Eddie O’Neill/Daily Mining Gazette
Runners from Kingsford, Negaunee, Iron Mountain and Houghton compete in the 300-meter hurdles on Friday in Calumet at the UP Division 1, Region 42 track and field regional meet.

Eddie O’Neill/Daily Mining Gazette
Westwood pole vaulter Lexi Olson earns a first-place finish with a jump of 10 feet on Thursday in Calumet at the UP Division 1 Region 42 track and field meet.

Eddie O’Neill/Daily Mining Gazette
Houghton’s Yohan Yoon (right) legs out the final stretch of the 1600-meter run on Thursday at the UP Division 1 Region 42 meet in Calumet.

CALUMET — With a big smile on his face and still trying to catch his breath, Brody Mattila, of Houghton, summed up his MHSSA Upper Peninsula, Division 1, Regional 42 track meet with one brief sentence.

“It was a good day for me,” he said on Thursday in Calumet.

The junior qualified for not one but four events for the UP Final track and field meet to be held in two weeks in Kingsford.

“I had personal bests in the 110 and 300 hurdles, the 400 relay and the long jump,” Mattila added. “I came into this expecting to do well and racing against strong competition here certainly helped.”

Mattila was not alone in his Gremlin success. Sophomore Luke Hill’s speed led to first-place finishes in the 800-meter, 1600-meter and 3200-meter runs. His key to success – divine assistance.

“I said a prayer before each of those races, and it seemed to work,” he said after winning the 1600.

The Gremlins’ boys team came in second with a score of 51 to Kingsford who won the regional with a score of 56. Negaunee placed third. In the girl’s division Negaunee won with a score of 68. Houghton placed second at 52 and Ishpeming Westwood took third with 25.

“Regionals for me had probably the biggest highlight of the season for our guys so far,” said Erik Johnson, head coach of the Gremlins’ boys team.

“They really stepped up and competed against a very strong Kingsford team and came within 5 points of taking home the regional title. We have a young team with 15 freshmen on the roster and only seven seniors, so the future also looks bright.”

The Gremlins girls team also fared well. On the track, senior Stella Wickstrom ran a 1:04:55 400-meter dash for first place. Claire Filpus took second in the 800-meter run and Tessa Rautiola won both the 1600 and 3200-meter races. As well, junior Danica Ryynanen placed second in the 100- and 300-meter hurdles.

Johnson added that his pleasure as a coach comes from watching the improvements his boys and girls have made over the course of a crummy season weatherwise.

“The girls and boys teams have had a very shortened season due to the long winter and wet spring,” he said, “but we have been making the best of it. This team has come together, and the biggest thing I took away from today (regionals) was how they had each other’s backs throughout the whole thing and didn’t back down from a challenge, fighting all the way through the last relay. To say the least, I am super proud of all of them and can’t wait to see what they can do moving into the conference meet next week and finals after that.”

Race results from UP Division 1, Region 42 meet

Girls

100m dash: Faith Spiroff, 13.53, Ishpeming Westwood; Anja Kleiman, 13.56, Iron Mountain; Caitlyn Strom, 13.57, Calumet; Bella Pickett, 13.84, Iron Mountain.

200m dash: Anja Kleiman, 28.10, Iron Mountain; Bella Pickett, 29.54, Iron Mountain; Addelyn Hallum, 29.60, Ishpeming Westwood; Macyn Dellangelo,30.20, Negaunee.

400m dash: Stella Wickstrom, 1:04.55, Houghton; Olivia Lunseth, 1:05.15, Negaunee; Ayla Miller, 1:05.50, Houghton, Faith Spiroff, 1:05.66, Ishpeming Westwood.

800m run: Aubrey Johnson, 2:37.32, Negaunee; Claire Filpus, 2:37.70, Houghton; Lily Ross, 2:37.80, Houghton; Seere Helms-Gleason, 2:37.88, Negaunee.

1600m run: Tessa Rautiola, 5:40.84, Houghton; Endla Harris, 5:46.34; Negaunee, Lily Ross, 5:49.89, Houghton, Claire Filpus, 5:54.46, Houghton.

3200m run: Tessa Rautiola, 12:34.71, Houghton; Endla Harris, 13:10.31, Negaunee, Marlee Plaxco, 13:16.32, Negaunee; Jovie Williams. 13:20.31,

Houghton.

