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Sections slated for Thursday
Silas Solum picked up an individual win and Ely’s cross country teams got ready for the grand stage.
Those were the highlights Tuesday at International Falls, where the Timberwolves took part in the annual Hial Pike Invitational.
The meet was one of the smallest the Wolves would take part in this fall, and both the Ely boys and girls gained team victories.
Solum, meanwhile, led an Ely parade of red-and-white in the varsity boys race, taking first in a field of 60 runners.
The meet served as a tune up as Ely gets ready for the Section 7A meet, which is set for this Thursday, Oct. 24, at Coleraine.
Both Ely teams are gunning for top-two finishes and a trip to the state meet, and both should be in position to send individuals on to state if the Wolves aren’t successful in the team standings.
Solum, a senior, served notice that he’ll be a 7A contender by winning the 5,000 meter race at International Falls in 17:50.2.
Fellow senior Caid Chittum, who won the Iron Range Conference individual title the week before, finished second in 18:00.2 while junior Otto Devine was third (18:12.6).
Sophomores Brooks Brenny (18:33.5) and Mason Kurnava (18:36.5) were fifth and sixth, respectively.
It was almost all-Ely up front as senior Eli Olson (19:01.5) was eighth, senior Milo McClelland (19:17.2) took 10th, junior Dylan Durkin (19:25.1) was 12th and sophomore Oliver Hohenstein (19:26.5) placed 13th.
Ely beat out Warroad, International Falls, Fort Frances, Chisholm and Lake of the Woods for the team title.
In varsity girls action, the Wolves’ Molly Brophy, a sophomore, placed second in 20:12.7, well back of Chisholm standout Olivia Pascuzzi.
The Ely girls were also well represented at the top as freshman Mattie Lindsay was fourth in 20:42.8, while sophomore Isabella Macho was two spots back in sixth at 21:29.4.
Also cracking the top-10 was eighth-grader Katy Brophy, who ran her way to a ninth-place finish in 22:26.9.
Other Ely runners in the top half of the field were Elsa Ellerbroek (11th, 22:44.1), Anna Dunn (15th, 23:23.7), Brandy Strange (17th, 23:56.6), Anna Ziegenmeyer (20th, 24:15.5) and Lillie O’Neill (22nd, 24:49.6).
The junior high boys race was dominated by Ely, with freshman Wyatt Devine taking first in the 3,200 meter event in 11:32.2, with teammates Grant Chittum (12:22.3) and Blake Houde (12:24.2) in second and third, respectively.
Ely’s Oren Solum was sixth, with teammates Eli Littler (eighth) and Caleb Ebert (13th) next.
Among the junior high girls, the Wolves’ Mirabella Lepisto was second overall in 14:08.2, with Moxie Lindsay 11th and Sally Dunn 15th.
