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Champions: Houghton boys, Chassell girls claim XC titles

From front, Marquette's Garrett Rudden, Houghton's Clayton Sayen and the Redmen's Luke Rambo approach the finish line clustered together during the MHSAA Upper Peninsula Finals in Division 1 boys cross country on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017, at Pictured Rocks Golf Club in Munising. Sayen pulled out the victory by a tenth of a second over Rudden. (Photo courtesy Kay Rambo)

MUNISING — The Upper Peninsula Cross Country Finals came to an exciting conclusion as four boys were in contention for the Division 1 championship.

Houghton senior Clayton Sayen prevailed in the day’s final race, edging Marquette senior Garrett Rudden by a step.

Also, the Houghton boys won for the first time in six years with 39 points, followed by Marquette 54, Sault Ste. Marie 98, Gladstone 113 and two-time defending champ Negaunee 119.

Marquette senior Luke Rambo placed third (17:28.9), followed by Gladstone junior Adam Bruce (16:39) and Houghton senior Seth Helman (16:56.8).

The four leaders were together at the last turn. Rambo then took off and Rudden passed him, setting the stage for a nail-biting finish.

“This is just an unbelievable feeling,” said Sayen. “It was a great race. Garrett and Luke (Rambo) are amazing runners. Adam Bruce of Gladstone is also an awesome runner. I don’t know if I would have won if I didn’t have them pushing me. I knew it was going to be a battle and I gave it every ounce I could. Seth is an excellent runner. It’s great to have people like this to run with every day I can’t explain how well our team did today. This is almost like a dream come true. I love the pain. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

Houghton coach Traci Welch was quite impressed with the performance by Sayen and the entire team.

“Clayton’s finish was awesome,” she said. “He had me worried going around the last turn and up the hill, but I knew he could do it. He doesn’t like to lose. We have such a great group of kids. Most of them I’ve coach for 4-6 years. I think our depth made a difference. We had big races from some of the guys.”

Houghton senior Leif Odegard placed seventh (17:20.6) and classmate Connor Jackson was 12th (17:41.3).

Negaunee senior Colton Yesney, who was crowned U.P. champion a year ago, didn’t run Saturday due to an ankle injury.

The Chassell girls won D-3 for the third time in four years with 40 points, followed by Mid Peninsula 72, Munising 74 and defending champion Cedarville 84.

Mid Pen freshman Daisy Englund earned her first title in 20:31.3. She was followed by Munising junior Madeleine Peramaki (20:37.4) and defending champion and Chassell junior Lela Rautiola (20:42.5).

Rautiola said her goal was to stay with Peramaki.

“We definitely had a fast start,” she said. “The Mid Pen girl really surprised me. She never gave up and I’ll give her credit for that. She and Maddy definitely pushed me. It was exciting to win as a team. We weren’t expecting Cedarville to win it last year. We were ranked No. 1 all year, but it didn’t work out for us in the Finals.”

Chassell junior Jenna Pietila took seventh (21:34.1), followed by teammates Paige Sleeman (21:54.4) and Gwen Kangas (21:59.5).

Jeffers was led by freshman Keena Larson in 11th (22:24.4) and Dollar Bay’s leader was senior Natalie Maxson in 13th (22:29.5).

The Chassell boys fell just short in their quest for a fourth straight title as they were edged on a tie-breaker by Brimley. Both teams scored 60 points and third-place Rudyard had 119.

Brimley, which was crowned champion for the first time, was led by individual champion and sophomore Austin Plotkin at 17:08.

Cedarville sophomore Thomas Bohn was runner-up (17:16.2) and Chassell junior Ben Tuomi was third (17:38.3). Freshman Davin Hill was Dollar Bay’s pacesetter in seventh (18:16.2).

The Marquette girls won for the fourth time in five years with 47 points, followed by defending champion Sault Ste. Marie 61 and Negaunee 94.

Negaunee sophomore Emily Paupore won at 19:22.3, followed by Marquette sophomore Ericka Asmus (19:55.9), Sault senior Mackenzie Kalchik (20:22), Escanaba freshman Nicole Kamin (20:43.6) and Calumet freshman Clarity Gipp (20:47.5).

