HOUGHTON — The eyes of the U.P. cross country world will be focused on Gentz’s Homestead Golf Course today as it is the site of the U.P. high school cross country finals.

More than 30 teams representing Division I, II and III boys’ and girls’ teams will be on hand. Among the 11 or so Division I high school girls’ teams will be the defending champion Houghton Gremlins.

While the girls were tops last year, this year has been difficult according to their head coach Traci Welch.

“We’ve struggled a lot with illness a good chunk of the middle part of the season,” she said. “However, everyone is back now and doing well. I feel like we are finally at full strength and doing much better.”

On the boys’ side, Welch said that she has had the same group of runners all year, and they have been running strong. That was evident a week ago as both Gremlins teams won the WestPAC finals meet. The boys took the top four spots with Eric Weiss wining first place.

The Gremlins’ boys were once again honored as the West PAC Boys’ Team of the Year with Weiss earning Runner of the Year award.

On the girls’ side, the Gremlins took three of the top five spots in the finals with Ingrid Seagren finishing second. Along with Seagren, Claire Filpus and Paige Sleeman were West PAC All Conference runners.

“Eric (Weiss) is one of the top runners in the U.P.,” Welch said. “He has only been beaten once this season and that was against Gladstone’s Drew Hughes. So for the most part, Eric has been running against himself this season. However, Drew will be there on Saturday so that make for an interesting run for Eric.”

As for the girls, Welch said that Seagren and Claire Filpus are her anchors. The two runners are ranked two and four in terms of running times among U.P. Schools.

” I also have a handful of freshmen who are doing amazingly well considering that they are younger and inexperienced,” said Welch. “Kiira Niiska and Katie Sarau are running strong for the girls. Carter Campioni, Isaiah Lawson and Birk Seagren are the core of my boys’ team.”

Welch added that Marquette will be the team to beat in the boys’ finals, however the girls’ run could go any direction.

“For my girls, it will be a close one between us, Marquette, Negaunee and Sault Ste Marie,” she said.

Whether or not the Houghton girls retain the U.P. cross country title or the boys claim it, one thing is certain for Welch and her Gremlin runners — it’s been a great season.

“This has been a great group of kids to work with this year,” she said. “All of them have worked very hard.”