In the boys meet, the upset was that the winner wasn’t from Marquette Senior High School, even though the Sentinels won the team title rather easily.

Instead, that fastest male was senior Henry Plummer of Negaunee, and with relative ease by more than 20 seconds as he finished in 17 minutes, 46.8 seconds.

In fact, Marquette had just one of the top four finishers, yet had a dominating score of 29 points to 50 for runner-up Westwood and 54 for third-place Negaunee.

Those other two schools weren’t able to place more than two runners in the top 10, adding to their point totals quite quickly with their third, fourth and fifth finishers.

Negaunee's Henry Plummer leads the field and would go on to win the boys race at the Marquette County Meet in high school cross country held at Presque Isle Park in Marquette on Thursday. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

In the girls meet, Marquette did get the win, but the unexpected part was that is was a freshman, and also that it was by nearly a full minute.

Ninth-grader Emma Ziegler won in 20:56.8, just about 58 seconds ahead of runner-up Nori Korsman of Negaunee.

Again, the Sentinels breezed to the team victory, scoring 23 points to 45 for runner-up Negaunee and 69 for third-place Westwood.

Ishpeming and Gwinn didn’t field full teams of five runners in either meet and didn’t have a team score.

Only one of the county teams is in action this weekend as Negaunee will be at the Bay College Invitational in Gladstone at 10 a.m. today.

Marquette's Emma Ziegler leads and would end up winning the girls race at the Marquette County Meet in high school cross country held at Presque Isle Park in Marquette on Thursday. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

Negaunee, Ishpeming, Westwood and Gwinn are scheduled for the Bulldog Invitational in Hancock, which also serves as West PAC meet No. 1, at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Marquette, meanwhile, will conserve its energy until Friday, when the Sentinels make a long trek south to Michigan State University in East Lansing for the Spartan Invitational.

Here are details from the Marquette County Meet:

Plummer leads boys

Plummer finished about 22 1/2 seconds ahead of second-place Welly Fillmore of Marquette, a sophomore who clocked 18:09.5.

Westwood freshman Calvin Carlson was third in 18:12.5, while Negaunee senior Simon Jaklin was fourth in 18:27.8.

Then it was almost all Marquette until the Sentinels ran out of runners, MSHS claiming six of the next eight places that really clinched the team championship.

Each of the Marquette runners finished within 75 seconds of Fillmore, their fastest classmate. Senior Caden Laurn was fifth in 18:39.6, sophomore Garrett Crimmins sixth in 18:48.9, sophomore Lake Skytta seventh in 19:02.6, sophomore William Lindsay ninth in 19:08.9, senior Carson Wernholm 11th in 19:21.4 and sophomore DJ Menhennick 12th in 19:22.8.

Squeezing into that pack was Westwood senior Jared Waterman, eighth in 19:07.6, and Ishpeming junior Kemper Gearhart, 10th in 19:13.2.

After that group was Gwinn’s fastest, freshman John Green in 13th in 19:45.4.

Two more Westwood seniors also broke the 20-minute barrier, with a third senior within tenths of a second of that feat.

The Patriots’ Breckin Jensen was 14th in 19:50.9, Johnny Jestila 15th in 19:55.9 and William Niemi 16th in 20:00.4.

The rest of the top 20 included Negaunee freshman Tyler Rautiola, 17th in 20:30.5; Miners sophomore Anders Johnson, 18th in 20:34.3; Westwood junior Everett Boburka, 19th in 20:53.5; and Negaunee senior Blayne LaCosse, 20th in 20:57.1.

Ziegler gets

an ‘A’ grade

After Ziegler, the Miners took second and third places, but again, Marquette’s depth proved too much as the Sentinels’ remaining runners filled in places 3 through 8 without interruption.

Korsman, a senior, was runner-up in 21:55.0, while junior teammate Keira Waterman finished third in 21:57.7.

The Marquette wave began with senior Esme Ulland-Joy in fourth in 22:11.8, then was followed by junior Eryn Veverka, fifth in 22:29.6; freshman Ava Cantway, sixth in 22:35.8; sophomore Evelyn Grant, seventh in 22:49.2; sophomore Olivia Koren, eighth in 23:32.1; and junior Ava Polkinghorne, ninth in 23:46.1.

Climbing into 10th, just two-tenths of a second behind Polkinghorne, was Ishpeming’s top finisher, freshman Sophie Mahoski in 23:46.3.

Westwood got all five of its scoring runners in the second 10, with the remaining spots filled in by Negaunee and Ishpeming.

In 11th was Westwood senior Addy Hallum in 24:13.8, 12th was Negaunee freshman Brynn Wiecich in 24:16.8, 13th was Westwood senior Elizabeth King in 25:27.6, 14th was Negaunee sophomore Maija Roberts in 25:39.1 and 15th was Westwood junior Oni Heinzel in 27:05.7.

Placing 16th was Westwood senior Madeline Rye in 27:15.0, 17th was Ishpeming sophomore Madison Longtine in 28:10.6, 18th was Negaunee sophomore Adela Miller in 28:11.8, 19th was Negaunee junior Chloe LaCosse in 28:31.1 and 20th was Westwood senior Maggie Harvala in 29:28.2.

JV winners

In the girls JV meet, Marquette had the only full team and took the first 13 places, led by freshman Alana Figler winning by almost 10 seconds in 24:18.8.

For the JV boys, Negaunee outpointed Westwood 21-39, even though Sentinels sophomore Jayden Seekie won the race by almost 50 seconds in 19:51.1.

Story contents based on an examination of the Superior Timing website, www.superiortiming.com, and an email from Marquette coach Kyle Detmers and Negaunee coach Vickie Paupore

. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.