Author: mixcspeedratings

The List

29. Whitney Currie, Forest Hills Central

• Early in the season, it appeared as if Whitney would keep along her already impressive form from her freshman and sophomore years
• Around late September, she went into another gear, winning her races at both Kent Ottawa and Allendale Falcon
• At the Benzie Central, she took that to an even greater level, nearly dropping a minute off her PR
• All that led to her 3^rd straight State Finals appearance and first All-State selection

29. Nathan Faust, East Lansing

He’s (Nathan) a great teammate and always helps our team in positive ways. He had some injury issues last summer so expect some big jumps from him. He’s always a friend I can ask advice for as well. And he’s the best example of a team first guy.

Matthew Zeleke, East Lansing

• After a solid freshman debut, Nathan has turned it on the past two years
• Each year, he’s PR’ed and qualified for State
• That PR this year was his first jaunt under the 16:00 barrier, smashing it with a 15:47 in the most competitive regional (how was that 9^th?!)
• A bit more speed oriented on the track, having run 4:22 in the 2019 track season
• Has all the qualities of a great leader on an unheralded East Lansing squad, one that has a good chance of making some noise this year

The List

30. Drew Seabase, Traverse City Central

• Drew has long been one of the better runners for his grade, his freshman year he was slightly hidden behind the Smith brothers of Alpena, now he’s vying for his 3^rd straight All-State
• When you’re that good that early, it’s tough to see that year to year progress, but Drew has had time drops in each of his last two years
• Winner of the prestigious Northern Michigan Championship in 2019 and has finished top-10 there all three years
• Three-time state qualifier
• Traverse City Central is always a top program, this year no different, he and Venhuizen will be needed to get low points up front

30. Cookie Baugh, Ann Arbor Pioneer

• A big factor in ranking high here is steadiness, no subpar races, and Cookie is a prime example
• Her lone poor races were a hot day at Jackson, finishing 10^th, and a 5^th place finish at the SEC Championship
• Her best races helped Pioneer win a Regional title and a State title
• She had tremendous improvement in more than one area
  • Ratings, approximately a 0:45 drop on average
  • Durability, she competed all year in 2019, her previous season was cut short
  • Her personal best, going from 19:11 to 18:39
• Along with a runner to be named later, contributes to another great duo that will be important to Pioneer’s bid for a repeat

The List

31. Elsa Rusthoven, DeWitt

• Elsa and a runner to be named later represent one of the better one-two punches on the girls side of the state
• She’s made steady jumps throughout her career, didn’t break 20 as a freshman, didn’t break 19 as a sophomore, and into the 18’s last fall
• Peaked at the right time last year, setting a PR at Regionals, then bettering that performance to an All-State berth
• Actually beat that regional time on a rain-soaked MITCA race in Shepherd (18:31.8, 155.7 rating)

31. Adugna Moritz, Holt

• Adugna is an example of someone who’s been at the top level of Michigan running for 3 years
• He’s spent every year in the 15’s
• He’s been All-State once, All-Region 3x, Top 10 at Greater Lansing 3x
• And this past year, he was able to celebrate a major PR