DIVISION ONE
Boys
Marquette the pretty clear favorite, hoping to make it 6 in a row. The Sentinels can easily put seven under 17:00, overwhelming almost all Michigan teams with depth. When facing UP-only teams, they’ve either ripped through the competition or skated by with their JV squad. Sault Ste. Marie has depth as well, but not to the level of the Sentinels. Either way, these two teams are far and away the best of the more-populated division.
| Projected Place | Team | Avg. Score | Avg. Place | Win % | Top 2 % |
| 1 | Marquette | 21 | 1.0 | 95+ | 95+ |
| 2 | Sault Ste. Marie | 45 | 2.0 | 95+ | |
| 3 | Houghton | 99 | 3.0 | ||
| 4 | Gladstone | 123 | 4.0 | ||
| 5 | Ishpeming Westwood | 186 | 5.1 | ||
| 6 | Menominee | 199 | 6.1 | ||
| 7 | Negaunee | 211 | 7.1 | ||
| 8 | Escanaba | 222 | 8.2 | ||
| 9 | Calumet | 226 | 8.5 | ||
| 10 | Kingsford | 263 | 10.1 | ||
| 11 | Powers North Central | 273 | 10.9 |
Hard to imagine that Seppi Camilli and Gabe Litzner haven’t yet faced off in cross. Litzner has the best individual rating of the two, a 218 at Holly. That seems to be an anomaly, as most of his hard efforts are between 204 and 211. Camilli has a similar range, reaching as high as 211 at Queen City and Spartan. Both have raced in pressure-filled settings. Camilli was 2nd in both the spring’s 3200m and last year’s XC Final, with Litzner winning both.
| Projected Place | Grade | Name | Team |
| 1 | 11 | Gabe Litzner | Sault Ste. Marie |
| 2 | 12 | Seppi Camilli | Marquette |
| 3 | 12 | James Barch | Marquette |
| 4 | 11 | Rorik Holmquist | Marquette |
| 5 | 11 | Peter Argeropoulos | Marquette |
| 6 | 12 | Evan Balko | Marquette |
| 7 | 11 | Shea Armstrong | Sault Ste. Marie |
| 8 | 12 | Chase Thomsen | Marquette |
| 9 | 12 | Birk Seagren | Houghton |
| 10 | 10 | Lucas Ballard | Marquette |
| 11 | 12 | Evan Huyck | Sault Ste. Marie |
| 12 | 12 | Eli Hills | Sault Ste. Marie |
| 13 | 11 | Benjamin Hemmer | Houghton |
| 14 | 11 | Daniel Bowerman | Sault Ste. Marie |
| 15 | 11 | Adam Brandt | Sault Ste. Marie |
| 16 | 12 | Brayden Bourion | Menominee |
| 17 | 12 | Weston Knauf | Powers North Central |
| 18 | 9 | Brandon Van Karsen | Houghton |
| 19 | 10 | Chase Aldridge | Sault Ste. Marie |
| 20 | 10 | Andrew Junttila | Calumet |
| 21 | 11 | Max Beauchamp | Gladstone |
| 22 | 11 | Simon Jaklin | Negaunee |
| 23 | 12 | William Weise | Escanaba |
| 24 | 11 | Teagan Reynolds | Gladstone |
| 25 | 11 | Tyler Soderman | Gladstone |
| 26 | 11 | Anderson Limkemann | Houghton |
| 27 | 11 | Austin Corey | Gladstone |
| 28 | 12 | Reed DeGroot | Kingsford |
| 29 | 11 | Grady Nelson | Gladstone |
| 30 | 12 | Michael Slawinski | Negaunee |
Girls
This is the race – Houghton vs. Marquette. For the past five years, either the Gremlins or the Sentinels have come home from the D1 Finals as winners, this year appearing to be no different. They’ve locked heads once at full strength, with Marquette winning by three points at the Queen City Invite. This is essentially a coin flip, Houghton with a slight edge, 54% to 46% and a 2-point difference between the two. It could go either way.
