Teams
Bad Axe
Beaverton
Bentley
Burton-Bendle
Caro
Carrollton
Cass City
Clare
Hemlock
Millington
Mt. Morris
Otisville-LakeVille
Pigeon-Laker
Pinconning
Reese
Saginaw Valley Lutheran
Sandusky
Sanford-Meridian
Vassar
Boys
Team Projections
Individual Projections
Ranked Teams
Caro (6)
Highest Rated Seniors
To quote fan of the site and future Dalton State star Riley Ford, “I remember him as a freshman working harder than most trying to prove himself. He’s shown vast improvement every season and now has experience racing from the front of the pack.” Nick has much experience at the front of the pack, being the returning champion here. He’s knocked on the door of All-State and given that vast improvement, should be in that discussion this year.
When you have the depth that Caro does, along with a group of fast runners, it’s only natural that those on the team rise to another level at some point. For Cole, it was his junior year, one that featured a 45+ second PR, first All-Region, and first All-State finish.
Kevin was a major reason that Caro was able to upset Shepherd last year. He entered the race ranked 9th and finished 4th, with a 35 second PR as a result. The following week, he showed that was no fluke, running 17:03 on a tough day at MIS.
Career Achievement
Logan had quite a sophomore year that showed his potential in this sport. That 2018 season featured an All-State finish, top-10 finish at Thumb Area, and multiple sub-17 efforts.
Anyone Else?
Caro has a number of freshmen, both boys and girls, that should be in the mix on the course this fall. Matthew is probably the safest bet to be at the front, with multiple sub-11:30 performances, including wins at Heritage, Holly, USA, Linden, and Thumb Area.
Sam has shown some dramatic improvement since his freshman year. In 2017, all of his races were in the 20+ minute variety. This past year, he started off in that range, but finished with a 9th place finish here, running 17:18.
Brad should give Matt Patullo a run for best freshman. His overall average is a bit slower, but in major races, he was able to run up at the front. He was 2nd at Allendale Falcon and 10th at Northern Michigan, both sub-11:30.
Girls
Team Projections
Individual Projections
Ranked Teams
Reese (4), Clare (10)
Highest Rated Seniors
Riley was one of many in this area to go through a late season renaissance (a nod to the strong coaching out this way). She first snuck under 21:00 at Wagener Park, then continued on that hot streak to great performances at GTC, Ubly, Thumb Area, and this regional. The latter two races earned her top-15 finishes.
- Riley Schroeder and Katherine Haupt, Clare
Thought I’d mention these two in tandem. During their reign at Clare, their team has qualified for States every year, winning the regional once, and twice finishing top-5 in the state. They’ve both broken 20:00 early in their careers and are poised for another successful season.
Career Achievement
Ellymae pulled off a minor upset last year, knocking off the Shepherd girls and Jelena Prescott enroute to claiming 1st place. What makes her accomplishment all the more impressive was a month earlier, she ran 1:25 slower on the same course.
Anyone Else?
In 2019’s Regional, Allison experienced a major awakening in terms of running. She had a solid freshman year, even getting down to the mid-20’s. At Shepherd last fall, she smashed that 20:00 barrier, all the way to a 19:14 and 2nd place finish.
Kinsie is one of a number of freshmen that should be impactful here. She had a few quick results this past year, going sub-13 at Lancer and placing in the top-10 at Al Kayner.
Sandusky, Sanford-Meridian, and Caro should all battle for that 3rd spot. A girl such as Karli, with her consistent progress throughout the year, could be beneficial for Sandusky. Each year she’s shown growth both in the offseason and during the season, this past fall getting down to sub-21.
Michigan XC Speed Ratings 