HOUGHTON — After following the traditional format for several years, organizers of the Bill Fezzey Memorial Invitational cross county meet decided to do something a little bit different for their races Sept. 4.

They elected to host a match race, formerly known as fox and hounds, on the cloudy and cool day in the Copper Country.

“We decided to make it different this year,” Houghton coach Traci Welch said. “Our kids were really upset about it at first. Although they were apprehensive, I think this brought out the best in them. Some of them ran significantly better times.

"This was the first perfect score ever for our girls. I was a little worried about the boys because we knew (Painesdale) Jeffers was going to be tough.”

The Houghton girls grabbed the top five places in their race and scored 15 points, followed by L’Anse with 49 and Calumet at 74. Jeffers squeezed past the Gremlins 27-28 for the boys title, and third-place Dollar Bay scored 88 points.

Runners followed a 20-second stagger, starting with the No. 7 runners from each school and working their way toward the top. The first one to cross the finish line in each race was the winner regardless of starting position.

Houghton senior Tessa Rautiola was clocked at 22:14.1 in winning the girls race.

“I’ve never done a race like this before,” she said. “All varsity runners go out at once in other races. It’s just a matter of getting into a good mindset.

“This is a learning curve for me. I should be happy I’m still running. I was just trying to catch other people during the race, which added to the intensity somewhat.”

Houghton sophomore Sela Niska was runner-up (22:23.4), and senior teammate Jovie Williams took third (22:38.8).

Jeffers senior Cameron Anderson was the boys winner at 18:33.4, followed by Houghton sophomore Xavier Hutchinson (19:08.3) and freshman Cole Ceane (19:08.8).

“Cam started last and came in first,” Jets coach Sam Kilpela said. “We had him timed at 16:31. It’s so easy to start out fast, which in a way is the hardest part. Once the guys settled in, they knew their job and got it done. This is a big win for us.”

Anderson said he didn’t mind the new format.

“It wasn’t bad,” he added. “I wouldn’t mind doing it again. It made me push myself and want to catch the other guys. You had to make sure you held your pace.” 

Hancock senior Lydia Pelli took 18th (24:12.9) among the girls.

“(The match race format) gives the people who are usually first more of a challenge,” she said. “I think I like the regular races better because I’m more familiar with them. You have a better idea of what to expect.”

Ironwood senior Jaelyn Novasconi previously played volleyball but decided to go out for cross country this year. She finished 37th (27:48.8).

“This was a hard choice because I love volleyball,” she said. “I also love basketball, and this will get me in better shape.

“This was my (second) meet since middle school. This is also a great opportunity to compete with kids from other schools. The start was definitely different, but I ran faster than in my first meet.”

John Vrancic has covered high school sports in the Upper Peninsula since joining the Escanaba Daily Press staff in 1985. He is known most prominently across the peninsula for his extensive coverage of cross country and track & field that frequently appears in newspapers from the Wisconsin border to Lake Huron. He received the James Trethewey Award for Distinguished Service in 2015 from the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.

PHOTOS (Top) Houghton senior Tessa Rautiola runs to the Upper Peninsula Division 2 Finals championship last season. (Middle) Painesdale Jeffers’ Cameron Anderson moves toward the front of the lead pack at last year’s UPD2 Final. (Photos by Cara Kamps.)