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2025 Rankings: Mid-September Boys

Here we are, the first batch of rankings!

Previous years had these out a week, even two weeks earlier. This year’s is a bit later, mainly because I was out running at Woodstock, but also because I wanted more information. With a majority of the state coalescing around the major invites of the past weekend, more information and data were found. All meets with over 50 participants of each gender are included (even if the ratings themselves aren’t posted to the site, they’re in my database). The main exception to that is the UP, those will come out next week.

The rankings take the individual ratings from each race and weigh them using factors of recency, field size, and field competitiveness. Those weighted ratings are then sorted by team, scored against the entire division, and ranked. Thus, teams with more depth tend to be ranked a little higher than they’d be at a regular invite or even the State Finals. But I know no better way to rank all the teams in a division than to compare against all teams in a division.

As always, these are for fun and a vehicle to drive interest in the best sport in the world. If they cause undue stress or pressure or motivate you to write me unkind messages (only happened a few times this year, but gotta get out ahead of it!), this site might not be for you. That’s fine, the many XC fans of Michigan will enjoy it all the same.

State Contenders

One has won three of the past four D4 titles. The other brought in coaches that weren’t even part of the program four years ago. What has been done at Maple City Glen Lake in these past three years has been nothing short of incredible, the rapidly ascending Lakers now at the forefront of D4. Shepherd’s John Bruder Classic has been the pinnacle of the Black n’ Yellow season thus far – five boys under 17:45, beating two top-10 D4 teams along the way. Racing mid-day at Holly, jumping up divisions, you can tell Hillsdale Academy wanted to make a statement. The Chargers were bested by Saugatuck and Flint Powers Catholic (read below – this means nothing!), impressing again with their depth – all seven boys at 18-flat or lower.

Surprises

One from Northern Michigan, one Downriver, one from the XC Heartland. Mesick has made the largest jump from the summer to now. The Redman twins are a known quantity, two reliable low-sticks. It was expected that Kyle Doty would come in and contribute, but maybe not to the sub-19 fashion that he’s placed forth. As with many but especially in D4 where every spot and body contains a major impact, a great summer can move a team up the standings. Thanks to Dominick Chiverton, Breckenridge has found their way back into the top-10. Just for comparison – from year to year at Holly, he dropped from 21:50 to 18:39. And just as a summer can make a difference, simply adding two new names can help as well. Riverview Gabriel Richard, thanks to the additions of Nolan Mazur and Luke Harrington, might be able to give Royal Oak Shrine a challenge for the Region 36 crown.

Looking Forward

As you’ll see in other divisions, it appears to be a rest weekend for many in the state. Four of the top-10 teams are out of action, including our top squad of Maple City Glen Lake. But that provides opportunity for advancement, and the teams that are competing are finding their ways to fast courses. #2 Hillsdale Academy once again will be facing heightened competition at Jackson, #4 Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart heading north to Cadillac, #5 Whitmore Lake coming to the East Side, and #3 Holland Calvary Christian bringing in autumn with a proper sunrise.

RankTeamScoreRegionTop 5 Avg.Top 7 Avg.Top 5 SpreadTop 7 Spread
1Maple City Glen Lake12729177.7165.51:263:01
2Hillsdale Academy13134177.9174.31:511:57
3Holland Calvary Christian18931173.5167.21:532:02
4Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart22430168.2155.41:363:23
5Whitmore Lake27433166.1159.32:462:53
6Kalamazoo Hackett34832167.3151.94:205:17
7Royal Oak Shrine44336156.2143.63:534:48
8Riverview Gabriel Richard44536153.6140.23:194:21
9Mesick51329154.6127.04:017:50
10Breckenridge51430147.6127.84:075:16
11Petoskey St. Michael52428145.8131.51:553:41
12Leland52429144.31:52
13Lutheran Westland55636144.1129.02:565:27
14Grand Traverse Academy57829141.3133.31:462:26
15Genesee Christian Academy58333141.4118.23:015:55
16Portland St. Patrick58731142.33:42
17Fowler58831141.0133.12:233:02
18Three Oaks River Valley62832148.1127.45:026:20
19Dryden66735137.3119.93:125:49
20Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary67830135.9122.53:174:26
21Gobles69631133.8121.11:202:54
22Buckley71229133.23:23
23Unionville-Sebewaing74435131.3112.31:145:19
24Ubly77435129.24:23
25Manchester81934127.3110.13:235:38
26Webberville84233125.6105.03:426:14
27Novi Christian Academy92333121.3109.13:505:38

