KINGSFORD - All that separates Lake Linden-Hubbell and Pickford in the seeding for the boys 400-meter relay for the U.P. Finals in Kingsford today is 0.44 seconds.
That is the difference in one start. The difference in a strong handoff and a stumbling one. The difference between first and second.
The Lakes boys won every Copper Country Conference meet they competed in this season and it was on the strength of their depth that they did so. Nowhere does that depth show stronger than in the LL-H relay teams.
Article Photos
Ontonagon’s Dylan Kirkley crosses the finish line victorious in the 200 meters at the Copper Country Conference meet in Baraga earlier this season. Kirkley will compete in four events for the Gladiators today in Kingsford. (DMG photo by Michael Bleach)
The Lakes will be seeded at No. 2 in the 400, 800 and 3,200 relays. To change that seeding to a No. 1 finish, it will be the little details that matter.
Details that Lakes coach Mike Greene and his team go over all season long.
"The guys that are on those (relays) - and I'm not saying this against the other guys - but man, they work hard," Greene said. "When we work on our relays, especially the sprint ones, we are constantly working on handoffs. And sometimes I hear other coaches say, 'Ahh, we don't work on handoffs.' But there is a big difference for our team. You can pick up two or three seconds if each hand off is right."
Fact Box
If U.P. Finals results stay true to seed times (and they most certainly won't), the final scoreboard will look like this:
Pickford 103, Bark River-Harris 68, Rapid River 62, Forest Park 41, Lake Linden-Hubbell 32, Maplewood Baptist Academy 26, Munising and Superior Central 22, Ontonagon 21, Chassell 20, Cedarville 19, Mid Peninsula 16, North Dickinson 15, Ewen-Trout Creek 12, Brimley 11, Wakefield-Marinesco 10, Big Bay de Noc and Dollar Bay 8, Bessemer 5, Republic-Michigamme 4, DeTour 3.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Though the MHSAA switched from classes to nearly-equal divisions in 2001 and retired all records from before that date, Division 3 and Class D remain synonymous within the U.P. For that reason, U.P. records quoted here include pre-2001 records if they are better than post-2001 records.
BOYS
100-METER DASH
Meet Record: 10.9, Mike Thiry, C-N, 1986
2011 Champion: Tyler Arnold, NCA, 11.62
1. Lamont Grigsby, MBA, 11.60
3. Dylan Kirkley, ONT, 11.71
8. Ross Michaels, CHS, 11.96
12. Raul Batchelder, ETC, 12.26
13. Tony Soumis, ONT, 12.28
110-METER HURDLES
Meet Record: 15.0, Steven Peffers, PIC, 1972 and Jon Gollakner, FP, 1987
2011 Champion: Jordan Baker, CED, 15.63
1. Trevor Cochrane, BRH, 16.33
14. Ryan Perttula, ETC, 20.63
16. Richard Wardynski, ONT, 21.60
200-METER DASH
Meet Record: 22.3, Thiry, C-N, 1986
2011 Champion: Jordan Lavigne, PIC, 23.68
1. Kirkley, ONT, 24.04
8. Josh Tuovila, LLH, 24.77
9. Cody Kumpula, LLH, 24.79
12. Soumis, ONT, 25.00
300-METER HURDLES
Meet Record: 40.42, Mike Schmaus, ONT, 2010
2011 Champion: Baker, CED, 41.12
1. Cochrane, BRH, 42.08
16. Wardynski, ONT, 1:01.70
400-METER RELAY
Meet Record: 45.0, Pickford, 1978
2011 Champion: Forest Park, 46.36
1. Pickford, 47.20
2. Lake Linden-Hubbell, 47.64
8. Ewen-Trout Creek, 49.25
400-METER DASH
Meet Record: 51.0, Tim Freebury, CED, 1978
2011 Champion: Brett Bryant, RR, 52.75
1. Bryant, RR, 53.34
11. Kirkley, ONT, 55.61
14. Mike Borseth, ETC, 57.36
15. Tyler Roberts, ONT, 57.68
800-METER RELAY
Meet Record: 1:35.0, North Central, 1980 and 1:35.03, Mid Peninsula, 2001
2011 Champion: Forest Park, 1:36.23
1. Pickford, 1:36.00
