By John Vrancic
For the Newberry News
The Engadine boys added another cross-country trophy to their collection by winning the Manistique Invitational with 48 points.
Munising and Rapid River scored 60 points apiece, and the Mustangs earned runner-up honors after a tie-breaker. They were followed by Manistique 66 and Escanaba Holy Name 94. Rock Mid Peninsula and St. Ignace didn’t field complete teams.
Rapid River, which had the only full team among the girls, was awarded a perfect score of 15 points. Engadine, Manistique, Munising, Mid Pen, Holy Name, and St. Ignace had no team scores.
Munising junior Blake Lakosky copped the boys’ 3.1-mile race at Stony Point Golf Course in 18:19.7. He was followed by Mid Pen freshman Ashdeyn Gerow (18:42.2), Rapid River junior Jon Denkins (18:48.5) and Engadine sophomore Nate Stielstra (18:59.2).
The Mustangs grabbed the top two spots in the girls’ race with senior Olivia Cotey winning at 23:03.5, followed by sophomore Addie Bowerman (23:04.8).
Rapid River freshman Julia Poma placed third (23:20.4) and Engadine freshman Sarah Chapman fourth (23:25.7).
“I tried to move up in the standings,” Chapman said. “I’m very happy with that. I felt pretty good for the most part but didn’t drink enough water. I think this is a big confidence boost. I liked the conditions. I enjoyed this a lot.”
Eagles’ senior Duane Krenek placed sixth among the boys (19:09.7) followed by sophomores Ed Franckowiak in 12th (20:02) and Birch Bitely 13th (20:35) and freshman Chayse Briggs (23:56.7).
“I missed my PR (personal record) by 10 seconds,” Krenek said. “Our team’s doing better. We’re much more balanced this year. I wanted to run cross country this year. I just wanted to be here for the other guys and myself.”
Engadine freshman Bryleigh McLellen placed seventh among the girls (25:37.3), followed by sophomore Cassidy Russell in 13th (28:56.3) and freshman Fern Stielstra 14th (28:57.1).
At Eben Junction, the Engadine boys continued their winning ways in Saturday’s Superior Central Invitational with 53 points, followed by Stephenson 61, Superior Central 63, Mid Pen 74 and Manistique 89. Powers North Central, Norway, Ewen-Trout Creek, Gwinn, Escanaba, Holy Name, and Crystal Falls Forest Park didn’t have full teams.
Stephenson senior Canon Kuntze won in 17:40.9. He was followed by Forest Park senior William Hoffman (18:14.9) and Gerow (18:23.3).
Krenek took eighth at 18:55.6, followed by Nate Stielstra 12th (19:30.6), Franckowiak 16th (19:49.2), Bitely 18th (20:12.8) and eighth-grader Oliver French (22:10.2)
The E-TC girls won with 31 points, followed by Stephenson 43, North Central 62 and Superior Central 79. Big Bay de Noc, Forest Park, Mid Pen, Holy Name, Norway, Manistique, Esky, and Engadine had no team scores.
E-TC sophomore Bree Besonen was the individual winner at 21:03, followed by Esky freshman Avah Akerly (21:04.9) and Stephenson senior Faith Cappaert (21:59.4).
Chapman took ninth (23:07.7), followed by McLelland 23rd (25:39.6), Fern Stielstra 32nd (28:33) and Russell 33rd (28:59).
The Eagles, who ran in Monday’s Newberry Invitational, travel to Munising for the El Harger Memorial Invite Sept. 23.
Engadine graduate Dakota Taylor ran for North Central Michigan College in the Bay College Norse Invitational Saturday at Flat Rock.
The freshman harrier took 16th in the eight-kilometer race in 30:26. Teammate and Newberry grad Sam Rahilly finished 32nd at 34:29.6.
“It was nice to be back on an old Finals course,” Taylor said. “It’s interesting running an 8K. The training and pacing and getting used to this competition level are different. In the first meet (at Port Huron), I went out way too fast. You’ve got to try not to get too caught up in the rush of it.”
NCMC travels to Lansing Community College Friday.
