Overall finishers in trio of Ore to Shore races quite close

MARQUETTE -- The three all-ages races at the 27th annual Ore to Shore Mountain Bike Epic couldn't have been closer nor more exciting for fans at the Lakeview Arena finish line in Marquette on Saturday morning and early afternoon.

In the 48-mile-long Hard Rock, Daxton Mock of Hayward, Wisconsin, and the Trek Driftless team won in what had to be considered a photo finish, since both he and runner-up Jorden Wakeley of Grayling and Northbound Outfitters turned in times of 2 hours, 27 minutes and 47.6 seconds.

That's an 18.8 mile-per-hour average over the course that started in Negaunee, wound its way a bit uphill to Ishpeming before coming back down for the long downslope to the city of Marquette.

Actually, the top four finishers in the Hard Rock were all within a second and a half of each other, third-place Brian Matter of Prescott, Arizona, and Broken Spoke Shimano Special clocking 2:27:48.3 and fourth-place Adam Govan of New Hudson and Bissell ABG in 2:27:49.1. The rest of the field was more than 90 seconds back.

The 28-mile Soft Rock, which began in Negaunee and made a more direct run to Marquette, was just about as close. Ivan Neumann of Marquette and Broken Spoke Devo won in 1:25:06.2, with Finnley Sonnemann of Madison, Wisconsin, and CXD Trek Bikes just a tenth of a second back in 1:25:06.3.

And like the Hard Rock, the top four were all close together, less than 12 seconds apart with all other finishers at least 35 seconds back.

Logan Grim of Marquette and Broke Spoke Devo was third in 1:25:09.4 and Jack Frey of Brighton and Misca Devo fourth in 1:25:17.3. All four at the top averaged 20.4 mph, without the extra uphill climb to Ishpeming included in this race.

Finally for the adults, the 10-mile Shore Rock, which started and ended at Lakeview and remained within Marquette, saw George Bender of Bristol, Wisconsin, and Molly Maid-Byron Health post a huge -- compared to the other races -- 3.2-second victory over Sebastian Karulf of Marquette, 44:36.1 to 44:39.3. Each recorded average speeds of 13.4 mph.

No other racers were within two minutes of that pair.

Those were the overall and top men's finishers.

For women in the Hard Rock, Erin Osborne of Prescott, Arizona, and Momentum Endurance won by nearly two minutes in 2:41:50.1, averaging 18.1 mph. Runner-up was Emma Schwab of Williamsburg and Cosmic Racing in 2:43:38.9.

No other racer was within 7 1/2 minutes of Schwab.

Results were similar for women in the Soft Rock. Elaine Neumann of Marquette won by close to four minutes in 1:31:17.3, averaging 19.0 mph, while Raven Kemp Hudson of Williams Bay, Wisconsin, was runner-up in 1:35:03.1. Third-place Meira Kalbas of Nashotah, Wisconsin, and Broken Spoke came in at 1:35:53.6, more than a minute ahead of fourth place.

The Shore Rock women also had a decisive winner, with eight of the top nine ranging in age from 9 to 19. Claire Rogers of Ann Arbor and Ann Arbor Youth Mountain Bike won in 54:02.4, with Hailey Baltzell of Pinckney more than a minute and a half back in 55:40.9.

Rogers, who averaged 11.1 mph, was in the 11-12-year-old age division, while Baltzell at 10.7 mph was in the 13-14 group.

Betsy Petersen of Petoskey, in a more mature 30-39 division, was third in 56:13.8, with Josephine Burton of Waukesha, Wisconsin, fourth in 56:26.2 and Emmersyn Hoag of Saline and the AA Youth Mountain Bike Team fifth in 56:34.9.

Here are more results for area racers, including the Junior Rock youth race:

• Hard Rock -- Top Upper Peninsula finisher for men was Corbin Grim of Houghton, 20th in 2:35:47.4, while from the Journal coverage area, Ian Kangas of Marquette was 26th in 2:38:32.2.

Of the rest of the 514 men, Ben Alter of Marquette was 41st in 2:43:27.1 and Lukus Klawitter of Marquette next in 42nd in 2:43:46.0.

