
Just as regionals and other championship meets throughout the year, these projections are done based on thousands of simulated races. How do the simulations work?
Through a season’s worth of speed ratings, one can determine a runner’s average rating and the variability of those ratings. Both those factors are then weighed towards more recent meets, which are then simulated thousands of times using a Monte Carlo analysis (also described by TullyRunners here). Over those thousands of race simulations, one can determine a team’s average place and average score, a runner’s average place, odds on winning, and odds on qualifying.
These are useful in cross country scenarios, where you have consistent runners and those who are a bit more up and down. For example:
| Tanner Time | Tanner Rating | Tanner Avg. | Tanner StDev. |
| 15:30 | 210 | ||
| 15:45 | 205 | ||
| 16:00 | 200 | ||
| 16:15 | 195 | ||
| 16:30 | 190 | 200 | 7.91 |
| MIXCSR Time | MIXCSR Rating | MIXCSR Avg. | MIXCSR StDev. |
| 16:09 | 197 | ||
| 16:12 | 196 | ||
| 16:15 | 195 | ||
| 16:18 | 194 | ||
| 16:21 | 193 | 195 | 1.58 |
Jacob at his best might be faster than I in four of the five races during the season. I’d almost never be All-State in Division 1, but he might contend for a top-5 spot or place 60th.
If we did 20 simulations, this is how it might turn out:
| Race | Tanner Avg. | Tanner StDev | Tanner Rating | MIXCSR Avg. | MIXCSR StDev | MIXCSR Rating |
| 1 | 200 | 7.9 | 202.1 | 195 | 1.6 | 195.6 |
| 2 | 200 | 7.9 | 196.2 | 195 | 1.6 | 194.1 |
| 3 | 200 | 7.9 | 190.0 | 195 | 1.6 | 199.2 |
| 4 | 200 | 7.9 | 193.4 | 195 | 1.6 | 192.5 |
| 5 | 200 | 7.9 | 206.8 | 195 | 1.6 | 195.7 |
| 6 | 200 | 7.9 | 201.8 | 195 | 1.6 | 196.1 |
| 7 | 200 | 7.9 | 171.6 | 195 | 1.6 | 194.9 |
| 8 | 200 | 7.9 | 189.2 | 195 | 1.6 | 195.9 |
| 9 | 200 | 7.9 | 205.5 | 195 | 1.6 | 197.0 |
| 10 | 200 | 7.9 | 203.8 | 195 | 1.6 | 192.6 |
| 11 | 200 | 7.9 | 192.3 | 195 | 1.6 | 196.5 |
| 12 | 200 | 7.9 | 196.9 | 195 | 1.6 | 196.4 |
| 13 | 200 | 7.9 | 198.5 | 195 | 1.6 | 195.6 |
| 14 | 200 | 7.9 | 203.2 | 195 | 1.6 | 194.1 |
| 15 | 200 | 7.9 | 193.9 | 195 | 1.6 | 192.6 |
| 16 | 200 | 7.9 | 199.3 | 195 | 1.6 | 193.2 |
| 17 | 200 | 7.9 | 208.7 | 195 | 1.6 | 194.2 |
| 18 | 200 | 7.9 | 213.7 | 195 | 1.6 | 194.6 |
| 19 | 200 | 7.9 | 212.6 | 195 | 1.6 | 197.1 |
| 20 | 200 | 7.9 | 206.3 | 195 | 1.6 | 193.9 |
I’d win four times, but I’d never have the ability to win a title like he had in Race 18. He’s usually All-State, but may cost his team a title through his effort in Race 7.
The simulations give the possibilities of those scenarios and all the various scoring scripts. A sixth girl that can pop off on any certain day, a reliable boy who always runs 17-flat, you name it. Hopefully, they better elucidate our contenders, qualifiers, and how these races play out over the weekend.