| Place | Team | Avg. Score | Avg. Place | Win % | Top 2 % |
| 1 | Houghton | 38 | 1.5 | 54 | 95+ |
| 2 | Marquette | 40 | 1.5 | 46 | 95+ |
| 3 | Sault Ste. Marie | 113 | 3.0 | ||
| 4 | Negaunee | 130 | 4.0 | ||
| 5 | Kingsford | 161 | 5.6 | ||
| 6 | Gladstone | 172 | 6.4 | ||
| 7 | Calumet | 175 | 6.7 | ||
| 8 | Escanaba | 181 | 7.4 | ||
| 9 | Powers North Central | 204 | 9.0 | ||
| 10 | Ishpeming Westwood | 226 | 9.9 |
Tessa Rautiola was the winner here in 2022, then 4th last fall. Alisha Mabie keeps moving forward, 12th as a sophomore to 9th as a junior. Tessa has run faster this year, reaching into the mid-19’s twice (127, her highest speed rating). Mabie just now hit her first sub-20 ever at the Eskymos’ home invite. The two have raced twice, at Dale Fountain and El Harger, with Rautiola winning each.
| Projected Place | Grade | Name | Team |
| 1 | 11 | Tessa Rautiola | Houghton |
| 2 | 12 | Alisha Mabie | Escanaba |
| 3 | 11 | Ella Fure | Marquette |
| 4 | 12 | Roman Trevino Peterlin | Houghton |
| 5 | 9 | Sela Niska | Houghton |
| 6 | 12 | Maija Maki-Warne | Marquette |
| 7 | 9 | Maria Murvich | Kingsford |
| 8 | 12 | Lily Ross | Houghton |
| 9 | 9 | Evelyn Grant | Marquette |
| 10 | 12 | Chloe Miller | Marquette |
| 11 | 12 | Monet Argeropoulos | Marquette |
| 12 | 12 | Marlee Plaxco | Negaunee |
| 13 | 9 | Isabelle McCord | Sault Ste. Marie |
| 14 | 10 | Winley Brandt | Menominee |
| 15 | 11 | Stephanie Jones | Sault Ste. Marie |
| 16 | 10 | Eryn Veverka | Marquette |
| 17 | 11 | Nori Korsman | Negaunee |
| 18 | 10 | Regan Sporte | Sault Ste. Marie |
| 19 | 12 | Violet Papin | Marquette |
| 20 | 10 | Norah Woodruff | Houghton |
| 21 | 10 | Joselyn Mills | Gladstone |
| 22 | 10 | Riley Conklin | Negaunee |
| 23 | 11 | Maija Keranen | Calumet |
| 24 | 12 | Hope Varoni | Powers North Central |
| 25 | 11 | Romi Mattson | Houghton |
| 26 | 11 | Addy Hallum | Ishpeming Westwood |
| 27 | 9 | Elli Harju | Calumet |
| 28 | 11 | Jovie Williams | Houghton |
| 29 | 12 | Mary Hook | Escanaba |
| 30 | 11 | Payton Takkunen | Gladstone |
DIVISION TWO
Boys
Painesdale-Jeffers is the three-time defending champ, hoping to make it four in a row. The Jets have been defeated only three times this year, all by D1 Houghton, thus undefeated against D2 competition.
| Projected Place | Team | Avg. Score | Avg. Place | Win % | Top 2 % |
| 1 | Painesdale-Jeffers | 40 | 1.0 | 95+ | 95+ |
| 2 | Munising | 68 | 2.2 | 85 | |
| 3 | Rudyard | 74 | 2.9 | 15 | |
| 4 | Ironwood | 107 | 4.1 | ||
| 5 | Gwinn | 128 | 5.0 | ||
| 6 | Wakefield-Marenisco/Bessemer | 142 | 6.0 | ||
| 7 | Manistique | 157 | 6.9 | ||
| 8 | Hancock | 195 | 8.0 |
Dan Goss placed 4th in the D2 finals each of the past two years, this year he’s the main contender. He’s only joined by one other D2 kid in the 16’s, and that’s his teammate Trevor Nolan. His 16:01 at the Rudyard Autumn Classic was a massive personal best, erasing nearly 20 seconds from his previous fastest time.
