It’s baaack. A summertime tradition has returned, the 50 Tickets to Brooklyn. These lists celebrate the top 50 returners – based on a concoction of the ’25 XC season, projected improvements, the ’26 Track season, and a tiny bit of my own input.
NXN National Champion Brooks National Champion Division 1 State Champion 2x Region 5 Champion 2x SEC Red Champion
Track
Division 1 State 3200m Champion New Balance Outdoor 4xMile Champion 3rd Place – New Balance Outdoor DMR 4th Place – New Balance Outdoor 4×8 3rd Place – Brooks PR 2 Mile MITS/MITCA Indoor State 1600m Champion 3rd Place – New Balance Indoor 3200m 5th Place – New Balance Indoor 4xMile 4th Place – Millrose Games Mile (HS)
Her Championship Season
Two charts, times and ratings. The first one shows all the sub-18’s at MIS over the past 26 seasons (2000 to 2025). The second one shows all the >150 ratings over that time period.
Sub-18 @ MIS, 2000-2025>150 Ratings, 2000-2025
Natasza’s Division 1 win was a record breaker and it wasn’t even close. One of only six girls to cross the line under 17:00, joined by Pioneer alum Rachel Forsyth in the sub-16:30 club, and all alone by herself, 19 seconds clear of Rachel with her 16:09.5
Two ratings stand out above anyone else – Megan Goethals and Dudek. Goethals, who won FootLocker as well in 2009, battled one of the worst weather days in MIS history en route to her 16:54 (188.7 rating). Those tough conditions usually enhance the rating for the top individuals, so perhaps Natasza’s 189.8 is a bit subdued.
Speaking of national championships, Natasza’s season extended much beyond MIS. She found herself in an unfamiliar position late at NXN, having to come from behind, winning the championship in the final stretch. Our first NXN champion from Michigan. A week later in San Diego, the race played out slightly differently, though Dudek still had to rely on her toughness late in the race. She made a move at 4k, gapping the field, driving the pace, but still couldn’t shake her competitors until the final meters, where she ultimately came home as Michigan’s 3rd Brooks/FootLocker Champion.
If that’s her sophomore rendition, we’re in for a treat over the next two seasons.
It’s baaack. A summertime tradition has returned, the 50 Tickets to Brooklyn. These lists celebrate the top 50 returners – based on a concoction of the ’25 XC season, projected improvements, the ’26 Track season, and a tiny bit of my own input.
Division 1 State Champion Region 5 Champion SEC Red Champion 2x All-State
Track
Division 1 State 4×8 Champion 3x All-State 3rd Place – New Balance Outdoor 4×8 6th Place – New Balance Indoor 4×8 12th Place – New Balance Outdoor 4xMile 10th Place – Division 1 State 3200m
You Know I Dig Improvement
And there ain’t much better improvement than going from DNF to State Champion
Yeah, Kamari’s been at the forefront of the sport here in Michigan for a few years, buoyed by his quick times throughout his three seasons. But like it or not, much is judged by one day – The State Finals.
November 2nd, 2024 was not Ronfeldt’s day. Dealing with hip issues, his season had started late, as he opened in late September with a win at the second SEC Red Jamboree. Soon after came a win at Portage in a blazing 15:02. All was right in the world, a young Ronfeldt on the path to a D1 win as sophomore. But that never materialized at MIS, as Kamari was able to hang with the top pack through the mile before dropping out.
That could affect future State Finals and momentous races, or even worse, derail a career.
Undaunted, however, was Kamari. The next season started a bit earlier and went on the same path. Ronfeldt was victorious in major meets such as Jackson and Portage, each of the sub-15 variety, each by sizable margins over strong, D1-centric fields. Coming into the State Finals, he was the title favorite, but there was always that looming question of whether history would repeat itself.
November 1st, 2025 was Ronfeldt’s day. The field was up for the challenge, with 9 other competitors present at the mile, 6 at two. By the three mile mark, only Cloud and Ronfeldt remained, with Kamari sprinting across the line in first, covering the final 1/10th in 24.5 seconds, a blistering 3:49 pace.
As with the 50 Tickets and the Top Teams (11-27 listed thus far), these are driven through a combination of last fall’s ratings, projected improvements (based on high school class and rating), and this past track season. They contain every cross returner and most of the 8th graders rising to the high school level (but not all, as not all middle schools feed to a specific high school).
In terms of feeder schools, Division Two is where I start to get confident. The only real issue are the secular schools around Metro Detroit, the ones that feed into the Marians, Divine Childs, etc. of the world. So I may be missing a few folk there, but perhaps these projections light a fire under an underrated team.
You may notice that these are more condensed than in previous years. I cannot fathom how I used to write posts for every single region! I just don’t have the time these days. But the projections are still here, even in a less wordy and less time-consuming format.
Enjoy. Use as motivation, but always know, these are never personal. Just numbers.