Through the simulated races, you can equate all types of scenarios and groupings. Here are the ones listed:
Projected Place – sorted from lowest average score to highest average score
Average Score – the average score across all the simulated races
Place Range – 95% of the placings fall within this range
Win % – the chance that team has of winning the meet
Podium % – the chance that team has of placing top-2
Top-Ten % – the chance that team finishes within the top-10
GIRLS TEAM
The east side of Lansing is teeming with talent. Purely distance girls, mid-distance girls, hurdlers, a combination of which that is speedy on the track and title-worthy on the grass. That combination of ability led to a Lansing Catholic championship in 2024 and has positioned the Cougars as the favorite in 2025. Last year, the Cougars won on their strength from their 5th girl (Avery Miller), who was the fastest 5th in the field. Her 38th place in the team race helped her Cougars come back and pass Pewamo-Westphalia in the team scoring.
The top six have returned from that 2024 MIS squad, enough quality that would have led the Cougars to the #1 spot. Extra insurance has been added in the form of Anna Drauer, a freshman that’s been a consistent presence in the 19’s this latter half of the season. The Cougars as a whole have not been complacent. They’ve captured the CAAC White yet again, keeping the 14-year streak alive. They achieved the lowest score ever in the history of the Michigan Catholic Invite. In the Portage pre-state setting, the team dominated the D3 field enroute to a 80+ point victory. The accomplishments abound in the regular season and can clearly be capped by another championship season title.
| Projected | Team | Avg. Score | Place Range |
| 1 | Lansing Catholic | 81 | 1st-2nd |
| 2 | Pewamo-Westphalia | 188 | 2nd-5th |
| 3 | Saugatuck | 232 | 2nd-8th |
| 4 | Blissfield | 244 | 2nd-8th |
| 5 | Jackson Lumen Christi | 248 | 2nd-10th |
| 6 | Olivet | 277 | 3rd-11th |
| 7 | Hart | 284 | 2nd-13th |
| 8 | Grandville Calvin Christian | 305 | 5th-13th |
| 9 | Grand Rapids Covenant Christian | 306 | 4th-14th |
| 10 | Benzie Central | 318 | 4th-15th |
| 11 | Traverse City St. Francis | 340 | 5th-18th |
| 12 | Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian | 348 | 7th-17th |
| 13 | Remus Chippewa Hills | 356 | 9th-17th |
| 14 | McBain | 361 | 6th-20th |
| 15 | Kent City | 369 | 7th-20th |
| 16 | Bronson | 404 | 11th-22nd |
| 17 | Plymouth Christian Academy | 405 | 13th-20th |
| 18 | Caro | 428 | 13th-23rd |
| 19 | Saginaw Valley Lutheran | 440 | 12th-24th |
| 20 | Stanton Central Montcalm | 470 | 17th-24th |
| 21 | Leslie | 481 | 16th-25th |
| 22 | Bath | 489 | 17th-26th |
| 23 | Harbor Springs | 490 | 17th-25th |
| 24 | Bridgman | 549 | 21st-27th |
| 25 | Grass Lake | 558 | 20th-28th |
| 26 | Boyne City | 577 | 21st-28th |
| 27 | Monroe St. Mary CC | 622 | 25th-28th |
| 28 | Fennville | 637 | 24th-28th |
Although the Cougars aren’t truly 100% favorites to win it (no one is!), the question is: who joins LC on the podium? Four teams have a distinct possibility:
Pewamo-Westphalia
Saugatuck
Jackson Lumen Christi
Blissfield
As these squads are based in different regions of Michigan, common matchups aren’t all that common. One did occur at Portage, where P-W placed 2nd, ahead of Saugatuck and Lumen Christi. P-W and Saugatuck also faced off at the former’s home invite, with the Pirates once again holding serve.
