Time to get cracking on these regional previews. As with the 50 Tickets, these are a bit condensed compared to past years. I found the writing was getting excessive, repetitive, and more work than the actual season. But still, regional projections are in order. I thought I’d highlight a few of the battles, tough regions, and outstanding individuals.
Compared to Division 4, Division 3 is a bit easier in terms of finding who will be going to what school. Returning roster sizes are a bit larger and the feeder middle schools are easier to follow.
Anyhow, here are your D3 Girls predictions. Similar to the 50 Tickets, these are based on last year’s XC season and track seasons, projected improvements, and a few bits of subjective shuffling.
Toughest Regions
Region 25 – 6 teams in the top-23. Once again, this makes sense. Mid-Michigan has always been this cross country heartland, shrouded in tradition and cultures that care about the sport. This year’s version adds a Remus Chippewa Hills from Division 3, an addition that takes the region from tough to extremely tough. Ranked teams that could be missing out on a November trip to Brooklyn might be St. Louis, who brings in three freshmen that raced at/near 14:00, Sanford-Meridian and Midland Bullock Creek, both of whom bring back a multitude of girls that were sub-22 in 2024.
Intriguing Battles
Region 19 – Boyne City vs. Kalkaska for the final spot. This past fall, the Boyne City Ramblers earned the final qualifying spot, then went onto place 20th in Division 3. They return 6 of their top-7, including their first 3 finishers here. Kalkaska finished a bit further back, but the improvement of Aaliyah Hillier during track plus the addition of a promising 9th grader could move the Blazers up.
Region 23 – Lumen Christi vs. Olivet. Jackson Lumen Christi is the mainstay, the traditionally strong, consistently top-10, title-winning squad. The Titans most recently won the D3 title in 2023 and still have a few holdovers from that squad – Samantha Schroeder and Macy Fazekas. With youth, Olivet could potentially knock them off. Coming from their middle school program is a Lily Britton, who won the majority of her races in 2024 and even broke 20:00 at MITCA. She’s joined by another freshman who was consistently in the low-13’s. Add in multi-faceted Emily Peters and sub-20 as a freshman Tiya Feldpausch and you might see an extremely strong top-four.
Region 19
Top 27 Teams
Top-10 Traverse City St. Francis
#13 Harbor Springs
#26 Boyne City
| Proj. Place | Team | Score |
| 1 | Traverse City St. Francis | 32 |
| 2 | Harbor Springs | 54 |
| 3 | Boyne City | 106 |
| 4 | Kalkaska | 115 |
| 5 | Grayling | 155 |
| 6 | Cheboygan | 174 |
| 7 | Charlevoix | 191 |
| 8 | Roscommon | 201 |
| 9 | Standish-Sterling | 206 |
| 10 | Tawas | 231 |
Top Athletes
Molly Kate Hollandsworth – the runner-up here (to her teammate, Betsy Skendzel) last year and 4th the year prior. Molly spent much of her sophomore season in the 19’s.
Stefi Reskevics – twice a D4 All-Stater, Stefi and her Ram teammates move into D3.
Nico Triebold – ended her 2024 season on a high note, placing 4th here and 43rd at MIS, both sub-20 performances.
Brynne Schulte – twice an All-Stater, Schulte had her 2024 season cut short. But she was back on the wagon in track, qualifying for State in the 1600m and 3200m, then placing 12th in D3 in the former.
