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Lakes girls take first in D3 U.P. Finals: Emily Jokela sets numerous records on the track

Lake Linden-Hubbell’s Emily Jokela crosses the finish line during the U.P. Finals Saturday in Kingsford. She won all four events she was entered in. (Jason Juno/For MHSAA.com)

KINGSFORD — Before most track and field meets, Lake Linden-Hubbell girls’ coach Gary Guisfredi always sizes up the competition and makes up mental note of where his girls will fit in. On Saturday, his predictions carried a little more weight as it was the last meet of the year.

The Upper Peninsula high school track and field world had descended upon Kingsford for the MHSAA U.P. Finals. It consisted of boys and girls competing in 17 events across three divisions of schools. The Lakes competed in Division 3.

“Before this began, I had us finishing second – several points behind Stephenson,” said Guisfredi. “However, I happily miscalculated.”

The Lakes tied Stephenson with 72 points to share the winning title for 2023. It was the fourth title U.P. track and field championship for the Lakes in six years. They won it in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2023.

“I couldn’t have been more excited for the girls,” he said. “Certainly Emily (Jokela) played a huge role, but we could not have done it without the other girls.”

Lake Linden-Hubbell girls track team earned the team win Saturday during the U.P. Finals at Kingsford in Division 3. Pictured (from left) Coach Gary Guisfredi, Abi Codere, Isabella Tampas, Emily Jokela, Becca Lyon. Clea Milkey is not pictured. (Photo submitted)

Jokela won the 100, 200, 400 and 300-meter hurdle events. With that, she became the sixth female in state history to win four events at an MHSAA Finals.

Not only that, she also now holds a U.P. Finals’ (Division 3) record in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 45.63 seconds. She broke Ontonagon’s Lori Wardynski’s time of 47.27 by almost two seconds.

As if that is not enough, Jokela now holds the Lake’s school record in all four of her events.

“She is just a gifted athlete that has rewritten those four events at Lake Linden,” Guisfredi said. “She is competitive and hard working, but most importantly a real joy to coach.”

While the focus is obviously on her, Guisfredi added that without the other four girls on the team they would not be winning that first-place title.

“Abi Codere came through for us in the 100-meter hurdles (first place) and she scored second in the pole vault,” he said. “As well, she was part of the 4 x 100 relay team that took first. Everyone gave it their all.”

Other top finishers

In Division 1 girls, the Houghton relay team of Lily Ross, Tessa Rautiola, Claire Filpus, and Ayla Miller placed first in the 4 x 800-meter race. The Gremlins’ Danica Ryynanen took first in the 100-meter hurdles and Rautiola won the 1600-meter run later in the day.

While it wasn’t a first-place podium for Division 2 boys, Myles Lewis, of Hancock, certainly got the top spot in the eyes of his coaches with a 42-04.5 foot toss of the shot put.

“It was great because he was sitting in fourth place before his last throw,” said Hancock coach Jeff Hauswirth. “But he gave it his all and bumped up to a second-place finish here at finals.”

While Dollar Bay-Tamarack City’s Division 3 boys’ relay team of Josh Gaunt, Caleb Kentela, Amos Norland, and Josh Luukkonen was projected to finish third in the 4 x 800-meter relay, they moved that up to a first-place finish thanks to some good old-fashioned team work on the track.

“We started off strong and kept the pace from the start,” said Luukkonen. “At the end, we out-kicked everybody else for the win.”

Norland went on to win the 800-meter run with a 2:05:91 and placed second in the 1600-meter run with a personal-best time of 4:43:49.

Kalvin Kytta, of Chassell, won the 3200-meter run with a time of 10:32:70.

Top finishers from the Copper Country boys and girls D1-3 from UP Finals

Boys Division 1

4x400m relay: 4th place, Calumet, Parisot, Mattila, Larson, Anderson.

4x800m relay: 4th place, Houghton, 8:45:31, Hamlin, Seagren, Van Carsen and Hill.

110m hurdles: 3rd place, Brody Mattilla, Houghton, 16:04.

300m hurdles: 3rd place, Brody Mattilla, Houghton, 43:66.

1600m run 4th place, Luke Hill, Houghton, 4:41:81.

High Jump: 4th place, Dane Anderson, Calumet, 5-08.00

Pole Vault: 3rd place, Zach Horsch, Houghton, 11-06.00; 4th place, Wade Zadorecky, Houghton, 10-06.00.

Long jump: 3rd place Brody Mattilla, Houghton, 19:05.

Girls Division 1

4th place team – Houghton, 69.

