MARQUETTE — Negaunee’s Emily Paupore and the boys and girls teams from Marquette were the big area stars at the Dale Phillips Invitational high school cross country meet held Thursday at Presque Isle Park in Marquette.

Named for the longtime Marquette Senior High School cross country and track and field coach, the meet featured a cool, rainy day with 17 schools competing.

Paupore blew away the girls field as she won her race by nearly a minute and a half.

In fact, her time of 19 minutes, 22.3 seconds made runner-up Katelyn Kitzinger of Marinette, Wisconsin, finish closer in time to the 15th-place finisher than Paupore.

“The weather was perfect,” Paupore told the Escanaba Daily Press. “I liked the rain. I’m coming off a healthy summer and excited about my senior season, although it’s kind of bittersweet.

“I’m also excited about running in college. I trained a little smarter this summer and I’m trying to have a little more fun with it. I took it too seriously last year.”

But Marquette had the depth to hold off challenges from the Ishpeming boys and surprising Chassell girls.

The Redmen scored 53 points to edge out the Hematites by two points for the boys title as Marquette’s Moses Waite was sixth, teammate Peyton Osborne seventh, Hogan Nemetz 11th, Colin VanderSchaaf 14th and Lincoln Sager 15th as five runners scored for each team.

Ishpeming, meanwhile, got a third from Jordan Longtine, fourth from Jonah Broberg, 12th from Joseph King, 16th from Silas Broberg and 20th from David Liimatta.

Houghton’s Joe Wood won in 17:18.0, about 2 1/2 seconds ahead of runner-up Giovanni Mathews of Gladstone as Longtine was another nine seconds back.

“I was able to keep a strong pace,” Wood told the Escanaba Daily Press. “I think my experience helped in the end. I had more energy today than on Tuesday (in the Jeffers Invitational).

“I was able to stay behind a little longer and not push it too hard until the end.”

Superior Central, which didn’t field a full team, was led by Paavo Mannisto in 62nd.

In the girls meet, the Redettes had a more comfortable 40-points cushion vs. Chassell, 75 to 115.

Marquette’s scored its points with Ericka Asmus finished ninth, Josie Danielkiewicz 11th, Olivia Moffitt 15th, Guinn Wuorinen 22nd and Emmi Kruhak 26th. Just to be safe, MSHS also got a 31st from Reegan Ketzenberger and 37th from Courtney Larson.

As a much smaller Class D school, Chassell showed great depth as its highest finisher was Gwen Kangas in 16th as the Panthers added a 19th, 27th, 30th and 35th.

Westwood was third in the girls meet with 120 points as Elizabeth Williams led the way in 10th. The Patriots also had Hannah Mattila finish 14th, Allyssea Smith 21st, Emma Jestila 44th and Samantha Perrault 45th. Teammate Heidi Maglothery was right behind in 46th.

Also in the girls meet, Negaunee was eighth with 176 as Talon Prusi was fourth and Endla Harris 36th.

SC, Ishpeming, Munising, Manistique and Gwinn didn’t field full teams. The Cougars’ Danika Walters finished seventh and teammate Madisen Begovac 41st, while the Hematites’ Taylor Longtine was 18th, Abby Racine 25th and Chyanne Gardner 42nd.

For Munising, Hattie Cota was 51st as Manistique’s Clara Gilroy came in 52nd and Gwinn’s Alexia Basner 90th.

In the boys meet, Negaunee was sixth with 179 points as Alec Prusi led the way in 26th. Teammate Eric Anderson was right behind him in 28th and James Dank was 29th. Other Miners points scorers were Timothy Ziegler in 45th and Joshua Bedard in 51st.

The Westwood boys were 12th with 300 as Jacob Johnson finished 53rd followed closely by Jacob Jestila in 56th and Wyatt Carlson 57th.

Manistique came in 13th with 302 as Alex Misniakiewicz was a solid 10th as Grant Mason came in 63rd.

“I’m finally getting back in the groove,” Misniakiewicz told the Daily Press. “The start went good. We were pushing each other until the midway point, then I lost them on the hill.

“I try to practice on hills when I can. There’s a big one just off M-94 north of Manistique, which gives you a good workout.”

The Marquette County teams have another meet at Presque Isle at 4 p.m. Thursday when they converge for the Marquette County Meet.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.