Northern Michigan University senior Nicole Schneider shows her winning form at the Upper Peninsula Championships women’s cross country race at the NMU Golf Course in Chocolay Township on Friday. (Photo courtesy Cory Genovese/NMU Athletics)

By Journal Sports Staff

MARQUETTE — Senior Nicole Schneider and junior Hanna Torvi led the Northern Michigan University women’s cross country team to a second-place finish at the Upper Peninsula Championships meet held Friday afternoon.

Running a five-kilometer course at the NMU Golf Course in Chocolay Township, the Wildcats didn’t have quite enough depth to beat out Michigan Tech, which claimed the team title with 27 points to Northern’s 31. Bay College also fielded a full team and scored 85.

Schneider won a close three-way race for the individual title, coming in at 18 minutes, 56.8 seconds in her first cross country competition since she ran this same event in 2016.

Schneider finished two seconds ahead of Torvi, at 18:58.8, who was less than a second ahead of third-place Robyn Holmes of MTU in 18:59.4.

The Huskies also claimed fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth in the team scoring to edge out NMU, which had freshman Abby Jarzin in sixth in 19:22.8.

Fellow Northern frosh Anna Kelley was 12th overall and 10th in team scoring in 19:41.5, while yet another freshman, Katrina Salmen, was 14th overall and 12th in team scoring in 20:06.7.

Representing the Wildcats were 10 other runners, led by junior Shayla Huebner, a Marquette Senior High School graduate, who was right behind Salmen in 15th overall in 20:14.9.

Freshman teammate Aubrey Friedrich was 16th overall in 20:20.6, senior Sarah Bezdicek 17th in 20:26.1, senior Hannah Lonergan 21st in 20:34.7, freshman Katerina Hyncicova 23rd in 20:51.9, freshman Grace Bilse 25th in 21:02.4, freshman Chrysanthe Patselas 27th in 21:09.5, sophomore Julie Ensrud 28th in 21:11.2, sophomore Elise Longley 30th in 21:17.1 and junior Paige Dubois 45th in 27:37.4.

Two unattached runners from NMU placed in the top 15 — Nadine Matter was seventh in 19:25.4, while Kieren Becker was 11th in 19:39.2.

From Bay College, Munising freshman Lauren Peters was 40th overall and 17th in team scoring in 25:08.5. She was the No. 3 finisher for the Norse.

There were also six NMU Club runners who finished — Mychala Spoelman was 36th in 23:11.2, Brittney Smith was 37th, Emily Ogata 38th, Dallas St. Onge 41st, Jessie Sullivan 43rd and Sydney Broberg 44th.

Finlandia had several finishers, topped by Ashley Aho in 33rd.

In the men’s race, Michigan Tech had the only full team and between its regular team members, unattached runners and its men’s nordic ski team, had the first 10 finishers. Unattached MTU runner Brendan Klynstra won in 25:42.4, more than 40 seconds ahead of runner-up Hans Johnson, another unattached participant.

NMU men’s nordic skier Zavier Mansfield broke the MTU lock in 11th place in 28:04.3, while NMU club runner Ben Basten was 15th in 28:23.7 and NMU men’s skier Leo Hipp 18th in 28:40.8.

Also finishing were NMU skiers Mathias Rolid in 31st, Daniel Streinz 34th and Kjetil Baanerud 35th; and NMU club’s Lucas Cavalieri in 40th and Jesse Rittenhouse 44th.

Bay College and Finlandia also had runners in the race. Tops from those schools were Bay’s Connor Robinson in 42nd and Finlandia’s Chris Xuan in 43rd.

The NMU women’s team gets two weeks off to prepare for the GLIAC Championships to be held Nov. 3 at Grand Valley State in Allendale. Last season, NMU was second with five runners earning all-conference honors.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.