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Close to the top: Area runners push winners to max at Houghton Invite

Area runners push winners to max at Houghton Invite

By Steve Brownlee 3 min read

HOUGHTON -- Westwood sophomore Calvin Carlson keeps cutting the deficit, but Houghton junior Brandon Van Karsen keeps holding him off in the high school cross country scene in the Upper Peninsula.

Van Karsen posted a 3.3-second victory over Carlson in the boys race at the Houghton Invitational held along the Michigan Tech Trails on Thursday afternoon.

Van Karsen finished the five-kilometer (3.1-mile) distance in 17 minutes, 35.2 seconds compared to Carlson's 17:38.5. In addition, Ishpeming senior Kemper Gearhart wasn't far back in 17:50.6.

Last week, Van Karsen defeated Carlson by about 14 seconds at the Westwood Invite held at Wawonowin Country Club in Champion.

In the girls meet, there was a similar close call for an area underclassman. Negaunee freshman Julia Plaxco finished runner-up to Houghton junior Holly Cooke by 13 seconds, Cooke clocking in at 19:53.9 and Plaxco at 20:06.6.

Marquette is scheduled to run at the Portage Invitational in the Kalamazoo suburb of Portage today, while Newberry will be at an Eastern U.P. Conference meet in Rudyard on Monday, the same day that Superior Central and Manistique are set for a meet at North Central.

Then on Wednesday, Negaunee, Ishpeming, Westwood and Gwinn are scheduled for West PAC meet No. 5 at Gwinn at 4 p.m.

Here are details from Houghton:

Boys

Van Karsen led the host Gremlins to an easy team victory, scoring 41 points to 74 for Jeffers and 76 for Gladstone.

Negaunee was fourth with 83 points, with Westwood next with 104. Then came Menominee with 128 and Ironwood 202.

Individually, Carlson and Gearhart were the only area runners in the top 10, with Negaunee sophomore Tyler Rautiola leading the local charge in the second 10 in 13th place in 18:52.0.

Two of his teammates also broke into the top 20, junior Anders Johnston in 17th in 19:16.4 and freshman Evan Menge 18th in 19:23.4.

Also among the 69 who ran this race was L'Anse junior Kaydan Davidson in 22nd in 19:55.6, Gwinn sophomore John Green 26th in 20:02.8, L'Anse junior Talan Larson 27th in 20:04.1, Negaunee junior Quin Karlstrom 28th in 20:04.8, and Westwood senior Caleb Christensen 29th in 20:08.3.

Girls

Following Cooke and Plaxco in the top two spots, only one other runner was within a minute of the winner, Ewen-Trout Creek junior Bree Besonen third in 20:11.5.

The Gremlins also carted off this team title with ease, scoring 35 points to 58 for runner-up L'Anse, 65 for Negaunee, 86 for Calumet and 117 for Menominee.

Three more area runners made the top 10. L'Anse junior Lily Froese was seventh in 21:43.0, Ishpeming sophomore Sophie Mahoski eighth in 21:54.5 and Purple Hornets junior Kwynn Voskuhl ninth in 21:55.4.

The second 10 included Negaunee sophomore Brynn Wieciech in 13th in 22:15.4, junior teammate Eliza Sicotte 16th in 23:06.7 and L'Anse junior Princess Pierre 20th in 23:27.9.

Two more Purple Hornets teammates immediately followed Pierre in this 66-runner field -- junior Aaliyah Maki was 21st in 23:33.9 and senior Tessa Thor 22nd in 23:38.5.

Negaunee junior Adela Miller was 25th in 24:04.6, L'Anse junior Breyelle Bowers 26th in 24:23.0 and Baraga junior Aybri Sorensen 29th in 24:29.0.

Westwood's top finisher was senior Oni Heinzel in 48th, while Gwinn juinor Eliana Ellie Martin was 65th.

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.

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