Sault, Hancock, Chassell Girls Prevail
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
October 21, 2018
MUNISING — It was a historic day for Sault Ste. Marie’s cross country program Saturday as its girls team completed a sweep of the Upper Peninsula Division 1 titles 90 minutes after the boys started the championship run at Pictured Rocks Golf Course.
The Sault girls, placing three in the top 10 individuals, used their depth to win for the second time in three years with 56 points. Last year’s champion Marquette edged Houghton on a tie-breaker for runner-up honors as both teams scored 66 points.
“This is one for the record books,” said Sault coach Jim Martin. “This is the first time we won both in the same year.
“We had six girls who were hurt at some point of the season, but they kept getting better. We have a great coaching staff and new AD (athletic director) who’s doing an excellent job. This is a great day for our program.”
Negaunee junior Emily Paupore retained her championship, covering the 3.1-mile course in 19 minutes, 58.5 seconds on a cold, windy and blustery day.
“My original plan was to run this in about 18:40, but once we got here I kind of knew that wasn’t going to happen,” she said. “I was really excited to run. The weather didn’t really bother me. Once I got up the (last) hill, I saw my time and decided I wanted to go under 20.
“My dad and mom are always there to support me, and today my whole family was here to cheer me on.”
Marquette junior Ericka Asmus was runner-up at 20:30.5, followed by Houghton senior Anabel Needham (20:34.8), Ishpeming Westwood senior and last year’s D-2 champion Tessa Leece (20:40.1) and Houghton freshman Maria Velat (20:46.6).
Division 2
Hancock grabbed six of the top 12 spots to gain its first D-2 championship in five years with 26 points.
The Bulldogs were followed by 2017 champion St. Ignace with 62 and Munising at 79.
“The tightness among our girls was huge,” said Hancock coach Matt Dennis. “We were pack runners all year, and it was just a question of how close to the front we would be.
"The teams were very competitive in our area. We had great competition from Houghton and Chassell all year, which only made us better.”
St. Ignace senior Elizabeth Becker earned her first individual title in 20:46, followed by Munising senior Madeleine Peramaki (21:09), Ironwood senior Emily Carey (21:17.9), Ishpeming freshman Abby Racine (21:36.2) and Hancock freshman Kalli Chynoweth (21:37.3).
Division 3
Eben Junction Superior Central junior Danika Walters gained her D-3 crown at 20:37.9.
She was followed by Rock Mid-Peninsula sophomore and 2017 champion Daisy Englund (20:57.5), Chassell senior Lela Rautiola (21:32.8), Mid-Pen freshman Landry Koski (21:43.8) and Chassell freshman Paige Sleeman (21:49.7).
"I took a little more conservative approach today and tried to keep up with the Chassell girl (Rautiola),” said Walters. “I put on a surge at the mile mark and kept that pace.
“It basically feels great to be a U.P. champion, although it hasn’t quite set in yet. I took third at Norway last week, and I think it motivated me.”
Chassell, which grabbed five of the top eight places, retained its title with 25 points. The Panthers were followed by Cedarville with 84 and Mid-Pen with 95.
“Many of our girls have been running together for five years,” said Chassell coach Marco Guidotti. “This is a real cohesive unit. Our leadership is really infectious.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Negaunee's Emily Paupore (116) leads the pack in Division 1 with Sault Ste. Marie's Anna Hildebrand and Haleigh Knowles (131) following close behind. (Middle) Hancock's Kalli Chynoweth (142) and Ellie Sturos (147) led their team to the Division 2 title. (Below) Eben Junction Superior Central's Danika Walters (268) leads the Division 3 race with Chassell’s Lela Rautiola (263) and Rock Mid-Peninsula's Daisy Englund (355) pushing the pace. (Photos by Cara Kamps. Click for more at RunMichigan.com.)
Preview: Familiar Racers Ready to Return to Leaderboards
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 22, 2021
There is plenty of potential for new champions to emerge Saturday at the Upper Peninsula Girls Cross Country Finals at Gentz’s Homestead Golf Course in Marquette – and also opportunities for past champions to find their ways back to the front.