Toughest Regions
Region 12 Boys & Girls
The power of Division 2 is concentrated on the west side, with a high percentage of D2 schools in each gender containing strong programs. With the heightened ratio, it’s only natural that the regions on the west coast will be stronger. Between the two genders, this region contains five top-10 teams and Forest Hills Eastern’s boys come in at a measly #11.
Don’t trust me on that strength? Take a peek at last fall’s State Finals, where teams from Region 12 placed 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 8th, and 10th. Unfortunately, there’s not much of a great solution unless more west side teams enter the D2 realm, because right now, the geographic allotment of schools only allows for 3-4 west coast regions.
Region 15 Boys
With three top-10 boys teams. Flint Powers Catholic, your defending D2 champ, will have to hold off a fiery Alma squad, returning from their two-year hiatus down in Region 14. Of course the host Shepherd will have the home course advantage. We’ll likely see a preview of this at Bluejay Elite!
Intriguing Battles
Region 11 Girls
Could probably file this under toughest regions as well. Despite what’s looking like a rugged race, defending champion Holland Christian should have an easy road out.
Last fall, it was Coopersville and Holland grabbing the final two spots. The Broncos return their top-four girls and the Dutch bring back their top-five. But incoming from Region 10 is Cedar Springs, who could potentially be bolstered by three incoming freshmen that contributed to wins in the RCA and Zone 6 (Small School). As of now, it appears the Holland will be the strongest up front, Cedar Springs may have the best depth, and Coopersville will be a mix between the two.
Region 13 Boys
Where it could be Paw Paw, St. Joseph, and Vicksburg in contention for two spots. These three teams occupied the 5th-7th slots in 2025, but all have good reason to take the trip to MIS in 2026. For one, 90% of 2025’s regional competitors from the three squads are returners. Both Paw Paw and Vicksburg had at least three returning boys run under 5:00 and 11:00. St. Joseph wasn’t quite as fast, but had their depth pieces (such as Micah Meier, who dropped 30+ sec. in the 1600m) rapidly improve. As of now, it’s appearing that Vicksburg and Paw Paw will be similarly tough up front, with St. Joseph having load of potential coming from their pack.
After missing a qualifier the previous year, made the most of his opportunity in Brooklyn, knocking out his second straight sub-16, grabbing 25th place in D2.
Gabe Grierson, Ludington
Has made sizable jumps throughout his high school career, most recently subtracting nearly a minute from his 10th to 11th grade years.
Bryce Falbe, Muskegon Oakridge
Major contributor to resurgent Oakridge track campaign with an exceptional spring in the mid-distance. Sub-2 in the 800m for a majority of May, culminating in a 6th place finish in Hamilton.
Lukas Albright, Big Rapids
A definite darkhorse who improved mightily in 2026. His 9:44 in the 3200m was more than a minute quicker than he’d run as a sophomore.
West Michigan MEGASTAR champion in a blazing 11:14, which should translate very well to XC.
Marlowe Walcott, Reed City
Had some gutsy championship season performances last fall. After running in the 20’s for a good chunk of the year, dropped a 19:15 at Benzie and then hit the D3 podium a week later.
Hailey Kuhn, Cadillac
As a freshman, the Viking had a breakthrough at the right time, dropping into the low-19’s and even a 18:49 during her championship season.
Coming off a huge track season, especially in the 3200m, where he placed 7th in D2.
Steven Zawacki, Forest Hills Eastern
Has been top-10 here each of the past two years.
Ben Verlin, Grand Rapids South Christian
South Christian Sailor mightily improved from 10th to 11th grade. Here, he moved from 47th to 12th and of course, he got faster too, dropping well over a minute from his sophomore best.
Harper Creek senior had a huge race at State last fall, breaking 16:00 for the first time ever en route to a 22nd place finish.
Christopher Vogt, Paw Paw
9:49 3200m at spring’s end gives thought toward growth, as Vogt dropped almost 30 sec. in the event from his 2025 best.
Seth Randall, St. Joseph
Exceptional mid-distance runner. Twice SMAC Champion in the 800m, who also showed considerable progress on the grass, reaching far down into the low-16’s.
Ethan Ferguson, Edwardsburg
Quite the wholesale change between seasons for this Eddie. Ferguson barely slipped under 20:00 during his 9th grade year, then rode into the 16’s on a few occasions as a 10th grader.
Hunter Smith, Vicksburg
After not even competing here as a sophomore, Smith made the most of his chance here as a junior, placing 12th and earning a MIS spot.