| Projected | Team | Win % | Podium % | Top-Ten % |
| 1 | Lansing Catholic | 95+ | 95+ | 95+ |
| 2 | Pewamo-Westphalia | 64 | 95+ | |
| 3 | Saugatuck | 12 | 95+ | |
| 4 | Blissfield | 6 | 95+ | |
| 5 | Jackson Lumen Christi | 13 | 95 | |
| 6 | Olivet | 93 | ||
| 7 | Hart | 82 | ||
| 8 | Grandville Calvin Christian | 70 | ||
| 9 | Grand Rapids Covenant Christian | 69 | ||
| 10 | Benzie Central | 55 | ||
| 11 | Traverse City St. Francis | 35 | ||
| 12 | Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian | 22 | ||
| 13 | Remus Chippewa Hills | 17 | ||
| 14 | McBain | 29 | ||
| 15 | Kent City | 19 | ||
| 16 | Bronson | 7 | ||
| 17 | Plymouth Christian Academy | |||
| 18 | Caro | |||
| 19 | Saginaw Valley Lutheran | 6 | ||
| 20 | Stanton Central Montcalm | |||
| 21 | Leslie | |||
| 22 | Bath | |||
| 23 | Harbor Springs | |||
| 24 | Bridgman | |||
| 25 | Grass Lake | |||
| 26 | Boyne City | |||
| 27 | Monroe St. Mary CC | |||
| 28 | Fennville |
I’ll refer back to the questions posed yesterday:
Who has the best 5th girl? Likely either Saugatuck or Pewamo-Westphalia. At the two common invites, the Pirates held a slight edge at the 5th spot, but Saugatuck still has had five girls sub-21 on the year.
Who holds the greatest depth through all varsity runners? Probably Pewamo-Westphalia, who appears interchangeable in their 4th-6th slots.
Who steers clear of the bubble? The numbers guess that the main pack of girls will be rated 80-95, or what I would anticipate to be 21:00-21:50. Saugatuck, Blissfield, and Pewamo-Westphalia will all likely have 3-4 girls clear of the pack, Jackson Lumen Christi will have many entrenched in the mix. So there are scenarios where the Titans punch above their projection with the possibility of a few seconds meaning multiple places.
BOYS TEAM
This D3 boys’ race could be the race of the day. Three teams in close proximity, the top trio projected within 8 points of one another. And a non-zero chance that a major upset occurs from the projected 4th, 5th, or even 6th spot. Traverse City St. Francis, 2024’s Division 3 Champion and commonly found outfit up here in the standings left quite a void, returning only one athlete from their title squad. Thus, this championship was always up for grabs.
Saugatuck has always been thought of a contender, both from this season’s work and last fall’s impressive runner-up finish. The Trailblazers weren’t projected anywhere near the 2024 podium, yet were able to pack up and bring home a trophy. The team, fully comprised of underclassmen, set their top-five between 16:19 and 16:46, barreling their way into the 2nd spot through their tremendous depth.
Jackson Lumen Christi perhaps didn’t have the best day last year, but you can imagine that has spurred their inclusion in this conversation. Especially when one peeks at the improvement of their varsity boys, many impactful time drops by multiple minutes.
Apparent in the spring was the progress of Charlevoix. Three underclassmen that were sub-10 in the 3200m. A State Title in the same event from Hunter Eaton. State qualifiers and a pair of 11th place finishes from Ryder Hopkins and Matthew Solomon.
| Projected | Team | Avg. Score | Place Range |
| 1 | Jackson Lumen Christi | 175 | 1st-6th |
| 2 | Charlevoix | 179 | 1st-7th |
| 3 | Saugatuck | 187 | 1st-8th |
| 4 | Lansing Catholic | 211 | 1st-8th |
| 5 | Ithaca | 215 | 1st-9th |
| 6 | Hanover-Horton | 266 | 1st-14th |
| 7 | Stanton Central Montcalm | 274 | 4th-13th |
| 8 | Jonesville | 282 | 4th-14th |
| 9 | Benzie Central | 283 | 3rd-14th |
| 10 | The Potter’s House | 313 | 5th-16th |
| 11 | Buchanan | 332 | 4th-19th |
| 12 | Holland Black River | 342 | 7th-18th |
| 13 | Hart | 344 | 7th-18th |
| 14 | Ann Arbor Greenhills | 352 | 7th-20th |
| 15 | Plymouth Christian Academy | 375 | 9th-21st |
| 16 | Lake City | 381 | 8th-21st |
| 17 | Pewamo-Westphalia | 429 | 13th-24th |
| 18 | Erie Mason | 441 | 12th-26th |
| 19 | Midland Bullock Creek | 445 | 13th-26th |
| 20 | Caro | 453 | 15th-26th |
| 21 | Blissfield | 456 | 14th-25th |
| 22 | Montague | 468 | 15th-27th |
| 23 | Traverse City St. Francis | 509 | 18th-27th |
| 24 | Montrose | 511 | 16th-27th |
| 25 | Schoolcraft | 512 | 17th-27th |
| 26 | Harbor Springs | 521 | 19th-27th |
| 27 | Monroe St. Mary CC | 526 | 17th-27th |
Unlike the first D3 race of the day, common matchups are easy to find. Plenty took place throughout mid-September. Two prominent ones occurred just before championship season: Portage and Bluejay. And Region 23 gives a little hope of what could be an incredible upset.
