Prior to the 2020 Meet of Champions, I joked around and called him Mr. October for his drastic drops come October 1st
Well lo and behold, Michael done did it again
Following his 15:59 at Spartan, his first venture into the 15’s as a junior (he had gone 15:51 as a sophomore), he dropped an album at Otsego Bulldog, capturing 2nd place in 15:34
From then on, it was a victorious fall, Mike claiming titles at Wayne County, CHSL A/B, and Region 18
Then grabbing the 3rd spot at MIS, his best finish yet
Come spring, he worked on his speed endurance, setting the tone for significant PB’s all season
Michael dropped his rarely run 800m best from 2:04 to 1:57 and everything else followed, 4:27 to 4:18, 9:48 to 9:19
It’s only fitting that Mike and Connell are listed next to each other
These two have been duking it out for the past two years, both pushing each other in the Division 2 Southeast Michigan scene, then taking their talents to the state level and placing high there
I look forward another year’s worth of battles between these guys in 2022-23
Grade
Name
Time
Rating
Meet
Course
Date
11
Michael Hegarty
17:10.1
196.6
Michigan Catholic
St. Francis Retreat Center
28-Aug
11
Michael Hegarty
16:42.2
201.9
Mustang
Cass Benton
31-Aug
11
Michael Hegarty
16:17.1
200.6
Tommy Titan
Cass Benton
11-Sep
11
Michael Hegarty
15:59.1
208.3
Spartan
Forest Akers
17-Sep
11
Michael Hegarty
17:03.3
185.9
Jefferson
Sterling State Park
25-Sep
11
Michael Hegarty
15:34.2
207.3
Otsego Bulldog
Otsego HS
2-Oct
11
Michael Hegarty
16:00.4
204.5
Wayne County
Willow
9-Oct
11
Michael Hegarty
17:08.5
171.5
Soter Crane
Belle Isle
12-Oct
11
Michael Hegarty
16:22.6
201.5
CHSL AB
Possum Hollow
23-Oct
11
Michael Hegarty
16:45.2
203.6
18 Lake Erie
Lake Erie
30-Oct
11
Michael Hegarty
15:38.9
204.4
D2 State
MIS
6-Nov
Grade
Name
Rating
Meet
Course
Date
10
Michael Hegarty
185.3
Michigan Catholic
St. Francis Retreat Center
29-Aug
10
Michael Hegarty
182.4
Soter Crane
Nankin Mills
22-Sep
10
Michael Hegarty
201.1
Bulldog Elite
Otsego HS
3-Oct
10
Michael Hegarty
204.1
CHSL Bishop
Kensington
17-Oct
10
Michael Hegarty
185.7
PR 35
Heritage Park (Adrian)
24-Oct
10
Michael Hegarty
195.2
D2 Reg 18
Lake Erie
31-Oct
10
Michael Hegarty
201.5
D2 State
MIS
6-Nov
Grade
Name
Rating
Meet
Course
9
Michael Hegarty
187.5
Michigan Catholic
St. Francis Retreat Center
9
Michael Hegarty
181.7
Mustang
Cass Benton
9
Michael Hegarty
181.0
Downriver Watermelon
Elizabeth Park
9
Michael Hegarty
189.2
Tommy Titan
Cass Benton
9
Michael Hegarty
178.8
Spartan
Forest Akers
9
Michael Hegarty
169.5
Soter Crane
Belle Isle
9
Michael Hegarty
189.2
Jefferson
Sterling State Park
9
Michael Hegarty
183.0
Gibraltar Marauder
Lake Erie
9
Michael Hegarty
188.9
Wayne County
Willow
9
Michael Hegarty
190.6
CHSL
Kensington
9
Michael Hegarty
192.6
18
Lake Erie
9
Michael Hegarty
195.1
D2 State
MIS
Wow, Emily has come a long way since her freshman year
We’re coming up soon on the three-year anniversary of her first HS race, a 24:08 at Pete Moss
That freshman season ended with multiple runs in the 20’s
For her sophomore season, she showed a similar trajectory, starting the year where she left off as a freshman, then closing with a few performances below 20:00 and contributing as the fifth girl for Pioneer’s surprise State title
That theme of steady descent continued into this past fall, where Emily spent a majority of her year in the 18’s, save for the mudbaths at Freeland and Lake Erie.
