Local Sports

Conference runners: Patriots’ Carlson, Miners’ Waterman win big at M-PC

Patriots’ Carlson, Miners’ Waterman win big at M-PC

MARQUETTE -- A pair of area runners scored decisive victories at the Mid-Peninsula Conference high school cross country meet hosted by Gladstone on Tuesday.

Sophomore Calvin Carlson of Westwood took the boys title on the five-kilometer (3.1-mile) course in 17 minutes, 35.5 seconds, almost a minute ahead of runner-up senior Kemper Gearhart of Ishpeming.

In the girls race, senior Keira Waterman of Negaunee scored an even bigger triumph, winning her race by just shy of 90 seconds in 20:46.5 and ahead of second-place sophomore Sophie Mahoski of Ishpeming.

In the team competition, the Miners won the boys championship with 36 points, just ahead of runner-up Gladstone's 38 as Westwood had 47 as the only scoring schools.

And Negaunee also carted off the girls team trophy as the only school with the required five runners and scoring a perfect 15 points.

In the related West PAC Finals -- since all area teams except Manistique are members of both conferences -- held in Gwinn on Oct. 14, Gearhart captured that boys individual crown in 17:48.5, just about five seconds ahead of Carlson.

The girls' winner was Houghton junior Holly Cooke in 19:54.0, almost a minute ahead of runner-up Julia Plaxco, a Negaunee freshman.

The Miners girls were also team runners-up to Houghton by a narrow margin, the Gremlins scoring 35 points to Negaunee's 38. Calumet was third with 70 and Hancock fourth with 77 for the scoring teams.

For the boys, Houghton also won, though by a bigger margin, scoring 32 to runner-up Jeffers' 48 as Westwood had 71 and Negaunee 74 for the squads that scored.

Here are more details from these meets:

Mid-Peninsula

The Hematites' Gearhart clocked 18:30.9 at this meet held in Gladstone for his runner-up finish in the boys race, more than 20 seconds ahead of the Braves' Charles Cameron in third in 18:51.2.

The next four spots were filled with Negaunee and Gladstone runners. Miners sophomore Tyler Rautiola was fourth in 18:58.6, Braves sophomores Charlie Blair and Nicholas Moulds fifth and sixth in 19:12.9 and 19:33.0, respectively, while Negaunee junior Anders Johnston was seventh in 19:40.9.

In eighth was Westwood freshman Noah Wachter in 19:42.2, ninth was Manistique's first finisher, junior Kevin Jackson, in 19:49.1, and placing 10th was Negaunee senior Joshua Frederick in 19:51.2.

The second 10 in this 30-runner field included an assortment of area runners -- Miners senior Marcel Juul was 11th in 19:52.4; Gwinn's top finisher, sophomore John Green, 12th in 19:58.0; and Negaunee freshman Evan Menge 13th in 19:58.1.

Also, Westwood sophomore Nicholas Christensen was 14th in 20:02.7 and Patriots senior Caleb Christensen 15th in 20:21.0.

Placing 16th was senior Matt Clark of Manistique, tied for 18th was senior Trent Emard of Negaunee, and 20th was sophomore Trent Mason of Manistique.

For the girls, Ishpeming's Mahoski clocked 22:13.1, more than 45 seconds ahead of third-place Negaunee junior Eliza Sicotte in 23:01.7.

In addition, Miners junior Adela Miller was fourth in 24:22.5, NHS sophomore Gabby Green fifth in 25:19.8, Hematites junior Madison Longtine sixth in 25:47.3, Negaunee junior Maija Roberts seventh in 25:57.2, Miners senior Chloe LaCosse eighth in 26:12.8, Westwood senior Oni Heinzel ninth in 26:52.0, and Gladstone freshman Charlotte Carter-Jager 10th in 27:53.0.

Also among the 16 finishers, Manistique's first finisher was freshman Elsie Abrahamson in 11th, while Gwinn junior Ellie Martin was 16th.

West PAC

Carlson made it home in 17:53.4 for his runner-up position in the boys race at Gwinn, with Houghton's Brandon Van Karsen third in 18:04.4, Jeffers' Branson Anderson fourth in 18:05.1, and the Gremlins' Tyler Rule fifth in 18:12.9.

The next area boys runner was Negaunee's Rautiola in ninth in 19:06.4, with teammate Johnston 10th in 19:31.3.

In the second 10 of this 34-runner field, Gwinn's Green was 12th in 19:48.3, Westwood's Caleb Christensen 15th in 19:55.3, and Negaunee's Frederick 20th in 20:20.4.

Also from Westwood, Wachter was 21st, Nicholas Christensen 22nd and sophomore Jude Kyllonen 27th, while from Negaunee, Menge was 24th, Juul 25th, junior Michael Dilernia 26th and senior Trent Emard 30th.

In the girls race, Plaxco clocked 20:50.0 for her runner-up spot, with Hancock's Alena Pietila third in 21:09.4.

Negaunee's Waterman was fourth in 21:14.4 and Houghton's Emma Jukuri fifth in the same 21:14.4 among 36 runners.

Ishpeming's Mahoski was seventh in 22:08.9, with three more Miners cracking the second 10 -- sophomore Brynn Wieciech 11th in 22:36.1, Sicotte 12th in 23:09.1 and Miller 16th in 24:24.6.

The Miners' Green was 23rd and Ishpeming's Longtine 28th, with Gwinn's finisher sophomore Wanda Lucius in 36th.

The West PAC also announced its cross country awards recently, with Houghton sweeping the major awards -- the Gremlins were boys and girls conference champions, with Traci Welch as Coach of the Year, Van Karsen the Boys Runner of the Year, and Cooke the Girls Runner of the Year.

From the area, the boys all-conference team included Ishpeming's Gearhart, Westwood's Carlson, and Negaunee's Johnston, Menge and Rautiola.

Area runners on the girls all-league squad include the Hematites' Mahoski and the Miners' Miller, Plaxco and Sicotte.

Story contents based on an examination of the Superior Timing website at www.superiortiming.com and an email from Negaunee athletic director Jake Skewis. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee's email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.