| Place | Grade | Name | Team |
| 1 | 11 | Molly Kate Hollandsworth | Traverse City St. Francis |
| 2 | 11 | Stefi Reskevics | Harbor Springs |
| 3 | 11 | Nico Triebold | Grayling |
| 4 | 12 | Brynne Schulte | Elk Rapids |
| 5 | 11 | Emily Dunphy | Traverse City St. Francis |
| 6 | 10 | Hailee Bertels | Boyne City |
| 7 | 10 | Emma Kerr | Traverse City St. Francis |
| 8 | 12 | Delaney Little | Boyne City |
| 9 | 12 | Anna Pray | Elk Rapids |
| 10 | 9 | Hadley Corlew | Harbor Springs |
| 11 | 12 | Paige Ritchie | Traverse City St. Francis |
| 12 | 10 | Aaliyah Hillier | Kalkaska |
| 13 | 9 | Sophia Groff | Tawas |
| 14 | 11 | Stella Houdek | Traverse City St. Francis |
| 15 | 12 | Fran Warren | Harbor Springs |
| 16 | 11 | Havyn Tarrant | Traverse City St. Francis |
| 17 | 10 | Sophia Balistreri | Harbor Springs |
| 18 | 11 | Genevieve Rodham | Harbor Springs |
| 19 | 10 | Kylee Jenkins | Kalkaska |
| 20 | 12 | Rachel Dhaseleer | Charlevoix |
Region 20
Top 27 Teams
Top-10 Hart
#12 McBain
#15 Benzie Central
| Proj. Place | Team | Score |
| 1 | Hart | 48 |
| 2 | McBain | 78 |
| 3 | Benzie Central | 85 |
| 4 | Leroy Pine River | 138 |
| 5 | Shelby | 169 |
| 6 | Manistee | 172 |
| 7 | Reed City | 175 |
| 8 | Mason County Central | 176 |
| 9 | Manton | 208 |
| 10 | Lake City | 251 |
| 11 | Kingsley | 281 |
| 12 | Harrison | 372 |
| 13 | Morley-Stanwood | 385 |
Top Athletes
Caelyn Torry – came through with a highly successful freshman campaign – Highland Conference champion, runner-up here, and 16th in D3.
Emma Miller – Hart looks to be reloading, as Miller was undefeated in the WMC Rivers league and even slipped into the 19’s while running at MITCA’s Meet of Champions.
Avery Kelly – another year of a Kelly stepping up when confronted with the friendly confines of MIS. 30th place and a medal for Avery in her D3 State Finals debut.
| Place | Grade | Name | Team |
| 1 | 10 | Caelyn Torry | McBain |
| 2 | 9 | Emma Miller | Hart |
| 3 | 10 | Avery Kelly | Benzie Central |
| 4 | 10 | Madisyn Wanstead | Leroy Pine River |
| 5 | 11 | Natalie Rosema | Hart |
| 6 | 10 | Avalynne Allee | Leroy Pine River |
| 7 | 10 | Alaina Schaner | Hart |
| 8 | 11 | Lydia Soelberg | Shelby |
| 9 | 10 | Lilly Whaley | Benzie Central |
| 10 | 10 | Faith Helsel | Lake City |
| 11 | 11 | Marlowe Walcott | Reed City |
| 12 | 10 | Maggie McClellan | Benzie Central |
| 13 | 9 | Lily Sisson | Leroy Pine River |
| 14 | 11 | Betsy Gooden | Manton |
| 15 | 11 | Kayden Hinton | McBain |
| 16 | 10 | Joselyn Flores | Hart |
| 17 | 11 | Maylan Sanders | Mason County Central |
| 18 | 10 | Bryn Riley | Hart |
| 19 | 9 | Lydia Eisenga | McBain |
| 20 | 9 | Mya Bronkema | McBain |
Region 21
Top 27 Teams
Top-10 Grand Rapids Covenant Christian
#25 Grandville Calvin Christian
| Proj. Place | Team | Score |
| 1 | Grand Rapids Covenant Christian | 44 |
| 2 | Grandville Calvin Christian | 112 |
| 3 | Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian | 113 |
| 4 | Kent City | 136 |
| 5 | Muskegon Western Michigan Christian | 155 |
| 6 | Saranac | 159 |
| 7 | Belding | 161 |
| 8 | Holland Black River | 164 |
| 9 | Lakeview | 173 |
| 10 | Montague | 214 |
| 11 | The Potter’s House | 262 |
| 12 | Ravenna | 356 |
Top Athletes
Kamryn Salladay – was so successful over in Region 20 (defending champion) that they had to move her over into Region 21. Twice top-10 at MIS with something to prove as track didn’t go her way.
Elliana Max – as the season wore on and she became more acquainted to the 5k, the times started dropping. First sub-19 was at Portage and she found three more of ‘em, including a 18th place finish in D3.