State Contenders

Up front, you could even throw Jackson Lumen Christi into the surprise category. Mentioned in the Michigan Catholic writeup was Soren Crosthwaite, who has been running a consistent 2 min. faster than he had as a freshmen. Written up from Spartan was Gibson Shore, who placed 3rd in the White division. Those two, along with Rocky Bolton, Avery Morrow, and others have led the Titans to wins at Michigan Catholic, Lakeview, and Spartan. Saugatuck closed the ’24 season with a performance that showed they’re capable of a ’25 title. Commencing this campaign, they opened the year at Under the Lights with a similar performance, all five boys under 17:45 in a win over many top-ranked D2 and D3 teams.

Surprises

Quite a few slightly unexpected names, all from the west side. Buchanan, The Potter’s House, and Holland Black River entered the season ranked between 14th and 16th, now all three find their way into the top-10. For Black River, Sebastian Zylstra has been a major impetus behind the charge, dropping more than 1:30 from his 10th grade best. The Bucks have been aided by the addition of Josiah Passig, the 10th grader a quick study of the XC experience, already dropping into the 17’s on two occasions. And for the Pumas, it’s been a collective effort from a group that’s been around the sport for awhile. They’re headed at the front by Edward Mugisha, coming off the best year of his career (43rd at MIS and Alliance Conference Champion) and improving even from there, hitting a 16:18 personal best in his opener at Under the Lights.

Looking Forward

Two sets of two teams heading to the same invite. #2 Saugatuck and #5 Lansing Catholic were ranked at the top of D3 to start the season and will hope to move back into those positions. Two teams on the rise will fittingly be at Autumn Sunrise – #8 The Potter’s House and #10 Holland Black River.

RankTeamScoreRegionTop 5 Avg.Top 7 Avg.Top 5 SpreadTop 7 Spread
1Jackson Lumen Christi18623183.8177.50:501:39
2Saugatuck26222180.0173.01:001:52
3Charlevoix30419184.8174.62:463:10
4Benzie Central38620173.1167.60:591:46
5Lansing Catholic40426172.5170.20:380:43
6Buchanan43322172.5162.11:372:54
7Stanton Central Montcalm43924175.2164.92:513:20
8The Potter’s House44921172.5164.91:522:29
9Ithaca49125171.8149.12:325:23
10Holland Black River49521168.7149.81:074:49
11Jonesville52323170.8154.02:394:56
12Hart55720165.9163.50:310:45
13Ann Arbor Greenhills55726166.8156.41:192:38
14Hanover-Horton59623167.3159.61:572:37
15Grand Rapids Covenant Christian65621163.9157.11:152:16
16Plymouth Christian Academy66026164.3146.92:343:54
17Lake City72220161.9146.91:524:20
18Caro72925163.7152.13:004:44
19Pigeon-Laker74025161.4146.92:134:06
20Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian76721158.6154.21:071:11
21Pewamo-Westphalia77224160.0149.42:412:55
22Reed City77920160.6152.52:173:04
23Erie Mason84227156.1149.31:122:00
24Montrose85824155.9143.41:393:43
25Sanford-Meridian94125153.0143.11:482:37
26Blissfield95727155.4147.02:222:57
27Leslie98226152.9140.42:383:44

State Contenders

I don’t know if it’s the similarities in enrollment or the fact that there’s less disparities in advantages or pure chance, but just as in the girls, the title race is the tightest in D2. East Grand Rapids has been off proving that track was a fluke, taking up the first six spots at Sparta en route to a perfect 15, nearly halving the score of the closest competitor at Under the Lights, and winning the first jamboree in the competitive OK White. Flint Powers Catholic has built off their outstanding track season, keeping the momentum rolling into wins at Corunna, Northwood, and at Holly. At the biggest meets, Alma has brought its best material. On the hilly Forest Akers track, the Panthers placed *just* behind Brighton and right in front of Saline, Romeo, and Kalamazoo Central – four outfits that’ll surely be in the top-10 at MIS.

