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West Iron County track

West Iron County Clinches with Win in Final Relay

By John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com

June 6, 2021

KINGSFORD — The race for the Upper Peninsula Division 2 championship came down to the wire Saturday as West Iron County edged Ishpeming 108-104½ for its first title in eight years.

Bark River-Harris placed third with 80 points, followed by three-time reigning champion St. Ignace with 71.

“We kind of knew it’d be close,” said West Iron coach Kristi Berutti. “We had to change some relays to maximize our points.”

The Wykons secured the decision by winning the 1,600-meter relay in four minutes, 27.04 seconds. Ishpeming placed second at 4:39.92.

“It’s awesome to win it all, and we wouldn’t have done it without my sister Danica,” said senior Jordan Shamion. “She’s the one who pushed us over the edge.”

Ishpeming trackJordan won the 100-meter hurdles at 16.99 seconds, 300s in a personal-best 48.72, anchored the 1,600 relay and took second in shot put at 31 feet, eight inches.

“I stumbled on a hurdle and still got a PR, and I’m happy with second in shot,” she said.

Danica Shamion, a freshman, added victories in the 100 (13.07), 200 (27.35) and 400 (1:01.48).

“I think my starts have improved,” said Danica. “If you have a bad start, you have a bad race.”

West Iron’s Avery Bociek placed second in the 800 (2:40.08).

Ishpeming freshman Lola Korpi took the 800 (2:34.90), 1,600 (5:41.32) and 3,200 (12:26.93) and anchored the winning 3,200 relay (10:56.42).

Division 1 and 2 runners ran together in the open 3,200, and Korpi paced with eventual Division 1 champion Olivia Moffitt of Marquette and runner-up Ingrid Seagren from Houghton.

“Olivia did awesome. She’s a senior and she deserves it,” Korpi said. “I just wanted to separate from the girls behind me. Olivia was a quarter track ahead of me, and I knew I wasn’t going to catch her. She really surprised me. She and Ingrid were my competition.”

Teammate Rebekah Loman swept the weight events, taking shot (32-4¾) and discus (104-3).

West Iron County trackBR-H freshman Mckenzie Hoffmeyer captured long jump (15-5) and was runner-up in the 100 (13.38) and 200 (27.56).

Iron Mountain won the sprint relays and Chloe Maycroft the high jump (4-11), and Lexi Hagen won pole vault (8-6).

“Our third handoff (by Emma Ellis) went real well,” said Mountaineers junior Abbygayle Richer, who anchored the winning 800 relay (1:52.86). “That was our fastest time all year. The competition pushed us to do better. We knew we had to run well to beat Bark River-Harris.

“I’m just glad we had a chance to run this year. Last year we didn’t get to do this (because of COVID-19).”

The Mountaineers were clocked at 53.88 in the 400 relay.

BR-H was runner-up in the 400 relay (55.39) and 800 (1:53.48), and sophomore Hazel Conklin was second in the 300 hurdles (51.53).

Click for full results.

PHOTOS: West Iron County’s Jordan Shamion celebrates her team’s finish in the 1,600 relay Saturday. (Middle) Ishpeming’s Lola Korpi leads the open 1,600. (Below) West Iron’s Danica Shamion, middle, crosses first in the 100. (Photos by Cara Kamps. Click to see more at RunMichigan.com.)

High 5s: 6/5/12

June 5, 2012

Each week, Second Half gives "High 5s" to athletes and a team based on their accomplishments the previous week or throughout the season.

A four-time track champion and a longtime state tennis power once again at the top make up this week's list of high achievers.

Sami Michell
Reed City senior
Girls Track and Field

Michell became the first Lower Peninsula four-time champion at an MHSAA Girls Track and Field Final since 1979 when she won the long jump, 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles and 200 on Saturday at the Division 3 meet at Comstock Park. Her time of 42.4 in the 300 hurdles broke the all-Finals record that had stood since 1984, and she also set Division 3 Final records in the long jump (18-6.5) and 100 hurdles (13.84) – breaking the record she previously held in the latter. Total, Michell has won eight MHSAA championships during her three-year high school career. She’s also a setter on the volleyball team and the top-ranked student in her class with a 4.0 grade-point average. Her mother Vikki is the coach of Reed City’s girls track and field team, and her father Brent coaches the boys team.

Fantastic 4: “I wanted to win four; I thought about it, but it was kinda crazy when I actually did it. Really, after I crossed the finish line in the 200, I was pretty happy then. Definitely 200 (was the hardest). It was the last one, and I wasn’t seeded first in that one.”

I learned the most about running from: “Both my parents. They both help me in different ways. It’s pretty cool, but it’s hard sometimes. Sometimes listening to them is harder because I think they don’t know what they’re talking about when they do. But just because they’re my parents it’s harder to listen.”

Up next: All I really know is I’m running track someplace. I have no idea where I want to go. A couple of schools down south really seem interested (including Clemson, plus Michigan State closer to home). Stanford seems interested.”

Fun with numbers: “I’m thinking (I’ll study) accounting. I’m kind of a perfectionist. I like the math part of it.”

Air Michell: Despite standing only 5-foot-8, Michell has a vertical jump of nearly 30 inches and just misses being able to touch the basketball rim. “But I can touch the part connected to the backboard. That would be pretty sweet.”

Click to read more.

Birmingham Seaholm tennis

Birmingham Seaholm won only one individual flight, but also had three runners-up in edging Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern 27-25 at the top of the Division 2 Final standings Saturday. The Maples won their first MHSAA team championship since 2004, and ended FHN's six-season streak of shared or outright titles. Seaholm had finished runner-up to the Huskies in 2011.

Jackie Meier and Rachel Wilson won what ended up being the deciding match by downing the pair from Forest Hills Northern in the final at No. 3 doubles. Seaholm also gained valuable points by placing seven flights in at least the semifinals.

This spring's previous honorees