The goal for this summer’s preview is to be a bit more thorough and coherent. Usually I’m rushed and racing to get out content before the season begins, but I swear this year will be different! I’m starting a little earlier, I already performed a ton of the dirty work over the winter, and am as motivated as ever.
Anyhow, the plan is this:
- Write a bit about teams ranked 11-27, D4 through D1
- Knock out the 50 Tickets
- Have more detailed posts about the Top 10 Teams
- Throw out the always controversial Regional Projections
- Hopefully have one all-encompassing post for each division (including the UP, which typically starts a little later than us trolls, so they’ll get their own two-week period in late August)
Why rank to 27? Well, unless there’s a 4th place team that qualifies out of a regional, there are 27 teams that compete at the Lower Peninsula State Finals.
These projections are based on a combination of last season’s ratings, projected improvements, and this past track season. They contain kids that ran XC in 2025, either for their high school or a middle school that typically feeds to that high school. Projecting D4 is always a little rough because of the smaller enrollments. My estimation is that there’s more recruiting from within the school and multi-sport athletes compared to other divisions. As a result, these likely miss out on athletes that could have a huge impact.
As always, these are for fun and a way to keep the best sport in the world on your mind through these summer months.
27 Thru 11
27. Manchester – returning Alec Dodak, fresh off a track season with PB’s in the 1600m and 3200m.
26. Central Lake / Ellsworth – Zander Chellis is their main guy, hitting in the 17’s in his final two races and placing 8th in Region 28.
25. Novi Christian Academy – will look to gain points later in the race, as five of their returners were sub-20 in 2025.
24. Marine City Cardinal Mooney – the emergence of Xavier Zammit during track should give the Cardinals three formidable boys toward the front of races.
23. Martin – the Clippers have one of the more extensive rosters in D4, an advantage in terms of potential breakouts. But also that depth contains four returners who were well under 20:00 last fall.
22. East Jordan – a triumvirate of Red Devils should be at the forefront of many D4 races. Jayden Dunnebeck, Abraham Poel, and Ethan Sutton all finished in the top-8 of the Ski Valley, where East Jordan placed 2nd.
21. Genesee Christian – these soldiers are young, with sophomores such as Gabe Schultz ascending through the sport, breaking into the 17’s for four of his final five races this past fall.
20. Beal City – their girls have the same story, an infusion of 9th graders giving great potential. The Aggies could bring in two incoming freshmen that were sub-12 in 2025.
19. Bridgman – another outfit that might look to the youngsters, as the Bees’ MS squad won the Small School division at Zone 1 last year.
18. Fowler – deep and benefitting from an outstanding ’30 class. Last autumn, Fowler had five freshmen that were in the 19’s or below.
17. Royal Oak Shrine – Abenezer Cerone will be impossible to replace, though the Shrine Knights always seem to be a factor. Someone such as Will Bernacki can bridge the transition, as he ran his fastest race of the year (17:30) on Michigan’s biggest stage.
16. Buckley – the Harrand boys will lead the charge. Each gained valuable experience during their freshmen fall, qualifying for MIS with 12th and 13th place finishes in Region 29.
15. Michigan Lutheran Seminary – all five scorers from last fall’s state qualifying team return, including Amos Norder, coming off a track season displaying the talent to consistently run in the 16’s.
14. Ubly – last fall was a great introduction to HS running for outstanding freshmen Lucas Volmering and Weston Guza. This year they’ll attempt to lead their Bearcats to another MIS berth.
13. Gobles – in his final race of his fall, Cole Ringel got through into the 17’s. He carried that momentum into track, slipping under 5:00 late in the year. Ringel, along with Fletcher Amos, will be a solid top-two for the Tigers.
12. Sand Creek – the Aggies move here from D3 and the perennially tough Region 23. Opportunities abound, especially with returning three boys on the cusp of sub-18 or faster.
11. Mason County Eastern – likely have the fastest trio of the teams mentioned above. Led by Lance Niedzielski, who placed 23rd in D4 last fall.
