Ironwood's Joki named to cross country Dream Team

MARQUETTE — Menominee High School senior Kameron Burmeister completed a perfect cross country season last Saturday by earning her first Upper Peninsula Division 1 title.

It should come as no surprise she was a unanimous choice for Female Runner of the Year during Wednesday’s meeting of the Upper Peninsula Cross Country Coaches Association.

Also selected for the Dream Team were Marquette sophomore Lindsey Rudden and freshman Amber Huebner, Hancock senior Abbey Tembreull, Gladstone freshman Leigha Woelffer, Rudyard junior Kaylee Hoolsema and St. Ignace junior Lily Calcaterra.

Marquette senior Cole Rieboldt, named Male Runner of the Year, was joined on the Dream Team by sophomore teammate Lance Rambo, Stephenson sophomore Connor Cappaert, Kingsford sophomore Nate Carey, Ironwood junior Jared Joki, Houghton junior David Jazsczak and Munising sophomore Brett Hannah.

Other Gogebic Range harriers receiving all-state honors were Ironwood’s Jessica Gering and Michael Barto in D-2 and Bessemer’s Zack Mazurek and Lily Wierenga (D-3).

Area All-U.P. recipients include Ironwood’s Tim Lorenson and Wakefield-Marenisco’s Sam Dean (D-3).

Burmeister, who has yet to decide where she’ll attend college, was also this year’s Great Northern Conference champion.

Huebner and Rudden placed 2-3 in the GNC meet Oct. 10 on the Dale Fountain Memorial Cross Country Course at Banat, then flip-flopped their order in the U.P. Finals at Gentz’s Homestead Golf Course in Harvey.

Rudden was undefeated prior to the GNC meet. Huebner, who was consistently among the leaders, won the Kingsford Invitational on Sept. 10.

Woelffer was in the top five in every race except the Shawano, Wis. Invitational, where she placed seventh among 170 runners. She took fifth in the GNC and moved up to fourth at the Finals, where she was clocked in a personal-best 20 minutes, four seconds. She was also this area’s lone Dream Team pick and received D-1 all-state honors.

Tembreull, who plans to run cross country at Finlandia University next fall, was crowned U.P. Division 2 champion for the first time and placed third in the West-Pac Conference.

Calcaterra, the U.P. D-2 runner-up, also finished second overall in the three Straits Area Jamboree races. Hoolsema gained her first D-3 championship and placed sixth overall in the SAC.

Rieboldt, who ran cross country for the first time this season, set a course record (16:22) In the GNC meet.

He and Rambo placed 1-2 in most meets this year, with Rambo taking the U.P. title.

Cappaert captured the D-3 title a year after winning D-2 and placed fourth in this year’s GNC meet. Carey took fourth in the D-1 Finals and was sixth in the GNC.

Jazsczak copped the West-Pac title and placed third in the D-1 Finals. Joki, this year’s Indianhead Conference champ, dominated the D-2 Finals and Hannah was crowned Central U.P./Skyline Conference champion for the second straight time.

The Marquette boys and girls were named Teams of the Year among the large schools, with the St. Ignace boys and Munising girls taking top small school honors.

Marquette’s Dale Phillips earned Coach of the Year honors in D-1. Hancock’s Matt Dennis and St. Ignace’s Emily Fullerton shared similar honors in D-2, with North Central’s Jerry Root and Pickford’s Eric Teysen co-coaches of the Year in D-3.