Regional Previews: Division Three Girls

Time to get cracking on these regional previews. As with the 50 Tickets, these are a bit condensed compared to past years. I found the writing was getting excessive, repetitive, and more work than the actual season. But still, regional projections are in order. I thought I’d highlight a few of the battles, tough regions, and outstanding individuals.

Compared to Division 4, Division 3 is a bit easier in terms of finding who will be going to what school. Returning roster sizes are a bit larger and the feeder middle schools are easier to follow.

Anyhow, here are your D3 Girls predictions. Similar to the 50 Tickets, these are based on last year’s XC season and track seasons, projected improvements, and a few bits of subjective shuffling.

Toughest Regions

Region 25 – 6 teams in the top-23. Once again, this makes sense. Mid-Michigan has always been this cross country heartland, shrouded in tradition and cultures that care about the sport. This year’s version adds a Remus Chippewa Hills from Division 3, an addition that takes the region from tough to extremely tough. Ranked teams that could be missing out on a November trip to Brooklyn might be St. Louis, who brings in three freshmen that raced at/near 14:00, Sanford-Meridian and Midland Bullock Creek, both of whom bring back a multitude of girls that were sub-22 in 2024.

Intriguing Battles

Region 19 – Boyne City vs. Kalkaska for the final spot. This past fall, the Boyne City Ramblers earned the final qualifying spot, then went onto place 20^th in Division 3. They return 6 of their top-7, including their first 3 finishers here. Kalkaska finished a bit further back, but the improvement of Aaliyah Hillier during track plus the addition of a promising 9^th grader could move the Blazers up.

Region 23 – Lumen Christi vs. Olivet. Jackson Lumen Christi is the mainstay, the traditionally strong, consistently top-10, title-winning squad. The Titans most recently won the D3 title in 2023 and still have a few holdovers from that squad – Samantha Schroeder and Macy Fazekas. With youth, Olivet could potentially knock them off. Coming from their middle school program is a Lily Britton, who won the majority of her races in 2024 and even broke 20:00 at MITCA. She’s joined by another freshman who was consistently in the low-13’s. Add in multi-faceted Emily Peters and sub-20 as a freshman Tiya Feldpausch and you might see an extremely strong top-four.

Region 19

Top 27 Teams

Top-10 Traverse City St. Francis
#13 Harbor Springs
#26 Boyne City

Proj. Place	Team	Score
1	Traverse City St. Francis	32
2	Harbor Springs	54
3	Boyne City	106
4	Kalkaska	115
5	Grayling	155
6	Cheboygan	174
7	Charlevoix	191
8	Roscommon	201
9	Standish-Sterling	206
10	Tawas	231

Top Athletes

Molly Kate Hollandsworth – the runner-up here (to her teammate, Betsy Skendzel) last year and 4^th the year prior. Molly spent much of her sophomore season in the 19’s.

Stefi Reskevics – twice a D4 All-Stater, Stefi and her Ram teammates move into D3.

Nico Triebold – ended her 2024 season on a high note, placing 4^th here and 43^rd at MIS, both sub-20 performances.

Brynne Schulte – twice an All-Stater, Schulte had her 2024 season cut short. But she was back on the wagon in track, qualifying for State in the 1600m and 3200m, then placing 12^th in D3 in the former.

Place	Grade	Name	Team
1	11	Molly Kate Hollandsworth	Traverse City St. Francis
2	11	Stefi Reskevics	Harbor Springs
3	11	Nico Triebold	Grayling
4	12	Brynne Schulte	Elk Rapids
5	11	Emily Dunphy	Traverse City St. Francis
6	10	Hailee Bertels	Boyne City
7	10	Emma Kerr	Traverse City St. Francis
8	12	Delaney Little	Boyne City
9	12	Anna Pray	Elk Rapids
10	9	Hadley Corlew	Harbor Springs
11	12	Paige Ritchie	Traverse City St. Francis
12	10	Aaliyah Hillier	Kalkaska
13	9	Sophia Groff	Tawas
14	11	Stella Houdek	Traverse City St. Francis
15	12	Fran Warren	Harbor Springs
16	11	Havyn Tarrant	Traverse City St. Francis
17	10	Sophia Balistreri	Harbor Springs
18	11	Genevieve Rodham	Harbor Springs
19	10	Kylee Jenkins	Kalkaska
20	12	Rachel Dhaseleer	Charlevoix