100m hurdles: Madison Pekrul, 17.27, Negaunee; Danica Ryynanen, 17.37, Houghton; Chloe Serafin, 17.82, Houghton; Camryn Pertile, 18.92, Houghton.

300m hurdles: Madison Pekrul, 50.74, Negaunee; Danica Ryynanen, 51.77 Houghton; Chloe Serafin, 52.4, Houghton; Josie Mechling, 53.54, Negaunee.

400m relay: Iron Mountain – A, 53.45, Bella Pickett, Chloe Maycroft, Emma Ellis, Anja Kleiman;Negaunee – A, 54.54, Macyn Dellangelo, Adelyn Lein, Ellie Sundberg, Maddie Beaudry; Kingsford – A, 54.75, Lexie Vross, Addie Rutter, Abby Przeslakowski, Erika Malone; Houghton – A, 58.78, Kate Berkey, Anna Wu, Anika Mechlin, Camryn Pertile.

800m relay: Negaunee – A, 1:54.50, Macyn Dellangelo, Olivia Lunseth, Ellie Sundberg, Maddie Beaudry; Kingsford – A, 1:56.34

Lexie Vross, Addie Rutter, Abby Przeslakowski, Erika Malone; Houghton – A, 2:04.16 Annika Peterson, Emilyn Fay, Anika Mechlin, Chloe Serafin

Calumet – A, 2:07.03, Claire Harmala, Claire Ruonavaara, Jenna Yohe, Trista Berryman.

1600m relay: Negaunee – A, 4:24.52 Madison Pekrul, Kayleigh Manninen, Olivia Lunseth, Seere Helms-Gleason; Houghton – A; 4:25.16,

Lily Ross, Stella Wickstrom, Ayla Miller, Claire Filpus, Calumet – A, 5:03.85, Trista Berryman, Hope Stroup, Claire Ruonavaara, Claire Harmala, Kingsford – A, 5:05.55, Kayla Bracket, Ivy Van Ooyen, April Clark, Hayden Johnson.

3200m relay: Houghton – A, 10:22.18, Lily Ross, Claire Filpus, Ayla Miller, Tessa Rautiola, Negaunee – A, 10:23.0, Aubrey Johnson, Marlee Plaxco, Endla Harris, Seere Helms-Gleason; Kingsford – A, 12:25.42, Iona Shilton, April Clark, Hayden Johnson, Cassie Olson, Iron Mountain – A, 12:46.84a

Cameryn Doers, Leila Farhat, Geralis Sampoll, Mencia Monasterio.

Shot put: Eliana Juchemich, 35′ 10.25, Negaunee; Ashley Bell, 28′ 10, Negaunee; Martha Rutherford, 28′ 7S, Negaunee; Jaelynn Watters, 27′ 0, Ishpeming Westwood.

Discus: Eliana Juchemich, 111′ 4,Negaunee; Ashley Bell, 91′ 8.5, Negaunee; Amelia Kamm, 85′ 6, Houghton; Katie Gaff, 79′ 11.5, Houghton.

High jump: Lexi Olson, 5′ 2, Ishpeming Westwood; Faith Spiroff, 5′ 0, Ishpeming Westwood; Anja Kleiman, 4′ 10, Iron Mountain; Caitlyn Strom, 4′ 10, Calumet.

Long jump:Caitlyn Strom, 16′ 4, Calumet; Faith Spiroff, 15′ 9.5Ishpeming Westwood; Nori Korsman, 15′ 4.25; Negaunee, Erika Malone, 15′ 3.75, Kingsford.

Pole vault: Lexi Olson, 10′ 0 Ishpeming Westwood; Aubrey Johnson, 9′ 0, Negaunee; Caitlyn Strom, 9′ 0,Calumet; Kayleigh Carlson, 8′ 0, Houghton.

Boys

100m dash: Michael Floriano, 11.56, Kingsford; Matthew Colavecchi, 11.85, Iron Mountain; Braydon Nelson, 11.91, Calumet; Gabriel Mattila, 12.06 Calumet.

200m dash: Michael Floriano, 23.94, Kingsford; Braydon Nelson, 24.40, Calumet; Bryant Lee, 24.54, Houghton; Kainoa Lacar, 24.55,

Negaunee.

400m dash: Isacc Larson, 53.92, Calumet; Bryce Davis, 54.28, Iron Mountain; Michael Wolfenberg, 55.21, Kingsford; Bryce Wenzel, 55.61, Kingsford.

