With returning state meet competitor Molly Brophy leading the way, Ely’s high school cross country teams had a solid debut Wednesday at Virginia.
Brophy was well ahead of the pace she set a year ago and took third in the varsity girls race at the Rock Ridge Invitational, held at the Virginia Golf Course.
Both the Ely girls and boys teams took fourth in their respective events, but no Class A school was in front of the Timberwolves in either contest.
“It went really good,” said Ely Head Coach Jayne Dusich. “The kids had a good meet. It was only AA (schools) in front of us.”
Brophy, a junior, already has four state meet appearances under her belt and the quest for number-five is off to a fast start.
She took third among 69 girls varsity racers, finishing in 20:43, about 13 seconds behind winner Olivia Pascuzzi of Chisholm and just three back of runner-up Elaine Jackson of Grand Rapids.
“Molly ran two minutes faster than last year at this time, so she had a good race,” said Dusich.
Next-best for the Wolves was Molly Brophy’s younger sister Katy, a ninth-grader who placed 26th in 23:09.4.
Junior Isabella Macho (34th, 24:00.3) and senior Elsa Ellerbroek (35th, 24:06.4) followed for the Wolves, with Payson Kundinger (48th, 25:45.6), Lillie O’Neill (57th, 26:41.2) and Molly Lindsay (64th, 31:31.2) following.
Ely finished behind Hermantown, Hibbing and Grand Rapids but ahead of five other schools.
In varsity boys action, brothers Wyatt and Otto Devine led the Wolves.
A sophomore, Wyatt placed 13th out of 77 in 18:01.6, while senior Otto took in 16th in 18:32.6.
“They both had good races,” Dusich said of the Devines. “And their times were pretty good for a first meet.”
Junior Mason Kurnava also made the top-20, taking 19th in 18:42.4, with Oliver Hohenstein next in the Ely lineup in 24th place with a time of 19:00.1.
Next up were Brooks Brenny (31st, 19:11.8), Blake Houde (37th, 19:35.5) and Drew Johnson (43rd, 19:51.3).
The Ely boys were fourth in a 10-team field, behind Hibbing, Cloquet and Grand Rapids, with Grand Rapids senior Brenden Sylvester running away with the individual title with a time of 16:36.7, more than 30 seconds ahead of his next-nearest foe.
In the boys junior varsity race, Ely’s Aksel Skustad (19:54.9) and Grand Chittum (20:02.7) were fifth and sixth, respectively. Mason Molden took 38th (24:12.7).
Ely was well represented in the junior high races, with freshman Grady Anderson taking third in the 3,200 meter race with a time of 12:26.2. Liam Kurnava was next in 19th (13:14.9), followed by Boden Devine (19th), Elliot Eastham (21st), Hayden Engen (23rd), Connor Macho (36th), Garrison White (50th), Bryce Houde (60th), Sawyer Anderson (61st) and Owen Kurnava (62nd).
Jenna Bermel led the Ely junior high girls, taking 12th in 15:40.8.
Next up for the Wolves is the GNK Invitational, set for Sept. 4 at Eagle Ridge in Coleraine.
