Author: mixcspeedratings

Uncategorized

50 Tickets to Brooklyn: Girls #4

mixcspeedratings

A summer tradition returns.

Hard to fathom that I’ve been penning these Summer Previews for now, 7 years. Just as in the past, I’ll have the 50 best returners, then as time rolls on, the Regional Previews and Top Ten Teams.

Differing from the past is the format. Individual posts for each region and ticket are a TON OF WORK. Instead, I’ll be knocking off the 50 Tickets with sets of 10 and Regional Previews by their division and gender. Hopefully with these methods, I’ll be finishing on time and actually spending effort detailing what could be some great regional battles.

Anyhow, starting with the girls (they run first this year), your 50 Tickets to Brooklyn. These celebrate our top-50 returners – based on the 2024 XC season, 2025 track season, projected improvement, and a tiny bit of my own opinions.

Enjoy!

2024
2023
2022
2021
2020

(Also, first time ever that I’ve included Upper Peninsula folks in these! I know they’re not running at MIS, but they’re still representatives of Michigan)

Name: Katie Berkshire
School: Gaylord
Grade: 12th

Personal Records

5k (XC) – 17:31
800m – 2:16
1600m – 4:55
3200m – 10:26
5000m – 17:00

GradeNameTimeTeamRatingMeetDateYear
11Katie Berkshire17:55.2Gaylord155.6MITCA9-Nov2024
11Katie Berkshire18:04.3Gaylord152.2Division 2 State2-Nov2024
11Katie Berkshire17:31.1Gaylord156.0Region 1025-Oct2024
11Katie Berkshire17:39.6Gaylord158.8Northern Mich. Meet of Champions19-Oct2024
11Katie Berkshire17:34.3Gaylord160.6BNC Championship15-Oct2024
11Katie Berkshire18:12.4Gaylord154.5Portage5-Oct2024
11Katie Berkshire17:49.5Gaylord163.2Bluejay28-Sep2024
11Katie Berkshire17:58.7Gaylord155.8VSV21-Sep2024
11Katie Berkshire18:37.2Gaylord157.6Holly14-Sep2024
11Katie Berkshire18:04.5Gaylord158.8Northwood7-Sep2024
11Katie Berkshire18:39.8Gaylord157.1Clare28-Aug2024
11Katie Berkshire18:20.8Gaylord151.4Pete Moss24-Aug2024
GradeNameTimeTeamRatingMeetDateYear
10Katie Berkshire18:57.9Gaylord132.7MITCA11-Nov2023
10Katie Berkshire19:35.7Gaylord122.4Division 2 State4-Nov2023
10Katie Berkshire19:00.3Gaylord139.9Region 1027-Oct2023
10Katie Berkshire18:45.7Gaylord142.8Northern Michigan Championship21-Oct2023
10Katie Berkshire18:17.1Gaylord146.3BNC Championship17-Oct2023
10Katie Berkshire18:23.3Gaylord150.2Portage7-Oct2023
10Katie Berkshire18:23.2Gaylord154.3Mancelona4-Oct2023
10Katie Berkshire18:12.8Gaylord151.1Bluejay30-Sep2023
10Katie Berkshire18:14.4Gaylord149.2Cadillac23-Sep2023
10Katie Berkshire19:09.5Gaylord140.8Spartan15-Sep2023
10Katie Berkshire19:29.5Gaylord146.2Dwayne Rau31-Aug2023
GradeNameTimeTeamRatingMeetDateYear
9Katie Berkshire19:14.1Gaylord126.6MITCA12-Nov2022
9Katie Berkshire19:43.4Gaylord123.9D2 State5-Nov2022
9Katie Berkshire19:15.9Gaylord133.0Region 1028-Oct2022
9Katie Berkshire19:21.6Gaylord128.1Northern Michigan22-Oct2022
9Katie Berkshire19:35.4Gaylord135.2Big North Conference18-Oct2022
9Katie Berkshire19:22.3Gaylord128.9Portage8-Oct2022
9Katie Berkshire19:32.3Gaylord126.6Mancelona5-Oct2022
9Katie Berkshire19:27.4Gaylord126.5Bluejay1-Oct2022
9Katie Berkshire19:17.0Gaylord126.7Cadillac24-Sep2022
9Katie Berkshire20:41.7Gaylord110.1Holly17-Sep2022
9Katie Berkshire22:10.4Gaylord98.9Dwayne Rau1-Sep2022

Accolades

XC

3rd Place – 2024 Division 2 State
3x State Qualifier
2023 & 2024 Region 10 Champion
2023 & 2024 Big North Champion

Track

2nd Place – 2025 Division 2 State 1600m & 3200m
2nd Place – 2024 Division 2 State 3200m
3rd Place – 2023 Division 2 State 3200m
2025 Region 11 & Big North 1600m & 3200m Champion

You Know I Dig Her Improvement

To me, Katie’s comes in two waves.