Bluejay was one of the few races that we saw Charlevoix in action against the other top teams. The Rayders were the top D3 team in the elite section, placing 9th out of 35 teams. Ithaca and Central Montcalm also competed there, placing 21st and 22nd – the Rayders cleared either squad by approximately 200 points. That wasn’t Ithaca’s day, as some of the Yellowjackets’ better performances have come of late.
A week later, at the Portage bonanza, Hanover-Horton, Lansing Catholic, and Saugatuck all jumped out the gate, nearing the lead at the mile. In the middle mile, the Titans surged to the lead, one they wouldn’t relinquish. It’s that kind of strategy that gives confidence for state, pouncing as the adrenaline wears off from the excited and anxious field. But with only a 24-point gap to Saugatuck and 20 more to Lansing Catholic, it showed that there isn’t a huge gap at the top end of the contenders.
Region 23 furthered that point, three top-ten teams present at Sharp Park – Lumen Christi, Hanover-Horton, and Jonesville. The former Comets nearly pulled off the upset, a huge performance (35+ second SB) from Zach Hassenzahl pulling H-H to within a point of Lumen Christi.
| Projected | Team | Win % | Podium % | Top-Ten % |
| 1 | Jackson Lumen Christi | 29 | 52 | 95+ |
| 2 | Charlevoix | 24 | 47 | 95+ |
| 3 | Saugatuck | 28 | 44 | 95+ |
| 4 | Lansing Catholic | 7 | 19 | 95+ |
| 5 | Ithaca | 8 | 20 | 95+ |
| 6 | Hanover-Horton | 8 | 76 | |
| 7 | Stanton Central Montcalm | 81 | ||
| 8 | Jonesville | 73 | ||
| 9 | Benzie Central | 73 | ||
| 10 | The Potter’s House | 50 | ||
| 11 | Buchanan | 38 | ||
| 12 | Holland Black River | 25 | ||
| 13 | Hart | 26 | ||
| 14 | Ann Arbor Greenhills | 28 | ||
| 15 | Plymouth Christian Academy | 13 | ||
| 16 | Lake City | 12 | ||
| 17 | Pewamo-Westphalia | |||
| 18 | Erie Mason | |||
| 19 | Midland Bullock Creek | |||
| 20 | Caro | |||
| 21 | Blissfield | |||
| 22 | Montague | |||
| 23 | Traverse City St. Francis | |||
| 24 | Montrose | |||
| 25 | Schoolcraft | |||
| 26 | Harbor Springs | |||
| 27 | Monroe St. Mary CC |
The three posed questions:
Who has the best 5th runner?
Most likely Lumen Christi, with a lesser chance of Lansing Catholic. At Portage, Avery Morrow handled the heat better than any other D3 5th kid and was the main driver behind the Titan win. Lansing Catholic had the 2nd best 5th performance there and all of their top-five has been sub-17.
Who has the best depth?
There isn’t really any exceptional team here, most have a considerable drop off between their scorers and their 6-7. Lansing Catholic has smallest gap between the two.
Who steers clear of the bubble?
I’d anticipate the main pack crossing the line between 17:00 and 17:40. Lansing Catholic, Saugatuck and Ithaca are the most avoidant of this area. Lumen Christi, Charlevoix, and Hanover-Horton will likely be sparring with others in this range of times. The former two will likely have three come in before it, Hanover-Horton could have many in the mix.
Where am I getting with this? Hanover-Horton could be most variant from their projected spot. Charlevoix, Lumen Christi, and Saugatuck will have many spots to gain (and points to lose) from their depth. Lansing Catholic and Ithaca appear the most stable and could move up on any potential subpar performance from the above teams.
