HANCOCK - Temperatures cooled down in a hurry during Friday's Houghton County Invite at Hancock Central High School's new complex, but the Calumet boys track and field team just kept heating up.
The Copper Kings, who had been edged by Houghton in all previous meets, finally beat the Gremlins, 216.50 to 167 during an event that started out under calm 70-degree conditions and ended with 50-degree temperatures and strong wind gusts.
Calumet swept all four relay events, took first in three of four field events and earned one-two-three finishes in the 800-meter run and high jump.
Article Photos
Calumet’s Owen Kariniemi completes a high jump during Friday’s Houghton County Invite at Hancock Central High School. Kariniemi’s second-place leap (5 feet, 6 1/4 inches) helped complete a one-two-three high jump finish for the Copper Kings, with Ben Storm winning the event and Tyler Roland taking third. (DMG photo by Stephen Anderson)
"I was looking more at individual performances than beating another team. We had a lot of good individual performances. It was really nice to see," Calumet coach Mark Bonenfant said. "I think we're improving bit by bit each week and I don't think a coach can ask for much more. I couldn't be happier."
Bonenfant had plenty to smile about as he watched Paul Frantti win the long jump, both short sprints and run second on the winning 400 relay team; Paul Torola "come out of nowhere" to win the 110 hurdles; and Ben Storm win the high jump.
"It was awesome for my first meet of the season," Storm said. "I got 5-foot-8 which I haven't gotten in practice yet, so it feels good to get it."
Fact Box
BOYS: Calumet 216 1/2, Houghton 167, Lake Linden-Hubbell 74, Hancock 35 1/2, Dollar Bay 24, Chassell 4.
3,200-meter relay - 1. CALUMET (Dylan Farmer, Maxx Frederickson, Devin Berg, Travis Frederickson), 8:58; 2. LAKE LINDEN-HUBBELL; 3. HOUGHTON; 4. DOLLAR BAY.
110-meter hurdles - 1. Paul Torola, CAL, 17.22; 2. Shane Raasio, HAN; 3. Eli Lilleskov, HOU; 4. Jacob Jarvis, HAN; 5. Sam Bethancourt, HOU; 6. Luke Paul, HAN.
100-meter dash - 1. Paul Frantti, CAL, 11.59; 2. Noah Budd, HOU; 3. Anthony Shepeard, CAL; 4. Thomas Schmidt, HOU; 5. Brett Beauchamp, LLH; 6. Paul, HAN.
800-meter relay - 1. CALUMET (Andy Steber, Lucas Lahnala, Chad Sturos, Shepeard), 1:40.09; 2. LAKE LINDEN-HUBBELL; 3. HOUGHTON; 4. CHASSELL; 5. DOLLAR BAY.
1,600-meter run - 1. Jacob Colling, HOU, 4:52.78; 2. Farmer, CAL; 3. Brett Houle, DB; 4. Frederickson, CAL; 5. Donald Maynard, LLH; 6. Spencer Donnelly, HOU.
400-meter relay - 1. CALUMET (Sturos, Frantti, Shepeard, Matt Prouty), 47.07; 2. LAKE LINDEN-HUBBELL; 3. HOUGHTON; 4. DOLLAR BAY; 5. HANCOCK.
400-meter dash - 1. Brett Fowler, HOU, 54.99; 2. Josh Tuovila, LLH; 3. James Sturos, CAL; 4. Tyler Roland, CAL; 5. Alex Hellman, HOU; 6. Jacob Maise, HOU.
300-meter hurdles - 1. Jarvis, HAN, 44.21; 2. C. Sturos, CAL; 3. Lilleskov, HOU; 4. Bethancourt, HOU; 5. Charles Heckel, LLH; 6. Joe Dobbs, HOU.
800-meter run - 1. Eli Anderson, CAL, 2:12.31; 2. Farmer, CAL, 3. Travis Frederickson, CAL; 4. Colling, HOU; 5. Daniel Olson, CAL; 6. Fowler, HOU.
