West Iron County boys and girls win regional track titles
West Iron County swept both Division 2 Regional 43 track titles in Gwinn, with the boys edging host Gwinn and the girls topping Ewen-Trout Creek.
West Iron County turned Gwinn High School into a showcase for Wykons track on Thursday, winning both Division 2 Regional 43 championships and sending a clear message that this spring surge is no fluke. The girls finished with 55.5 points to beat Ewen-Trout Creek’s 46.5, while the boys scored 58 to hold off host Gwinn at 54.
The meet began at 3 p.m. and stretched across 17 events over three hours, with Ewen-Trout Creek, Gwinn, Hancock, Ironwood, Painesdale-Jeffers and West Iron County all in the field. By the end, West Iron had the kind of day coaches and athletes remember because it demanded depth, timing and composure all the way through the final races.
Boys coach Jeff Taff said his team knew it only needed to beat Gwinn down the stretch, and he pointed to Seth Oberlin’s strong finish as the decisive moment. That final push tilted the meet West Iron’s way and set off a celebration as the race changed in the Wykons’ favor. The boys reacted as Oberlin crossed the line, then shouted, “We took first place!” as the regional title became real.
Girls coach Kristi Berutti called the result a “clean sweep” for West Iron, a fitting description for a program that has been building momentum in more than one sport. The track titles came in a spring that has already included tennis championships, a football playoff appearance and a postseason basketball victory, giving West Iron County High School one of its strongest all-around athletic stretches in recent memory.
The boys’ regional title also carried a deeper meaning for a program that had been rebuilding toward respectability. Earlier coverage had marked the Wykons’ best regional finish in three years, making this breakthrough feel like the next step in a climb rather than a surprise. That rise now moves to Kingsford High School, where the Upper Peninsula Track and Field Finals are scheduled for May 30 and where West Iron will try to turn regional success into another statement on the biggest stage in the U.P.
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