Lyon and Delong sprint to a perfect weekend!
Mon, Feb 20, 2017 - By Mike Muha
The last event in the Michigan High School Cross Country Ski Championships was the Freestyle Sprint. Racers first did a short time "qualifying" time trial. The results of the time trial were used to seed the sprint rounds. Eighteen girls and twenty boys qualified for the sprint heats.
Traverse City Central's Mary Lyon won the sprint after finishing 5th in the qualifying time trial, finishing first in every race over the weekend. Anabel Needham of the Copper Country Ski Tigers won the qualifier but finished second behind Lyon. Bethany Wright finished third overall after taking a second in the time trial.
Pursuit champion Mitchell Delong of the Copper Country Ski Tigers won the boys sprint after taking first in the qualifier. Reid Goble of Petoskey was second (fourth in the qualifier). Nikolai Huotari finished the podium, taking third in both the qualifier and the sprint.
Hammering in the sprint race!
For those with a statistical mind, how a skier does in the qualifying race does not perfectly predict how you will do in the final sprint. In fact, for the girls who qualified for the sprint, qualifying place was only 84% successful in predicting final sprint results. For the boys, it was even less: 70%. Raw speed is important, but positioning, passing skills, ability to ski in close quarters, and simple will power can change the odds. In addition, some skiers will go just fast enough to qualify for the sprint, saving their effort for the final heats. The graphs below show the variability in qualifying place vs. final sprint placing at this years Championship Sprint:
Time
Girls Sprint Results |
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| OVERALL FINISH | QUALIFYING FINISH | Bib | Name | Team name | Age | Qualifying Time | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 110 | Mary Lyon | TC Central/West | 17 | 3:39 | +1:02 |
| 2 | 1 | 104 | Anabel Needham | Copper Country | 15 | 3:18 | +0:41 |
| 3 | 2 | 103 | Bethany Wright | Marquette | 18 | 3:22 | +0:45 |
| 4 | 3 | 113 | Ericka Asmus | Marquette | 14 | 3:28 | +0:51 |
| 5 | 8 | 109 | Kora Johnson | Copper Country | 13 | 3:48 | +1:11 |
| 6 | 6 | 122 | Maria Velat | Copper Country | 12 | 3:46 | +1:09 |
| 7 | 4 | 101 | Isabel Carr | Marquette | 16 | 3:28 | +0:51 |
| 8 | 11 | 111 | Kaysen Mortensen-Chown | TC Central/West | 16 | 4:02 | +1:25 |
| 9 | 9 | 119 | Abigail Jean | TC Central/West | 15 | 4:00 | +1:23 |
| 10 | 7 | 102 | Kelly Klettner | TC St Francis | 16 | 3:46 | +1:09 |
| 11 | 12 | 108 | Arielle Jean | Vasa Ski Club | 13 | 4:03 | +1:26 |
| 12 | 10 | 120 | Grace Argeropoulos | Marquette | 15 | 4:00 | +1:23 |
| 13 | 14 | 114 | Katie Erhardt | TC St Francis | 17 | 4:11 | +1:34 |
