Blog

The goal for this summer’s preview is to be a bit more thorough and coherent. Usually I’m rushed and racing to get out content before the season begins, but I swear this year will be different! I’m starting a little earlier, I already performed a ton of the dirty work over the winter, and am as motivated as ever.

Anyhow, the plan is this:

1. Write a bit about teams ranked 11-27, D4 through D1
2. Knock out the 50 Tickets
3. Have more detailed posts about the Top 10 Teams
4. Throw out the always controversial Regional Projections
5. Hopefully have one all-encompassing post for each division (including the UP, which typically starts a little later than us trolls, so they’ll get their own two-week period in late August)

Why rank to 27? Well, unless there’s a 4th place team that qualifies out of a regional, there are 27 teams that compete at the Lower Peninsula State Finals.

These projections are based on a combination of last season’s ratings, projected improvements, and this past track season. They contain kids that ran XC in 2025, either for their high school or a middle school that typically feeds to that high school. Projecting D4 is always a little rough because of the smaller enrollments. My estimation is that there’s more recruiting from within the school and multi-sport athletes compared to other divisions. As a result, these likely miss out on athletes that could have a huge impact.

As always, these are for fun and a way to keep the best sport in the world on your mind through these summer months.

27-11

27. Howell – of course Jack MacGregor leads the way, but he’s backed up by two other solid contributors, David DeLand and Alex Weller. Both are mid-16 runners who placed in the top-25 in 2025’s Region 4.

26. Brownstown Woodhaven – the Downriver squad made their first trip to MIS last fall and now appeared poised to advance for a second consecutive year. Talent is pouring out of their middle school program, though the ever-improving senior Vincent Jones should lead the way.

25. Traverse City Central – a traditional power from the north. The Trojans will need to replace Caleb Keller, with Evan Fox likely stepping into the role of the top guy. The senior finished his track season on a high note, racing to a 4:28 PB at MITCA.

24. Fenton – from D1 to D2 back to D1 are these Tigers. Gavin Katic is the standout, but also needing notice is the depth of the program. This fall could very well be a world where seven Fenton kids could be sub-17.

23. Lake Orion – getting a lil’ regional change could be good fortune for the Dragons. They’ll add what could be an outstanding freshman to the duo of Luis Nava (2^nd fastest 9^th grader at D1 State) and Ricardo Guajardo (4:39/9:54 as a sophomore).

22. Dexter – the Washtenaw County squad will be tough up front. Not only with Coen Hill, but also Nick Martens, whose 9:38 in the 3200m was a 30+ second drop from the season before.

21. Romeo – the Bulldog sophomore class has made their presence known, throwing out eight boys that were sub-18. Take that burgeoning potential and mix it with seniors such as Brody Empson and Carson Hlavin, then you’ve got a stew going.

20. Holland West Ottawa – the Panthers should be able to pack it in up front with luminaries such as Boston Wilkinson, Sebastian Ruiz, and Maxwell Post. The three were all sub-16:30 in 2025.

19. Saginaw Heritage – Region 2 will be tough sledding, but the Hawks are deep. And with depth, comes potential breakouts. The Hawks return 12(!) sub-18 kids from last fall.

18. Davison – a squad that made the most movement from prior to track season to now. A great chunk of that is due to the rapid improvement of Sullivan Gartrell, who progressed from a kid barely breaking 18:00 to one spitting out a 2:00/4:28.

17. Rockford – a senior-laden team. Josiah Derksen, Noah Watson, Charles Gavan, Addison Dufendach are all experienced boys that will or should contribute.

16. Grand Ledge – in 2025, saw the realization from years of program building with a 10^th place finish. Five finishers from that state squad remain, including what should be a strong top three of Rylen Richey, Caelan Marsh, and Nolan Lounds.

15. Milford – Sal’s boys move from the western Oakland region to the northern suburbs. The regional magic may still be needed, though their foundation will likely be strong. The Mavericks bring back six boys that have personal bests in the low-17’s or faster.

14. Portage Central – Marcus Essling and Tristan Zhang should be excellent up front, one of the better top-two combos in the state. Each were sub-10 this past spring in the 3200m.

13. Grand Blanc – a team loaded with youngsters that in 2025, got a chance to experience the trials and tribulations of racing, placing 5^th in what may have been the toughest region in the state. Region 2 hasn’t gotten much easier, but these guys are a year older, and in the case of Jack Crongeyer, just finished a track campaign where they knocked 30 sec. off their 3200m best.

12. Kalamazoo Central – the depth pieces and packs of Giants clearly spent the winter training, as they progressed in a way that’ll surely see them displacing runners come fall. Two great examples: Colby Bartells and Brady Winther-MacInnis, each of whom dropped significant seconds in the 3200m this past spring.