Returning individual champions are back in all three divisions. But whereas 2020 winner Paige Sleeman is returning for Houghton in Division 1, the past champions in Divisions 2 and 3 are from two seasons ago – Hancock junior Maylie Kilpela and Rock Mid-Peninsula senior Landy Koski, respectively. All three will have to outrun speedy contenders to cross the line first again – Sleeman from teammate Paige Seagren, and Kilpela and Koski from last season’s runners-up Lola Korpi from Ishpeming in Division 2 and Hattie Cota from Munising in Division 3.
The team competition for the most part features a number of teams used to being at the front of the pack. But watch in Division 1 for Negaunee, running to earn its first team title in nearly 40 years.
Saturday’s races begin with the Division 1 girls at 11 a.m. and conclude with the Division 3 boys at 1:30 p.m. Check back Saturday evening for coverage, and see below for more teams and individuals to watch. (Click for race information and competitors.)
Division 1
Reigning champion: Houghton
2020 runner-up: Marquette
Top-ranked: 1. Negaunee, 2. Houghton, 3. Ishpeming Westwood.
Negaunee is seeking its first Finals championship in this sport since winning three straight in the former Class C-D from 1981-83. The Miners did not run at the 2020 Finals and did not have enough participants to place as a team in 2018 or 2019, but they return this weekend with seven runners including junior Endla Harris – who ran at the 2019 Finals as a freshman. Houghton is another favorite after edging Marquette by two points last season to claim its first Finals championship. The Gremlins return three of their seven runners from 2020 led by reigning individual champion Paige Sleeman and third-place Ingrid Seagren; both are seniors. Westwood finished fourth last season and returns three runners as well including sophomore Retta Boburka, who finished 15th a year ago.
Individuals: Houghton is bringing the star power with Sleeman winning last season’s Final by five seconds and Seagren seeking her first championship after running sixth as a freshman and third as both a sophomore and junior. Menominee similarly is led by a speedy duo as senior Hayden Buck was sixth and junior Attica Brandt finished seventh in 2020. Total 11 of last season’s top 20 finishers will be running this weekend. Escanaba senior Ciara Ostrenga also returns after finishing 10th, and Calumet junior Kiira Berg was 11th.
Division 2
Reigning champion: St. Ignace
2020 runner-up: Hancock
Top ranked: 1. Wakefield-Marenisco, 2. Ironwood, 3. West Iron County.
St. Ignace has finished among the top two the last four seasons with championships last year and in 2017, and five of last season’s top six Finals runners are back this weekend – including four who placed among the top 16 overall – led by sophomore Brady Wisteria (fourth) and senior Mariana Zaragoza (ninth). Three from Ironwood’s third-place team last fall also are back, led by junior Lilley Smith (sixth in 2020), and Hancock returns three of last season’s top nine and four of the top 20 placers including junior Maylie Kilpela (third), senior Sierrah Driscoll (fifth) and senior Adia Keranen (eighth). Kilpela was the individual champion in 2019. Neither Wakefield-Marenisco nor West Iron County will run enough participants to accrue a team score.
Individuals: Last season’s top 10 included only one senior, meaning a fast and experienced field will be back in contention. Leading the way is Ishpeming sophomore Lola Korpi, who finished second as a freshman and only 14 seconds off the lead, but 28 seconds ahead of the rest of the pack. Senior teammate Taylor Longtine also is back after finishing seventh last season.
Division 3
Reigning champion: Munising
2020 runner-up: Chassell
Top ranked: 1. Dollar Bay, 2. Newberry, 3. Munising.
Munising broke Chassell’s three-year hold on the title in 2020, and four of the top 19 individual placers will run for the Mustangs this weekend including junior Hattie Cota – last season’s runner-up – and junior Monique Brisson, who finished ninth. Dollar Bay, seeking its first team title since 2010, was fifth last season but returns all five of its runners led by senior Kaylee Cavis, who finished 15th individually. Newberry brings back three from its third-place 2020 team led by sophomore Kaylen Clark, who finished 10th overall. Chassell does bring back four of its top seven from a runner-up team Finals finisher.
Individuals: Total, 11 from last season’s top 20 also return in Division 3. Cota finished 11 seconds off the lead last season and will match up again with Rock Mid-Peninsula senior Landry Koski, who was fourth last season and won the individual championship as a sophomore. Eben Junction Superior Central junior Madisen Begovac also should be in the mix after finishing seventh last season.
PHOTO Ishpeming’s Lola Korpi sets the pace at the WIN Meet earlier this fall at the Negaunee Township Field. (Photo by Cara Kamps.)