Region 20

Top 27 Teams

Top-10 Hart
#12 McBain
#15 Benzie Central

Proj. Place	Team	Score
1	Hart	48
2	McBain	78
3	Benzie Central	85
4	Leroy Pine River	138
5	Shelby	169
6	Manistee	172
7	Reed City	175
8	Mason County Central	176
9	Manton	208
10	Lake City	251
11	Kingsley	281
12	Harrison	372
13	Morley-Stanwood	385

Top Athletes

Caelyn Torry – came through with a highly successful freshman campaign – Highland Conference champion, runner-up here, and 16^th in D3.

Emma Miller – Hart looks to be reloading, as Miller was undefeated in the WMC Rivers league and even slipped into the 19’s while running at MITCA’s Meet of Champions.

Avery Kelly – another year of a Kelly stepping up when confronted with the friendly confines of MIS. 30^th place and a medal for Avery in her D3 State Finals debut.

Place	Grade	Name	Team
1	10	Caelyn Torry	McBain
2	9	Emma Miller	Hart
3	10	Avery Kelly	Benzie Central
4	10	Madisyn Wanstead	Leroy Pine River
5	11	Natalie Rosema	Hart
6	10	Avalynne Allee	Leroy Pine River
7	10	Alaina Schaner	Hart
8	11	Lydia Soelberg	Shelby
9	10	Lilly Whaley	Benzie Central
10	10	Faith Helsel	Lake City
11	11	Marlowe Walcott	Reed City
12	10	Maggie McClellan	Benzie Central
13	9	Lily Sisson	Leroy Pine River
14	11	Betsy Gooden	Manton
15	11	Kayden Hinton	McBain
16	10	Joselyn Flores	Hart
17	11	Maylan Sanders	Mason County Central
18	10	Bryn Riley	Hart
19	9	Lydia Eisenga	McBain
20	9	Mya Bronkema	McBain

Region 21

Top 27 Teams

Top-10 Grand Rapids Covenant Christian
#25 Grandville Calvin Christian

Proj. Place	Team	Score
1	Grand Rapids Covenant Christian	44
2	Grandville Calvin Christian	112
3	Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian	113
4	Kent City	136
5	Muskegon Western Michigan Christian	155
6	Saranac	159
7	Belding	161
8	Holland Black River	164
9	Lakeview	173
10	Montague	214
11	The Potter’s House	262
12	Ravenna	356

Top Athletes

Kamryn Salladay – was so successful over in Region 20 (defending champion) that they had to move her over into Region 21. Twice top-10 at MIS with something to prove as track didn’t go her way.

Elliana Max – as the season wore on and she became more acquainted to the 5k, the times started dropping. First sub-19 was at Portage and she found three more of ‘em, including a 18^th place finish in D3.

Shelby Kuiper – has a penchant for coming through at the end of the year. Kuiper has raced to personal bests at her past two State Finals, both resulting in All-State certificates.

Place	Grade	Name	Team
1	11	Kamryn Salladay	Lakeview
2	10	Elliana Max	Kent City
3	11	Shelby Kuiper	Grand Rapids Covenant Christian
4	11	Laura Castrejon	Newaygo
5	11	Leah Sneller	Muskegon Western Michigan Christian
6	9	Leah Elzinga	Grand Rapids Covenant Christian
7	10	Ellason Foster	Newaygo
8	10	Danika Lopez	Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian
9	11	Marnath Tuol	Grandville Calvin Christian
10	9	Fiona Seaver	Montague
11	10	Esther Cahill	Saranac
12	9	Bayla Curtis	Kent City
13	10	Abbie Koole	Grand Rapids Covenant Christian
14	11	Lydia Minderhoud	Grand Rapids Covenant Christian
15	11	Anna DeVries	Grand Rapids Covenant Christian
16	11	Kaylie Riksen	Muskegon Western Michigan Christian
17	9	Joselyn Vogel	Kent City
18	11	Faith Jenkins	Grandville Calvin Christian
19	12	Sylvia Skujins	North Muskegon
20	9	Sonya Minderhoud	Grand Rapids Covenant Christian

