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MARQUETTE -- Marquette swept team titles and the top two places individually in both varsity races at the Marquette County Meet in high school cross country held at Presque Isle Park in Marquette on Thursday.
The Sentinels boys were especially dominant, with their runners posting the four fastest times and six of the top eight. MSHS scored 16 points to 49 for Negaunee and 75 for Westwood, with Ishpeming and Gwinn not having enough runners to post a team score.
Marquette's girls won the top two spots and five of the first seven while scoring 21 points as Negaunee had 34. Westwood, Ishpeming and Gwinn didn't field full teams.
These schools will split more along conference lines for meets at 4 p.m. EDT today. Marquette heads to Kingsford for the Flivver Invitational, while Negaunee, Ishpeming, L'Anse and Baraga will be at the Bulldog Invitational that also doubles as West PAC meet No. 1 in Hancock at the Houghton County Fairgrounds.
Then on Friday, the Sentinels venture downstate for the Spartan Invitational hosted by Michigan State University in East Lansing.
Between those meets, Munising, Superior Central and Newberry travel to Manistique for the Emerald Invitational at 4 p.m. Wednesday.
Here are more details from the Marquette County Meet:
Boys
With his stiffest competition coming from his own junior class at MSHS, Sentinels' 11th-grader Lake Skytta won the boys race by more than 30 seconds in 18 minutes, 12.5 seconds.
Fellow Marquette junior Garrett Crimmins was runner-up in 18:45.8, while another Sentinels junior, William Lindsay was third in 18:53.7.
MSHS also checked in with freshman Anthony Messina in fourth in 19:26.0, senior Vasu Esplin in seventh in 19:55.9, junior Jayden Seekie ninth in 20:01.3, and freshman Alex Nadeau 17th in 21:16.5.
The first non-Marquette runner to finish was Ishpeming senior Kemper Gearhart in fifth in 19:41.4. Westwood sophomore Calvin Carlson was close behind in sixth in 19:43.4.
Rounding out the top 10 -- and starting the second 10 -- were all five scoring Negaunee runners.
Miners sophomore Tyler Rautiola was eighth in 19:58.4, junior Anders Johnston 10th in 20:01.7, junior Quin Karlstrom 11th in 20:11.5, freshman Evan Menge 12th in 20:20.3 and senior Marcel Juul 13th in 20:48.0.
Gwinn's first finisher was immediately after, sophomore John Green 14th in 20:59.3, while Westwood lined up six runners in a row starting in 18th.
Cracking the top 20 were senior Caleb Christensen in 18th in 21:35.6, junior Charlie Erickson 19th in 21:37.9 and sophomore Nicholas Christensen 10th in 21:53.6.
A top-20 honorable mention has to go to a trio of Patriots finishing within two seconds of 20th -- freshman Anaximander Manny Johnson, 21st in 21:53.8; freshman Noah Wachter, 22nd in 21:54.9; and sophomore Jude Kyllonen, 23rd in 21:55.2.
Girls
Underclass-girls, rather than underclass "men," swept the top three places and compiled a majority of the top 10 in this race.
Meaning freshmen and sophomores, race winner Charlotte Jones of Marquette is a ninth-grader and won by almost 10 seconds in 20:53.5.
Sophomore teammate Emma Ziegler was runner-up in 21:02.8, while Negaunee freshman Julia Plaxco was third in 21:12.9.
Coming along almost 30 seconds later was another Miners runner, but the first upperclass-girl, senior Keira Waterman in 21:40.7.
Marquette claimed the next three spots -- sophomore Ava Cantway was fifth in 22:31.6, sophomore Amira Perrier sixth in 23:20.1 and senior Eryn Veverka seventh in 23:58.7.
The first junior from any school crossing the finish line was Negaunee's Eliza Sicotte, eighth in 24:10.4.
The top 10 was rounded out by Ishpeming sophomore Sophie Mahoski in ninth in 24:11.8 and Negaunee junior Maija Roberts 10th in 25:03.2.
The second 10 began with alternating Miners and Sentinels. NHS senior Riley Conklin was 11th in 25:09.6, Marquette sophomore Alana Figler 12th in 26:36.3, Negaunee junior Adela Miller 13th in 26:38.2, MSHS sophomore Nora Moyle 14th in 27:07.4 and Miners sophomore Gabby Green 15th in 27:19.0.
With Hematites freshman Leah Nerlfi 16th and junior teammate Madison Longtine 17th, Westwood's top finisher was senior Oni Heinzel in 18th in 29:04.3.
Gwinn's best time came from junior Eliana Ellie Martin in 21st in 37:04.1.
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.