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50 Tickets to Brooklyn: #6

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  • Jack’s had a lot of predecessors that have paved the way
    • His father was a standout runner for Macomb CC
    • His teammates: Schwartz, Wilson, Cobb, Rinke
    • Even those in the area: Nicoletti, Brandenburg
  • But now it’s his time to shine
  • Speedy consistency was his number one attribute in 2020 – of the 9 races he ran, 6 were sub-16
    • And that Hansons Invite was definitely sub-16 quality
  • He ratcheted things down in late October, reaching the low 15:30’s at Regionals, then redeeming himself from the previous year with an All-State finish (and team title)
  • In track, he showed that he’s an endurance god, running 9:12 off of “only” a 4:25 1600m best
  • Romeo’s quest for back to back titles depends on their 4th/5th runners, but you know you can count on him in Brooklyn

  • I observe many interactions throughout the state and I can say one thing for certain – the people of Mason LOVE their Meghan Ford
  • With that support system in place and the talent she possesses, no wonder she had a marvelous freshman campaign
  • In the early season, she quietly went about her business, and then rose to the occasion once October hit, with three sub-18 performances
  • And on a day where many fell apart, she held her own in no-man’s land, running 18:18 to finish 2nd at MIS
    • Which given the heat and conditions, was another sub-18 equivalent
  • The spring saw many more championship level performances, where she picked up crowns at CAAC Red, Greater Lansing Honor Roll, and Region 15
    • And also nabbed a 3rd place finish in the 3200m at State
  • Those championship races will be a great experience that she’ll have in her corner when early November rolls around
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50 Tickets to Brooklyn: #7

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  • A common characteristic of anyone at this level is that they peak at the right time, and Andrew is another prime example of that
  • In each year, he’s run his season best at one of the last three meets of the year
  • As a sophomore, it came in a surprise 8th place finish at Regionals
  • In 2020, three successive PB’s: Regionals, State Meet, and the Meet of Champions
  • Despite one of the slower mile bests, he was able to show incredible strength, pulling off a 9:12 at the New Balance 3200m
  • Definitely a sleeper on the state scene, but someone to watch in the finishing stretch of any race because he closes hard
  • I guarantee he will sneak up on quite a few at MIS and finish much higher than expected

  • I’m a huge fan of Arianne because she’s a shining example of grit and that if you train through segment after segment, the results will come
  • She burst into the high school arena as a freshman, winning all but two of her races, hitting sub-18 multiple times, all the way to a 2nd place finish at MIS
  • In the absence of a 2020 track season, she time trial’ed a sub-17 on the roads and it appeared as if she would be the dominant force in D1 cross
  • And although she finished top-10 again, that didn’t seem to happen
    • But if you train through many segments and years, you’ll have races and seasons that don’t make sense, as long as you keep grinding, you’ll hit your goals
  • Track came and Arianne was back, her 4:50 ranking 4th amongst returners, her 10:26 ranking 2nd, and she continued her impressive streak of top-10 finishes with a 2nd place in the 3200m
  • She’s probably a little underrated as far as these rankings go, but I don’t think she minds that one bit

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Regional Previews: Division 1, Region 3

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Where: Portage West. Hosting FOUR regions. Kudos to these fine folks for bearing a large load and doing their part to help our sport.

2020 Boys: Caledonia, Jenison, Portage Central

2020 Girls: Holland West Ottawa, Jenison, Hudsonville

Top 25 Boys Teams: Caledonia (Top Two), Portage Central (19), Kalamazoo Central (22), Battle Creek Lakeview (24)

Top 25 Girls Teams: Holland West Ottawa (3), St. Joseph (15), Hudsonville (23)

Top 50 Boys (Division 1): Josh Oom (17), Jordan Domany (18), Drew Gonzalez (42), Jonas Fraley-Burgett (45), Chase Holwerda (48), Carston Cole (50)

Top 50 Girls (Division 1): Arianne Olson (4), Helen Sachs (11), Emily Reeves (26), Maya Guikema (31)