Region 22

Top 27 Teams

Top-10 Saugatuck
#18 Buchanan
#27 Constantine

Proj. Place	Team	Score
1	Saugatuck	26
2	Buchanan	77
3	Constantine	97
4	Bridgman	132
5	Niles Brandywine	152
6	Watervliet	155
7	Schoolcraft	155
8	Fennville	170
9	Bangor	191
10	Hartford	294
11	Kalamazoo Christian	302
12	Comstock	354

Top Athletes

Isabelle Sliter – an 18:21 run at MITCA leaves one wondering her potential. A bit of that was seen in indoor, as Sliter ran 5:14 in January. The 2024 D3 All-Stater will look to move forward faster and repeat her outstanding close to the season.

Place	Grade	Name	Team
1	11	Isabelle Sliter	Fennville
2	12	Alina Martinson	Saugatuck
3	9	Tala Carlin	Buchanan
4	11	Kamryn Sixberry	Saugatuck
5	9	Ellyse Heyser	Saugatuck
6	11	Lyvia Curtis	Saugatuck
7	9	Morgan Niblock	Constantine
8	9	Anna Davidhizar	Constantine
9	9	Ryann Monroe	Saugatuck
10	12	Kandin Shuler	Bridgman
11	10	Anna Howell	Bridgman
12	9	Daniella Romero	Watervliet
13	10	Alison Murray	Niles Brandywine
14	9	Allison Burns	Constantine
15	10	Avery Mollberg	Buchanan
16	12	Alaina Nagel	Buchanan
17	10	Olivia Bays	Schoolcraft
18	10	Kaylin Pinkowski	Bridgman
19	12	Makynna Williams	Buchanan
20	10	Alyda Leep	Schoolcraft

Region 23

Top 27 Teams

Top-10 Jackson Lumen Christi
Top-10 Olivet

Proj. Place	Team	Score
1	Jackson Lumen Christi	50
2	Olivet	51
3	Jonesville	127
4	Hanover-Horton	150
5	Onsted	176
6	Centreville	182
7	Napoleon	186
8	Bronson	186
9	Union City	193
10	Hillsdale	220
11	Sand Creek	240
12	Quincy	269
13	Homer	337
14	Springport	422

Top Athletes

Samantha Schroeder – already written about!

Ashlynn Harris – 3x top-ten finisher here, 2x All-State, and keeps getting better each year. 2024’s state finish resulted in her being on the cusp of breaking under 19.

Place	Grade	Name	Team
1	11	Samantha Schroeder	Jackson Lumen Christi
2	12	Ashlynn Harris	Bronson
3	9	Lily Britton	Olivet
4	10	Tiya Feldpausch	Olivet
5	10	Maisey Toteff	Hanover-Horton
6	12	Macy Fazekas	Jackson Lumen Christi
7	9	Avery Haynes	Brooklyn Columbia Central
8	12	Emily Peters	Olivet
9	11	Allison Gautsche	Union City
10	9	Madelynn Patterson	Olivet
11	9	Mila Scheele	Jackson Lumen Christi
12	10	Brynleigh Griffiths	Jonesville
13	11	Brynlee Swihart	Hanover-Horton
14	10	Madalynn Trame	Sand Creek
15	10	Madisyn Lindemann	Napoleon
16	11	Helen Lefere	Jackson Lumen Christi
17	11	Joleane Gulledge	Jonesville
18	11	Kendyl Musielewicz	Quincy
19	9	Ella Worthing	Jackson Lumen Christi
20	9	Hazel Sloat	Centreville

Region 24

Top 27 Teams

Top-10 Pewamo-Westphalia
#16 Bath
#17 Stanton Central Montcalm

Proj. Place	Team	Score
1	Pewamo-Westphalia	26
2	Bath	72
3	Stanton Central Montcalm	78
4	Laingsburg	133
5	Ovid-Elsie	138
6	Chesaning	145
7	New Lothrop	190
8	Montrose	203
9	Perry	206
10	Durand	272

Top Athletes

Alyssa Kramer – she’s in here!

