Adam Swank (he registered under his real name this year) is familiar with tough conditions. A noted cross country skier, mountain biker and trail runner, a little mud wasn’t going to slow down Swank, who averaged a 6:32 mile pace for the 10K (6.2 mile) race.
Swank, now south of age 40, finished 14 seconds ahead of Tyler Kjorstad of Laramie, Wyoming. Kjorstad won the 30-39 age group for males.
Joey Chmelik led all Cook County with a 5th-place finish in a time of 43:17. Chmelik, who runs cross country for St. Olaf, averaged 6:57 per mile.
Cook County High School sophomore to-be Will Surbaugh, Grand Marais, placed 7th in 46:21.
Other local finishers were Lucian Apetrei, Grand Marais, 17th in 51:06; Rob Wells, Grand Marais, finished 31st in 56:37; Calvin Waddell, Grand Marais, was 39th in 1:00:21; Sam Sinclair, Lutsen, crossed the line in 40th place in 1:01:31; David Sinclair, Lutsen, was 51st in 1:06:25; Aaron Schmidt, Grand Marais, placed 53rd in 1:06:49; Murray Sinclair, Lutsen, placed 60th in 1:11:29; Jay Halvorson, Lutsen, was 72nd n 1:14:40; and Denny FitzPatrick, Grand Marais, placed 78th in 1:21:22.
Above: Lizzy Ashley traveled from Kennesaw, Georgia to race. Lizzy gives a thumbs-up as she finishes in 9th place. Left: Rebecca Wiinanen (195) and Brandi Erickson hold hands as they come to the finish line.
Women finishers in the 10K
Kaelyn Williams of Golden Valley was the top woman finisher with a time of 50:54. Williams averaged an 8:11 mile pace through the hills and mud and finished over one minute ahead of second place Max Lantz of Minnetonka.
Hana Senty and her sister Kelly finished together in 6th and 7th places with a time of 58:23; Louise Ramberg, who will be a freshman this year at CCHS, placed 8th in 58:35.
Sara Taylor, Lutsen, was 10th in 1:28; Sarah Law, Grand Marais, was 12th in 1:01:22; Casey Fitchett, Grand Marais placed 13th in 1:01:34; Deanna Eickhoff, Lutsen, finished 16th in 1:02: 10; Marybeth Wilkes, Grand Marais, placed 17th in 1:02:23; Liiya Dthustrova, Tofte, placed 26th in 1:08:11; Carmen Anderson, Grand Marais, was 31st in 1:10:42; Jessa Frost, Tofte, placed 33rd in 1:11:09; Solveig Vick, Lutsen, placed 34th in 1:11:18; Cecelia Chmelik, Grand Marais, placed 42nd in 1:12:58; Ana Koch, Grand Marais, finished 43rd in 1:13:07; Molly O’Neill, Lutsen, placed 44th in 1:13:07; Chloe Blackburn, Grand Marais, was 53rd in 1:14:41; Robin Henrickson, Grand Marais, placed 54th in 1:15; Molly Hicken, Lutsen, placed 58th in 1:20:09; Karen Blackburn finished 60th in 1:21:19; Brandi Erickson, Grand Marais, placed 66th in 1:26:04; Rebecca Wiinanen, Grand Marais, finished 67th in the same time, 1:26:04; Genevieve Silence and her mother Sara Silence placed 73rd and 74th in 1:35:36 and 1:35:39; Nina Sinclair, Lutsen, finished 79th in 2:02:53; and Patty Sinclair, Lutsen, placed 80th in 2:09:49.
10K Race Walk results
Jonah Becken, Hudson, Wisconsin, placed first in the men’s 10K race walk in 1:23:53. Becken averaged 13:30 per mile.
Tim Nelson, Lutsen, placed 6th to lead local male finishers. Nelson’s time was 1:50:49. Dennis Waldrop, Tofte placed 7th in 1:53; Erik Brunsvold, Tofte, was 12th in 1:59:25.
Ellen Anderson, Tofte, won the women’s division in 1:24:24. Ellen averaged a speedy 13:34 clip on the rugged race.
Julie Anderson was the only other local woman to race walk, finishing 13th in 1:55:31.
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