Prepapalooza: Final Countdown Begins

IRONWOOD — Most high school tracks have at least six lanes and are 400 meters.

But there’s an exception to every rule.

That’s the case at Ironwood, where the Red Devils run on a 350-meter, five-lane asphalt surface.

“That’s something we’ve addressed,” Ironwood coach Cecilia Aho said “We’re probably the last ones who have a track this small, although the distances are the same. When we do mile repeats the kids don’t like it, but it’s better than not having a track. We make it work. Some of the smaller schools don’t have a track.”

Both Ironwood teams retained their titles Saturday afternoon at the Jim LaBlonde Memorial Invitational at Longyear Field, with the boys scoring 74 points to stay ahead of Hurley, Wis., at 57, and the Ironwood girls collecting 104 points to pull away from the field.

“The kids come here and have fun,” Aho said. “We have a nice group of kids who are working real hard.”

Ironwood junior Talon Hughes, who had a hand in four meet records, said the smaller track provides some challenges.

“It’s a pretty unique track,” he added. “We have different lanes and it’s hard to switch lanes. It can be intimidating for visiting teams. It’s sometimes hard for them to adapt, although we get used to it through practice. The biggest adjustment for us on 400-meter tracks is they have longer straightaways.”

Hughes won the 100-meter dash in 11.74 seconds and also took first in the 200 (24.42), 110 hurdles (16.84) and helped the Red Devils take the 800 relay (1:40.37).

“It’s a great feeling to win at home,” he said. “Many of your friends are here to cheer you on. We’re looking forward to our last few meets.”

The different exchange zones appeared to affect the Bessemer girls 800 relay the most. After a fast start, the Speedgirls struggled with all three handoffs, dropping them to third place (2:06.05), fewer than two seconds behind the winning team from Ironwood.

“I think it has a mental block on you,” Bessemer sophomore Sarah Hoffenberg said. “It really depends on the person. In my opinion, I think it helps if you don’t think about it. It’s really a learning experience.”

Hoffenberg later helped the Speedgirls bounce back with a victory in the 400 relay (1:01.38).

Ironwood senior Aubrey Smith, who will be attending classes at University of Michigan this fall, said it’s like having a homecourt advantage.

“It’s a little confusing,” she added. “It’s a little less than 4½ laps for a mile. It’s hard to tell where everyone is.”

Smith dominated the distances, taking the 800 (2:38.84), 1,600 (5:59.53) and 3,200 (11:58.87).

The Red Devils also ran in Wednesday’s Upper Peninsula Division 2 Regional at West Iron County, the boys team winning and the girls finishing runner-up to the host Wykons. Ironwood travels to Lake Linden-Hubbell for the Copper Mountain Conference meet Monday before ending the season at the Upper Peninsula Finals on May 31 at Kingsford.

“Our seniors are looking forward to their last couple meets,” Aho said. “I’m going to miss them. Our school is 100 years old. We started celebrating our centennial last July. We’re in the process of finishing up our celebration.”

John Vrancic has covered high school sports in the Upper Peninsula since joining the Escanaba Daily Press staff in 1985. He is known most prominently across the peninsula for his extensive coverage of cross country and track & field that frequently appears in newspapers from the Wisconsin border to Lake Huron. He received the James Trethewey Award for Distinguished Service in 2015 from the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.

PHOTO Skyla Ballew clears a hurdle during a race at Ironwood High School. (Photo by Jason Juno/Ironwood Daily Globe.)