Shelby Kuiper – has a penchant for coming through at the end of the year. Kuiper has raced to personal bests at her past two State Finals, both resulting in All-State certificates.
| Place | Grade | Name | Team |
| 1 | 11 | Kamryn Salladay | Lakeview |
| 2 | 10 | Elliana Max | Kent City |
| 3 | 11 | Shelby Kuiper | Grand Rapids Covenant Christian |
| 4 | 11 | Laura Castrejon | Newaygo |
| 5 | 11 | Leah Sneller | Muskegon Western Michigan Christian |
| 6 | 9 | Leah Elzinga | Grand Rapids Covenant Christian |
| 7 | 10 | Ellason Foster | Newaygo |
| 8 | 10 | Danika Lopez | Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian |
| 9 | 11 | Marnath Tuol | Grandville Calvin Christian |
| 10 | 9 | Fiona Seaver | Montague |
| 11 | 10 | Esther Cahill | Saranac |
| 12 | 9 | Bayla Curtis | Kent City |
| 13 | 10 | Abbie Koole | Grand Rapids Covenant Christian |
| 14 | 11 | Lydia Minderhoud | Grand Rapids Covenant Christian |
| 15 | 11 | Anna DeVries | Grand Rapids Covenant Christian |
| 16 | 11 | Kaylie Riksen | Muskegon Western Michigan Christian |
| 17 | 9 | Joselyn Vogel | Kent City |
| 18 | 11 | Faith Jenkins | Grandville Calvin Christian |
| 19 | 12 | Sylvia Skujins | North Muskegon |
| 20 | 9 | Sonya Minderhoud | Grand Rapids Covenant Christian |
Region 22
Top 27 Teams
Top-10 Saugatuck
#18 Buchanan
#27 Constantine
| Proj. Place | Team | Score |
| 1 | Saugatuck | 26 |
| 2 | Buchanan | 77 |
| 3 | Constantine | 97 |
| 4 | Bridgman | 132 |
| 5 | Niles Brandywine | 152 |
| 6 | Watervliet | 155 |
| 7 | Schoolcraft | 155 |
| 8 | Fennville | 170 |
| 9 | Bangor | 191 |
| 10 | Hartford | 294 |
| 11 | Kalamazoo Christian | 302 |
| 12 | Comstock | 354 |
Top Athletes
Isabelle Sliter – an 18:21 run at MITCA leaves one wondering her potential. A bit of that was seen in indoor, as Sliter ran 5:14 in January. The 2024 D3 All-Stater will look to move forward faster and repeat her outstanding close to the season.
| Place | Grade | Name | Team |
| 1 | 11 | Isabelle Sliter | Fennville |
| 2 | 12 | Alina Martinson | Saugatuck |
| 3 | 9 | Tala Carlin | Buchanan |
| 4 | 11 | Kamryn Sixberry | Saugatuck |
| 5 | 9 | Ellyse Heyser | Saugatuck |
| 6 | 11 | Lyvia Curtis | Saugatuck |
| 7 | 9 | Morgan Niblock | Constantine |
| 8 | 9 | Anna Davidhizar | Constantine |
| 9 | 9 | Ryann Monroe | Saugatuck |
| 10 | 12 | Kandin Shuler | Bridgman |
| 11 | 10 | Anna Howell | Bridgman |
| 12 | 9 | Daniella Romero | Watervliet |
| 13 | 10 | Alison Murray | Niles Brandywine |
| 14 | 9 | Allison Burns | Constantine |
| 15 | 10 | Avery Mollberg | Buchanan |
| 16 | 12 | Alaina Nagel | Buchanan |
| 17 | 10 | Olivia Bays | Schoolcraft |
| 18 | 10 | Kaylin Pinkowski | Bridgman |
| 19 | 12 | Makynna Williams | Buchanan |
| 20 | 10 | Alyda Leep | Schoolcraft |
Region 23
Top 27 Teams
Top-10 Jackson Lumen Christi
Top-10 Olivet
| Proj. Place | Team | Score |
| 1 | Jackson Lumen Christi | 50 |
| 2 | Olivet | 51 |
| 3 | Jonesville | 127 |
| 4 | Hanover-Horton | 150 |
| 5 | Onsted | 176 |
| 6 | Centreville | 182 |
| 7 | Napoleon | 186 |
| 8 | Bronson | 186 |
| 9 | Union City | 193 |
| 10 | Hillsdale | 220 |
| 11 | Sand Creek | 240 |
| 12 | Quincy | 269 |
| 13 | Homer | 337 |
| 14 | Springport | 422 |
Top Athletes
Samantha Schroeder – already written about!
