MARQUETTE — Marquette is one of eight sites across the state hosting an inaugural junior high-middle school postseason tournament today.

The sport is cross country and these junior high-middle school regionals were approved by the MHSAA Representative Council at its spring 2020 meeting on recommendation of the organization’s Junior High-Middle School Committee.

Marquette’s meet will be in MHSAA Zone 8, which covers the entire Upper Peninsula. The meet, with separate boys and girls races, will be held at Gentz’s Homestead Golf Course in Chocolay Township, the site of Saturday’s U.P. Finals for high schools.

Teams are allowed to enter up to 20 participants in each race, depending on the size of their school — larger schools get to enter more. Regional races will be two miles long.

Championship trophies will be awarded to the top placing girls and boys teams of each regional, with medals presented to the top 20 finishers in each race.

The other seven regional meets were scheduled between last Saturday, Oct. 16, and next Friday, Oct. 29.

Students from nearly 650 MHSAA-member junior highs and middle school can participate in one of these eight meets as they do not count against the 10 events teams are allowed to compete in during the regular season.

“The MHSAA has, over the last decade, grown its investment in junior high and middle school athletics in hopes of providing memorable experiences earlier that will result in students wanting to continue playing sports longer instead of stopping before they even reach high school,” MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl said. “Adding a postseason element to cross country may be just the start of how we can provide more opportunities for our younger students to compete in ways that will keep them excited to return next season.”

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