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Mid Pen’s Englund takes top

MANISTIQUE — Mid Peninsula senior Daisy Englund found a way to bounce back from a disappointing season-opening cross country race here Wednesday, earning top honors in the Manistique Invitational.

Englund, who placed seventh at Marquette Sept. 4, covered the 3.1-mile course in 22 minutes, 30.55 seconds on this rainy and chilly day at the Schoolcraft County Fairgrounds.

“I rested my calf muscle last weekend and everything felt better today,” said Englund, who was clocked at 23:08.8 in Marquette. “Although, I’m still not where I want to be. The sand was hard (on the big hill) and I stayed in the grass as long as I could.”

She was followed by Sault Ste. Marie senior Anna Hildebrand (22:41.06) and Munising’s Monique Brisson (23:14.17).

Blue Devils’ senior Haleigh Knowles held a slim lead at 2 1/2 miles before passing out.

“I wasn’t tired, but I felt a little light-headed before it happened,” she said. “I’m trying to run every race as if it were my last.”

Sault copped the team title with 45 points, followed by Munising 66 and Mid Pen 107.

“The girls are very young,” said Sault coach Jim Martin. “Haleigh just works so hard. What happened to her is very unfortunate, but she’ll be fine. To win after losing our No. 1 runner shows the depth of this team.”

Gladstone junior Sam Strassler placed fifth (23:19.61), followed by freshman teammate Kayla Farnes (23:27.09), Rapid River senior Taylor Van Oss (23:35.45), Gladstone junior Lilly Karl (23:40.48) and Mid Pen junior Landry Koski (23:47.32).

In the boys’ race, the top eight finishers were disqualified after taking a wrong turn, making Rapid River senior Ishmael Hernandez the winner at 19:40. Newberry’s Logan Depew was runner-up (19:42).

“I certainly wasn’t expecting that,” said Hernandez. “It’s a great feeling to come out of here with the win. Yet, in a way, it doesn’t feel like a win. I feel bad for the other guys because they missed out.”

Wednesday’s turn of events nullified an apparent victory by Sault senior Jaron Wyma, who was followed by Gladstone sophomore Drew Hughes and Newberry senior Ephram Evans.

“This is a very confusing course, the most confusing course I’ve ever run,” said Wyma. “Although, it is what it is. Those things are sometimes going to happen. I was looking forward to running against the Gladstone kid (Hughes) because he beat me in the U.P. Finals (at Marquette) last year. He’s definitely my inspiration.”

Evans had similar thoughts on the matter.

“Everybody (in the top eight) ran the exact distance and got disqualified,” he said. “The most frustrating part is we were told to go one away and found out we were supposed to go their other way. Although, I think the guy who finished ninth can feel good about taking first place. The course was extremely confusing. This is just an invitational, but it still hurts.”

Boys’ team scores weren’t recorded because some of the coaches didn’t turn in their place finishers and times.

Girls

Sault Ste. Marie 45, Munising 66, Mid Peninsula 107, Newberry 121, Engadine 149, Rapid River 150, Superior Central 157, Manistique 183 and Gladstone NTS.

Top 10 — 1, Daisy Englund, Mid Peninsula, 22:30.55; 2, Anna Hildebrand, Sault Ste. Marie, 22:41.06; 3, Monique Brisson, Munising, 23:14.17; 4, Cassandra Gallagher, Sault Ste. Marie, 23:16.52; 5, Sam Strassler, Gladstone, 23:19.61; 6, Kayla Farnes, Gladstone, 23:27.09; 7, Taylor Van Oss, Rapid River, 23:35.45; 8, Lilly Karl, Gladstone, 23:40.48; 9, Landry Koski, Mid Peninsula, 23:47.37; 10, Kara Mosher, Sault Ste. Marie, 23:50.95.

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