What’s wowing to me is the sheer immediacy, the sheer impact Helen had on the cross country scene
No break in periods, no adjustments to the longer distance, no busting of rust, she immediately jumped on the sub-18 and 170+ rating train and was along for the ride all season
We saw it in the opener at Portage, sub-18, 171.3, and she was under those 1080 seconds 7 more times in 2021
This would happen in championship races (OK Red, D1 State), this would happen in massive invites (Spartan, Otsego Bulldog, Portage), no stage too big for Helen
This loud arrival was well anticipated, Helen being the #2 all-time 8th grader at the 3200m distance, covering those eight laps in 10:44
A few months back, those eight laps are where she made her home yet again, winning at the elite Golden Triangle invite, setting a personal best in the process, then coming back on the tail end of a triple at State to lower that best
Her track season was especially valuable and the best of both worlds for a youngster, quick times, but learning how to race
Present in large events such as OK Red, Barnyard, Golden Triangle, the lessons learned from those showdowns led to a state meet where she was able to grab medals individually in the 1600m and 3200m and with her team in the 4x800m
A year full of speedy growing that will pay dividends for the next three years and beyond, where we will see Helen on many stages, in the state and beyond
Grade
Name
Time
Rating
Meet
Course
Date
9
Helen Sachs
17:56.0
171.3
Portage EB
Portage West MS
20-Aug
9
Helen Sachs
18:40.0
156.3
Under the Lights (GRSC)
South Christian HS
27-Aug
9
Helen Sachs
17:55.5
166.5
Bredeweg
Macatawa Bay MS
11-Sep
9
Helen Sachs
17:48.5
173.8
Spartan
Forest Akers
17-Sep
9
Helen Sachs
17:36.8
159.4
OK Red 1
Grand Haven HS
21-Sep
9
Helen Sachs
17:27.8
170.4
Otsego Bulldog
Otsego HS
2-Oct
9
Helen Sachs
18:13.3
158.6
OK Red 2
Macatawa Bay MS
5-Oct
9
Helen Sachs
17:26.1
175.3
Portage
Portage West MS
9-Oct
9
Helen Sachs
17:30.0
161.3
OK Red Conference
Riverside Park
21-Oct
9
Helen Sachs
18:39.0
141.0
3 Portage
Portage West MS
29-Oct
9
Helen Sachs
17:48.1
161.0
D1 State
MIS
6-Nov
All last summer, Kilian Whalen was in my ear, telling me I’m sleeping on Seth Norder, he’s gonna shock the world
And stubborn me, relying on those numbers, admitting he’ll be good but to hit the brakes
Seth, another example that it ain’t all about numbers, sheer will, work ethic, and talent will go a long way
As a freshman cross country runner, he was solid throughout the season, with some breakthroughs late, a 16:31 in the OK Red, a 16:18 at Meet of Champions, but a lack of competition at the State level kept him off many a radar
Similar in track, he didn’t advance to state, resulting in less eyes on him
But dissimilar were his marks, Seth’s 4:28 ranking 2nd amongst all freshman milers
Back to Kilian’s words, were they ever right
The first signs were early, sub-16 at Ottawa Hills, low-16’s in OK Red jamborees (always a tougher task to run fast after school)
Those early improvements set the stage for a championship season where he blasted his previous best (15:33 at Portage), emerged victorious at OK Red and Region 1, then was the winner of Riley Hough’s chase pack at State (this writer had him 10th)
He didn’t stop when on the track, lowering that 1600m best by 20+ seconds (a sophomore class record), this time putting the first major scare into Riley, cutting that gap that was previously there in the fall
The 1600m isn’t his only event either, Seth gritted out a 8:59 eight-lapper in late April, extrapolating, it’s obvious that he could go much faster a month later
There is a theory that a runner must experience championship races and stages before they’re able to make an impact
Like Helen, Seth is out there proving that wrong, a large testament to his confidence and character
Michigan XC Speed Ratings 