GIRLS INDIVIDUAL
A few names have had excellent careers to date and have come to the forefront this season:
Hailey Creisher – defeated only twice this season, victorious on 14 occasions. At Greater Lansing, was able to slip under 18:00 for the 2nd time in her career. Back-to-back winner of the Cascades Conference and Region 26.
Samantha Schroeder – has followed the same pattern that led to last year’s 8th place finish. Has put forth her best material in recent weeks, winning the CHSL Bishop title and finishing first in the D3 race at Portage. Following those wins, the times have come, hitting a season’s best of 18:14 in her Region 23 win.
Hope Miller – following the departure of Emmry Ross, finally has come to claim SE side supremacy. Winner of the Lenawee County, LCAA, and Region 27 titles. Has ventured into the mid-18’s in her past three meets. If track is any indication, 2025 championship meets are her time to shine, as Miller was 2nd in the 800m and 3rd in the 1600m.
| Projected | Grade | Name | Team |
| 1 | 12 | Hailey Creisher | Leslie |
| 2 | 11 | Samantha Schroeder | Jackson Lumen Christi |
| 3 | 12 | Hope Miller | Blissfield |
| 4 | 10 | Tiya Feldpausch | Olivet |
| 5 | 10 | Elliana Max | Kent City |
| 6 | 11 | Alyssa Kramer | Pewamo-Westphalia |
| 7 | 11 | Grace Wonch | Lansing Catholic |
| 8 | 10 | Josie Bishop | Lansing Catholic |
| 9 | 11 | Violet Tetil | Caro |
| 10 | 9 | Calista George | Pewamo-Westphalia |
| 11 | 11 | Isabelle Sliter | Fennville |
| 12 | 10 | Caelyn Torry | McBain |
| 13 | 12 | Brynne Schulte | Elk Rapids |
| 14 | 9 | Anna Drauer | Lansing Catholic |
| 15 | 10 | Dory Simon | Remus Chippewa Hills |
| 16 | 9 | Lily Britton | Olivet |
| 17 | 10 | Avery Kelly | Benzie Central |
| 18 | 12 | Abigail Reis | Millington |
| 19 | 12 | Bella LaFountain | Monroe St. Mary CC |
| 20 | 10 | Isabelle Currie | Lansing Catholic |
| 21 | 11 | Kamryn Salladay | Lakeview |
| 22 | 12 | Ashlynn Harris | Bronson |
| 23 | 12 | Alina Martinson | Saugatuck |
| 24 | 12 | Anna Pray | Elk Rapids |
| 25 | 9 | Tala Carlin | Buchanan |
| 26 | 12 | Mattie Gagne | Midland Bullock Creek |
| 27 | 12 | Macy Fazekas | Jackson Lumen Christi |
| 28 | 11 | Makinna Foglesong | Ithaca |
| 29 | 10 | Lindsey Ludwig | Lansing Catholic |
| 30 | 11 | Kamryn Sixberry | Saugatuck |
| 31 | 10 | Madisyn Wanstead | LeRoy Pine River |
| 32 | 12 | Aletta Scholten | Grandville Calvin Christian |
| 33 | 11 | Shelby Kuiper | Grand Rapids Covenant Christian |
| 34 | 11 | Natalie Rosema | Hart |
| 35 | 12 | Grace Coston | Stanton Central Montcalm |
| 36 | 11 | Marlowe Walcott | Reed City |
| 37 | 9 | Anamaria Brazdau | Plymouth Christian Academy |
| 38 | 9 | Jocelyn Tetil | Caro |
| 39 | 12 | Madi Hare | Plymouth Christian Academy |
| 40 | 9 | Kylie Zwiep | Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian |
| 41 | 12 | Ella Heffner | Charyl Stockwell Academy |
| 42 | 11 | Lyvia Curtis | Saugatuck |
| 43 | 11 | Betsy Gooden | Manton |