Surprises

Whether it’s a state finals projection or a pre-season ranking, the new tradition is Three Rivers finding a way to outperform it. Fresh off a 13th place finish in Brooklyn, the Wildcats were ranked #16 to begin the fall season, a mark with which they were not satisfied. The improvement has mainly been driven by three kids – David Kore, Charlie Brauer, and Jonah Zietlow. The three have all hit personal bests in this early season, dipping down into the 16’s.

Looking Forward

Many teams are laying low this upcoming weekend, five of our top-ten taking the weekend off. And who can blame them, it’s still six weeks to the State Finals and you can’t go hard every single Saturday. There are still some folks taking on some of the faster courses in the state, hoping for a confidence boost as they head into the prime days of training – #4 Grand Rapids Christian staying in close proximity at Cougar Falcon, #6 Parma Western taking a quick trip to the southeast, #7 Shepherd heading north to Cadillac, and #5 Holland Christian taking in the autumn sunrise.

RankTeamScoreRegionTop 5 Avg.Top 7 Avg.Top 5 SpreadTop 7 Spread
1Flint Powers Catholic14315197.4190.81:011:47
2East Grand Rapids15012198.7194.51:251:40
3Alma23114195.4190.41:241:48
4Grand Rapids Christian30612189.6185.20:581:27
5Holland Christian40611184.6182.90:190:30
6Parma Western45114183.9180.31:011:16
7Shepherd48815183.6177.21:252:49
8Three Rivers50713182.9175.81:381:57
9DeWitt56514180.4175.21:131:41
10Grand Rapids South Christian58912180.0172.11:442:16
11Otsego59113179.4168.51:042:30
12Allendale60311185.9174.82:443:26
13Fenton61716181.9176.52:052:16
14Forest Hills Eastern63912180.7173.62:082:32
15Edwardsburg64813178.2171.31:112:17
16Spring Lake65310178.6170.61:122:16
17Cedar Springs67110177.5173.31:171:40
18Pinckney74116177.0173.61:461:55
19Richland Gull Lake74813175.4169.41:021:59
20Adrian78518176.3168.92:112:47
21Whitehall81410178.1166.33:214:12
22Macomb Lutheran North82317174.7166.51:523:00
23Frankenmuth82615176.0164.02:573:34
24Vicksburg94113172.6156.72:374:33
25Petoskey94210171.3165.12:052:15
26Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard98318168.9165.40:421:04
27Detroit Country Day99216169.7158.02:283:12

State Contenders

At various points throughout every year, I perform a little thought exercise, asking myself if this might be the final year of Northville’s reign. Sorry to say for the rest of the state, I don’t think 2024 was the final year of their title streak. The Mustangs have the power up front with Brandon Cloud and Ben Hartigan. They add kids into the mix, Lucas Mullan on the heels of an outstanding track season and Ashton Kashat as one of the state’s top freshmen. Sprinkle in a little development with Ethan Hertza and Ryan Stojov moving towards the 15’s.

Surprises

Traditional powers are great, they represent strong running cultures at schools. Newcomers are even better, as they could potentially be the ground floor of sustained greatness. Lowell brought forth the beginning pieces last year, both Marshall Huhn and Cooper Byrne establishing themselves as front-runners. The Red Arrows have become even stronger, adding freshmen Avi Elabed and Tyler Bromley into the mix. Grand Ledge has built with already established runners that’ve undergone a wholesale change. Nearly all of the varsity Comet boys have hit personal bests in these first few weeks (the exception being Ben Rottier, who just ran 25 sec. faster at Spartan than in 2024).

Looking Forward

Jackson once again is the place to be. It’s not as top-heavy as in recent years or compared to the girls, but still the D1 spot. #3 Ann Arbor Skyline comes off a win traversing the Holly hills, #10 Romeo travels to a quicker course than the revamped one at Spartan. #9 Ann Arbor Pioneer will be refreshed after a weekend off and we’re excited to see the times that Crooks and Ronfeldt can lay down. We might even see #5 Midland, as the Chemics have Al Kayner and Jackson listed on their schedule.