4x400m relay: 4th place, Houghton, 4:27:34, Ross, Filpus, Miller, Wickstrom.

4x800m relay: 1st place, Houghton, 10:09:50, Ross, Rautiola, Filpus, Miller.

100m hurdles: 1st place, Danica Ryynanen, Houghton 16:80; 4th place, Chloe Serafin, Houghton, 17:71.

300m hurdles: 4th place, Danica Ryynanen, Houghton 51:49.

100m dash: 4th place, Caitlyn Strom, Calumet, 13:02.

400m dash: 4th place, Stella Wickstrom, Houghton, 1:04:68.

800m run: 4th place, Lilly Ross, Houghton, 2:35:54.

1600m run: 1st place , Tess Rautiola, Houghton, 5:42:08; 3rd place, Lilly Ross, Houghton, 5:47: 69.

3200m run: 3rd place, Tess Rautiola, Houghton, 12:34:38.

High jump: 3rd place, Caitlyn Strom, Calumet, 4-10.00.

Pole vault: 3rd place, Caitlyn Strom, Calumet, 9-00.00.

Long jump; 4th place, Caitlyn Strom, Calumet, 15-04.25.

Boys Division 2

1600m run: 3rd place, Tavin Larson, Jeffers, 4:56:57.

Shot put: 2nd place, Myles Lewis, Hancock 42-04.5.

Girls Division 2

4x400m relay: 3rd place, Hancock, 4:36:16, E. Kerenan, Kero, Pelto, Aho.

4x800m relay: 2nd place, Hancock, 10:38:71, A. Kerenan, J. Kerenan, Kero, Aho.

400m dash: 2nd place, Briella Kero, Hancock, 1:00:42.

800m run: 3rd place, Briella Kero, Hancock, 2:35:57.

High jump: 4th place, Liana Berg, Hancock, 7-00.00.

Boys Division 3

4x100m relay: 3rd place, Lake Linden-Hubbell, 46:35, Milkey, Roberts, Popko, Jokela.

4x200m relay: 2nd place, Lake Linden-Hubbell, 1:36:02, Milkey, Roberts, Holzberger, Jokela.

4x800m relay: 1st place, Dollar Bay, 8:59:71, Gaunt, Luukkonen, Norland, Kentala.

100m dash: 4th place, James Milkey, Lake Linden-Hubbell, 11:66.

400m dash: 4th place, Matthew Jokela, Lake Linden-Hubbell, 54:01.

200m dash: 4th place, Matthew Jokela, Lake Linden-Hubbell, 24:10.

800m run: 1st place, Amos Norland, Dollar Bay, 2:05:91.

1600m run: 2nd place, Amos Norland, Dollar Bay, 4:43:49; 3rd place, Kalvin Kytta, Chassell 4:49:48.

3200m run: 1st place, Kalvin Kytta, Chassel, 10: 32: 70; 2ndplace , Amos Norland, Dollar Bay, 10:32: 77.

300m hurdles: 4th place, Josh Gaunt, Dollar Bay, 46:71.

Girls Division 3

Overall Lake Linden- Hubbell 72 points tied with Stephenson

100m dash: 1st place, Emily Jokela, Lake Linden- Hubbell, 13:08.

200m dash: 1st place, Emily Jokela, Lake Linden- Hubbell, 26.82.

400m dash: 1st place, Emily Jokela, Lake Linden- Hubbell, 59.60; 3rd place, Violet Amos, Ontonagon, 1:00:80.

100m hurdles: 1st place, Abi Codere, Lake Linden- Hubbell 16. 72; 2nd place, Ashlea Datto, Dollar Bay, 16.73.

300m hurdles: 1st place, Emily Jokela, Lake Linden- Hubbell, 45:63.

4 x100 relay: 1st place, Lake Linden-Hubbell, 53:44, Codere, Tampas, Milkey, Lyons; 4th place, Ontonagon, 55:09, Bailey, Amos, McIntyre, Uotila.

4×400 relay: 1st place Ontonagon, 4:29: 69, Bobula, Amos, McIntyre, Uotila.

High Jump: 2nd place, Kiera Isaacson, Dollar Bay, 4-08.00.

Pole Vault: 2nd place, Abi Codere, Lake Linden-Hubbell, 8-06.00.

Long Jump: 4th place , Rebecca Lyons, Lake Linden- Hubbell, 15-00.00.

Discus: 2nd place, Reese Holley, Baraga 100-9; 3rd place, Corina Jahfetson, Baraga, 100-8.

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