200-meter dash - 1. Frantti, CAL, 23.40; 2. Cody Kumpula, LLH; 3. Budd, HOU; 4. Shepeard, CAL; 5. Schmidt, HOU; 6. Konrad Klein, LLH.
3,200-meter run - 1. Colling, HOU, 10:20.57; 2. Berg, CAL; 3. Houle, DB; 4. Maynard, LLH; 5. Campbell, HOU; 6. Larson, CAL.
1,600-meter relay - 1. CALUMET (Roland, J. Sturos, T. Frederickson, Farmer), 3:49.06; 2. LAKE LINDEN-HUBBELL, 3. HOUGHTON; 4. HANCOCK; 5. DOLLAR BAY.
Discus - 1. Nathan Perrault, CAL, 123-6; 2. Kyle Mattson, HOU; 3. Damion Johnson, HOU; 4. Raasio, HAN; 5. Kyle Hayrynen, HOU, 6. Dyson Bastian, HOU.
High jump - 1. Ben Storm, CAL, 5-8; 2. Owen Kariniemi, CAL; 3. Roland, CAL, 4. Kyle Keranen, LLH; 5T. Raasio, HAN, and Olson, CAL.
Long jump - 1. Frantti, CAL, 19-9 1/2; 2. Lilleskov, HOU; 3. Austin Erva, HOU; 4. Klein, LLH; 5. Trent Ambuehl, LLH; 6. Paul, HAN.
Pole vault - 1. Steber, CAL, 10-6; 2. Eric Lasanen, CAL; 3T. Joe Dobbs, HOU and Col Plumer, HOU; 5T. Taylor Ambuehl, LLH and James Marietta, LLH.
Shot put - 1. Johnson, HOU, 45-1; 2. Chuck Knuckles, HOU; 3. Perrault, CAL; 4. Mattson, HOU; 5. Storm, CAL; 6. Lee Heckel, LLH.
Teammates Owen Kariniemi (5-6.25) and Tyler Roland (5-6) completed Calumet's one-two-three finish in the event. Eli Anderson, Dylan Farmer and Travis Fredrickson added another such finish in the 800.
Overall, Calumet finished first in 12 of the 17 events, with Houghton winning four and Hancock's Jacob Jarvis earning the only victory for the hosts.
Damion Johnson and Chuck Knuckles earned a one-two finish in the shot put circle for Houghton, Brett Fowler pulled away from Lake Linden-Hubbell's Josh Tuovila to win the 400 and freshman sensation Jacob Colling won both the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs.
"I ran a personal best for the two-mile so I was happy with that," Colling said. "It was pretty good competition. In the 800 (Calumet) really cleaned up there, and in the mile, Dylan Farmer was right with me the whole way. In the two-mile I had no idea if I was going to catch Devin (Berg) or not."
Houghton was missing several key athletes to a physics class trip, and Calumet took full advantage.
After Calumet and Houghton, Lake-Linden Hubbell earned a solid third place with 74 points, more than doubling up fourth-place Hancock (35.5). Dollar Bay (24) and Chassell (4) rounded out the scoring while Jeffers was held off the points sheet.
"We started out pretty well, but we had a little bug running through the team," Lakes coach Mike Greene said. "All in all our 3,200 relay guys did really well and that's what we need going into the regional next week."
The Lakes finished second in the longest relay (9:01.03), just three seconds away from ruining Calumet's clean sweep in the relay events. The 800 relay was even closer, with Calumet's Anthony Shepeard holding off Tuovila by one-tenth of a second. LL-H also finished a close second in the 400 relay (1.09 seconds back) and 1,600 relay (5.97 seconds back).
Brett Houle had the best finishes for Dollar Bay, earning third place in both the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs.
Local track teams will now prepare for Regionals next Thursday, with Houghton and Calumet competing in Negaunee, Hancock competing at West Iron County and LL-H, Dollar Bay and Chassell facing off in Lake Linden. Jeffers is in a regional at Ontonagon Friday.