RankTeamScoreRegionTop 5 Avg.Top 7 Avg.Top 5 SpreadTop 7 Spread
1Northville1377204.2200.61:061:14
2Lowell2543198.8186.11:203:54
3Ann Arbor Skyline3644192.2190.00:280:42
4Kalamazoo Central3733194.8188.51:061:47
5Midland3842191.5189.80:080:33
6Grand Ledge4284191.3185.40:371:33
7Brighton4694190.3186.70:281:10
8Traverse City West4722190.8188.50:340:46
9Ann Arbor Pioneer5365195.4190.41:562:06
10Romeo5459189.0183.70:361:28
11Holland West Ottawa5713187.8184.60:101:06
12Portage Central5823188.5182.21:221:31
13East Kentwood6213190.5184.41:191:57
14Zeeland West6313187.1183.90:480:58
15Jenison6451186.5184.40:190:36
16Rockford6511186.9178.71:232:00
17Saline6525187.3182.61:081:26
18Salem6526187.5181.81:031:29
19Caledonia6643187.8183.01:251:34
20Grand Blanc6972186.3182.31:071:24
21Clarkston7308186.1179.61:011:45
22Saginaw Heritage7712184.2180.90:250:49
23Highland-Milford8212186.5180.02:092:26
24Grand Haven8431188.0177.02:213:18
25Brownstown Woodhaven9215182.0176.61:151:40
26Kalamazoo Loy Norrix9653182.5177.01:512:13
27Battle Creek Lakeview9723180.9169.21:002:50

INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS

As the years pass, I’ve decided to keep the in-season stuff concentrated more on the teams and less on the individuals. I do feel it’s important for individuals to know where they stand, so here’s the top-50. When it gets to crunch time, more will be written, for now, this’ll do!

RankGradeNameTeamRegionRating
112Marek ButkiewiczKalamazoo Hackett32215.2
212Brody KargHarbor Beach35205.9
312Grayson RorickHillsdale Academy34203.6
412Abenezer CeroneRoyal Oak Shrine36203.1
512Landon RogersThree Oaks River Valley32201.4
611Kyle RedmanMesick29199.4
712Landen LivingstonWhitmore Lake33199.3
811Ty RedmanMesick29197.2
99Mason RogersThree Oaks River Valley32196.1
1010Lincoln LaansmaTri-Unity Christian31193.8
1112Sean SiemsKalamazoo Hackett32191.8
1211Abraham FeeneyMaple City Glen Lake29191.4
1311Noah SchipperHolland Calvary Christian31191.2
1411Christian GetzHolland Calvary Christian31190.7
1512Carson BurgessBrown City35189.3
1611Jacob FerdubinskiRiverview Gabriel Richard36188.7
179Spencer McNittMaple City Glen Lake29187.2
1811Brady EdwardsMt. Pleasant Sacred Heart30182.7
1911Anthony RoweBreckenridge30182.1
2012Cole BregeRogers City28181.8
2112Jonah PollatzMt. Pleasant Sacred Heart30179.4
2211Gibson WhiteHolland Calvary Christian31178.8
2312Max BrannanLutheran Westland36178.0
2412Luke MolenkampHillsdale Academy34177.3
2511Wesley ChaffeeMt. Pleasant Sacred Heart30175.8
2612Jack ShararRogers City28175.5
2712Liam McCawMaple City Glen Lake29174.4
2812Reuben JiranNovi Christian Academy33174.3
2910Leo WeaverWhitmore Lake33173.9
3011Timothy GaeblerHillsdale Academy34173.5
319Christian FeeneyMaple City Glen Lake29172.7
3212Rich FantiRiverview Gabriel Richard36172.0
3311Daniel ChaneyLake Leelanau St. Mary29171.7
3412Michael BowkerRoyal Oak Shrine36171.1
3512Logan RomainDryden35171.0
3612Quentin SmithFowler31170.3
3711Amos NorderSaginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary30169.5
3812Cody BradleyPetoskey St. Michael28169.2
3912Timothy ChamberlainPortland St. Patrick31169.0
4012Henry LindleyHillsdale Academy34168.5
4111Owen WrubleHarbor Beach35167.9
4211Francis AustenPortland St. Patrick31167.6
4312Cole UpperLincoln-Alcona28167.2
449Gavin BowersAustin Catholic36166.9
4512Jesse FielisWhite Pigeon32166.8
4611Elias BaldwinDecatur32166.8
4712James RaheHillsdale Academy34166.6
4810Levi FitchettDryden35166.0
4910Peter WinnHillsdale Academy34165.8
5011Rush MarsdenFulton30165.8