| 44 | 10 | Shelby Zimmer | Kent City |
| 45 | 12 | Hailey Sills | Blissfield |
| 46 | 10 | Lindsey Cmeyla | Saginaw Valley Lutheran |
| 47 | 9 | Avery Haynes | Brooklyn Columbia Central |
| 48 | 9 | Alaina Civinskas | Roscommon |
| 49 | 9 | Emma Miller | Hart |
| 50 | 11 | Jenna Keilen | Pewamo-Westphalia |
| 51 | 12 | Quinn Hatfield | Remus Chippewa Hills |
| 52 | 11 | Anna Hallett | Blissfield |
| 53 | 12 | Frances Melinn | Lansing Catholic |
| 54 | 12 | Anna Poppema | Bath |
| 55 | 10 | Emma Kerr | Traverse City St. Francis |
| 56 | 11 | Molly Kate Hollandsworth | Traverse City St. Francis |
| 57 | 10 | Maggie McClellan | Benzie Central |
| 58 | 10 | Alaina Schaner | Hart |
| 59 | 10 | Peyton Nellis | Remus Chippewa Hills |
| 60 | 10 | Aaliyah Hillier | Kalkaska |
| 61 | 11 | Avery Miller | Lansing Catholic |
| 62 | 10 | Faith Helsel | Lake City |
| 63 | 12 | Maryrose Halberg | Charlevoix |
| 64 | 11 | Emily Beethe | Saginaw Valley Lutheran |
| 65 | 11 | Lydia Minderhoud | Grand Rapids Covenant Christian |
| 66 | 11 | Nico Triebold | Grayling |
| 67 | 9 | Sage Palmer | Sandusky |
| 68 | 11 | Faith Jenkins | Grandville Calvin Christian |
| 69 | 9 | Lily Sisson | LeRoy Pine River |
| 70 | 12 | Emily Peters | Olivet |
| 71 | 11 | Brynlee Swihart | Hanover-Horton |
| 72 | 12 | Kandin Shuler | Bridgman |
| 73 | 11 | Laura Castrejon | Newaygo |
| 74 | 10 | Lynnae Meengs | Grandville Calvin Christian |
| 75 | 9 | Madelynn Patterson | Olivet |
| 76 | 11 | Ellie Beach | Sanford-Meridian |
| 77 | 10 | Ellason Foster | Newaygo |
| 78 | 10 | Adalyn Jarchow | Grass Lake |
| 79 | 12 | Braelyn Bunting | Stanton Central Montcalm |
| 80 | 10 | Ingrid Molins Rallo | Benzie Central |
| 81 | 10 | Sarah Nothstine | Midland Bullock Creek |
| 82 | 10 | Olivia Brown | Bad Axe |
| 83 | 9 | Ellyse Heyser | Saugatuck |
| 84 | 12 | Georgia Haag | Manistee |
| 85 | 9 | Sydney Knieper | New Lothrop |
| 86 | 11 | Stefi Reskevics | Harbor Springs |
| 87 | 9 | Joselyn Vogel | Kent City |
| 88 | 9 | Allison Burns | Constantine |
| 89 | 10 | Esther Cahill | Saranac |
| 90 | 9 | Kate DeVries | Grand Rapids Covenant Christian |
| 91 | 9 | Mya Bronkema | McBain |
| 92 | 9 | Jenny Woznick | Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian |
| 93 | 11 | Delaney Smith | Pewamo-Westphalia |
| 94 | 11 | Alonna Goodsell | Bronson |
| 95 | 10 | Taylor Stanczak | Almont |
| 96 | 10 | Averie Stefanovsky | Caro |
| 97 | 12 | Makenna Gwisdalla | Bad Axe |
| 98 | 9 | Katherine Schafer | Pewamo-Westphalia |
| 99 | 9 | Leah Elzinga | Grand Rapids Covenant Christian |
| 100 | 11 | Kaleea Braun | Blissfield |
As I stated in the D4 preview, I don’t anticipate the conditions will be *as* optimal as in 2023 or 2024, so I’d expect times to be a little slower. If I had to fathom a guess toward the All-State cutoff, I’d be antsy if I were above 19:30. The projections give around 55 girls (not in the above order) a fighter’s chance of stepping onto that podium.
