ELY- One point separated the Ely boys cross country team from a trip to state at the Section 7A Championships last Thursday at Eagle Ridge Golf Course in Coleraine, bringing a strong season to an disappointing close.
The Wolves placed third with 108 points, just behind runner-up Stella Maris Academy’s 107 in the battle for the second team qualifying berth. Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin claimed the section championship with 51 points.
Ely also finished level with Crosby-Ironton in the standings, earning third on the sixth-runner tiebreaker. No Wolves finished high enough to claim one of the individual qualifying spots.
Junior Wyatt Devine paced Ely over the 5,000-meter course, finishing 14th in 17:41.9. Junior Blake Houde and senior Oliver Hohenstein crossed less than two seconds apart, with Houde taking 19th in 18:04.1 and Hohenstein finishing 20th in 18:05.9.
Junior Oren Solum delivered a personal-best 18:14.9 to place 25th, while sophomore Grady Anderson rounded out the scoring with a personal-best 18:30.7 for 30th.
Just 48.8 seconds separated the Wolves’ first and fifth finishers, giving Ely a tightly packed scoring group, but leaving them a point short of extending their season.
Also competing for the Wolves were Mason Kurnava and Aksel Skustad.
Girls
Senior Molly Brophy led the Ely girls to eighth place, finishing 26th in 21:17.9 and bringing to an end a stellar career that included five consecutive state appearances. Junior Mattie Lindsay followed in 28th with a season-best 21:30.8.
Junior Lucy Dunn posted a personal-best 24:00.6 to finish 68th. Sophomore Payson Kundinger placed 74th in 24:37.9, and senior Lillie O’Neill completed the Wolves’ scoring lineup in 76th with a time of 25:10.1.