RankGradeNameTeamRegionRating
111Hunter EatonCharlevoix19208.9
212Gage HoffmanStanton Central Montcalm24205.0
310Christian CraanenMonroe St. Mary CC27202.0
411Luke HerronCaro25201.0
510Will HulinCentreville23198.7
611Caleb BlondeJonesville23198.4
710Nole LorenzenRochester Hills Lutheran NW26197.6
811Ryder HopkinsCharlevoix19197.5
912Jayden FoxSaginaw Valley Lutheran25196.3
1012Tyler LeachOtisville LakeVille24196.0
1112Matthew SolomonCharlevoix19195.5
1210Clint CouchmanBrooklyn Columbia Central23195.1
1312Edward MugishaThe Potter’s House21194.4
1412Gibson ShoreJackson Lumen Christi23192.5
1511Chad TysonHanover-Horton23192.4
1611Marshall BrandtMidland Bullock Creek25192.0
1710Owen PoppemaBath24191.6
1812Jacob MankeyIthaca25191.2
1912Noah DevereauxLaingsburg24191.0
2011Marcus SilvaSaugatuck22190.5
2112Qwynn DarnellElk Rapids19189.4
2211Logan YoungmanHillsdale23188.3
2311Isaac DionneBoyne City19187.2
2411John KeserBuchanan22187.0
2512Paul SaladinReed City20187.0
2611Grant RehkopfSaugatuck22186.8
2711Evan OlsonPigeon-Laker25186.3
2811Rocky BoltonJackson Lumen Christi23186.2
2911Jonas BallardHolland Black River21185.7
3012Jeryn FrisbieBelding21185.6
3110Eli VanPoortflietBenzie Central20184.4
3210Grant CorlewHarbor Springs19184.1
3312Trenton FetterAdrian Madison27183.5
3411Evan MacLarenIthaca25183.5
3510Michael WeidmayerBlissfield27183.3
3610Soren CrosthwaiteJackson Lumen Christi23182.9
3711William GancerStockbridge26182.7
3810Tristan HernandezKingsley20182.6
3910Wyatt RobertsOtisville LakeVille24182.4
4012Julian WalkerAlgonac26182.0
4112Jackson SchaubBenzie Central20181.4
4211Avery MorrowJackson Lumen Christi23181.3
4311Logan YoungHarrison20180.9
4412Liam McBethBuchanan22180.7
4512Robert DykhouseManton20180.4
4611John KowatchPewamo-Westphalia24180.0
4712Kaden WorchManistee20179.6
4811Naveen KulkarniAnn Arbor Greenhills26179.5
499Isaac CoxPlymouth Christian Academy26179.3
5012John EdlerHomer23179.2