Proj. Place
Grade
Name
Team
1
12
Caiden Caswell
Vicksburg
2
12
Abraham McHugh
Marshall
3
12
Christian Ayres
Battle Creek Harper Creek
4
12
Christopher Vogt
Paw Paw
5
12
Seth Randall
St. Joseph
6
11
Ethan Ferguson
Edwardsburg
7
12
Hunter Smith
Vicksburg
8
12
Connor Beebe
Berrien Springs
9
12
Gunnar Djerf
Otsego
10
11
Carson Wiersbe
St. Joseph
11
10
John Brickley
Niles
12
10
George Whitaker
Otsego
13
11
Landon Lindsay
Paw Paw
14
10
Ryan Long
Otsego
15
11
David Kore
Three Rivers
16
11
Grant Krause
Paw Paw
17
11
Kaleb Koestner
Otsego
18
11
Reed Gates
Edwardsburg
19
12
Grayson Campbell
Vicksburg
20
11
Riley Szalai
Edwardsburg
Girls
Proj. Place
Team
Proj. Score
Div. Rank
1
Otsego
29
Top-10
2
St. Joseph
68
Top-10
3
Plainwell
97
17
4
Sturgis
118
20
5
Stevensville Lakeshore
168
6
Paw Paw
175
7
Edwardsburg
226
8
Battle Creek Harper Creek
231
9
Three Rivers
267
10
Vicksburg
274
11
Niles
280
12
Berrien Springs
291
13
Marshall
329
14
Coldwater
339
Natalya Hoffman, Plainwell
Ran the 3rd fastest 1600m of any Michigan MS girl and was Wolverine Conference MS XC Champ in 2025.
Alayna Verhage, Otsego
Had one of the better races of her 9th grade year on the biggest stage – an 18:30 at State that was good for 20th place.
Mai Nguyen, Plainwell
Plainwell junior improved from 109th in D2 in 2024 to 29th during 2025.
Addelyn Sabatke, Otsego
Showed there’s room for growth this past spring, rockin’ the 3200m by the way of a state qualifier and 14th place D2 finish.
Incoming freshman who was undefeated in 8th grade, including wins at Jr. Greater Lansing and Zone 5.
Remie Ellis, Eaton Rapids
Always finds a way to bring her best material in the biggest meets, such as the 5:11 that grabbed 8th place in the D2 1600m.
Addison Josephson, Linden
Ended her 11th grade fall on a super high note, seemingly dropping time with each successive meet. By season’s end, she’d run 18:17 and placed 11th in D2.
Had been building and building and building throughout ’25, before finally getting the payoff – a 15:50 personal best at State.
Cole Heikka, Holly
Track season (and Timberwolf Lake time trial, I see you!) suggests big things are around the corner, as Cole got under 10:00 for the 3200m for the first time ever.
One of the more multi-talented and multi-faceted athletes you’ll find. Can run in the low-19’s, be the defending regional champion, long jump, and sprint.
Proj. Place
Grade
Name
Team
1
12
Maddie Lindley
Holly
2
11
Julia Bambach
Holly
3
12
Samantha Whitlam
Macomb Lutheran North
4
12
Lucille Clark
Bloomfield Hills Marian
5
11
Chloe Boright
Macomb Lutheran North
6
11
Saige Cole
Yale
7
11
Zahiya Khan
Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood
8
10
Claire Albrecht
Armada
9
12
Hannah Haines
Madison Heights Lamphere
10
10
Katherine Estes
Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood
11
12
Diya Goyal
Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood
12
11
Lucy Gump
Macomb Lutheran North
13
11
Gabby Schuff
Bloomfield Hills Marian
14
11
Madelyn Barkley
Croswell-Lexington
15
10
Katelyn Schweihofer
Yale
16
10
Julia Geisz
Bloomfield Hills Marian
17
10
Lyla Eidson
Auburn Hills Avondale
18
12
Avery Stallmann
Macomb Lutheran North
19
12
Lillian Bender
Yale
20
12
Kenzie LeVey
Marysville
REGION 18
Boys
Proj. Place
Team
Proj. Score
Div. Rank
1
Adrian
36
13
2
Tecumseh
58
25
3
Carleton Airport
81
4
Monroe Jefferson
125
5
New Boston Huron
129
6
Ypsilanti Community
178
7
Grosse Ile
199
8
Trenton
285
9
Dundee
297
10
Ida
298
11
Flat Rock
301
12
Riverview
305
13
Milan
308
14
Melvindale
361
15
Dearborn Heights Annapolis
395
Parker Smith, Adrian
Found a home in long-distance events on the track, especially the 3200m. His 9:47 closer ranked 9th amongst all Michigan 9th graders.
Easton Coscarelli, Adrian
On the course for greater things, as his track season shows improvement is on the way. Dropped from 4:49 to 4:34 in the 1600m, placing 4th in Lenawee County.
Eli Morris, Tecumseh
Had a tremendous close to his junior year, sending off his season with a 16:20 PR at MITCA.
Found the 18’s once as a freshman, managed to delve much deeper as a sophomore, ripping an 18:30 to place 19th in D2.
Ella Baker, Carleton Airport
Spring season saw Baker continue her 800m prowess and even extend it up to the 1600m, her 5:23 winning the Huron League.
Claire Miller, Monroe Jefferson
Wholesale change between her regional/state performances as a 9th grader and as a 10th grader. Whereas Claire was north of 21:00 in 2024, she was south of 20:00 in 2025.
Zoey Cheney, New Boston Huron
Quite the dichotomy between her opener (23:19 at Lamplighter) and closer (19:45 at MIS).
Michigan XC Speed Ratings 