Ashlynn Harris – 3x top-ten finisher here, 2x All-State, and keeps getting better each year. 2024’s state finish resulted in her being on the cusp of breaking under 19.
| Place | Grade | Name | Team |
| 1 | 11 | Samantha Schroeder | Jackson Lumen Christi |
| 2 | 12 | Ashlynn Harris | Bronson |
| 3 | 9 | Lily Britton | Olivet |
| 4 | 10 | Tiya Feldpausch | Olivet |
| 5 | 10 | Maisey Toteff | Hanover-Horton |
| 6 | 12 | Macy Fazekas | Jackson Lumen Christi |
| 7 | 9 | Avery Haynes | Brooklyn Columbia Central |
| 8 | 12 | Emily Peters | Olivet |
| 9 | 11 | Allison Gautsche | Union City |
| 10 | 9 | Madelynn Patterson | Olivet |
| 11 | 9 | Mila Scheele | Jackson Lumen Christi |
| 12 | 10 | Brynleigh Griffiths | Jonesville |
| 13 | 11 | Brynlee Swihart | Hanover-Horton |
| 14 | 10 | Madalynn Trame | Sand Creek |
| 15 | 10 | Madisyn Lindemann | Napoleon |
| 16 | 11 | Helen Lefere | Jackson Lumen Christi |
| 17 | 11 | Joleane Gulledge | Jonesville |
| 18 | 11 | Kendyl Musielewicz | Quincy |
| 19 | 9 | Ella Worthing | Jackson Lumen Christi |
| 20 | 9 | Hazel Sloat | Centreville |
Region 24
Top 27 Teams
Top-10 Pewamo-Westphalia
#16 Bath
#17 Stanton Central Montcalm
| Proj. Place | Team | Score |
| 1 | Pewamo-Westphalia | 26 |
| 2 | Bath | 72 |
| 3 | Stanton Central Montcalm | 78 |
| 4 | Laingsburg | 133 |
| 5 | Ovid-Elsie | 138 |
| 6 | Chesaning | 145 |
| 7 | New Lothrop | 190 |
| 8 | Montrose | 203 |
| 9 | Perry | 206 |
| 10 | Durand | 272 |
Top Athletes
Alyssa Kramer – she’s in here!
Grace Coston – Hoffman and Choponis move on, but Grace will still be out here doing her thing. Twice an All-Stater, she even broke through into the 18’s late last year.
Abigail Reis – unreal progression toward the end of last season, as Reis transformed from a girl who was over 23:00 as a sophomore to one that scraped under 19:00 as a junior.