| Projected Place | Grade | Name | Team |
| 1 | 12 | Dan Goss | Munising |
| 2 | 12 | Trevor Nolan | Munising |
| 3 | 11 | Landon Larson | Painesdale-Jeffers |
| 4 | 11 | Cameron Anderson | Painesdale-Jeffers |
| 5 | 11 | Steven Kirschner | Rudyard |
| 6 | 12 | Zach Smith | Ironwood |
| 7 | 12 | Ben Gilroy | Manistique |
| 8 | 9 | Branson Anderson | Painesdale-Jeffers |
| 9 | 10 | Blake Lakosky | Munising |
| 10 | 9 | Blake Heltunen | Painesdale-Jeffers |
| 11 | 12 | Joey Lauzon | Ironwood |
| 12 | 10 | Eli Folkersma | Rudyard |
| 13 | 11 | Seth Templeton | Rudyard |
| 14 | 10 | Tage Rajala | Painesdale-Jeffers |
| 15 | 12 | Thomas Jenkins | Gwinn |
| 16 | 12 | Ezekiel Post | Gwinn |
| 17 | 11 | Kasen Helminen | Painesdale-Jeffers |
| 18 | 10 | Ty Lalone | Rudyard |
| 19 | 10 | Noah Verbos | Wakefield-Marenisco/Bessemer |
| 20 | 10 | Brexton Kinnunen | Painesdale-Jeffers |
| 21 | 12 | Donald Jourden | Gwinn |
| 22 | 10 | Nolan Dolaskie | Munising |
| 23 | 10 | Izaiah Adams | Wakefield-Marenisco/Bessemer |
| 24 | 12 | Daniel Tibaldo | Ironwood |
| 25 | 9 | Kavin Jackson | Manistique |
| 26 | 10 | Oliver Dankert | Rudyard |
| 27 | 9 | Drew Johnson | Wakefield-Marenisco/Bessemer |
| 28 | 10 | Eloi Lopez | Gwinn |
| 29 | 10 | Zaine Nichols | Rudyard |
| 30 | 12 | Hunter LaCourt | Hancock |
Girls
Three-time defending champ (and five of the past six) Hancock is the overwhelming favorite. The Bulldog formula is depth, the ability to place five girls in the top-15 seeming to be a possibility.
| Place | Team | Avg. Score | Avg. Place | Win % | Top 2 % |
| 1 | Hancock | 36 | 1.0 | 95+ | 95+ |
| 2 | Baraga | 81 | 2.5 | 54 | |
| 3 | Munising | 82 | 2.6 | 46 | |
| 4 | Ironwood | 106 | 4.4 | ||
| 5 | Wakefield-Marenisco/Bessemer | 107 | 4.5 | ||
| 6 | Rudyard | 156 | 6.6 | ||
| 7 | Manistique | 159 | 6.6 | ||
| 8 | West Iron County | 168 | 7.8 |
The ratings list Aubrey Smith as a considerable favorite over her D2 brethren. She’s got the fastest time in the division, slipping under 20:00 at the Baraga Invite in late September. Smith is undefeated against D2 competition, but Ella Keranen is lurking close behind.