RankGradeNameTeamRegionRating
111Robert Jazwinski IIIWhitehall10216.6
212Jonah WorkmanEast Grand Rapids12216.4
311Ezekiel BaltierraAlma14211.6
412Thomas LarsonAlma14209.9
511Mason HillAllendale11208.8
610Lennox NaswellFlint Powers Catholic15208.4
710Gavin KaticFenton16207.3
811Caiden CaswellVicksburg13205.3
911Bryce CahoonShepherd15203.6
1010Micah BeckerEast Grand Rapids12203.1
1112Vincent PattisonGoodrich15203.1
1211Steven ZawackiForest Hills Eastern12202.8
1311Cole McCrawPinckney16202.5
1411Mitchell DunlapGrand Rapids Catholic Central11202.5
1511Abraham McHughMarshall13202.3
1612Bryce GrossFlint Powers Catholic15202.0
1712Moises Salazar Jr.Adrian18202.0
1812Ronnie SilveiraAllendale11202.0
1912Sean RyanGrand Rapids Christian12201.7
2012Brett MagnusFrankenmuth15201.3
2112Aden AshworthAllendale11200.7
2212Cole WisniewskiOrchard Lake St. Mary’s16200.2
2312Murphy WagnerSaginaw Swan Valley15198.2
2412Jacob HyltonOrtonville Brandon15196.6
2511Joshua MacriMacomb Lutheran North17195.8
2610Aiden LambersHolland11195.7
2712Charlie BrauerThree Rivers13195.3
2812Caleb CarignanFlint Powers Catholic15194.9
2911Nick ParkerFrankenmuth15194.8
3012Edison LopemanParma Western14194.6
3112Jacob StanislawskiFlat Rock18194.5
3210Ashton FinkGrand Rapids Christian12193.9
3310Ryan RathsburgFlint Powers Catholic15193.8
3411Ben VerlinGrand Rapids South Christian12193.8
3512Ben VerellenGladwin10193.7
3612Aiden WellerCedar Springs10193.5
3712Shephard BowerForest Hills Eastern12193.4
3812Jack EdisonEast Grand Rapids12193.2
3912Zahar RushPetoskey10192.9
4010Gerard GilmourFenton16192.7
4111Thomas FisherEast Grand Rapids12192.5
4212George ScuphamEdwardsburg13192.3
4312Lukus MendozaSpring Lake10192.0
4412Braylon LennemanDeWitt14191.7
4511Owen AdamsSpring Lake10191.6
4610Jack HincksDetroit Country Day16191.6
4712Brodie LicataLake Fenton16191.1
4812Jack EstelleHopkins11190.8
4911Seth RandallSt. Joseph13190.7
5011Christian AyresBattle Creek Harper Creek13190.5

RankGradeNameTeamRegionRating
111Kamari RonfeldtAnn Arbor Pioneer5218.5
211Jack MacGregorHowell4215.9
311Brandon CloudNorthville7215.6
411Caden LivermoreGrandville1214.1
511Marshall HuhnLowell3213.0
611Luka HammondGrand Haven1212.9
712Beckett CrooksAnn Arbor Pioneer5212.1
812Benjamin HartiganNorthville7211.7
912Kyle O’RourkeHighland-Milford2210.6
1012Ian MorganOkemos4210.4
1110Mourad AlgahmiDearborn Fordson5210.0
1212Aiden PengellyCanton6209.4
1312Andrew WrightKalamazoo Central3208.1
1412Jackson LamKalamazoo Loy Norrix3205.6
1511Matii TarekegnEast Kentwood3205.5
1612Aron GalGrand Haven1205.3
1711Justin JohnsonEast Kentwood3204.6
1812Ethan HertzaNorthville7203.4
1911Coen HillDexter4201.5
2010Alexander AllenAlpena2201.4
2112Caleb KellerTraverse City Central2201.3
2212Noah JohnstonCaledonia3201.3
2312Cooper ByrneLowell3201.1
2412Marcel StorkMattawan3200.4
259Avi ElabedLowell3200.1
269Tommy McCormickGrand Blanc2199.6
2712Lucas LaPointePlymouth6199.5
2812Ty BillingsKalamazoo Central3198.6
2910Bennett SnapperCaledonia3198.5
3012Nathaniel LindenTroy Athens8198.5
3111Trevor BaptistNovi7198.1
3210Brady GlonDetroit Catholic Central7197.9
339Hudson DollAnn Arbor Skyline4197.8
3411Jacob SzalaySaline5197.8
3510Rylen RicheyGrand Ledge4197.8
3612Ryan BarnesClarkston8197.5
3711Austin MercadoSalem6197.4
3812Owen FisherMattawan3197.4
3912Owen PerryRomeo9197.3
4011Jack HannerSalem6197.2
4110Xavier SolgotL’Anse Creuse North9197.1
4212David DubeckClarkston8197.0
4311Josiah DerksenRockford1196.9
4411Broden LaddHolly2196.7
4510Finn-Frost GraysonTraverse City West2196.5
4612Benjamin RottierGrand Ledge4196.5
4710Marcus EsslingPortage Central3196.4
4810Lucas MullanNorthville7196.4
4912Zach WyderkoBrighton4195.9
5011Liam WierzbaTraverse City West2195.8