| Place | Grade | Name | Team |
| 1 | 11 | Alyssa Kramer | Pewamo-Westphalia |
| 2 | 12 | Grace Coston | Stanton Central Montcalm |
| 3 | 12 | Abigail Reis | Millington |
| 4 | 11 | Charlotte Simon | Pewamo-Westphalia |
| 5 | 10 | Madison Wils | Bath |
| 6 | 12 | Anna Poppema | Bath |
| 7 | 10 | Adelyn Thelen | Pewamo-Westphalia |
| 8 | 9 | Calista George | Pewamo-Westphalia |
| 9 | 9 | Hattie LaLonde | Bath |
| 10 | 12 | Abbie Schneider | Pewamo-Westphalia |
| 11 | 9 | Katherine Schafer | Pewamo-Westphalia |
| 12 | 11 | Jenna Keilen | Pewamo-Westphalia |
| 13 | 12 | Clarissa Baese | Ovid-Elsie |
| 14 | 11 | Andrea Rolston | Stanton Central Montcalm |
| 15 | 10 | Alonna Schack | Chesaning |
| 16 | 12 | Braelyn Bunting | Stanton Central Montcalm |
| 17 | 10 | Kendal Tokar | Ovid-Elsie |
| 18 | 10 | KiKi Rusz | Laingsburg |
| 19 | 10 | Leah Theile | Chesaning |
| 20 | 12 | Hazel Burley | Laingsburg |
Region 25
Top 27 Teams
Top-10 Ithaca
#11 Remus Chippewa Hills
#14 Caro
#19 St. Louis
#22 Sanford-Meridian
#23 Midland Bullock Creek
| Proj. Place | Team | Score |
| 1 | Ithaca | 52 |
| 2 | Remus Chippewa Hills | 81 |
| 3 | Caro | 88 |
| 4 | St. Louis | 123 |
| 5 | Sanford-Meridian | 124 |
| 6 | Midland Bullock Creek | 131 |
| 7 | Saginaw Valley Lutheran | 151 |
| 8 | Pigeon-Laker | 164 |
| 9 | Hemlock | 254 |
| 10 | Cass City | 303 |
| 11 | Sandusky | 310 |
| 12 | Pinconning | 362 |
Top Athletes
Violet Tetil – the races she was able to run last year showcase a much improved runner from 2023. At MITCA’s Meet of Champions, she was able to slip under 19, a mark that shows she can be a contender for the D3 podium.
Khloe Lehnst – growing up in the sport, she finally got the opportunity to compete at the high school level. One of a great group of Ithaca girls, she managed to drop into the low-19’s late in the year, finishing 2nd here and 28th in D3.
Jocelyn Tetil – 8th grade season included Thumb Area and conference wins, along with a few introductions to the 5k.
Mattie Gagne – didn’t have the greatest regional race here last year, but redeemed herself a bit at MITCA. I’m assuming she has something to prove in 2025.
| Place | Grade | Name | Team |
| 1 | 11 | Violet Tetil | Caro |
| 2 | 10 | Khloe Lehnst | Ithaca |
| 3 | 9 | Jocelyn Tetil | Caro |
| 4 | 12 | Mattie Gagne | Midland Bullock Creek |
| 5 | 10 | Dory Simon | Remus Chippewa Hills |
| 6 | 11 | Makinna Foglesong | Ithaca |
| 7 | 11 | Pyper Braun | Pigeon-Laker |
| 8 | 12 | Myleigh Hephner | Ithaca |
| 9 | 12 | Quinn Hatfield | Remus Chippewa Hills |
| 10 | 10 | Lindsey Cmeyla | Saginaw Valley Lutheran |
| 11 | 10 | Isabelle Strand | Ithaca |
| 12 | 11 | Mikenna Nagel | Sanford-Meridian |
| 13 | 10 | Averie Stefanovsky | Caro |
| 14 | 11 | Emily Beethe | Saginaw Valley Lutheran |
| 15 | 9 | Lexi Kinder | St. Louis |
| 16 | 12 | Makenna Gwisdalla | Bad Axe |
| 17 | 12 | Elizabeth Ontis | Remus Chippewa Hills |
| 18 | 10 | Olivia Brown | Bad Axe |
| 19 | 9 | Kinley Gerow | Hemlock |
| 20 | 9 | Madison Lemert | St. Louis |
Region 26
Top 27 Teams
Top-10 Lansing Catholic
#20 Leslie
#21 Ann Arbor Greenhills
| Proj. Place | Team | Score |
| 1 | Lansing Catholic | 20 |
| 2 | Leslie | 92 |
| 3 | Ann Arbor Greenhills | 94 |
| 4 | Almont | 128 |
| 5 | University Liggett | 145 |
| 6 | Plymouth Christian Academy | 151 |
| 7 | Marine City | 164 |
| 8 | Algonac | 221 |
| 9 | Wixom St. Catherine | 229 |
| 10 | Rochester Hills Lutheran NW | 239 |
| 11 | Stockbridge | 246 |
| 12 | Detroit Osborn | 334 |
Top Athletes
Hailey Creisher – sung her praises here!
