Houghton’s Eli Heathman negotiates a turn during a ski race in Ironwood Monday. (Jason Juno/For the Gazette)

IRONWOOD — While the Copper Country was digging its way out of a snowstorm on Monday, the Houghton Gremlins skiers were competing in Ironwood, battling the course at Big Powderhorn.

“Conditions were a lot different in Ironwood than Houghton Monday,” said Gremlins coach Larry Heathman. “Temperatures hovered around zero, and bluebird skies provided great visibility for another high school ski race.”

The Houghton boys (64) finished in second behind Marquette (23). Ironwood was third with 87 points.

Eli Heathman finished fourth in the slalom with a combined time of 1:17.47. His second run of 35.83 was the second-fastest recorded on the run all day.

Logan Niemi finished sixth with a combined time of 1:20.78. Brady Rubin took ninth with a combined time of 1:25.99.

Indrek Seigel took 13th.

In the giant slalom, Eli Heathman was again outstanding with a combined time of 57.51, good for second behind Sam Dehlin of Marquette. Heathman’s second run of 28.42 was the third fastest time recorded for the day, and the second-fastest for second runs.

Niemi finished eighth with a combined time of 1:02.27. Rubin finished 10th with a combined time of 1:04.34.

The Houghton girls had another tough outing finishing in fourth place with 112 points. Marquette won with 27 points, Norway was second with 58 points, and host Ironwood had 101 points.

In the slalom, Rachel Sun was Houghton’s lone Top-10 finisher with a 10th place finish in the slalom with a combined time of 1:32.07.

Lily Martineau (12th), Reagan Aho (14th), and Martyna Szatkowska (17th) all finished in the Top-20.

In the giant slalom, Sun led the Gremlins by finishing 11th. Martineau, Aho, Liv Lauritsen and Szatkowska all finished in the Top-20.

UP NEXT

The next race for the U.P. ski teams will be Monday, Jan. 20, at Mont Ripley in Houghton.