MUNISING — It was a cross country race for the ages here Saturday as nine boys runners broke 16:30 at the Upper Peninsula Division 1 Finals.

Sault Ste. Marie junior Gabe Litzner set the U.P. Finals all-class/division record, covering the 3.1-mile course in 15:14.4. He was followed by Marquette seniors Seppi Camilli (15:34.7) and James Barch (15:57.8).

“I came into this race very nervous,” Litzner said. “I knew Seppi was going to give me a good race. I felt the way to beat him was to stick with him in the first mile. I didn’t want to wait until the last mile or 800 meters. He’s very fast. I knew he would kick it in during the last mile.

“Adrenalin got me through the whole race, especially today. I knew it was going to be hard. It’s exciting to be part of U.P. history. It feels really great. I love running with these guys.”

Marquette captured its sixth consecutive title with 20 points, followed by Sault with 56 and Houghton with 89.

“We had a great season as a team,” Litzner said. “Marquette is just a great team. They’re real tough to beat. They’re one of the best in the state. I’ll never forget this U.P. Finals. It was a great time.”

Camilli’s time was the second-best in U.P. history, and Barch finished with the third best.

“I wish it would have been a little more exciting (individually),” Camilli said. “It was close through the first mile. I ran a 4:45, and I think it caught up with me in the end. It’s a little disappointing in a way, but it was still a good race. I was six seconds off my PR (personal record) at two miles and fell off a little in the third.

“Winning as a team was exciting for sure. It’s high pressure and exciting.”

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Division 2

Painesdale Jeffers collected its fourth-straight Division 2 championship with 33 points, followed by Rudyard’s 81 and Ironwood’s 84.

Munising senior Dan Goss earned the top individual honor at 16:43. He was followed by Jeffers’ junior Cameron Anderson (16:55.2) and Rudyard junior Steven Kirschner (17:23.4) on a sunny and mild day at the Pictured Rocks Golf Course.

“Winning on our home course is awesome,” Goss said. “I definitely had special motivation. There was a lot of pressure, but our coaches are very supportive. We couldn’t ask for better.

“This happened to be my mom’s birthday, which also motivated me. I didn’t want to let her down. We had plenty of community support, which we appreciate.”

Ironwood senior Zach Smith was fourth (17:26) and Jeffers junior Landon Larson took fifth (17:30.9).

“The race was pretty good, but my legs weren’t feeling up to snuff,” Larson said. “It felt awesome to win as a team. We were going for a four-peat. I just ran fast and hard. Training during the summer helps. We came into the season in good shape.

“We have no seniors this year. We have a lot to look forward to.”

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Division 3

Engadine was crowned U.P. Division 3 champion for the first time with 62 points, followed by Stephenson with 82 and 2023 champ Dollar Bay at 106.

“It’s pretty awesome,” Engadine coach Tracy Germain said. “As we were coming through the line, I knew we had it. There’s always little bit of doubt until it happens. This is a real boost for our program. We put a lot of work into it. It’s not a given.”

Chassell senior Kalvin Kytta earned his second U.P. individual title at 16:10.2.

“That was close to a PR,” he said. “I’m pleased with how the race went. I knew it would be a battle with myself for time and set goals for my split times. I fell off a little in the last mile, but I’m still pleased. When the gun went off for the Division 1 race, I got more excited for my race.”

Engadine senior Dakota Taylor was runner-up (17:22.2), with Ewen-Trout Creek freshman Brody Majurin third (17:28).

“We’re very grateful,” Taylor said. “It’s rewarding, and we feel very accomplished. I’m thankful to Tracy for everything she does. It’s so hard to get that first one.

“Last year we had a small group. It’s good to reach personal goals, but it’s even better with a great group of guys. I think Kalvin had 4:57 in the first mile. He ran a great race.”

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PHOTOS (Top) Marquette's Seppi Camilli (227) and Sault Ste. Marie's Gabe Litzner (361) run together during the Division 1 Final on Saturday. (Middle) Rudyard's Steven Kirschner (347) and Jeffers' Cameron Anderson (288) are in the second and third position, respectively, after about one-third of the Division 2 race. (Below) Chassell's Kalvin Kytta crosses the finish line first in the Division 3 race at Pictured Rocks Golf Course in Munising. (Click for more from Cara Kamps/RunMichigan.com.)