Josie Bishop – took a few meets for her to get used to things but in September, a switch flipped. Consistent mid-19 performer before dropping some serious time at CAAC #3 and D3 State (20th).
Grace Wonch – coming off a track season where she set an immense personal best in the 3200m. Her 11:15 ranks 2nd amongst D3 returners and she was able to pick up a medal in the event at the State Finals.
| Place | Grade | Name | Team |
| 1 | 12 | Hailey Creisher | Leslie |
| 2 | 10 | Josie Bishop | Lansing Catholic |
| 3 | 11 | Grace Wonch | Lansing Catholic |
| 4 | 12 | Frances Melinn | Lansing Catholic |
| 5 | 10 | Lindsey Ludwig | Lansing Catholic |
| 6 | 10 | Isabelle Currie | Lansing Catholic |
| 7 | 10 | Addison Gregg | Ann Arbor Greenhills |
| 8 | 12 | Madi Hare | Plymouth Christian Academy |
| 9 | 10 | Margaret Guerra-Harrison | Leslie |
| 10 | 12 | Ella Heffner | Charyl Stockwell Academy |
| 11 | 9 | Elsa Korte | Lansing Catholic |
| 12 | 10 | Taylor Stanczak | Almont |
| 13 | 11 | Avery Miller | Lansing Catholic |
| 14 | 11 | Reagan Lees | Wixom St. Catherine |
| 15 | 12 | Laila Evola | Almont |
| 16 | 9 | Anamaria Brazdau | Plymouth Christian Academy |
| 17 | 10 | Madisyn Hunter | Leslie |
| 18 | 11 | Libby Schuster | Ann Arbor Greenhills |
| 19 | 10 | Lexie Donaldson | University Liggett |
| 20 | 12 | Janaan Rehman | Ann Arbor Greenhills |
Region 27
Top 27 Teams
Top-10 Blissfield
#24 Grass Lake
| Proj. Place | Team | Score |
| 1 | Blissfield | 22 |
| 2 | Grass Lake | 61 |
| 3 | Monroe St. Mary CC | 76 |
| 4 | Erie Mason | 112 |
| 5 | Ottawa Lake-Whiteford | 114 |
| 6 | Ida | 153 |
| 7 | Adrian Madison | 174 |
| 8 | Detroit Cristo Rey | 239 |
Top Athletes
Hope Miller – greatness illustrated here!
Bella LaFountain – 3x All-Stater and consistently top-5 here. Had another outstanding track season that saw state qualifiers in the 800m and 1600m.
Hailey Sills – this spring, picked the perfect day to have the race of her life, breaking 12:00 for the first time ever and earning a state qualifier. May she carry the momentum into cross!
| Place | Grade | Name | Team |
| 1 | 12 | Hope Miller | Blissfield |
| 2 | 12 | Bella LaFountain | Monroe St. Mary CC |
| 3 | 12 | Hailey Sills | Blissfield |
| 4 | 10 | Adalyn Jarchow | Grass Lake |
| 5 | 11 | Anna Hallett | Blissfield |
| 6 | 11 | Kaleea Braun | Blissfield |
| 7 | 10 | Ella Claus | Clinton |
| 8 | 9 | Josslyn Handy | Clinton |
| 9 | 12 | Natalie Benitez | Blissfield |
| 10 | 11 | Braelynn Chiotti | Ottawa Lake-Whiteford |
| 11 | 11 | Elise Bullock | Grass Lake |
| 12 | 11 | Juleigh Husby | Monroe St. Mary CC |
| 13 | 9 | Mollie Yeager | Blissfield |
| 14 | 11 | Adeline Stormont | Grass Lake |
| 15 | 11 | Makenzie Hilberer | Grass Lake |
| 16 | 9 | Layla Gilbert | Blissfield |
| 17 | 10 | Kate Otting | Erie Mason |
| 18 | 10 | Breslin Wing | Ottawa Lake-Whiteford |
| 19 | 12 | Leona Knudsen | Monroe St. Mary CC |
| 20 | 12 | Riley England | Erie Mason |
Michigan XC Speed Ratings 