Northern Michigan University runner Lola Korpi, an Ishpeming High School graduate, runs on the course in Flat Rock during the Bay College Invitational on Friday. (Photo courtesy NMU)

FLAT ROCK — The Bay College women held their own against strong competition, placing third in their own invitational cross country meet here Friday.

Northern Michigan University won with 20 points. The Wildcats were followed by Lake Superior State University with 53, Bay College 76 and Kirtland Community College 91. The NMU club team and North Central Michigan College also had runners, but not enough for a team score.

Michigan Tech took the men’s title with a perfect score of 15 points. The Huskies were followed by LSSU with 77, Kirtland 78, NMU club 96 and Bay 109.

Junior Fiona Metzo of the NMU Cross Country Club won the five-kilometer (3.1-mile) women’s race in 19 minutes, 55.5 seconds. She was followed by LSSU freshman Noel Black (20:21.8) and Adeline Gobble, who ran unattached (20:38.9).

“I just wanted to go out fast enough and trust in my training and ability,” Metzo said. “I should have picked up the pace more in the second mile. I was drafting off the No. 1 runner (Black) at the time, then she broke off from the top group and I went after her.

“It’s always tough when you’re running alone. I thought I had a good effort all the way through.”

The Wildcats’ varsity team was led by freshman Grace Folkema in fourth (20:39.1), followed by fellow freshmen Brooke Lemos (20:39.3) in fifth and Lola Korpi, an Ishpeming graduate (20:46.6), in sixth.

“I have overtraining syndrome and been taking it a little easy,” Korpi said. “I’ve been backing off the past two weeks and didn’t know what kind of shape I’d be in. I felt good for two miles, but got a little tired in the end. My lactic acid built up.

“I’m just glad to be running, although I’ve been struggling with the adjustment.”

Sophomore Endla Harris, a Negaunee grad, placed 12th for NMU (21:34).

“We’re doing all right,” NMU coach Jenny Ryan said. “Our depth helped us out.

“Lola was sick and overtrained. She also listened and been backing off. She knows how to train. This meet came up at a perfect time for us. We got to see some kids run who ordinarily don’t get to.”

Bay coach Scott Carhoun was also happy.

“From what I could see, that was encouraging,” Carhoun said. “We really wanted to showcase how good our teams are, only we didn’t get the team scores we wanted. Overall, we weren’t at full strength.”

Munising grad and Bay sophomore Hattie Cota took 33rd (29:53.8).

In the men’s 8K (five miles), Houghton grad and MTU graduate assistant Clayton Sayen copped the men’s title in 24:57.5.

Bay freshman Ethan Lawrence, a Republic-Michigamme graduate, took 27th (30:52.8), while Manistique grad and Bay sophomore Dustin Brewster was 45th (37:02).