Regional Previews: Division 3, Region 22

SUMMER PREVIEW

Last Year

Summer
Mid-Season
Final Projections
The Result

Boys

1. Buchanan (18^th in D3)
2. Olivet (20^th)
3. Union City (26^th)

Girls

1. Buchanan (18^th)
2. Bridgman (24^th)
3. Schoolcraft (26^th)

2023’s Summer Preview was spot on for boys, and I’ll just extend my apologies to Bridgman’s Bees. They’re probably running dunes and satisfied where they were in Region 34 so who knows if they’ll read this.

Top 27 Teams

Boys

Top Ten – Saugatuck
#18 – Buchanan
#20 – Union City

Girls

#17 – Buchanan
#21 – Saugatuck
#26 – Union City

Projected Scores

Boys

Place	Team	Projected Score
1	Saugatuck	42
2	Buchanan	78
3	Union City	82
4	Constantine	124
5	Schoolcraft	165
6	Bangor	192
7	Centreville	192
8	Bloomingdale	236
9	Watervliet	239
10	Hartford	255
11	Galesburg-Augusta	281
12	Kalamazoo Christian	299
13	Lawton	385
14	Coloma	424
15	Comstock	425
16	Niles Brandywine	464

Girls

Place	Team	Projected Score
1	Buchanan	66
2	Saugatuck	80
3	Union City	96
4	Schoolcraft	102
5	Niles Brandywine	146
6	Kalamazoo Christian	153
7	Fennville	187
8	Watervliet	191
9	Bangor	252
10	Centreville	256
11	Hartford	278
12	Constantine	287

Top Runners

Boys

Place	Grade	Name	Team
1	12	Daniel Mandujano	Watervliet
2	11	Ben Gautsche	Union City
3	10	Sawyer Monroe	Saugatuck
4	10	Marcus Silva	Saugatuck
5	12	Dante Pillot	Schoolcraft
6	11	Sammy Gamboa	Saugatuck
7	11	Alessandro Avila	Constantine
8	9	Will Hulin	Centreville
9	11	Liam McBeth	Buchanan
10	12	Robbie King	Constantine
11	12	Jason Shoop	Union City
12	11	Jack Sherwood	Buchanan
13	10	Grant Rehkopf	Saugatuck
14	11	Jacob Kuntz	Buchanan
15	12	Carter Stevens	Galesburg-Augusta
16	11	Brennan Nor	Saugatuck
17	12	Coy Weinberg	Buchanan
18	12	Tyler Caruso	Bangor
19	9	Jackson Bowman	Saugatuck
20	10	Cullen Decker	Union City
21	11	Austen Walden	Constantine
22	12	Cohen Burdick	Union City
23	12	Carlos Ruiz	Hartford
24	12	Zack Mitchell	Kalamazoo Christian
25	10	John Keser	Buchanan

Daniel Mandujano

Career has taken him many places. From a 20+ min. opener in 2022, to a State Finals appearance later that year, to an All-State finish last November.

Ben Gautsche

Youngster has closed each of the past two seasons with some scorchers. 2023’s sophomore version had three straight 16:xx’s.

Sawyer Monroe

9^th grade year got better and better and better before it ended up on an All-State finish in D4. The Trailblazers move up a division, but I’m sure that experience will be helpful.

Marcus Silva

Another young Saugatuck star, Marcus’s 10:12 from the 3200m ranked 40^th amongst all of Michigan’s freshmen.

Dante Pillot

Has grown from a kid that never dipped under 19:00 as a freshman to one that’s been in the 17’s and top-10 here each of the past two years.

Sammy Gamboa

Hard to believe he’s now an elder statesman on this Trailblazer team. Moved from the 18’s as a freshman to 16:59 in his sophomore campaign.

Girls

Place	Grade	Name	Team
1	10	Isabelle Sliter	Fennville
2	12	Alaina Klooster	Kalamazoo Christian
3	10	Lyvia Curtis	Saugatuck
4	10	Kamryn Sixberry	Saugatuck
5	10	Alli Gautsche	Union City
6	12	Ariana Pillot	Schoolcraft
7	12	Madeline Young	Buchanan
8	12	Emma Miller	Buchanan
9	11	Alina Martinson	Saugatuck
10	9	Olivia Bays	Schoolcraft
11	12	Skyler Fraley	Union City
12	11	Samantha Giles	Fennville
13	11	Alaina Nagel	Buchanan
14	12	Kimberly Romero	Watervliet
15	9	McKenzie Hawks	Union City
16	12	Leilani Schoonmaker	Saugatuck
17	9	Alyda Leep	Schoolcraft
18	11	Ellie Reed	Centreville
19	9	Avery Mollberg	Buchanan
20	10	Hadley Camp	Lawton
21	12	Alayah Nieuwsma	Saugatuck
22	9	Payton Yeske	Watervliet
23	11	Adyson Baker	Buchanan
24	12	Christina Mendoza	Fennville
25	12	Alissa Skirka	Union City

Isabelle Sliter

Moves over from Region 21 and has a good chance of being a favorite here. Ran in the 19’s for 7 of her final 8 races, then blasted a 5:22 1600m to place 13^th in D3. Finished the spring as the #6 1600m girl in D3.

Alaina Klooster

Has gotten it done all three of her seasons at this regional, placing anywhere from 2^nd to 6^th. In all three years, her season best has been between 19:50 and 20:10 and I see no signs of that changing.

Lyvia Curtis

Not just the first-year boys who were experiencing good vibes and great times. Lyvia was a sub-21 figure for 8 of her final 9 races. Then proved to be even more of a championship racer during track, moving from 12:40 to 12:12 to place 17^th at D4 State.

Kamryn Sixberry

And it ain’t just one 9^th grade girl! Kam was under 21:00 on a few occasions as well, getting as low as 20:23.

Alli Gautsche

Remarkably consistent in her first high school year, moving slowly from the 21’s to a 20:04 finish.

Ariana Pillot

Region 24’s 1600m champion. Big-time PR of 5:36, her first track individual qualifier ever.

Madeline Young

Three times a top-10 finisher in regional races and is coming off her best 1600m season to date, running a 5:39.

Emma Miller

Comeback story of 2023. After placing 9th here as a freshman and top-100 in D3, missed much of the 2022 season. Emma came back and crushed this Portage course, setting a PR in early October and winning here in Region 22.