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Close to the top: Patriots’ Carlson runner-up at Westwood Invite

Patriots’ Carlson runner-up at Westwood Invite

By Steve Brownlee 3 min read

CHAMPION -- Westwood sophomore Calvin Carlson made a bid for the boys' race championship but fell less than 15 seconds short at his school's own Westwood Invitational in high school cross country held at Wawonowin Country Club on Thursday.

Carlson, who has been in the top 10 in several events already this season, finished runner-up in the boys varsity race in 17 minutes, 29.7 seconds.

Houghton's Brandon Van Karsen, who also won at the Negaunee Invite earlier in the week, took this title in 17:15.8.

Senior Kemper Gearhart of Ishpeming, who was runner-up in Negaunee, was third at Wawonowin in 17:55.8.

Van Karsen led the Gremlins to the boys team title, too, as they totaled 32 points. Negaunee and Jeffers both scored 56, but Negaunee won the sixth-runner tiebreaker as the Jets only had five runners. Westwood was fourth with 75.

Gwinn and Ishpeming were among several teams that didn't have the full complement of five runners and had no team score.

In the girls meet, Houghton scored 21 points to hold off Negaunee with 38 as the only schools to post a team score. Ishpeming, Westwood and Gwinn were among schools with runners, just not the requisite five.

This meet was also listed as West PAC meet No. 3 on the schedule.

Among West PAC teams, just about all them will be joined by Marquette and Baraga at the Gremlin Invitational set for the Michigan Tech Trails near Houghton on Thursday afternoon.

Here are more details from the Westwood Invite:

Boys

Gremlins freshman Tyler Rule followed Carlson and Gearhart, taking fourth in 18:06.6, while Jeffers junior Branson Anderson was fifth in 18:20.6.

One other area runner cracked the top 10, Negaunee sophomore Tyler Rautiola placing eighth in 18:46.8.

Among the second 10 in a race with 35 finishers, Miners freshman Evan Menge was 11th in 19:08.7, Negaunee junior Anders Johnston 14th in 19:34.8, Gwinn sophomore John Green 16th in 19:48.9, Miners senior Marcel Juul 18th in 19:55.7 and Westwood senior Caleb Christensen 19th in 19:57.0.

Also from the area, Negaunee's Quin Karlstrom was 21st, Westwood's Noah Wachter 23rd and Charlie Erickson 24th, the Miners' Trent Emard 26th, and the Patriots' Nicholas Christensen 27th and Jude Kyllonen 28th.

Girls

Copper Country runners filled in the first six spots in this race, led by Houghton junior Holly Cooke winning in 20:00.7.

That was an 80-second spread ahead of runner-up Norah Woodruff, a Gremlins senior teammate, in 21:20.9.

Houghton freshman Emma Jukuri was third, Jeffers junior Remi Coponen fourth and Calumet juniors Bethany McParlan and Elli Harju, fifth and sixth, respectively.

The top Marquette County runner was Negaunee junior Eliza Sicotte in seventh in 22:38.0.

She was followed immediately by two more Miners, senior Riley Conklin in eighth in 22:49.9 and junior Adela Miller in ninth in 23:29.1.

The next area finisher was another Negaunee runner, sophomore Gabby Green in 20th in 25:35.6.

Additionally, the Miners' Majia Roberts was 22nd in 25:52.8, Ishpeming junior Madison Longtine 23rd in 26:04.8 and freshman teammate Leah Nerlfi 24th in 26:22.7, and Westwood senior Oni Heinzel 25th in 26:23.7.

Gwinn's representative was sophomore Wanda Lucius in 29th.

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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