Trending
PAINESDALE -- Despite the Houghton Gremlins junior Brandon Van Karsen finishing as the top male runner, the Jeffers Jets boys won the season-opening cross country race at the Kilpela Farm Wednesday. On the girls' side, Houghton had two top finishers in junior Holly Cooke and sophomore Brooke Hoppe, and they used those finishes to earn the top team spot.
Jeffers boys scored a 29, which was five points better than Houghton.
Van Karsen set the fastest pace of the race, and he finished the course with a time of 18.08.4. He was followed by West Iron County's Eduel Spencer and Jeffers junior Branson Anderson, who finished third with a time of 18:25.8.
Houghton freshman Tyler Rule finished fourth with a time of 19:01.8. Junior Jack Ruonovaara of the Copper Island Academy took fifth with a time of 19:21.4.
The next five runners included Dollar Bay-Tamarack City freshman Niko Reed (19:21.9), Jeffers sophomore Liam Kinnunen (20:07.5), Jeffers senior Tage Rajala, Dollar Bay senior Landon Halkola, and Jeffers senior Noah Randell.
In the girls' race, Houghton finished with a score of 30, thanks to four top 10 finishes. L'Anse finished as the runner-up with 62 points.
Cooke finished her race in 21:01.2. Hoppe was close behind her at 21:05.7.
Ewen-Trout Creek junior Bree Besonen took third with a time of 21:42.8. She was followed by Hancock junior Alena Pietila, who finished with a time of 22:05.6. Fifth place went to Houghton freshman Emma Jukuri, who had a time of 22:18.3.
The next five top finishers were Jeffers junior Remi Coponen (22:58.9), L'Anse junior Lily Froese (23:17.9), Houghton senior Norah Woodruff, L'Anse junior Kwynn Voskuhl, and Calumet junior Bethany McParlan.