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MUNISING -- Senior Lucas Ballard was just as dominant individually as his Marquette Senior High School team was in the boys meet at the El Harger Invitational in high school cross country held Wednesday afternoon at Pictured Rocks Golf Club in Munising.
Ballard won his race by what was approaching two full minutes in 15 minutes, 56.1 seconds. Runner-up Ashdeyn Gerow of Mid-Peninsula was well back in 17:44.0.
And Ballard was just the tip of the iceberg for the Sentinels boys, who claimed seven of the top nine places to take the team title with 19 points.
Gladstone was runner-up with 94, while the host Mustangs were a close third with 97. Following was Mid-Pen with 126, Rapid River 141, Marinette, Wisconsin, 161, Stephenson 164, Kingsford 203 and Menominee 206.
Superior Central was 10th with 214, while Carney-Nadeau followed with 277. Escanaba was one runner short of fielding a full team and didn't post a score.
Marquette won the girls meet with a commanding 31 points, while Munising was second with 70. Marinette followed with 111, Kingsford 114, SC 117, RR 130, Menominee 136 and Engadine 169.
While Kingsford's Maria Murvich won the girls individual title by about 10 seconds in 20:03.8, Marquette freshman Charlotte Jones was runner-up in 20:13.3 to lead five Sentinels landing in the top 10.
Marquette takes some time off before regrouping for the Blue Jay Invitational being held in downstate Shepherd next Saturday.
Here are details from Munising:
Boys
Mid-Pen's Gerow was so far back that his time was actually closer to the 20th-place finisher than to Ballard's.
And five Marquette runners finished within 30 seconds of Gerow.
They were led by senior Vasu Esplin in third and junior Lake Skytta in fourth, both listed in 17:46.4, about 2 1/2 seconds after Gerow.
MSHS junior William Lindsay was fifth in 17:46.9, another half-second back, while senior teammate Welly Fillmore came in sixth in 17:54.4 and Marquette junior Garrett Crimmins seventh in 18:10.0.
The Sentinels weren't quite finished, though, as freshman Anthony Messina was ninth in 18:36.3.
Munising got two runners in the second 10 -- the fastest was freshman Evan Kelto, 12th in 18:48.7, while fellow freshman Orin Shalom was 19th in 19:25.7. Senior teammate Nolan Dolaskie just missed the top 20 in 21st in 19:34.6.
Superior Central's top competitor was freshman Jaxon Klyk in 22nd in 19:35.7.
Munising also saw senior Ben Dryke come in 26th in 19:53.7, while sophomore Dylan Krause was 32nd in 20:19.4.
SC's second finisher was freshman Matthias Shigwadja, 43rd in 21:05.4, while sophomore teammate Scott Losee was 49th and junior Gavin Stebelton 50th.
Girls
Marquette sophomore Emma Ziegler was third in 20:13.7, less than a half-second after teammate Jones.
Superior Central freshman Edye Burdett was fourth in 20:21.8, while Munising freshman Emma Conklin came in fifth in 21:10.2.
Three more Sentinels slipped into the top 10, sophomore Ava Cantway seventh in 21:26.4, sophomore Amira Perrier ninth in 21:57.1 and junior Evelyn Grant 10th in 22:01.7.
Five more area runners slotted into the second 10. Mustangs junior Addie Bowerman was 12th in 22:28.7, SC junior Kendra Pederson 14th in 23:09.5, Munising freshman Natalie Brock 15th in 23:11.4, MSHS senior Eryn Veverka 16th in 23:16.6 and Mustangs junior Maya Weiss 18th in 23:25.5.
Additionally, Munising junior Brynn Meyer was 28th, SC junior Meredith Kempker 33rd and Cougars senior Remington Johnson 35th.
Story contents based on an examination of the Superior Timing website at www.superiortiming.com. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee's email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.