ONTONAGON - In the memory of all the competitors at the Division 3 Ontonagon track regional Friday there was an unusual first.
The scorekeepers had to take a mulligan.
After there were some timing issues with the boys 110 high hurdles, confusion ruled on the track for 10 minutes or so as the meet organizers fixed some technical problems. With the delay, it appears a basic fact slipped through the cracks in preparation for the next race - the girls run 100-meter hurdles, not 110.
Article Photos
Shannon Fish of Baraga clears a hurdle Friday at Ontonagon for the Division 3 Regional in a race that eventually had to be re-run as the finish line was not in the correct place. Fish finished second in the first race to Bessemer’s Valerie Rowe, but edged Rowe by one one-hundredth of a second in the official do-over race. (DMG photo by Michael Bleach)
Thus, with the wrong finish line in place, the first girls hurdle race needed a do-over.
Baraga junior Shannon Fish took advantage of her second chance.
"I had a bad couple of hurdles the first time, I almost fell on my face and came to a complete dead stop," Fish said of her initial runner-up finish.
Fact Box
GIRLS: Bessemer 59 1/2, Baraga 53, Ontonagon 39 1/2, Jeffers 13, Wakefield-Marinesco 10, Watersmeet 5, Ewen-Trout Creek 3.
3,200-meter relay - 1. BESSEMER (Abby Samardich, Megan Gabka, Rachel Moon, Molly Wieringa), 12:23.53; 2. ONTONAGON.
100-meter hurdles - 1. Shannon Fish, BAR, 18.61; 2. Valerie Rowe, BES, 18.62; 3. Lexi Pyykkonen, JEF, 19.41; 4. Heather Selin, BES, 19.72.
100-meter dash - 1. Olivia Soumis, ONT, 13.16; 2. Julie Ahnen, BES, 14.01; 3. Mikhayla Sampson, BES, 14.31; 4. Catalina Palm, BES, 14.48.
800-meter relay - 1. BESSEMER (Heather Selin, Ahnen, Sampson, Paige Berwald); 2. ONTONAGON, 1:58.74; 3. BARAGA, 2:03.17; 4. JEFFERS, 2:08.40.
1,600-meter run - 1. Rachel Sutherland, BAR, 6:18.71; 2. Gabka, BES, 6:32.22; 3. Sabrina Pietila, ETC, 6:39.36; 4. Wierenga, BES, 6:43.89.
400-meter relay - 1. BESSEMER (Selin, Samardich, Sampson, Ahnen), 57.08; 2. BARAGA, 58.02; 3. JEFFERS, 59.94; 4. ONTONAGON, 1:02.03.
400-meter dash - 1. Molly Domitrovich, ONT, 1:05.38; 2. Berwald, BES, 1:06.28; 3. Jenna Heikkinen, BAR, 1:13.95; 4. Erica Corey, ONT, 1:24.82.
300-meter hurdles - 1. Rowe, BES, 52.22; 2. Fish, BAR, 52.92; 3. Sutherland, BAR, 54.72; 4. Frannie Zielinski, WAT, 56.88.
800-meter run - 1. Heikkinen, BAR, 2:46.91; 2. Audrey Tarbutton, ONT, 2:52.53; 3. Bethany Engel, WM, 3:07.34; 4. Rachel Moon, BES, 3:20.69.
200-meter dash - 1. Soumis, ONT, 28.17; 2. Berwald, BES, 29.58; 3. Haley Makela, JEF, 30.45; 4. Fish, BAR, 30.78.
3,200-meter run - 1. Meeghan Randell, JEF, 13:15.62; 2. Sutherland, BAR, 14:17.64; 3. Gabka, BES, 14:36.07; 4. Pietila, ETC, 15:16.98.
1,600-meter relay - 1. BESSEMER (Rowe, Samardich, Ahnen, Berwald), 4:37.03; 2. ONTONAGON, 4:38.70; 3. BARAGA, 4:55.31.
High jump - 1. Engel, WM, 5-2; 2. Fish, BAR, 5-0; 3. Sutherland, BAR, 4-10; 4. Brenna Bogaczyk, BES, 4-6.
Pole vault - 1. Sonja Welch, BAR, 8-2; 2. Jennifer Stewart, ONT, 7-6; 3. Nicki Lekies, BES, 7-0; 4. Kristi Kioski, ONT and Rachel Moon, 6-6.
Shot put - 1. Hunter Maki, BAR, 31-9 1/2; 2. Mariah Zelinski, WAT, 31-2 1/4; 3. Bogaczyk, BES, 30-11 3/4; 4. Avery Jackson, BES, 29-7.
Discus - 1. Maki, BAR, 92-8; 2. Bogaczyk, BES, 85-9; 3. Carly Adams, ONT, 78-8; 4. Stacy Mattila, JEF, 72-8.
Long jump - 1. Soumis, ONT, 14-11 3/4; 2. Engel, WM, 14-1/2; 3. Sampson, BES, 12-10; 4. F. Zelinski, WAT, 12-8 1/2.
In the second go around, Fish cleared the first few hurdles more efficiently and eked out the smallest margin of victory - one one-hundredth of a second - over Bessemer's Valerie Rowe.
"It was by a lean," Fish said. "We were both right there."
While some might grumble about subjecting their body to two hurdle races in quick succession, Fish was delighted for the opportunity.
"At first I was like, 'aww, we have to rerun it?'" Fish said. "But then I thought it was actually pretty cool that we were rerunning it. I was actually sort of pumped and was just thinking about staying closer to the hurdles.
"But no, I have never had to rerun it before."
Rowe went on to win the 300 low hurdles with a 52.22 time - so all was not lost for the Bessemer sprinter - while Fish took second with a 52.92 mark. Fish also qualified in the 200 dash and high jump.
While Fish is excited to have made it in all four events, she is especially happy to get one more opportunity in the high jump.
"I would really like to get the school record for high jump," Fish said. "So far my personal record is 5-0, and the school record is 5-2. Today I got 5-0 again and almost 5-1 on my first jump."
Bessemer won the girls regional with a 59 point total, just edging Baraga by six points at 53. Ontonagon took third (39), Jeffers fourth (13) and Wakefield-Marenisco (10), Watersmeet (5) and Ewen-Trout Creek (3) rounded out the pack.
Olivia Soumis won the 100, 200 and long jump for Ontonagon, while the Gladiators earned 10 spots for U.P. Finals.
Meeghan Randell won the 3200 for Jeffers, and will be joined in Kingsford by teammates Lexi Pyykkonen (100 hurdles) and Haley Makela (200).
The Vikings earned 14 total slots for U.P. Finals and saw wins from Rachel Sutherland in the mile and Jenna Heikkinen in the 800.
Hunter Maki once again dominated the throwing events, setting a personal best in the shot put with a 31-9 1/2 heave.
The senior will get one more chance to accomplish her goal of owning the school discus record.
"It's still pretty exciting," Maki said. "I get one more try to beat the school record in the discus, which is 120 feet, so I am going hoping to beat it or come pretty close.
"I'm pumping myself up to get some ambition to throw it farther."