Best Track Seasons
Central Lake / Ellsworth
800m: 3 returners sub-2:20
1600m: 2 returners sub-5:15
3200m: 2 returners sub-11:30
Marine City Cardinal Mooney
1600m: 4 returners sub-5:30
3200m: 2 returners sub-10:50
Martin
800m: 2 returners sub-2:15
1600m: 3 returners sub-5:20
2025 State Finals
5th – Royal Oak Shrine
14th – Ubly
15th – Gobles
16th – Genesee Christian
23rd – Michigan Lutheran Seminary
DNQ – Manchester, Central Lake / Ellsworth, Novi Christian Academy, Marine City Cardinal Mooney, Martin, East Jordan, Beal City, Bridgman, Fowler, Buckley, Sand Creek, Mason County Eastern
27 Thru 11
27. Central Lake / Ellsworth – return Lillian Coen, who placed 48th in D4 in 2025.
26. Indian River Inland Lakes – led by Elizabeth and Josephine Furman, who both nabbed top-10 finishes in Region 28.
25. Michigan Lutheran Seminary – bring back five girls from last year’s squad that placed 20th in D4.
24. Clarkston Everest Collegiate – 2x top-100 D4 finisher Allison Schmidt leads the way.
23. Bear Lake – Melodie Hulinek excelled in the long sprints this past spring and looks to bring that fire to cross, where she was on the cusp of the D4 podium.
22. Rogers City – three deep up front, with Reese Brege, Fennlynn Johnson, and Avery Langlois whom all placed in the top-11 in Region 28.
21. East Jordan – narrowly missed out on a State Finals berth last fall (to Rogers City). Potentially a squad with three girls up front.
20. Petoskey St. Michael – the reigning Region 28 champion, bringing back six of their top-seven girls. Veronica Paga is the prominent one, the defending regional champion.
19. Beal City – a youthful infusion could help, as the Aggies had two 8th graders in the 13’s all of last year.
18. Ubly – depth is their strength, as the Bearcats had five girls in the 22’s or faster in 2025.
17. Bellaire – runner-up in 2025’s Region 28, the Eagles used track a stepping stone to greater things, placing 13th in the D4 4×8.
16. Dansville – could benefit from some youngsters, as the middle school Aggies were 3rd in Zone 5’s small school division.
15. Onekama – led by standout Callie Sinke, though the Portagers (great nickname!) have solid strength behind her, with Addy Zeller and Zakia Waggoner both placing in the top-50 at State last November.
14. Breckenridge – the Huskies have lost much talent over the past few years, but can always look to a girl such as Maizy Matthews for support, as she is the defending MSAC Champion.
13. Lansing Christian – upperclasswomen-laden squad, with five (now) juniors or seniors returning from their 12th place outfit.
12. Bridgman – the Bees have an interesting combo of experienced depth + what could be an impactful freshman.
11. Martin – Veyda Conley is the standout name and low-stick. Beyond her, the Clippers have five girls that were sub-23 in 2025.
Best Track Seasons
Petoskey St. Michael
800m: 4 returners sub-3:00
1600m: 3 returners sub-6:00
3200m: 3 returners sub-14:30
Lansing Christian
800m: 3 returners sub-3:00
1600m: 4 returners sub-6:10
3200m: 4 returners sub-14:00
Bridgman
800m: 3 returners sub-3:00
1600m: 3 returners sub-6:15
2025 State Finals
9th – Martin
10th – Petoskey St. Michael
12th – Lansing Christian
13th – Ubly
14th – Bellaire
18th – Rogers City
21st – Michigan Lutheran Seminary
22nd – Breckenridge
24th – Bridgman (D3)
DNQ – Central Lake / Ellsworth, Indian River Inland Lakes, Clarkston Everest Collegiate, Bear Lake, East Jordan, Beal City, Dansville, Onekama
Michigan XC Speed Ratings 