One, over the course of her freshman year. Although she had run in 8th grade and performed decently, her freshman fall was her true introduction to the sport. In her fourth race, following a few rustbusters and learning experiences, Katie was able to shoot into the 19’s, a mark she’d stay in the rest of the year. Solid, a freshman to watch, but nothing that would predict her following spring. Her first season on the high school ovals produced a bevy of championships – Regional and in the BNC, PBs of 5:11/11:08, and a surprising 3rd place 3200m finish in D2.

Her sophomore year saw another set of personal bests, moving down to 5-flat and 10:41. Improvement from those high marks, that takes a little more effort. This past spring, Katie dropped another 5 sec. in the 1600m and another 15 in the 3200m, another momentous wave. Her marks ranked highly within the state, top-10 in both events. Facing her D2 competition, she earned two more elite finishes, a runner-up in both events.

This Up North star keeps keeping on, continually improving.

Uncategorized

50 Tickets to Brooklyn: Boys #5

mixcspeedratings

A summer tradition returns.

Hard to fathom that I’ve been penning these Summer Previews for now, 7 years. Just as in the past, I’ll have the 50 best returners, then as time rolls on, the Regional Previews and Top Ten Teams.

Differing from the past is the format. Individual posts for each region and ticket are a TON OF WORK. Instead, I’ll be knocking off the 50 Tickets with sets of 10 and Regional Previews by their division and gender. Hopefully with these methods, I’ll be finishing on time and actually spending effort detailing what could be some great regional battles.

Anyhow, starting with the girls (they run first this year), your 50 Tickets to Brooklyn. These celebrate our top-50 returners – based on the 2024 XC season, 2025 track season, projected improvement, and a tiny bit of my own opinions.

Enjoy!

2024
2023
2022
2021
2020

(Also, first time ever that I’ve included Upper Peninsula folks in these! I know they’re not running at MIS, but they’re still representatives of Michigan)

Name: Luka Hammond
School: Grand Haven
Grade: 11th

Personal Records

5k (XC) – 15:19
800m – 1:55
1600m – 4:09
3200m – 9:16

GradeNameTimeTeamRatingMeetDateYear
10Luka Hammond15:42.1Grand Haven200.6MITCA9-Nov2024
10Luka Hammond15:19.9Grand Haven207.4Division 1 State2-Nov2024
10Luka Hammond15:54.8Grand Haven195.7Region 126-Oct2024
10Luka Hammond15:55.6Grand Haven195.1OK Red Championship17-Oct2024
10Luka Hammond15:37.6Grand Haven205.5Portage5-Oct2024
10Luka Hammond15:43.1Grand Haven202.0Allendale Falcon28-Sep2024
10Luka Hammond16:36.8Grand Haven200.4OK Red 225-Sep2024
10Luka Hammond16:06.1Grand Haven206.6Spartan13-Sep2024
10Luka Hammond16:05.0Grand Haven206.7OK Red 110-Sep2024
10Luka Hammond16:01.5Grand Haven200.5Under the Lights v223-Aug2024
GradeNameTimeTeamRatingMeetDateYear
9Luka Hammond16:04.3Grand Haven191.6MITCA11-Nov2023
9Luka Hammond15:58.7Grand Haven194.8Division 1 State4-Nov2023
9Luka Hammond16:16.2Grand Haven188.3Region 128-Oct2023
9Luka Hammond16:08.2Grand Haven190.9OK Red Conference19-Oct2023
9Luka Hammond16:01.9Grand Haven196.4Portage7-Oct2023
9Luka Hammond16:16.4Grand Haven191.2Allendale Falcon30-Sep2023
9Luka Hammond16:20.1Grand Haven196.0Spartan15-Sep2023
9Luka Hammond16:39.2Grand Haven189.3Bredeweg9-Sep2023
9Luka Hammond16:29.9Grand Haven193.4Under the Lights v225-Aug2023

Accolades

XC

5th Place – 2024 Division 1 State
2nd Place – 2024 OK Red Championship
5th Place – 2024 Region 1

Track

2025 Division 1 State 1600m Champion
8th Place – 2025 Division 1 State 4×8
3x All-State
13th Place – 2025 Division 1 State 800m
2025 OK Red 1600m Champion

His Specialty

It’s gotta be the mile, right? Don’t get it twisted, Luka has had an exceptional start to his career on the cross course, and that is a major reason he’s listed here so high. 5th at this past fall’s State Finals. Numerous sub-16 efforts, as low as 15:19 in early November. Top finishes at Portage and in the OK Red.