Houghton was led by junior Anabel Needham in 16th (21:54.6).

Gogebic, placing five in the top seven, captured its first D-2 boys’ crown with 22 points. The Miners were followed by three-time defending champ Ishpeming 36 and Ironwood 99.

Ishpeming junior Spencer Giroux took his first title at 17:03.1, followed by Gogebic senior Isaiah Aili (17:45) and juniors Uriah Aili (17:48.3) and Devon Byers (17:497).

Sophomore Jake Lang paced Hancock in 22nd (19:13.6).

The St. Ignace girls copped D-2 for the first time with 34 points, followed by three-time defending champion Ishpeming 61 and Westwood 77.

Westwood sophomore gained her first title at 20:54.2), followed by St. Ignace junior Elizabeth Becker (21:09.7) and freshman Emmalee Hart (21:15.2).

The Saints, who were D-3 champions five years ago, placed four in the top seven this time.

Sophomore Makenna Nuttall led Hancock in ninth (23:12.2) Saturday.

Upper Peninsula Finals

At Pictured Rocks Golf Club, Munising

Boys

Division 1

Houghton 39, Marquette 54, Sault Ste. Marie 98, Gladstone 113, Negaunee 119, Escanaba 137, Calumet 170, Menominee 202, Kingsford NTS.

Top 15 — 1, Clayton Sayen, Houghton, 16:25.7; 2, Garrett Rudden, Marquette, 16:25.8; 3, Luke Rambo, Marquette, 16:28.9; 4, Adam Bruce, Gladstone, 16:39; 5, Seth Helman, Houghton, 16:56.8; 6, Blane Newman, Kingsford, 17:11.2; 7, Leif Odegard, Houghton, 17:20.6; 8, Jake Strasler, Gladstone, 17:23.9; 9, Eric Anderson, Negaunee, 17:24.7; 10, Justin Sanpaka, Escanaba, 17:34.3; 11, Garrett Zueger, Marquette, 17:37.8; 12, Connor Jackson, Houghton, 17:41.3; 13, Kaaleb Ranta, Sault Ste. Marie, 17:47.7; 14, Elliott Prusi, Negaunee, 17:47.9; 15, Onder Ilhan, Calumet, 17:49.6.

Division 2

Gogebic 22, Ishpeming 36, Ironwood 99, Newberry 102, Hancock 143, Westwood 144. Manistique, Norway, Gwinn and St. Ignace NTS.

Top 15 — 1, Spencer Giroux, Ishpeming, 17:03.1; 2, Isaiah Aili, Gogebic, 17:45; 3, Uriah Aili, Gogebic, 17:48.3; 4, Devon Byers, Gogebic, 17:49.7; 5, Jonah Broberg, Ishpeming, 17:52.7; 6, Cade Mazzon. Gogebic, 17:58.8; 7, Tim Rowe, Gogebic, 18:09.3; 8, Nick Niemi, Ironwood, 18:10.5; 9, Kyle Pruett, Ishpeming, 18:19.3; 10, Devin Tasson, Ishpeming, 18:23; 11, Coulton Prillwitz, Ishpeming, 18:28.2; 12, Jordan Longtine, Ishpeming, 18:29.4; 13, Andrew Dieterle, Westwood, 18:34.7; 14, Adam Mazurek, Gogebic, 18:35.1; 15, Ephram Evans, Newberry, 18:43.1.

Division 3

Brimley and Chassell 60 (Brimley won on tie-breaker), Rudyard 119, Munising 134, Stephenson 165, Cedarville 177, Republic-Michigamme 187, Painesdale Jeffers 210, North Central 235, Pickford 253, Rapid River 279, Watersmeet 280, Dollar Bay 300, Engadine 334. Mackinac Island, Mid Peninsula, Paradise, Ontonagon, Bay Mills Ojibwe Charter and Carney-Nadeau NTS.