BOYS INDIVIDUAL
That void does and doesn’t exist for the D3 boys. Although outgoing seniors took the top-two spots, underclassmen had their presence felt throughout the standings.
Gage Hoffman was the top non-senior, hitting a personal best in his 3rd place finish.
Christian Craanen and Nole Lorenzen established themselves as youngsters to be reckoned with.
Landen Styka hit another sub-16 in a season full of ‘em.
Caleb Blonde was the fastest sophomore.
Hunter Eaton hit a season best and set the stage for his track heroics.
There doesn’t seem to be great differences or tiers between the top runners. Appearing to have the greatest chances of coming out on top are:
Hunter Eaton – who when faced with the opportunity, has brought his best material. The greatest example of that being his 15:22 from Bluejay.
Gage Hoffman – winner of Portage and Region 24 for the 2nd year in a row.
Nole Lorenzen – two straight Region 26 titles but also ripping some fast times, such as his 15:24 from Larry Steeb.
Christian Craanen – entered MIS last year with a personal best of 16:20. Enters it this year having already run 15:42. Given his performance at the speedway last November, that gives great hope for another breakout.
Luke Herron – had a dramatic jump toward the end of last year (16:01 and 20th here) and has continued it further, dipping into the 15’s at John Bruder and Brooks Mid-Season.
Caleb Blonde – battle-tested down in the Jackson area. Winner of the Cascades Conference for the second year in a row and captured Region 23 for the first time ever. Sub-16 for the past four races.
| Projected | Grade | Name | Team |
| 1 | 11 | Hunter Eaton | Charlevoix |
| 2 | 12 | Gage Hoffman | Stanton Central Montcalm |
| 3 | 10 | Nole Lorenzen | Rochester Hills Lutheran NW |
| 4 | 10 | Christian Craanen | Monroe St. Mary CC |
| 5 | 11 | Caleb Blonde | Jonesville |
| 6 | 11 | Logan Youngman | Hillsdale |
| 7 | 11 | Luke Herron | Caro |
| 8 | 11 | Ryder Hopkins | Charlevoix |
| 9 | 11 | Jonas Ballard | Holland Black River |
| 10 | 11 | Chad Tyson | Hanover-Horton |
| 11 | 12 | Landen Styka | Ithaca |
| 12 | 10 | Owen Poppema | Bath |
| 13 | 12 | Edward Mugisha | The Potter’s House |
| 14 | 12 | Tyler Leach | Otisville LakeVille |
| 15 | 10 | Will Hulin | Centreville |
| 16 | 11 | Marcus Silva | Saugatuck |
| 17 | 11 | Rocky Bolton | Jackson Lumen Christi |
| 18 | 12 | Matthew Solomon | Charlevoix |
| 19 | 10 | Eli VanPoortfliet | Benzie Central |
| 20 | 10 | Clint Couchman | Brooklyn Columbia Central |
| 21 | 12 | Gibson Shore | Jackson Lumen Christi |
| 22 | 11 | Grant Rehkopf | Saugatuck |
| 23 | 11 | John Keser | Buchanan |
| 24 | 12 | Qwynn Darnell | Elk Rapids |
| 25 | 11 | Evan Olson | Pigeon-Laker |
| 26 | 12 | Emmanuel Mehari | Plymouth Christian Academy |
| 27 | 12 | Jayden Fox | Saginaw Valley Lutheran |
| 28 | 12 | Jeryn Frisbie | Belding |
| 29 | 11 | Isaac Dionne | Boyne City |
| 30 | 11 | Evan MacLaren | Ithaca |
| 31 | 11 | James Tennes | Lansing Catholic |
| 32 | 10 | Soren Crosthwaite | Jackson Lumen Christi |
| 33 | 12 | Lucas Gates | Lansing Catholic |
| 34 | 12 | Jacob Mankey | Ithaca |
| 35 | 10 | Michael Weidmayer | Blissfield |
