Boys fourth, girls fifth in Class A at major Duluth meet
Ely’s high school cross country teams served further notice that it will be a force to contend with in Section 7A.
The latest evidence came last Saturday at Duluth, where the Timberwolves put up strong showings at the Swain Invitational, one of Minnesota’s most prestigious meets.
The Ely boys were fourth among 14 Class A teams and the girls were fifth in a strong field.
Among 7A teams, only Greenway and North Shore were in front of the Ely boys, while the girls trailed only Greenway.
That may bode well as the regular season hits its home stretch.
Ely took part in the Iron Range Conference championships held Thursday, after deadline, at Hoyt Lakes and Tuesday’s Hial Pike Invitational at International Falls serves as a final regular season tune-up.
The 7A competition is slated for Oct. 23 at Coleraine.
In Duluth, the boys cracked the top four with impressive depth.
Two sophomores led the way, with Wyatt Devine placing 12th in a large field with a time of 18:18.7, while classmate Blake Houde had a breakout performance of sorts.
Houde was 22nd in 19:02.1.
Next up for the Wolves was senior Otto Devine in 26th (19:17.5), while Mason Kurnava (34th, 19:46.8), Drew Johnson (41st, 20:04), Brooks Brenny (48th, 20:21.5) and Oliver Hohenstein (51st, 20:25.1).
Wadena-Deer Creek was the boys team champion, with Greenway and North Shore in front of the Wolves.
Ely led fifth-place Trinity/ Unity by better than 40 points and nine other teams lagged behind.
In the girls’ event, the Wolves had a dynamic onetwo in Molly Brophy and Mattie Lindsay.
Brophy, a junior, finished 11th in 21:40.2, while sophomore Lindsay was eight seconds back in 12th.
Next up was freshman Katy Brophy, who took 30th in 23:15.8, and senior Elsa Ellerbroek rounded out the Ely top-four by taking 37th (23:59.9).
The Ely lineup also included Isabella Macho (59th, 25:45.1), Moxie Lindsay (65th, 26:03.9) and Payson Kundinger (66th, 26:08).
Ely was in fifth with 116 points, trailing Trinity/Unity, Lake City, Greenway and United South Central. The Wolves topped sixth-place Wadena-Deer Creek by two points.
Ely’s Lillie O’Neill took ninth and Molly Lindsay was 23rd in junior varsity action.
The Wolves came home with a JV boys champion, as Aksel Skustad won that race in 20:17.7, with teammates Grant Chittum (ninth) and Mason Molden (36th) following.