| Projected Place | Grade | Name | Team |
| 1 | 12 | Aubrey Smith | Ironwood |
| 2 | 12 | Ella Keranen | Hancock |
| 3 | 12 | Alyssa Shirkey | Wakefield-Marenisco/Bessemer |
| 4 | 9 | Alena Pietila | Hancock |
| 5 | 11 | Maya Carlson | Manistique |
| 6 | 12 | Rayna Towles | Hancock |
| 7 | 10 | Sophie DesRochers | Baraga |
| 8 | 11 | Jill Berg | Hancock |
| 9 | 9 | Addie Bowerman | Munising |
| 10 | 11 | Olivia Cotey | Munising |
| 11 | 12 | Kate Mattson | Munising |
| 12 | 9 | Princess Pierre | Baraga |
| 13 | 11 | Lauren Adams | Norway |
| 14 | 10 | Kaylee Baldwin | Norway |
| 15 | 12 | Emily Moore | Hancock |
| 16 | 12 | Dayne Behning | Munising |
| 17 | 9 | Breyelle Bowers | Baraga |
| 18 | 12 | Laynie Korpi | Ishpeming |
| 19 | 12 | Emma Mitchell | Rudyard |
| 20 | 12 | Calista Watchorn | Manistique |
| 21 | 9 | Aida Kessler | Wakefield-Marenisco/Bessemer |
| 22 | 9 | Abby Bradway | Hancock |
| 23 | 12 | Cheyenne Ritchie | West Iron County |
| 24 | 12 | Madelyn Smith | Ironwood |
| 25 | 11 | Aubrey Balduc | Ironwood |
| 26 | 9 | Aybri Sorensen | Baraga |
| 27 | 10 | Marie Thompson | Hancock |
| 28 | 12 | Natalie Brogan | Baraga |
| 29 | 12 | Willow Kobriger | West Iron County |
| 30 | 10 | Kelsie Allen | Rudyard |
DIVISION THREE
Boys
Probably will be the closest battle of the boys team races. Engadine still a solid favorite. The Eagles swept the EUP Conference meets. If they were to win, it would be their first title ever in XC. The competition for second is also close, with Dollar Bay and Stephenson as the two contenders. Canon Kuntze provides firepower up front for Stephenson, while Dollar Bay seems to be a bit stronger late.
| Projected Place | Team | Avg. Score | Avg. Place | Win % | Top 2 % |
| 1 | Engadine | 71 | 1.1 | 94 | 95+ |
| 2 | Stephenson | 91 | 2.5 | 45 | |
| 3 | Dollar Bay | 91 | 2.5 | 51 | |
| 4 | Newberry | 134 | 4.7 | 5 | |
| 5 | Rapid River | 142 | 4.8 | ||
| 6 | Eben Jct. Superior Central | 151 | 5.8 | ||
| 7 | Cedarville | 160 | 6.6 | ||
| 8 | Rock Mid-Peninsula | 203 | 8.6 | ||
| 9 | Chassell | 205 | 8.7 | ||
| 10 | Forest Area | 223 | 10.0 | ||
| 11 | Brimley | 242 | 11.1 | ||
| 12 | Paradise-Whitefish Township | 250 | 11.7 |
Kalvin Kytta looks to be a heavy favorite. The ratings have him clear of any D3 competitor by 1:30, by time he’s the only D3 boy to break 17:00 this fall. The Chassell senior won here last year and has been top-10 in all three of his Finals races.
| Projected Place | Grade | Name | Team |
| 1 | 12 | Kalvin Kytta | Chassell |
| 2 | 12 | Dakota Taylor | Engadine |
| 3 | 11 | Canon Kuntze | Stephenson |
| 4 | 9 | Brody Majurin | Ewen-Trout Creek |
| 5 | 10 | Ethan Snyder | Cedarville |
| 6 | 11 | Duane Krenek | Engadine |
| 7 | 9 | Wyatt Huhn | St. Ignace |
| 8 | 12 | Joshua Guant | Dollar Bay |
| 9 | 12 | Trevor Verba | Stephenson |
| 10 | 12 | Owen Kuehnau | Stephenson |
| 11 | 10 | Jon Denkins | Rapid River |
| 12 | 11 | Manny Vande Hey | Holy Name |
| 13 | 9 | Nate Stielstra | Engadine |
| 14 | 10 | Landon Halkola | Dollar Bay |
| 15 | 11 | Cody Moore | Eben Jct. Superior Central |
| 16 | 11 | Carver Day | Pickford |
| 17 | 10 | Jae Poma | Rapid River |
| 18 | 12 | Ross Pearson | Cedarville |
| 19 | 11 | Caleb Kentala | Dollar Bay |
| 20 | 8 | Owen Truitt | Rapid River |
| 21 | 11 | Dalton Champion | St. Ignace |
| 22 | 12 | Alex Norden | Rock Mid-Peninsula |
| 23 | 9 | Rush Hinnen | Cedarville |
| 24 | 9 | Julian Suriano | Newberry |
| 25 | 12 | Sam Rahilly | Newberry |
| 26 | 10 | Darren Johnson | Brimley |
| 27 | 11 | Austin Lutch | Pickford |
| 28 | 10 | Austin Guthrie | Paradise-Whitefish Township |
| 29 | 9 | Coleman Loebach | Engadine |
| 30 | 11 | Kellan Bruno | Newberry |
Girls
If my research is correct, if front-runner Ewen-Trout Creek comes through, it would be their first title ever in XC. The Panthers are coming off a Copper Mountain Conference victory over D2’s 2nd place contender, Baraga and a Chassell team that can definitely grab a 2nd place spot here.