| 14 | 13 | 106 | Dana Pflughoeft | TC Central/West | 18 | 4:10 | +1:33 |
| 15 | 19 | 138 | Angie Grunert | Copper Country | 12 | 4:33 | +1:56 |
| 16 | 18 | 112 | Talon Prusi | Ishpeming Ski Club | 15 | 4:31 | +1:54 |
| 17 | 25 | 118 | Athena Gillespie | TC St Francis | 14 | 5:06 | +2:29 |
| 18 | 27 | 130 | Camilla Kiessel | TC St Francis | 14 | 6:17 | +3:40 |
| 15 | 116 | Libby Gorman | TC St Francis | 14 | 4:22 | +1:45 | |
| 16 | 121 | Emma Stahl | Marquette | 15 | 4:25 | +1:48 | |
| 17 | 117 | Maya Dean | TC Central/West | 14 | 4:30 | +1:53 | |
| 20 | 137 | Brianna Argeropoulos | Marquette | 17 | 4:35 | +1:58 | |
| 21 | 128 | Lena Gerstle | TC Central/West | 16 | 4:43 | +2:06 | |
| 22 | 131 | Sidney Carrigan | TC Central/West | 14 | 4:48 | +2:11 | |
| 23 | 136 | Aili Simpson | TC Central/West | 16 | 4:57 | +2:20 | |
| 24 | 129 | Helena Leoni Averdung | TC Central/West | 16 | 4:59 | +2:22 | |
| 26 | 126 | Maggie Cooney | TC Central/West | 14 | 5:23 | +2:46 | |
| - | 105 | Kathryn Clulo | TC St Francis | 17 | DNS | - | |
| - | 107 | Kayla Decker | Petoskey | 15 | DNS | - | |
| - | 115 | Emma Schwab | Vasa Ski Club | 15 | DNS | - | |
| - | 123 | Lucy Stiebel | TC Central/West | 14 | DNS | - | |
| - | 124 | Audrey Braund | TC Central/West | 14 | DNS | - | |
| - | 125 | Mackenzie Campbell | TC Central/West | 16 | DNS | - | |
| - | 127 | Macy Fouch | TC Central/West | 17 | DNS | - | |
| - | 132 | Madelaine Parker | TC Central/West | 16 | DNS | - | |
| - | 133 | Amelia Burke | TC Central/West | 16 | DNS | - | |
| - | 134 | Abby Puckett | TC Central/West | 16 | DNS | - | |
| - | 135 | Leandra Bruggink | Marquette | 14 | DNS | - | |
| - | 139 | Maddie Webster | Petoskey | 14 | DNS | - | |
Boys Sprint Results |
|||||||
| OVERALL FINISH | QUALIFYING FINISH | Bib | Name | Team name | Age | Qualifying Time | Difference |
| 1 | 1 | 3 | Mitchell Delong | Copper Country | 17 | 2:37 | - |
| 2 | 4 | 6 | Reid Goble | Petoskey | 17 | 2:53 | +0:16 |
| 3 | 3 | 10 | Nikolai Huotari | Copper Country | 16 | 2:49 | +0:12 |
| 4 | 6 | 22 | Dan Groeneveld | Copper Country | 16 | 3:07 | +0:30 |
| 5 | 5 | 1 | Jacob Dean | TC Central/West | 17 | 3:05 | +0:28 |
| 6 | 8 | 5 | Isaac Coulter | TC Central/West | 16 | 3:15 | +0:38 |
| 7 | 11 | 12 | Julien Malherbe | Marquette | 15 | 3:21 | +0:44 |
| 8 | 12 | 4 | Nate Garwood | Marquette | 16 | 3:26 | +0:49 |
| 9 | 15 | 19 | Martin Chown | TC Central/West | 17 | 3:33 | +0:56 |
| 10 | 16 | 29 | Elliott Smith | TC Central/West | 16 | 3:36 | +0:59 |
| 11 | 13 | 2 | Thomas Ziegler | Ishpeming Ski Club | 18 | 3:31 | +0:54 |
| 12 | 19 | 24 | Aleut Hatfield | Marquette | 15 | 3:40 | +1:03 |
| 13 | 14 | 7 | Ethan Hall | Marquette | 17 | 3:32 | +0:55 |