11. Caledonia – the Scots will have one of the stronger top-three’s of anyone in the state. Sean Thompson, Bennett Snapper, and Bentley Nichols were all in the 16:20’s or faster last fall.

Best Track Seasons

(some of the teams that improved the most from March until now)

Davison

800m: 5 returners sub-2:15
1600m: 4 returners sub-4:50
3200m: 4 returners sub-11:00

Portage Central

800m: 5 returners sub-2:15
1600m: 6 returners sub-5:00
3200m: 2 returners sub-10:00

Kalamazoo Central

800m: 9 returners sub-2:15
1600m: 7 returners sub-5:00
3200m: 5 returners sub-10:30

2025 State Finals

3^rd – Kalamazoo Central
7^th – Milford
10^th – Grand Ledge
12^th – Caledonia
14^th – Romeo
18^th – Woodhaven Brownstown

14^th – Fenton (D2)

DNQ – Grand Blanc, Portage Central, Rockford, Davison, Saginaw Heritage, Holland West Ottawa, Dexter, Lake Orion, Traverse City Central, Howell

27-11

27. Zeeland East – the Chix will look to reload from a streak of greatness. Adalyn Raab will undoubtedly lead the way. She’ll be followed by girls that’ve shown potential, such as Tenley DeWitt, who broke 20:00 as a freshman.

26. Mason – the Bulldogs could benefit from a reworked Region 4. They’re an experienced squad, led by three upperclasswomen (Jorga Wooledge, Ruby Petee, and Morgan Allen) that’ve all been sub-20 in their careers.

25. Macomb Dakota – coming off a wonderful track season, especially shown through the improvement of Grace Mathers, who progressed from a girl running mid-19’s in cross to one that posted the 14^th fastest freshman 1600m in Michigan.

24. Dexter – Senior Kodie Snyder will be at the forefront of the Dreadnaught squad. She’s fresh off a track season where she dropped a vast amount of time in the 3200m (11:40 to 11:12).

23. Howell – the class of ’29 can be a gamechanger for the Highlanders, offering up four sophomores that slipped under 21:00 as freshmen. Add those girls to Anna Halliday and you’ve got another squad hopeful to make it out of Region 4.

22. Utica – Kylie Brown is a girl that’s quickly gotten better and better. She dropped over two minutes off her freshman best to run 19:05, placing 11^th in Region 9.

21. Clarkston – Avery DeGrendel has been gradually whittling time down, each and every year. A major payoff came this spring, where she grabbed her first individual qualifier on the track in the 1600m.

20. Romeo – many have gone and left a legacy that will be remembered for years. But in their absence, the opportunity comes for others to step up and make a name for themselves. Of course, Annie Hrabovsky and Reese Rosbolt will lead the way, giving the Bulldogs two low-sticks in a year that’s a little more uncertain.

19. Zeeland West – the Dux return six of the seven runners that competed on Region 3’s 4^th place team. They add what could be a solid freshman piece.

18. Rochester – Charlotte Jones had a breakout track season, though she’s not the only Falcon to show out. Annie Roraff dropped 6 seconds in her main event (800m), but also proved to be an adept miler, which could definitely carry over to XC.

17. Rochester Adams – those Keith girls always find a way, Leah Keith the latest of the bunch. She found a home in the 1600m this spring, racing in the 5:30’s on multiple occasions, showing that she has the fitness to contribute during cross.

16. White Lake Lakeland – always a solid squad that performs above expectation. This year’s version appears to be deep and will be senior-led. Those seniors have plenty of experience stepping up when needed, having qualified and competed for the past three State Finals.

15. Hartland – Along with Lakeland, another team that can throw many girls at you. The Eagles will replace Neuer and Nunnery, but are well-equipped to be led by Ava Goodman, a senior who has slipped under 19:00 the past two seasons.

14. Midland Dow – we know about Emilia Garces, yes. Though through four, the Chargers should be able to pack up and bury teams. Kate Mcfarlane, Autumn Luick, and Hannah Vogel were all sub-19:30 in 2025,

13. Saline – the combo of Savannah Staton and Katarina Munson can surely be one of the quicker one-two punches in the state. Staton’s accomplishments are numerous and speedy, but don’t sleep on Munson, who has dropped under 19:00 each of the past two falls.

12. Brownstown Woodhaven – the queens of Downriver look to make their presence more well-known in the state. The Warriors were able to state a bit of a case in 2025-2026, qualifying for XC State, then their 4×8 winning Region 5. With six varsity returners from that state squad, the purple-clad crew can challenge for the top-10.

11. Traverse City West – the Titans graduate their excellent and accomplished ’26 class, but there’s still plenty of numbers in the waiting. Four returners, including the great Tessa Mascari, have run in the very low-20’s or faster.