A member of the outstanding ’27 class, Hammond stood out early as one of the better milers. During his freshman campaign, he’d qualified for State, finished highly in the distance-heavy OK Red, and laid down the 3rd fastest 1600m time of any freshman in Michigan.

Immediate improvement occurred early in his sophomore spring, where Luka raced to a 4:14 during the first great opportunity at the Ram Classic. A week later, sticking it out after the rain in Romeo, he claimed first among the state’s best with a 4:12. A month later, another personal best at Distance Night.

Then the best conclusion, a win in a drag race at State. Three west siders led at various points in the contest. Jackson Lam for the first kilometer, Caden Livermore and Hammond desperately trying to stay connected as Lam sped past 800m in 2:05. Luka gained and then held the lead from a kilometer to the bell, where Livermore made his bid. A gap opened and it was gut check time for Luka, be content with 2nd or hang until you can give one final surge. After choosing the latter, Hammond opened up his stride and gritted out a victory in the final meters.

He’s a miler. He’s also a damn good XC runner.

Uncategorized

50 Tickets to Brooklyn: Girls #5

mixcspeedratings

A summer tradition returns.

Hard to fathom that I’ve been penning these Summer Previews for now, 7 years. Just as in the past, I’ll have the 50 best returners, then as time rolls on, the Regional Previews and Top Ten Teams.

Differing from the past is the format. Individual posts for each region and ticket are a TON OF WORK. Instead, I’ll be knocking off the 50 Tickets with sets of 10 and Regional Previews by their division and gender. Hopefully with these methods, I’ll be finishing on time and actually spending effort detailing what could be some great regional battles.

Anyhow, starting with the girls (they run first this year), your 50 Tickets to Brooklyn. These celebrate our top-50 returners – based on the 2024 XC season, 2025 track season, projected improvement, and a tiny bit of my own opinions.

Enjoy!

2024
2023
2022
2021
2020

(Also, first time ever that I’ve included Upper Peninsula folks in these! I know they’re not running at MIS, but they’re still representatives of Michigan)

Name: Rachel Smith
School: Okemos
Grade: 10th

Personal Records

5k (XC) – 17:39
1600m – 5:00
3200m – 10:32

GradeNameTimeTeamRatingMeetDateYear
9Rachel Smith17:44.4Okemos159.2MITCA9-Nov2024
9Rachel Smith17:46.7Okemos158.1Division 1 State2-Nov2024
9Rachel Smith17:50.8Okemos157.4Region 225-Oct2024
9Rachel Smith18:22.8Okemos152.7CAAC Blue 217-Oct2024
9Rachel Smith17:40.3Okemos163.6Greater Lansing12-Oct2024
9Rachel Smith17:39.5Okemos166.5Bluejay28-Sep2024
9Rachel Smith18:57.1Okemos137.3CAAC Blue 119-Sep2024
9Rachel Smith18:11.4Okemos166.5Spartan13-Sep2024
9Rachel Smith18:50.6Okemos149.5Bath7-Sep2024

Accolades

XC

10th Place – 2024 Division 1 State
2025 CAAC Blue Champion
2nd Place – 2024 Greater Lansing
3rd Place – 2024 Region 2

Track

6th Place – 2025 Division 1 State 3200m
2nd Place – 2025 New Balance Freshman 2 Mile
CAAC Blue & Region 4 1600m & 3200m Champion

Her Breakout Race

Take a look at the chart and let me know if you notice a stark change at one point in time.

Early on in the year, that was Rachel’s adjustment period. She hadn’t run XC in middle school, thus racing on grass had to be a bit of learning curve. Her races during 8th grade track showed potential, but nothing even to the degree she showed early. Her first 5k on the grass was at Bath, a good course for an introduction and to build a bit of confidence. Her 18:57 was a quality beginning, and led the way to a few more 18 min. efforts.

You know what’s also a good place? Shepherd, especially in late September, when the weather’s cooling and the athletes are deep in their training. By god, it was especially good for Rachel, because those 18’s didn’t just become a minor dip into the 17’s, they became a 17:39. A 30+ second personal best. A minute range that she’d spend the majority of the rest of the season. Runner-up to Victoria Garces, Smith beat out a couple state champions from other divisions and many of Michigan’s best.

From then on – 17:40, 17:50, 17:46, 17:44. A runner-up at Greater Lansing, a win in the CAAC Blue, 3rd in her region, then 10th in all of Division 1.

The Wolves return to Shepherd on September 27th.