| 36 | 11 | John Kowatch | Pewamo-Westphalia |
| 37 | 9 | Isaac Cox | Plymouth Christian Academy |
| 38 | 11 | William Gancer | Stockbridge |
| 39 | 12 | John Edler | Homer |
| 40 | 10 | Jackson Bowman | Saugatuck |
| 41 | 11 | Naveen Kulkarni | Ann Arbor Greenhills |
| 42 | 12 | Maxwell Durham | New Haven |
| 43 | 12 | Trenton Fetter | Adrian Madison |
| 44 | 12 | Kyler Fertig | Stanton Central Montcalm |
| 45 | 12 | Jackson Schaub | Benzie Central |
| 46 | 11 | Everett Beach | Lansing Catholic |
| 47 | 10 | Tristan Hernandez | Kingsley |
| 48 | 12 | Sylus Wilson | Stanton Central Montcalm |
| 49 | 11 | Levi Schimmel | Grand Rapids Covenant Christian |
| 50 | 11 | Marshall Brandt | Midland Bullock Creek |
| 51 | 11 | Cooper Flick | Hanover-Horton |
| 52 | 12 | Noah Devereaux | Laingsburg |
| 53 | 11 | Collin Fucile | Jonesville |
| 54 | 12 | Ben Gautsche | Union City |
| 55 | 12 | Peter Soltis | Jackson Lumen Christi |
| 56 | 10 | Noah Sills | Blissfield |
| 57 | 9 | Asher Putman | Reese |
| 58 | 10 | Jack Songer | Rochester Hills Lutheran NW |
| 59 | 11 | Evan Civinskas | Roscommon |
| 60 | 9 | Reese Devisser | Schoolcraft |
| 61 | 10 | Edison Huizinga | Manistee |
| 62 | 11 | Sawyer Monroe | Saugatuck |
| 63 | 12 | Caiden Helsel | Lake City |
| 64 | 12 | Connor Helsel | Lake City |
| 65 | 12 | Alessandro Avila | Constantine |
| 66 | 12 | Nicholas Fowler | Jonesville |
| 67 | 12 | Paul Saladin | Reed City |
| 68 | 10 | Ashton Potwin | Jonesville |
| 69 | 12 | Liam McBeth | Buchanan |
| 70 | 12 | Owen Beindit | Algonac |
| 71 | 11 | Cooper Tiffany | Lakeview |
| 72 | 11 | David Castrejon | Newaygo |
| 73 | 10 | Nolan Kessler | Montague |
| 74 | 12 | Nico Aagesen | Ann Arbor Greenhills |
| 75 | 11 | Avery Morrow | Jackson Lumen Christi |
| 76 | 11 | Téo Krumm | Lansing Catholic |
| 77 | 12 | Jack Sherwood | Buchanan |
| 78 | 11 | Logan Young | Harrison |
| 79 | 10 | Simon Reed | Plymouth Christian Academy |
| 80 | 11 | Easton McCloy | Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian |
| 81 | 12 | Isaac Johnson | Holland Black River |
| 82 | 11 | Owen Sytsema | Muskegon Western Mich. Christian |
| 83 | 10 | Grant Corlew | Harbor Springs |
| 84 | 11 | Charlie George | Pewamo-Westphalia |
| 85 | 11 | Kenneth Mangles | Leslie |
| 86 | 9 | Sam Casiano | Watervliet |
| 87 | 11 | Gibson Smith | Montague |
| 88 | 10 | Christopher Shemes | Ithaca |
| 89 | 10 | Eli Hobson | Montrose |
| 90 | 11 | Ethan Huff | Homer |
| 91 | 11 | Joseph Colaluca | Erie Mason |
| 92 | 11 | Sebastian Zylstra | Holland Black River |
| 93 | 10 | Tyler Harris | Hanover-Horton |
| 94 | 10 | Grady Richey | Lansing Catholic |
| 95 | 10 | Timothy Wolff | Hart |
| 96 | 12 | Isaac Norcross | Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian |
| 97 | 12 | Henry Beck | Ann Arbor Greenhills |
| 98 | 11 | Maxwell Drenth | Charlevoix |
| 99 | 10 | Remyngton Clish | Sanford-Meridian |
| 100 | 12 | Isaac Struck-VanderHaak | The Potter’s House |
I’d guesstimate 16:30 being the slowest time required for an All-State finish. This is a highly variant mix of kids, around 75 boys having a good shot of earning a medal.