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MENOMINEE -- Keeping pace with the Marquette cross country runners has been a difficult task for many years.
Marquette, as expected, captured both ends of the Great Northern Conference title here on a rainy Thursday.
Kingsford junior Maria Murvich, however, not only kept pace with the Sentinels. She earned top individual honors in a very close race at the Riverside Country Club.
Murvich covered the 3.1-mile course in 19 minutes, 32.7 seconds while holding off Marquette freshman Charlotte Jones, who was clocked at 19:32.8. Sentinels’ sophomore Emma Ziegler placed third in 19:39.7.
“I was able to hold her off, but just barely,” Murvich said. “They (Marquette) tend to raise the level of competition. I just tried to stick with them and picked up the pace a little after the two-mile mark. The course wasn’t bad at all. This is definitely a needed boost for the U.P. Finals.”
The Marquette girls, who grabbed the next four places, scored 21 points. They were followed by Kingsford 55, Menominee 75, Escanaba 93 and Gladstone, no team score.
Marquette took the top six spots in the boys’ race while finishing with a perfect score of 15 points. They were followed by Gladstone 57, Menominee 74, Kingsford 95 and Esky with no team score.
“They’re really starting to peak,” coach Kyle Detmers said of the Sentinels. “This was our first rain meet. The course is in great shape. This was a good tune-up for the Finals. The girls are coming along good. It’s going to be interesting among the girls.”
Marquette senior Lucas Ballard topped the boys’ chart at 15:49.5, followed by classmates Welly Fillmore (17:02.1) and Vasu Esplin (17:15.1).
“I just went out and had fun,” Ballard said. “I like the course, although there were some 90-degree turns I didn’t expect and the turns were a little slippery. Although, others had to run the same course. Honestly, I like running in the rain. This is a momentum builder for sure.”
Gladstone is hosting today’s Mid-Peninsula Conference meet at Flat Rock.
The Upper Peninsula Finals take place Saturday in Houghton.
Boys
Marquette 15, Gladstone 57, Menominee 74, Kingsford 95, Escanaba NTS
Top 10 — 1, Lucas Ballard, Marquette, 15:49.5; 2, Welly Fillmore, Marquette, 17:02.1; 3, Vasu Esplin, Marquette, 17:15.1; 4, William Lindsay, Marquette, 17:26.5; 5, Jayden Seekie, Marquette, 17:31.7; 6, Anthony Messina, Marquette, 17:36.2; 7, Cavan Mulligan, Kingsford, 17:37.7; 8, Bradley Klann, Menominee, 17:44.2; 9, Charlie Cameron, Gladstone 17:48.5; 10, Nicholas Moulds, Gladstone, 18:29.6.
Girls
Marquette 21, Kingsford 55, Menominee 75, Escanaba 93, Gladstone NTS
Top 10 — 1, Maria Murvich, Kingsford, 19:32.7; 2, Charlotte Jones, Marquette, 19:32.8; 3, Emma Ziegler, Marquette, 19:39.7; 4, Evelyn Grant, Marquette, 20:25.7; 5, Ava Cantway, Marquette, 20:29.3; 6, Winley Brandt, Menominee, 20:48.6; 7, Amira Perrier, Marquette, 21:29.6; 8, Avah Akerly, Escanaba, 21:45.7; 9, Eryn Ververka, Marquette, 22:06.8; 10, Sophie Coxon, Marquette, 22:29.9.