Top 15 — 1, Austin Plotkin, Brimley, 17:08; 2, Thomas Bohn, Cedarville, 17:16.2; 3, Ben Tuomi, Chassell, 17:38.3; 4, Michael Satchell, Pickford, 17:57.5; 5, Ethan Brown, Stephenson, 18:07.4; 6, Kurtis Kytta, Chassell, 18:11.4; 7, Davin Hill, Dollar Bay, 18:16.2; 8, Cameron Hoornstra, Brimley, 18:21.6; 9, Griffin Johnson, North Central, 18:22.7; 10, Payton Cheney, Rudyard, 18:24; 11, Hunter Lipponen, Brimley, 18:32; 12, Darren Castello, Munising, 18:38.2; 13, Daba Holmes, Chassell, 18:40.1; 14, Nathan Recla, Brimley, 18:50.3; 15, T.J. Wing, Munising, 18:51.1.

Girls

Division 1

Marquette 47, Sault Ste. Marie 61, Negaunee 94, Menominee 131, Escanaba 150, Calumet 151, Houghton 156, Gladstone 195, West Iron County 212, Kingsford 238.

Top 15 — 1, Emily Paupore, Negaunee, 19:22.3; 2, Ericka Asmus, Marquette, 19:55.9; 3, Mackenzie Kalchik, Sault Ste. Marie, 20:22; 4, Nicole Kamin, Escanaba, 20:43.6; 5, Clairty Gipp, Calumet, 20:47.5; 6, Reegan Ketzenberger, Marquette, 20:49.1; 7, Haleigh Knowles, Sault Ste. Marie, 20:54.8; 8, Delaney Sall, Marquette, 20:56.9; 9, Sarah Kulas, Kingsford, 21:01.6; 10, Clara Johnson, Negaunee, 21:05.4; 11, Nicky Kucharczyk, Sault Ste. Marie, 21:09; 12, Katie Anderla, Menominee, 21:29.7; 13, Talon Prusi, Negaunee, 21:45.1; 14, Samantha Borzick, Marquette, 21:49.2; 15, Celeste Haines, Menominee, 21:49.4.

Division 2

St. Ignace 34, Ishpeming 61, Westwood 77, Hancock 88, Newberry 99, Gogebic 134. Ironwood, Baraga, Manistique and Norway NTS.

Top 15 — 1, Tessa Leece, Westwood, 20:54.2; 2, Elizabeth Becker, St. Ignace, 21:09.7; 3, Emmalee Hart, St. Ignace, 21:15.2; 4, Emily Carey, Ironwood, 21:25.2; 5, Hallie Marshall, St. Ignace, 21:43.3; 6, Katie Loman, Ishpeming, 22:34.9; 7, Emily Coveyou, St. Ignace, 22:54; 8, Sophy Smithson, Newberry, 23:06.3; 9, Makenna Nuttall, Hancock, 23:12.2; 10, Chyanne Gardner, Ishpeming, 23:15.4; 11, Chloe Sjoholm, Ishpeming, 23:22.9; 12, Allyssea Smith, Ishpeming, 23:23.9; 13, Naomi Aili, Gogebic, 23:30.8; 14, Elizabeth Williams, Ishpeming, 23:34.4; 15, Abigail Smithson, Newberry, 23:34.7.

Division 3

Chassell 40, Mid Peninsula 72, Munising 74, Cedarville 84, Painesdale Jeffers 112, Stephenson 133, Dollar Bay 147. Superior Central, Pickford, Engadine, Brimley, Rudyard, Big Bay de Noc, Watersmeet, Republic-Michigamme, North Central and Rapid River NTS.

Top 15 — 1, Daisy Englund, Mid Peninsula, 20:31.3; 2, Madeleine Peramaki, Munising, 20:37.4; 3, Lela Rautiola, Chassell, 20:42.5; 4, Alyssa Webber, Munising, 20:51.2; 5, Landry Koski, Mid Peninsula, 20:55.1; 6, Danika Walters, Superior Central, 21:20.1; 7, Jenna Pietila, Chassell, 21:34.1, 8, Paige Sleeman, Chassell, 21:54.4; 9, Gwen Kangas, Chassell, 21:59.5; 10, Kylee Kuntz, Stephenson, 22:20.8; 11, Keena Larson, Painesdale Jeffers, 22:24.4; 12, Cassidy Barr, Cedarville, 22:27.3; 13, Natalie Maxson, Dollar Bay, 22:29.5; 14, Chevey Koski, Mid Peninsula, 22:29.6; 15, Natalie Miller, Pickford, 22:29.7.

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