The 2021 season itself was borne out of a track campaign where Emily established herself as a student of the 2 and 4-lappers, times such as 5:13 for the 1600m suggesting a cross country breakthrough that came to fruition
Once again, similarities abound with this past track season, where she reached below 5:00, 11:00, and was present on all those national and state championship relays
With all the experience gained from the various surroundings, there won’t be many better equipped to handle this upcoming fall
Team Champions – MIAC, Region 36 3rd Place – D4 State
2020
Team Champions – MIAC 2nd Place – Pre-Region 52 2nd Place – Region 26 24th Place – D3 State
2019
4th Place – MIAC 6th Place – Region 36
Anything in Track?
4×800
9:59
1st Place – Region 38 6th Place – Oakland County (against all them D1 schools, mind you) 1st Place – D4 State
Mackenzie Lemke
5:17/11:17
1st Place – Region 38 3200m 2nd Place – Region 38 1600m 2nd Place – MIAC 1600m 6th Place – D4 State 3200m
Madeleine Barge
2:32/5:37
2nd Place – Region 38 800m 4th Place – Region 38 1600m 3rd Place – MIAC 1600m 13th Place – D4 State 1600m
Abby Rice
63.2/2:20
3rd Place – Region 38 400m 4th Place – Region 38 800m 1st Place – MIAC 800m 12th Place – D4 State 800m
Julia Troxell
2:33/6:09/14:15
3rd Place – Region 38 800m 3rd Place – MIAC 800m 24th Place – D4 State 800m
Kendall Zaliwski
66.1
4th Place – Region 38 400m 6th Place – MIAC 400m
Emma Burrell
57.4 (300h)/4’10 (HJ)
1st Place – Region 38 HJ 2nd Place – MIAC HJ 8th Place – MIAC 300h 25th Place – D4 State HJ
The Past Three Years
2021
Team Champions – CMAC 12th Place – Greater Lansing 3rd Place – Region 24 10th Place – D3 State
2020
Team Champions – CMAC, Pre-Region 47 2nd Place – Greater Lansing (Division 3) 3rd Place – Region 24 6th Place – D3 State
2019
Team Champions – CMAC, Region 24 3rd Place – Greater Lansing 5th Place – D3 State
Anything in Track?
4×800
9:44
1st Place – Region 29 1st Place – CMAC 3rd Place – D3 State
Whitney Werner
2:19/5:15/11:29
1st Place – Region 29 800m 2nd Place – CMAC 1600m 6th Place – D3 800m Ella Kowatch
62.9/2:26
6th Place – CMAC 400m Abby Arens
2:28/5:45
4th Place – Region 29 800m 3rd Place – CMAC 800m Hayden Hengesbach
2:50/5:53
6th Place – Region 29 1600m 5th Place – CMAC 1600m
Emma Wittenbach
5:57/12:42
4th Place – Region 29 3200m 2nd Place – CMAC 3200m Melanie Werner
2:59/6:04/12:56
5th Place – Region 29 3200m 3rd Place – CMAC 3200m Isabell Helman
2:37
6th Place – Region 29 800m 4th Place – CMAC 800m
The Past Three Years
2021
Team Champions – Wolverine Conference, Region 12 5th Place – D2 State
2020
Team Champions – Wolverine Conference, Pre-Region 25 2nd Place – Region 13 5th Place – D2 State
2019
Team Champions – Wolverine Conference, Region 12 3rd Place – D2 State
Anything in Track?
4×800
9:59
1st Place – Wolverine 1st Place – Region 14 12th Place – D2 State
Megan Germain
5:09/11:15
1st Place – Wolverine 3200m 2nd Place – Wolverine 1600m 1st Place – Region 14 1600/3200m 9th Place – D2 State 3200m 10th Place – D2 State 1600m
Logan Brazee
5:27
4th Place – Wolverine 1600m 3rd Place – Region 14 1600m Taylor Mitchell
2:32/5:30
3rd Place – Wolverine 1600m 4th Place – Wolverine 800m 4th Place – Region 14 1600m 6th Place – Region 14 800m Taylor Klimp
2:48/6:07 Brooklyn Badders
13:52
The Past Three Years
2021
Team Champions – OAA Red, Oakland County, Region 9 8th Place – D1 State
2020
5th Place – OAA Red 9th Place – Oakland County 4th Place – Pre-Region 14 8th Place – Region 7
2019
4th Place – OAA Red 10th Place – Oakland County 4th Place – Region 9
Anything in Track?
