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 |
| 10 | Rachel Smith | 17:03.9 | Okemos | 173.4 | MITCA | 8-Nov | 2025 |
| 10 | Rachel Smith | 17:04.7 | Okemos | 171.4 | D1 State Finals | 1-Nov | 2025 |
| 10 | Rachel Smith | 16:59.1 | Okemos | 173.6 | Region 4 | 24-Oct | 2025 |
| 10 | Rachel Smith | 17:09.6 | Okemos | 174.1 | CAAC Blue 2 | 16-Oct | 2025 |
| 10 | Rachel Smith | 17:08.6 | Okemos | 171.8 | Greater Lansing | 11-Oct | 2025 |
| 10 | Rachel Smith | 17:22.5 | Okemos | 175.8 | Portage | 4-Oct | 2025 |
| 10 | Rachel Smith | 17:06.9 | Okemos | 179.4 | Bluejay | 27-Sep | 2025 |
| 10 | Rachel Smith | 17:54.0 | Okemos | 168.3 | CAAC Blue 1 | 18-Sep | 2025 |
| 10 | Rachel Smith | 17:35.9 | Okemos | 180.0 | Spartan | 12-Sep | 2025 |
| 10 | Rachel Smith | 17:43.7 | Okemos | 163.8 | Bath | 6-Sep | 2025 |
| Grade | Name | Time | Team | Rating | Meet | Date | Year |
| 9 | Rachel Smith | 17:46.7 | Okemos | 158.1 | Division 1 State | 2-Nov | 2024 |
| 9 | Rachel Smith | 17:50.8 | Okemos | 157.4 | Region 2 | 25-Oct | 2024 |
| 9 | Rachel Smith | 18:22.8 | Okemos | 152.7 | CAAC Blue 2 | 17-Oct | 2024 |
| 9 | Rachel Smith | 17:40.3 | Okemos | 163.6 | Greater Lansing | 12-Oct | 2024 |
| 9 | Rachel Smith | 17:39.5 | Okemos | 166.5 | Bluejay | 28-Sep | 2024 |
| 9 | Rachel Smith | 18:57.1 | Okemos | 137.3 | CAAC Blue 1 | 19-Sep | 2024 |
| 9 | Rachel Smith | 18:11.4 | Okemos | 166.5 | Spartan | 13-Sep | 2024 |
| 9 | Rachel Smith | 18:50.6 | Okemos | 149.5 | Bath | 7-Sep | 2024 |
Personal Records
5k (XC) – 16:59
1600m – 5:00
3200m – 10:32
Accolades
XC
2nd Place – Division 1 State
2x All-State
2x CAAC Blue Champion
Region 4 Champion
Greater Lansing Champion
Track
6th Place – 2025 Division 1 State 3200m
2025 CAAC Blue 1600m/3200m Champion
2025 Region 4 1600m/3200m Champion
You Know I Dig Improvement
When I think improvement, three factors come to mind.
The least important are these speed ratings. They don’t earn you a medal, trophy, and it’s not someone’s goal to run a certain number. But they’re a tool that controls for the invariantly variable courses. Rachel’s average rating as a freshman was a 156.5, the equivalent of a 18:15-18:20. Over a greater quantity of races during her sophomore season, she averaged 173.2, or around a 17:20. Nearly a minute drop.
This bore out in terms of actual time, where Smith began her ’24 season in the high-18’s, then found her way into the 17’s towards season’s end. She brought it in the big races too, 17:40ish efforts at Greater Lansing, Bluejay, Region 2, and MIS. Coming into the ’25 season, her PB was a 17:39 from Bluejay. A year later at Shepherd, she ripped a breakthrough – 17:06. In the final month of the fall, she bested that time on three separate occasions, the fastest of which being a 16:59 to win Region 4. A 40 second reduction.
Those three occasions were Regional, State, and MITCA. Her initial foray into that scene during her first year emitted a 3rd place Regional finish, 10th spot in D1, and 11th place closer at MITCA. Rachel then grew into a Regional Champion, State runner-up, and MITCA runner-up.
Ratings, times, and most importantly, accomplishments. All three took a step forward in ’25 and we hope for the same in ’26.
Michigan XC Speed Ratings 