| 14 | 18 | 11 | Grady Kerst | Ishpeming Ski Club | 17 | 3:39 | +1:02 |
| 15 | 20 | 8 | Joseph Thuente | TC St Francis | 14 | 3:41 | +1:04 |
| 16 | 48 | 46 | Alec Prusi | Ishpeming Ski Club | 14 | 4:36 | +1:59 |
| 17 | 26 | 15 | Luke Rasper | Petoskey | 15 | 3:50 | +1:13 |
| 18 | 27 | 26 | Timothy Ziegler | Ishpeming Ski Club | 14 | 3:53 | +1:16 |
| 19 | 33 | 16 | Gavin Dyer | Petoskey | 14 | 3:58 | +1:21 |
| 20 | 31 | 31 | Spencer Tallman | Petoskey | 16 | 3:55 | +1:18 |
| 2 | 9 | Matthew Chard | Copper Country | 18 | 2:38 | +0:01 | |
| 7 | 53 | Galen Resh Chimner | Copper Country | 15 | 3:08 | +0:31 | |
| 9 | 20 | Joseph Wood | Copper Country | 15 | 3:16 | +0:39 | |
| 10 | 28 | Ilhan Onder | Copper Country | 16 | 3:18 | +0:41 | |
| 17 | 17 | Ted Roe | TC Central/West | 15 | 3:37 | +1:00 | |
| 21 | 30 | Mathurin Gagnon | Marquette | 15 | 3:42 | +1:05 | |
| 22 | 18 | Andrew Amato | TC Central/West | 16 | 3:42 | +1:05 | |
| 23 | 33 | Matt Pillifant | Marquette | 15 | 3:45 | +1:08 | |
| 24 | 14 | Elliot Prusi | Ishpeming Ski Club | 16 | 3:49 | +1:12 | |
| 25 | 35 | Evan Ampe | Marquette | 14 | 3:49 | +1:12 | |
| 28 | 51 | Clay Myers | TC Central/West | 18 | 3:53 | +1:16 | |
| 29 | 34 | Seth Potts | Marquette | 16 | 3:54 | +1:17 | |
| 30 | 32 | Colton Yesney | Ishpeming Ski Club | 17 | 3:54 | +1:17 | |
| 32 | 45 | Moses Waite | Marquette | 14 | 3:56 | +1:19 | |
| 34 | 47 | Thomas Lyle | Copper Country | 16 | 3:59 | +1:22 | |
| 35 | 42 | Mathew Janowski | Marquette | 14 | 4:01 | +1:24 | |
| 36 | 37 | Eli Wiitala | Marquette | 14 | 4:01 | +1:24 | |
| 37 | 13 | Anthony Greenaugh | Petoskey | 15 | 4:01 | +1:24 | |
| 38 | 55 | Carson Needham | TC Central/West | 15 | 4:03 | +1:26 | |
| 39 | 25 | Seth Jordan | Petoskey | 16 | 4:05 | +1:28 | |
| 40 | 40 | Mike Fraley | Copper Country | 13 | 4:05 | +1:28 | |
| 41 | 48 | Matt Milado | Marquette | 18 | 4:06 | +1:29 | |
| 42 | 21 | Anton Epskamp | Petoskey | 16 | 4:10 | +1:33 | |
| 43 | 36 | Jack Myers | TC Central/West | 16 | 4:10 | +1:33 | |
| 44 | 49 | Jack Myers | TC Central/West | 14 | 4:22 | +1:45 | |
| 45 | 23 | KJ Pruett | Ishpeming Ski Club | 17 | 4:25 | +1:48 | |
| 46 | 56 | Henry Urbain | TC Central/West | 14 | 4:26 | +1:49 | |
| 47 | 50 | Matt Penrose | Ishpeming Ski Club | 17 | 4:32 | +1:55 | |
| 49 | 41 | Alex Gilliam | Marquette | 15 | 4:37 | +2:00 | |
| 50 | 43 | Greg Koontz | Petoskey | 14 | 4:41 | +2:04 | |
| 51 | 44 | Eric Steve | Ishpeming Ski Club | 17 | 4:42 | +2:05 | |
| 52 | 54 | Jared Steve | Ishpeming Ski Club | 15 | 4:59 | +2:22 | |
| 53 | 38 | Matt Cooper | Petoskey | 15 | 5:11 | +2:34 | |
| - | 27 | Ben Mason | Petoskey | 15 | DNS | - | |
| - | 39 | Jack Doerr | TC Central/West | 14 | DNS | - | |
| - | 52 | Griffin Pepin | Ishpeming Ski Club | 18 | DNS | - | |