigenault 39.

May 29, 1981 — Mark Hager collected three hits, leading Spar’s to an 11-3 triumph over Stroh’s in the Thursday night fastpitch softball league. Hager ripped a triple and two singles and John Anderson added a solo home run and a single.

May 28, 1996 — The Escanaba boys captured their first Upper Peninsula Class A-B track and field championship in nine years with 81 points. They were followed by Ishpeming Westwood 54 and Marquette 31. Josh Jupe won the 100-meter dash in 11.58 seconds and helped the Eskymos take the 800 relay (1:34.45). Brian Tourangeau copped the 110 hurdles at 16.19, edging Gladstone’s Darrell Maki by .1 second, and Ryan Horgan captured the 800 (2:01.39) and anchored the winning 3200 relay.

The Esky girls were runners-up to Marquette 88-56. Saudra Anderson took the 100 hurdles at 16.67. Lisa Potvin added a first in long jump (16-2¼) and Becky Hirn won discus with a personal-best throw of 120-8.

The Rapid River girls edged Pickford 35-33 for their first U.P. Class title. Cedarville and Lake Linden-Hubbell tied for third with 26 points. Rapid River grabbed the top three places in shot, led by Sarah Greenlund’s winning toss of 35-9½. Lisa Froberg was runner-up (33-1¼) and Kristina Peltier placed third (31-8½) and Rock Mid Peninsula’s Jill Gobert took high jump (5-4) and the 100 hurdles (16.69).

The Rapid River boys also captured their first Class D championship with 49 points and Powers North Central squeezed past Crystal Falls Forest Park 34-33 for the runner-up trophy. Chris Sherwin provided the Rockets with a first in disc (126-3). Tony Eskofski won the 110 hurdles (16.09) and Dave Larrabee captured the 400 (52.62). North Central’s Brian Bouty copped the 300 hurdles (42.21) and anchored the winning 1600 relay (3:36.55) and Curtis Grondin earned a victory in the 1600 (4:44.06).