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Ely boys take first at Virginia cross country meet, girls second

Keith Vandervort
Posted 9/9/20

VIRGINIA – In the first meet of the season last week, the Ely Memorial High School cross country team picked up where they left off last fall with strong finishes. The boys team took first …

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Ely boys take first at Virginia cross country meet, girls second

Posted

VIRGINIA – In the first meet of the season last week, the Ely Memorial High School cross country team picked up where they left off last fall with strong finishes. The boys team took first place and the girls team came in second at the Virginia Triple Tri.
Reflecting competition modifications enacted by the MSHSL, the event was divided into three-team heats, rather than nine teams all running at once, with all results combined to determine the order of finish and team standings.
The 5,000-meter course at Virginia Golf Course allowed for plenty of social distancing by spectators and featured 174 total finishers. Ely fans endured a chilly early-morning start as the Timberwolves were part of the 8 a.m. heat, according to Ely head coach Jayne Dusich.
The Ely boys team, paced by seniors Emmett Faltesek, 17:53.9, and Jasper Johnston, 18:14.9, and junior Gabriel Pointer, 18:18.6, tallied 46 team points and edged out Greenway-Nashwauk-Keewatin by a single point to take first place.
The rest of the Ely boys varsity team runners and their times included Jake Cochran, 19:03.4, Joey Bianco, 20:46.8, Leo Stalmer, 20:49.8, Jon Hakala, 21:24.8, Caid Chittum, 21:57.4, Jace Huntbatch, 21:59.9, Ben Cavalier, 23:15.3, and Dylan Durkin, 28:19.8.
Other team results included Virginia, 62, Hibbing, 90, Mountain Iron/Buhl, 145, Eveleth/Gilbert, 149, Deer River/Northland, 156, and Chisholm, 219.
The Ely girls team was paced by two sophomore runners, Zoe Devine, 21:37.1, and Phoebe Helms, 22:07.5, to give the team a second-place finish with 64 points. Hibbing took first with 46 points. Mountain Iron/Buhl was third with 78 points, followed by Greenway-Nashwauk-Keewatin with 84 and Virginia with 86.
Other Ely varsity girls finishers and times included Brynn Vollom, 24:15.0, Gracie Pointer, 25:05.8, Julia Schwinghamer, 25:39.7, Laura Holmstrom, 25:39.8, Sydney Durkin, 25:45.2, Cora Olson, 26:32.9, Elsie Vollom, 28:06.9, and Amelia Pluth, 29:51.6.
“Emmett, Jasper and Gabriel all had good first races,” Dusich said. “Zoe and Phoebe stayed up front and ran well. It was good to run one to see what they all need to work on as the season continues.”
The Timberwolves varsity team was set travel to the G-N-K Triple Tri on Thursday, Sept. 10 at the Eagle Ridge Golf Course. Ely returns to Virginia’s Olcott Park on Thursday, Sept. 17 for the Virginia Double Dual.