Andrew Kangas of Marquette was 52nd in 2:47:52.2, with Taylor Birmann of Ishpeming 64th in 2:50:34.5.

Ryan Hackett of Marquette was 81st in 2:53:47.7, while Hunter Bell of Marquette just missed cracking the top 100 in 104th in 2:58:53.6.

For women in this longest race, top U.P. and area finisher was Megan Broeders of Negaunee, 13th in 3:06:48.4. She was just a shade more than four minutes out of a top-10 finish.

Three more Marquette County women also cracked the top 20. Kaylee Birmann of Ishpeming was 16th in 3:07:43.2, Kristy McBride of Marquette 17th in 3:07:44.7 and Piersan Williams of Ishpeming 18th in 3:08:52.0.

Additionally of the 88 women participants, Sarah Konefal of Marquette was 22nd in 3:19:32.9, Tara Laase-McKinney of Marquette 24th in 3:20:21.7 and Chelsea Roberts of Ishpeming 28th in 3:26:13.5.

• Soft Rock -- Among the 764 men in this race, after Neumann and Grim, both in the 16-19 age group, a third Marquette teen placed fifth. Ben Potter of MCIC, also in the 16-19 division, finished in 1:25:53.2, just 47 seconds out of the top spot.

Brad Neumann of Marquette, more of a seasoned veteran in the 45-49 age grouping, was 29th in 1:31:23.7.

Also, Espen Wood of Marquette was 42nd in 1:33:39.2, also clocking the fastest time in the Single-Speed Bike Male division.

With Neumann leading the way by winning the women's Soft Rock among 265 finishers, Emily Broeders of Negaunee was ninth in 1:39:58.0, racing in the 12-15 age group.

Leah Robinson, also a 12-15, of Ishpeming was 11th in 1:40:37.0, while Halle Paternoster of Marquette was 18th in 1:44:01.5.

Cadence Anderson of Palmer was 30th in 1:50:53.9, while Kelly Skillicorn of Marquette was 33rd in 1:51:24.8. Maggie Bailey of Marquette just missed the top 50 in 51st in 1:58:31.8.

• Shore Rock -- After Karulf of Marquette, in the 13-14 age group, finished as runner-up for men, Brantley McBride of Marquette, even younger in the 11-12 group, was 10th in 50:00.5.

Wil Gordon of Marquette was 14th in 52:26.8 among the 226 men finishers.

A bunch more locals clustered near 20th. Bradly Stiebe of L'Anse was 17th in 52:41.4, Levin MacIvor-Andersen of Marquette 18th in 53:09.2, Eero Rutz of Marquette 19th in 53:12.1, Nathan Larson of Marquette 20th in 53:20.0 and Theodore Karulf of Marquette 22nd in 53:57.9.

Lincoln Gordon of Marquette was 25th in 54:39.6, Doug Gordon of Marquette 26th in 54:40.1 and Matthew Karulf of Marquette 27th in 54:49.8.

For the female racers, top area finisher was Kara Graci of Marquette in 14th in 1:03:37.0, with Hayley Chapman of Marquette 19th in 1:05:13.0 and Gwendolyn Rickauer of Marquette 20th in 1:05:19.8.

Also making the top 30 among 143 finishers was Kensington Cornette of Marquette, 27th in 1:08:11.4, and Joanna Derheimer of Marquette, 30th in 1:09:35.1.

• Junior Rock -- This four-mile race had just one area finisher in the top 10, Bexley Hackett of Marquette, seventh in the girls race in 19:11.3.

But four more girls from Marquette were in the second 10 in a field of 86. Heidi Ohman was 11th in 19:59.6, Kambria Cornette 13th in 20:55.6, Laureen Leclair 14th in 20:55.9 and Myka Baranek 20th in 21:55.9.

For the boys, Marquette had three representatives in the second 10, led by Walker Graci in 11th in 16:34.8. JJ Reinhart was 13th in 17:49.0 and Bode Skaw 17th in 18:15.5, Skaw in the 6-7 age group.

Among the 93 boys, Jacob Archocosky of Marquette was 21st in 18:48.5, Simeon MacIvor-Andersen 23rd in 18:52.6 and Gage Sleeter of Ishpeming 24th in 18:52.7.

Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee's email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.