4×800
10:06
3rd Place – OAA Red/White 3rd Place – Region 9
Mallory Bigelow
2:33/5:18/11:13
2nd Place – OAA Red/White 1600/3200m 3rd Place – Region 9 1600m
Braydee Elling
2:30/5:23
4th Place – OAA Red/White 800/1600m 4th Place – Region 9 1600m 5th Place – Region 9 800m
Taylor Brodeur
17.4 (100h)/48.8 (300h)/7’6 (PV)
6th Place – OAA Red/White 300h 4th Place – Region 9 300h 2nd Place – 9th Grade Oakland County 300h 5th Place – 9th Grade Oakland County 100h 4th Place – 9th Grade Oakland County PV
She does it – softball, academics, volleyball, running
How she balances it all is astounding, but I guess not surprising when you look at her results throughout the years
You can check athletic.net, you can check these ratings, Mary just doesn’t have an “off” race
Even her slower times are wins (18:55 – Saginaw County Champ, 18:40 – Region 15 Champ)
Her faster times tend to come in championship races, her 17:56 in cross matched her season best, her 4:57 in track was her first foray into the 4’s
Even with the steadiness, she’s seen improvement within
On the track, she broke 11:00 and 5:00 for the first times this spring
In the 2021 fall, she was sub-18 for the first time and improved her place at State from 4th to 2nd
A State title is looming, but the absence of that shouldn’t ignore the various other captured titles, she’s wrested numerous County, Area, League, and Regional crowns from the hands of others
Mary has mastered all the necessary attributes needed in this sport – consistency, speed, how to handle pressure, but most importantly, a love for her fellow runners
Grade
Name
Time
Rating
Meet
Course
Date
10
Mary Richmond
19:09.3
152.9
Birch Run Early
Taymouth Township Park
26-Aug
10
Mary Richmond
18:33.9
152.4
Pete Moss
Benzie Central HS
28-Aug
10
Mary Richmond
18:27.2
151.9
Marauder
Uncle John’s
8-Sep
10
Mary Richmond
18:09.6
152.5
Northwood
Fisher Trails
11-Sep
10
Mary Richmond
18:58.4
149.9
TVC 8
Freeland
15-Sep
10
Mary Richmond
18:36.5
157.8
Spartan
Forest Akers
17-Sep
10
Mary Richmond
18:26.9
151.4
TVC 8 2
Delta College
28-Sep
10
Mary Richmond
17:56.0
160.3
Bluejay
Shepherd HS
2-Oct
10
Mary Richmond
18:40.9
148.4
Birch Run Fall
Taymouth Township Park
5-Oct
10
Mary Richmond
18:09.9
159.4
Greater Flint
Cummings Center
9-Oct
10
Mary Richmond
18:32.0
145
TVC 8 3
Roberts Park
12-Oct
10
Mary Richmond
18:23.3
152.6
TVC Overall
Taymouth Township Park
19-Oct
10
Mary Richmond
18:55.6
143.1
Saginaw County
Freeland
23-Oct
10
Mary Richmond
18:40.2
145.3
15 Shepherd
Shepherd HS
29-Oct
10
Mary Richmond
17:56.0
158
D2 State
MIS
6-Nov
10
Mary Richmond
18:09.0
154.7
MMOC
Shepherd HS
13-Nov
Grade
Name
Rating
Meet
Course
Date
9
Mary Richmond
140.3
Pete Moss
Benzie Central HS
28-Aug
9
Mary Richmond
150.4
FPC Quad
Freeland HS
12-Sep
9
Mary Richmond
152.8
TVC John Glenn
Bay City John Glenn
15-Sep
9
Mary Richmond
156.8
Frankenmuth Eagles
Rittmueller MS
24-Sep
9
Mary Richmond
157.7
TVC Jamboree 2
Rittmueller MS
29-Sep
9
Mary Richmond
153.2
Shepherd Bluejay
Shepherd HS
3-Oct
9
Mary Richmond
146.5
Greater Flint
Cummings Center
10-Oct
9
Mary Richmond
147.5
TVC 3
Taymouth Twp. Park
13-Oct
9
Mary Richmond
143.9
PR 30
Freeland XC Course
24-Oct
9
Mary Richmond
148.1
D2 Reg 15
Shepherd HS
30-Oct
9
Mary Richmond
152.3
D2 State
MIS
6-Nov
Just as Mary above, since entering high school, Connell has exuded excellence
He jumped right on that 16:00 mark, crashing through with a 15:53 at Otsego’s Bulldog Elite
He matched that time once more as a freshman, but truly began to make his home there as a sophomore
This past fall, four of his ten races were of the 15 min. variety and three more just barely above 16:00
Enough about time though, he’s won his fair share too – Coaching Legends in the fall, Region 16 and SEC White’s 3200m in the spring
And as the top returner on one of the top teams in Division 2, that combination of times and victories will be well-needed as the Bulldogs attempt to fend off many great teams