| Place | Team | Avg. Score | Avg. Place | Win % | Top 2 % |
| 1 | Ewen-Trout Creek | 57 | 1.0 | 95+ | 95+ |
| 2 | Chassell | 89 | 2.1 | 91 | |
| 3 | Pickford | 106 | 3.4 | 8 | |
| 4 | St. Ignace | 121 | 5.1 | ||
| 5 | Brimley | 121 | 5.1 | ||
| 6 | Stephenson | 124 | 5.7 | ||
| 7 | Newberry | 125 | 5.9 | ||
| 8 | Rapid River | 143 | 7.7 | ||
| 9 | Eben Jct. Superior Central | 233 | 9.3 | ||
| 10 | Holy Name | 240 | 9.7 |
We’ve got 2023’s winner, Talya Schreiber and 2022’s winner, Samantha Taylor. Schreiber has continued her 2023 form; Taylor has continued the form she’s shown through her whole career. Schreiber received a great opportunity to run against the state’s best at Portage, she came back from Kalamazoo with a new lifetime best of 18:36. Earlier in the year, Taylor joined her in the 18’s, the first time she’s hit that level in her illustrious career.
Close in proximity, these two girls go head-to-head often. It’s unfortunate they’re both in D3, as Taylor would likely win the other divisions.
| Projected Place | Grade | Name | Team |
| 1 | 11 | Talya Schreiber | Pickford |
| 2 | 11 | Samantha Taylor | Newberry |
| 3 | 10 | Abby Taylor | Newberry |
| 4 | 8 | Molly McNamara | Engadine |
| 5 | 11 | Faith Cappaert | Stephenson |
| 6 | 9 | Bree Besonen | Ewen-Trout Creek |
| 7 | 10 | Sylvia Aho | Chassell |
| 8 | 11 | Emma Besonen | Ewen-Trout Creek |
| 9 | 10 | Aesara Lupinski | Rock Mid-Peninsula |
| 10 | 8 | Leona Schutz | Ewen-Trout Creek |
| 11 | 9 | AJ Feleppa | St. Ignace |
| 12 | 11 | Teryn Firack | Pickford |
| 13 | 12 | Claire Oven | Engadine |
| 14 | 10 | Gabriella Putnam | Stephenson |
| 15 | 8 | Alyssa DeCremer | Ewen-Trout Creek |
| 16 | 10 | Audrey Whealy | Brimley |
| 17 | 8 | Julia Poma | Rapid River |
| 18 | 9 | Lily Froese | Sacred Heart Catholic |
| 19 | 9 | AJ Felepa | St. Ignace |
| 20 | 12 | Emma Sundling | Rapid River |
| 21 | 12 | Lily Etelamaki | Chassell |
| 22 | 9 | Jordan Holombo | Chassell |
| 23 | 12 | Leah Durfee | Forest Area |
| 24 | 12 | Paige Danison | Chassell |
| 25 | 7 | Zoey Hemming | Ewen-Trout Creek |
| 26 | 10 | Christy Lutch | Pickford |
| 27 | 11 | Khloe Dumas | Brimley |
| 28 | 11 | Calie Tremblay | Brimley |
| 29 | 12 | Ewen Croteau | St. Ignace |
| 30 | 10 | Oriana Olson | Chassell |
Michigan XC Speed Ratings 