Grace Coston – Hoffman and Choponis move on, but Grace will still be out here doing her thing. Twice an All-Stater, she even broke through into the 18’s late last year.

Abigail Reis – unreal progression toward the end of last season, as Reis transformed from a girl who was over 23:00 as a sophomore to one that scraped under 19:00 as a junior.

Place	Grade	Name	Team
1	11	Alyssa Kramer	Pewamo-Westphalia
2	12	Grace Coston	Stanton Central Montcalm
3	12	Abigail Reis	Millington
4	11	Charlotte Simon	Pewamo-Westphalia
5	10	Madison Wils	Bath
6	12	Anna Poppema	Bath
7	10	Adelyn Thelen	Pewamo-Westphalia
8	9	Calista George	Pewamo-Westphalia
9	9	Hattie LaLonde	Bath
10	12	Abbie Schneider	Pewamo-Westphalia
11	9	Katherine Schafer	Pewamo-Westphalia
12	11	Jenna Keilen	Pewamo-Westphalia
13	12	Clarissa Baese	Ovid-Elsie
14	11	Andrea Rolston	Stanton Central Montcalm
15	10	Alonna Schack	Chesaning
16	12	Braelyn Bunting	Stanton Central Montcalm
17	10	Kendal Tokar	Ovid-Elsie
18	10	KiKi Rusz	Laingsburg
19	10	Leah Theile	Chesaning
20	12	Hazel Burley	Laingsburg

Region 25

Top 27 Teams

Top-10 Ithaca
#11 Remus Chippewa Hills
#14 Caro
#19 St. Louis
#22 Sanford-Meridian
#23 Midland Bullock Creek

Proj. Place	Team	Score
1	Ithaca	52
2	Remus Chippewa Hills	81
3	Caro	88
4	St. Louis	123
5	Sanford-Meridian	124
6	Midland Bullock Creek	131
7	Saginaw Valley Lutheran	151
8	Pigeon-Laker	164
9	Hemlock	254
10	Cass City	303
11	Sandusky	310
12	Pinconning	362

Top Athletes

Violet Tetil – the races she was able to run last year showcase a much improved runner from 2023. At MITCA’s Meet of Champions, she was able to slip under 19, a mark that shows she can be a contender for the D3 podium.

Khloe Lehnst – growing up in the sport, she finally got the opportunity to compete at the high school level. One of a great group of Ithaca girls, she managed to drop into the low-19’s late in the year, finishing 2^nd here and 28^th in D3.

Jocelyn Tetil – 8^th grade season included Thumb Area and conference wins, along with a few introductions to the 5k.

Mattie Gagne – didn’t have the greatest regional race here last year, but redeemed herself a bit at MITCA. I’m assuming she has something to prove in 2025.

Place	Grade	Name	Team
1	11	Violet Tetil	Caro
2	10	Khloe Lehnst	Ithaca
3	9	Jocelyn Tetil	Caro
4	12	Mattie Gagne	Midland Bullock Creek
5	10	Dory Simon	Remus Chippewa Hills
6	11	Makinna Foglesong	Ithaca
7	11	Pyper Braun	Pigeon-Laker
8	12	Myleigh Hephner	Ithaca
9	12	Quinn Hatfield	Remus Chippewa Hills
10	10	Lindsey Cmeyla	Saginaw Valley Lutheran
11	10	Isabelle Strand	Ithaca
12	11	Mikenna Nagel	Sanford-Meridian
13	10	Averie Stefanovsky	Caro
14	11	Emily Beethe	Saginaw Valley Lutheran
15	9	Lexi Kinder	St. Louis
16	12	Makenna Gwisdalla	Bad Axe
17	12	Elizabeth Ontis	Remus Chippewa Hills
18	10	Olivia Brown	Bad Axe
19	9	Kinley Gerow	Hemlock
20	9	Madison Lemert	St. Louis