2. Lake Linden-Hubbell, 1:37.33
5. Ewen-Trout Creek, 1:39.98
800-METER RUN
Meet Record: 1:59.0, Mark Oberlin, FP, 1976
2011 Champion: Gabe Nelson, ND, 2:07.87
1. Tyler Keinitz, SC, 2:08.86
14. Troy Preiss, ONT, 2:20.93
1,600-METER RELAY
Meet Record: 3:31.8, Cedarville, 1980
2011 Champion: Pickford, 3:42.45
1. Pickford, 3:44.00
8. Ontonagon, 4:00.69
1,600-METER RUN
Meet Record: 4:28.6, John Currie, STI, 1983
2011 Champion: Jacob Mahoski, MUN, 4:41.12
1. Josh Hester, CED, 4:54.00
4. Jared Jarvi, CHS, 4:56.48
5. Donald Maynard, LLH, 4:59.00
7. Brett Houle, DB, 5:01.77
15. Troy Kinnunen, JEF, 5:21.66
3,200-METER RELAY
Meet Record: 8:26.4, Rudyard, 1986
2011 Champion: Forest Park, 8:39.32
1. Forest Park, 8:50.00
2. Lake Linden-Hubbell, 8:55.45
7. Ontonagon, 9:42.84
3,200-METER RUN
Meet Record: 9:49.84, Aaron Litzner, STI, 1998
2011 Champion: Mahoski, MUN, 10:43.20
1. Jarvi, CHS, 10:37.87
2. Houle, DB ,10:37.95
4. Maynard, LLH, 11:03.59
15. Kinnunen, JEF, 13:44.97
DISCUS
Meet Record: 163-1, Ryan Fountain, PIC, 1993
2011 Champion: Brett Branstrom, MP, 143-3 1/4
1. Branstrom, MP, 140-7 1/2
8. Josh Tuovila, LLH, 115-5
14. Richard Alexander, BAR, 93-1
15. Dan Domitrovich, ONT, 91-0
HIGH JUMP
Meet Record: 7-1, John Payment, BRM, 1989 (state record)
2011 Champion: Brett Gervais, LLH, 5-9
1. Jordan LaPlant, ETC, 6-1
4. Dylan Kirkley, ONT, 5-10
17. Josh Mukka, BAR, 5-4
LONG JUMP
Meet Record: 22-1/2, Mark Flood, FP, 1973
2011 Champion: Gervais, LLH, 21-1
1. Victor Guliatio, PIC, 19-2
6. Cody Kumpula, LLH, 18-7 1/2
7. LaPlant, ETC, 18-5 1/2
11. Konrad Klein, LLH, 17-11
14. Trent Ambuehl, LLH, 17-7
16. William Ross-Geroux, BAR, 17-1
POLE VAULT
Meet Record: 13-3, John Andrzejak, PIC, 1978 and Jimmi Cretens, MP, 2007
2011 Champion: Daniel Knapp, ND, 12-6
1. Robert Metter, RR, 12-9
3. Ross Michaels, CHS, 12-0
6. Trent Ambuehl, LLH, 11-0
9. Taylor Ambuehl, LLH, 10-0
10. James Marietta, LLH, 9-6
14. Edward Ling, BAR, 9-0
SHOT PUT
Meet Record: 55-1, Fountain, PIC, 1993
2011 Champion: Jacob Pikka, WM, 46-6
1. Pikka, WM, 46-8
9. Lee Heckel, LLH, 40-6
10. Jake Westphal, DB, 39-9
15. Alexander, BAR, 34-1
16. Dustin Teikari, BAR, 30-11 3/4
With each relay a combination of Beau Dupuis, Konrad Klein, Cody Kumpula, Joshua Tuovila, Brett Beauchamp, Donald Maynard, Matthew Witta, Alexander Knight and Kyle Keranen, this is where Greene expects his team to impress most.
Placing is the minimum expectation. Winning is the goal.
"I expect our 400 and 800 teams to do well," Green said. "We have reached a place, as well as the 3200 relay team, where our expectation is to place. All three should place."
The same creed goes for Ontonagon's Dylan Kirkley.
The senior sprinter will compete in the 100, 200, 400 and high jump events today.
Kirkley qualified as the No. 1 seed in the 200, No. 3 in the 100 and No. 4 in the high jump.
"I would like to get a first place, maybe a couple there," Kirkley said of his expectations for Finals. "But I want to go there and do as good as I can really, that's all you can really ask for."
The 3,200 meter title should come home with an area runner, as Chassell's Jared Jarvi ranks as the No. 1 seed with a 10:37.87 time and Dollar Bay's Brett Houle came in at No. 2 with a 10:37.95. The next closest runner, Andrew Kelto of Munising, finished his regional with an 11:02.60.
Other notable area qualifiers include Chassell's Ross Michaels at No. 3 in the pole vault and Jarvi and Maynard in the 1,600.
Lake Linden-Hubbell will have 16 entrants on the day, Ontonagon 13, Baraga 10, Dollar Bay two and Jeffers will be represented by distance runner Troy Kinnunen.