800m run: Luke Hill, 2:07.64, Houghton; Dane Anderson, 2:12.22, Calumet; James Dank, 2:12.45, Negaunee; Judge Anderson, 2:12.61,

Negaunee.

1600m run: Luke Hill, 4:49.70,Houghton; Judge Anderson, 4:51.94, Negaunee; Cyrus Hamlin, 4:54.03, Houghton; Birk Seagren, 4:55.86, Houghton.

3200m run: Luke Hill, 10:58.82, Houghton; Birk Seagren , 11:03.79, Houghton; Judge Anderson, 11:05.03, Negaunee; Cyrus Hamlin, 11:08.86

Houghton.

110m hurdles: Will Fairchild, 16.05, Iron Mountain; Brody Mattila, 16.15, Houghton; Kurtis Kangas, 16.70, Negaunee; Ayden Smith, 17.34,

Kingsford.

300m hurdles: Will Fairchild, 42.48, Iron Mountain; Brody Mattila, 42.62, Houghton; Kurtis Kangas, 44.49, Negaunee Brady Mager,45.81, Negaunee.

400m relay: Kingsford, 45.48, Cole Myllyla, Noah Johnson, Conor Quick, Michael Floriano; Iron Mountain – A, 46.31, Luke Wolfe, Michael Dove, Will Fairchild, Matthew Colavecchi; Calumet, 46.39, Tyler Black, Isacc Larson, Gabriel Mattila, Braydon Nelson; Houghton – A, 46.70, Bryant Lee, Brayden Goudge, Brody Mattila, Braden Gagnon.

800m relay: Kingsford – A, 1:36.55, Cole Myllyla, Jack Olson, Conor Quick, Michael Floriano; Houghton – A, 1:39.66, Mikko Salmi, Bryant Lee, Carter Kilpela, Braden Gagnon; Negaunee – A, 1:40.60, Broc Bonovetz, Anthony Gleason, Chase Bonovetz, Derek McEachern; Iron Mountain – A , 1:41.24, Alex Wilson, Alex Jayne, Micah Treiber, Bradon Walstrom.

1600m relay: 1. Negaunee – A, 3:43.36; Chase Bonovetz, Kurtis Kangas, Derek McEachern, Brady Mager; Kingsford – A, 3:44.78a, Bryce Wenzel, Cardel Morton, Kaleb Fornetti, Michael Wolfenberg; Calumet – A, 3:45.12, Bruce Parisot, Blake Tarvis, Isacc Larson, Dane Anderson; Houghton – A,3:54.07,Ryan Dixon, Augustus Hamlin, Carter Kilpela, Ben Hemmer.

3200m relay: Houghton – A, 8:53.22, Cyrus Hamlin, Colin Van Karsen, Birk Seagren, Luke Hill; Negaunee – A, 8:57.36, Judge Anderson, Michael Juchemich, James Dank, Simon Jaklin;3. Kingsford – A, 9:03.49, Joey Lundholm, Kaleb Fornetti, Ethan Congdon, Isaac Olson; Iron Mountain – A, 9:25.53, Oskar Kangas, Alex Wilson, Daniel Manier, Di’Angelo Saldana.

Shot put: Garrett Veale, 45′ 4.5, Kingsford; Nico Lukkarinen, 42′ 3.5, Negaunee; Mitch Paltzer, 42′ 0.2, Negaunee; Noah Johnson, 40′ 11, Kingsford.

Discus: Noah Johnson, 145′ 7, Kingsford; Sincere Brooks, 134′ 6.5, Calumet; Grayson Palmer, 119′ 5, Kingsford; Nico Lukkarinen, 118′ 2 Negaunee.

High jump: David Williams. 5′ 8; Kingsford; Dane Anderson, 5′ 8,Calumet; Brady Mager, 5′ 6 Negaunee; Cardel Morton, 5′ 6, Kingsford.

Long jump: Cardel Morton, 20′ 5.25, Kingsford; Brody Mattila, 20′ 13, Houghton; Cole Myllyla, 20′ 0.25 Kingsford; Kainoa Lacar, 19′ 3.5; Negaunee.

Pole vault: Zack Horsch, 11′ 6, Houghton; Wade Zadorecky, 11′ 6; Houghton; Joe Rosten, 11′ 0,

Negaunee; Ayden Smith, 10′ 4, Kingsford.