Region 26

Top 27 Teams

Top-10 Lansing Catholic
#20 Leslie
#21 Ann Arbor Greenhills

Proj. Place	Team	Score
1	Lansing Catholic	20
2	Leslie	92
3	Ann Arbor Greenhills	94
4	Almont	128
5	University Liggett	145
6	Plymouth Christian Academy	151
7	Marine City	164
8	Algonac	221
9	Wixom St. Catherine	229
10	Rochester Hills Lutheran NW	239
11	Stockbridge	246
12	Detroit Osborn	334

Top Athletes

Hailey Creisher – sung her praises here!

Josie Bishop – took a few meets for her to get used to things but in September, a switch flipped. Consistent mid-19 performer before dropping some serious time at CAAC #3 and D3 State (20^th).

Grace Wonch – coming off a track season where she set an immense personal best in the 3200m. Her 11:15 ranks 2^nd amongst D3 returners and she was able to pick up a medal in the event at the State Finals.

Place	Grade	Name	Team
1	12	Hailey Creisher	Leslie
2	10	Josie Bishop	Lansing Catholic
3	11	Grace Wonch	Lansing Catholic
4	12	Frances Melinn	Lansing Catholic
5	10	Lindsey Ludwig	Lansing Catholic
6	10	Isabelle Currie	Lansing Catholic
7	10	Addison Gregg	Ann Arbor Greenhills
8	12	Madi Hare	Plymouth Christian Academy
9	10	Margaret Guerra-Harrison	Leslie
10	12	Ella Heffner	Charyl Stockwell Academy
11	9	Elsa Korte	Lansing Catholic
12	10	Taylor Stanczak	Almont
13	11	Avery Miller	Lansing Catholic
14	11	Reagan Lees	Wixom St. Catherine
15	12	Laila Evola	Almont
16	9	Anamaria Brazdau	Plymouth Christian Academy
17	10	Madisyn Hunter	Leslie
18	11	Libby Schuster	Ann Arbor Greenhills
19	10	Lexie Donaldson	University Liggett
20	12	Janaan Rehman	Ann Arbor Greenhills

Region 27

Top 27 Teams

Top-10 Blissfield
#24 Grass Lake

Proj. Place	Team	Score
1	Blissfield	22
2	Grass Lake	61
3	Monroe St. Mary CC	76
4	Erie Mason	112
5	Ottawa Lake-Whiteford	114
6	Ida	153
7	Adrian Madison	174
8	Detroit Cristo Rey	239

Top Athletes

Hope Miller – greatness illustrated here!

Bella LaFountain – 3x All-Stater and consistently top-5 here. Had another outstanding track season that saw state qualifiers in the 800m and 1600m.

Hailey Sills – this spring, picked the perfect day to have the race of her life, breaking 12:00 for the first time ever and earning a state qualifier. May she carry the momentum into cross!

Place	Grade	Name	Team
1	12	Hope Miller	Blissfield
2	12	Bella LaFountain	Monroe St. Mary CC
3	12	Hailey Sills	Blissfield
4	10	Adalyn Jarchow	Grass Lake
5	11	Anna Hallett	Blissfield
6	11	Kaleea Braun	Blissfield
7	10	Ella Claus	Clinton
8	9	Josslyn Handy	Clinton
9	12	Natalie Benitez	Blissfield
10	11	Braelynn Chiotti	Ottawa Lake-Whiteford
11	11	Elise Bullock	Grass Lake
12	11	Juleigh Husby	Monroe St. Mary CC
13	9	Mollie Yeager	Blissfield
14	11	Adeline Stormont	Grass Lake
15	11	Makenzie Hilberer	Grass Lake
16	9	Layla Gilbert	Blissfield
17	10	Kate Otting	Erie Mason
18	10	Breslin Wing	Ottawa Lake-Whiteford
19	12	Leona Knudsen	Monroe St. Mary CC
20	12	Riley England	Erie Mason