Bob Mariucci

Bob Mariucci 1983 U.P. Champions, Iron Mountain Mountaineers wrestling team.The son of legendary U.P. wrestling pioneer Ray Mariucci, Bob Mariucci followed in his father’s footsteps by donning the singlet and taking the sport to a new level during his high school years at Iron Mountain (1981-1984). He was a four-time U.P. champion for his weight class and was only the second athlete to ever achieve that record. He won each of those titles in different weight classes: 112 (1981), 126 (1982), 145 (1983) and 155 (1984). During his high school career, he tallied a 147-16-1 ledger.

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Nicole Elmblad

Nicole Elmblad Images courtesy of the Detroit Free PressNicole Elmblad was a star basketball player for St. Ignace La Salle High School. Overall, she led the Saints to a 73-5 record through her sophomore, junior and senior years. She was unanimously voted the U.P. Class A-B-C Player of the Year in 2010 and 2011 and was just the fifth two-time winner of this award. She was also on the U.P. All-Class Dream Team four years in a row, from (year to year). Elmblad led St. Ignace to win the Class C State Championships in 2011 against Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett with a final score of 65-54. Elmblad was the only player to score 30-plus points in two championship games. The team had reached the state final game in 2010, but lost to Flint Hamady, 68-66, in double overtime.

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Sara Boyer Rohde

Sara Boyer Rohde The pride of Rapid River, Sara (Boyer) Rohde was a standout in several sports but best known for her prowess on the basketball court. As a student at Rapid River High School, she earned 12 high school letters, including four in basketball, four in track and four in volleyball. She was the first Upper Peninsula student athlete to win Tomorrow's Winner's Award from the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame (1999). During her senior year in 1998, she was the U.P. Class D Basketball Player of Year and named to the All-State Basketball team by the Associated Press, Detroit Free Press and Detroit News. Boyer was the leading scorer in school history with 1,758 points. She also led the Rockets to Class D state runner-up finishes in 1997 and 1998.

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Wayne Schwalbach

A four-year letterman at Escanaba High School, Wayne Schwalbach was a dominant athlete who had a unique combination of great speed and power. During his time playing for the Eskymos, Schwalbach earned 10 letters in football, basketball and track.
Schwalbach has long been considered one of the greatest running backs from the U.P, but also was a stalwart linebacker. In that same year, he was named to the Class A All-State Team, only the second player in the U.P to receive that honor. He was selected the UP Class A-B Back of the Year in both his junior and senior years. While at Escanaba, he set many school records including career touchdowns (32 - a record that stood for almost 30 years), yards rushed in a career (2,204), most points in a game (24), most points in season (116), most career points (210), most game TDs (4), most season TDs (18), most yards rushed in a game (208), most yards rushing in season (1100) and most rushing attempts (375).

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