It’s baaack. A summertime tradition has returned, the 50 Tickets to Brooklyn. These lists celebrate the top 50 returners – based on a concoction of the ’25 XC season, projected improvements, the ’26 Track season, and a tiny bit of my own input.
Enjoy!
Many of these photos are sourced from either MLive or Miles Postema. Any others will find credit in the caption.
| Grade | Name | Time | Team | Rating | Meet | Date | Year |
| 11 | Brandon Cloud | 14:52.8 | Northville | 216.4 | D1 State Finals | 1-Nov | 2025 |
| 11 | Brandon Cloud | 15:24.6 | Northville | 208.8 | Region 7 | 25-Oct | 2025 |
| 11 | Brandon Cloud | 15:36.7 | Northville | 203.4 | KLAA Championship | 16-Oct | 2025 |
| 11 | Brandon Cloud | 15:33.8 | Northville | 211.4 | Portage | 4-Oct | 2025 |
| 11 | Brandon Cloud | 15:34.3 | Northville | 218.9 | Spartan | 12-Sep | 2025 |
| 11 | Brandon Cloud | 15:42.7 | Northville | 206.1 | Bath | 6-Sep | 2025 |
| 11 | Brandon Cloud | 15:45.4 | Northville | 212.9 | Northville Mustang | 26-Aug | 2025 |
| 11 | Brandon Cloud | 15:54.9 | Northville | 212.0 | Lamplighter | 15-Aug | 2025 |
| Grade | Name | Time | Team | Rating | Meet | Date | Year |
| 10 | Brandon Cloud | 15:29.0 | Northville | 204.3 | Division 1 State | 2-Nov | 2024 |
| 10 | Brandon Cloud | 15:40.0 | Northville | 203.7 | Region 6 | 26-Oct | 2024 |
| 10 | Brandon Cloud | 15:53.6 | Northville | 201.1 | KLAA Championship | 17-Oct | 2024 |
| 10 | Brandon Cloud | 15:55.1 | Northville | 199.6 | Portage | 5-Oct | 2024 |
| 10 | Brandon Cloud | 16:20.7 | Northville | 201.8 | Spartan | 13-Sep | 2024 |
| 10 | Brandon Cloud | 16:18.4 | Northville | 200.2 | Tri of the Year | 10-Sep | 2024 |
| 10 | Brandon Cloud | 16:18.1 | Northville | 199.6 | Bath | 7-Sep | 2024 |
| 10 | Brandon Cloud | 16:51.5 | Northville | 197.8 | Mustang | 27-Aug | 2024 |
| 10 | Brandon Cloud | 16:18.1 | Northville | 199.6 | Lamplighter | 23-Aug | 2024 |
| Grade | Name | Time | Team | Rating | Meet | Date | Year |
| 9 | Brandon Cloud | 16:29.9 | Northville | 184.4 | Division 1 State | 4-Nov | 2023 |
| 9 | Brandon Cloud | 16:20.4 | Northville | 186.9 | Region 6 | 28-Oct | 2023 |
| 9 | Brandon Cloud | 17:14.6 | Northville | 183.5 | KLAA Conference | 20-Oct | 2023 |
| 9 | Brandon Cloud | 17:00.0 | Northville | 177.0 | Portage | 7-Oct | 2023 |
| 9 | Brandon Cloud | 16:33.8 | Northville | 191.4 | Spartan | 15-Sep | 2023 |
| 9 | Brandon Cloud | 16:38.9 | Northville | 187.7 | Bath | 9-Sep | 2023 |
| 9 | Brandon Cloud | 17:30.6 | Northville | 179.1 | Mustang | 29-Aug | 2023 |
| 9 | Brandon Cloud | 16:38.1 | Northville | 196.3 | Lamplighter | 18-Aug | 2023 |
Personal Records
5k (XC) – 14:52
800m – 1:59
1600m – 4:12
3200m – 9:01
5k (Track) – 14:43
Accolades
XC
2nd Place – Division 1 State
3x Division 1 State Team Champion
2x All-State
Region 7 Champion
Track
Division 1 State 3200m Champion
3rd Place – Division 1 State 4×8
3x All-State
2nd Place – MITS/MITCA Indoor State 1600m
MITS/MITCA Indoor State 4×8 Champion
KLAA 1600m/3200m Champion
Region 6 3200m Champion
His Specialty
Reaching an unforeseen level at the State Finals.
Brandon’s first instances of this were during the 2024-2025 season. During the fall, he had raced in the low-16’s for much of the year, finally breaking into the 15’s when late September rolled around. Entering MIS, he’d found a personal best of 15:40 at the quick Willow course. Brandon proceeded to leave the speedway after an afternoon of running even splits and closing hard, finishing in 15:29 and 10th place, helping his Mustangs earn a team title. A similar scenario then unfolded in the spring, where Cloud came into the State Finals with a 9:25 PB in the 3200m and dropped 12 seconds at East Kentwood, placing 6th in the event.
These championship exploits took on a new degree this past season. Rather than drop a mere 11 seconds at MIS, he proceeded to subtract over half a minute from his season best, finishing in 14:52. Brandon hung with the lead pack for as long as possible and nearly covered every move, coming up just short in the final kick (he covered the final tenth of a mile in 26.7 sec. or 4:09 pace).
This past spring, Brandon laid down an elite 3200m mid-season at Bluejay, a 9:01. His 9:02 to win the Division 1 3200m wasn’t quite as quick, a measly 9:02, but his tactics saw him reach into a world of pain and quickness that even his cross finish couldn’t match. After seven laps, Brandon once again put himself in excellent position, taking the lead right before the bell at ~8:03. He was passed early in that final lap, a gap opening up as Cloud hit the 300m mark at approximately 8:20. Down the backstretch and into the final turn, he aimed to match the move and muster anything he could for the final stages of the race. Covering the final 300m in approximately 41 seconds, an exasperated Cloud crossed the line in first.
Michigan is loaded with perhaps its best depth ever. With many championship races over the next year, having a penchant for clutch performances is a major bonus.
Michigan XC Speed Ratings 