Best Track Seasons

(some of the teams that improved the most from March until now)

Macomb Dakota

800m: 5 returners sub-2:40
1600m: 6 returners sub-6:00
3200m: 5 returners sub-13:00

Rochester

800m: 4 returners sub-2:40
1600m: 5 returners sub-6:00
3200m: 2 returners sub-12:00

2025 State Finals

2^nd – Romeo
7^th – Traverse City West
9^th – Hartland
10^th – Saline
14^th – Rochester Adams
17^th – Rochester
19^th – White Lake Lakeland
20^th – Woodhaven Brownstown
21^st – Clarkston
22^nd – Utica
23^rd – Macomb Dakota
25^th – Zeeland East

DNQ – Midland Dow, Zeeland West, Howell, Dexter, Mason

The goal for this summer’s preview is to be a bit more thorough and coherent. Usually I’m rushed and racing to get out content before the season begins, but I swear this year will be different! I’m starting a little earlier, I already performed a ton of the dirty work over the winter, and am as motivated as ever.

Anyhow, the plan is this:

1. Write a bit about teams ranked 11-27, D4 through D1
2. Knock out the 50 Tickets
3. Have more detailed posts about the Top 10 Teams
4. Throw out the always controversial Regional Projections
5. Hopefully have one all-encompassing post for each division (including the UP, which typically starts a little later than us trolls, so they’ll get their own two-week period in late August)

Why rank to 27? Well, unless there’s a 4th place team that qualifies out of a regional, there are 27 teams that compete at the Lower Peninsula State Finals.

These projections are based on a combination of last season’s ratings, projected improvements, and this past track season. They contain kids that ran XC in 2025, either for their high school or a middle school that typically feeds to that high school. Projecting D4 is always a little rough because of the smaller enrollments. My estimation is that there’s more recruiting from within the school and multi-sport athletes compared to other divisions. As a result, these likely miss out on athletes that could have a huge impact.

As always, these are for fun and a way to keep the best sport in the world on your mind through these summer months.

27-11

27. Ludington – Gabe Grierson leads the way for this west coast squad. The senior busted out a sub-16 last fall at Benzie to secure his first ever run at MIS.

26. Haslett – a solid team throughout, though ability to move up in the rankings may depend on freshmen – three of ‘em were 12-flat or faster at the MS level in 2025.

25. Tecumseh – a young squad brought to the forefront by the ’28 class, which contains four kids that were in the low-17’s or faster as sophomores.

24. Freeland – led by Ryan Brown, a burgeoning young talent that broke into the 16’s late last fall and completed a solid track season.

23. Petoskey – senior-laden and deep, coming off a track season where much improvement was found. Jack Frentz is the prime example, dropping over a minute from his 2025 best in the 3200m.

22. St. Joseph – headlined by a top-two that can compete with most. Seth Randall and Carson Wiersbe have both gotten into the very low-16’s and each were top-10 finishers from Region 13.

21. Vicksburg – Caiden Caswell is the star, but Vicksburg ain’t just one man. One of the better 2^nd men of the division will hang in there for sure, as Hunter Smith always runs his best races come late October or early November.

20. Chelsea – year after year, the Bulldogs churn out teams and athletes. 2026 looks to be no different, with a team that could contend for a MIS spot. And Wyeth Angus, who broke into the 15’s in his final race of the year at MITCA.

19. Spring Lake – the Lakers are no stranger to success as well. Owen Adams is the low-stick, a kid that dropped nearly a minute from his sophomore best to place 3^rd in Region 10 and step onto the podium at MIS.

18. DeWitt – pure quality through the Panther lineup, with 10+ athletes certainly capable of breaking into the 17’s.

17. Owosso – another team featuring many athletes with potential to run fast. Scroll down the roster and you have many candidates of sub-17 kids. One runner stands out, soon to be sophomore Leonidas Erfourth, who raced to the 11^th fastest freshman 3200m mark in the state.

16. Paw Paw – three consistent runners don the Red Wolves singlets – Christopher Vogt, Landon Lindsay, and Grant Krause. All three were sub-17 in the fall and under 4:40 for the 1600m this past spring.

15. Grand Rapids South Christian – another team with a strong top-three. Ben Verlin and Josiah Rozema are the experienced seniors, each grinding over the course of three seasons for the Sailors. Hudson Kemper is the sophomore barely tapping into his talent, breaking 17:00 late in cross and racing a 4:36 in the 1600m this past spring.

14. Detroit Country Day – definitely a darkhorse for a top-10 spot, led by two boys with a real shot of making the podium. Omar Elbashir can handle the stage, having run one of the more wise races amongst his D2 competitors. Jack Hincks had a breakout track season, dropping his times from 4:50/10:31 to 4:30/9:47.

13. Adrian – Moises Salazar Jr. moves on, but the Maple train keeps chugging. Four Adrian returners were in the low-17’s or faster in ’25, ensuring a solid foundation for the SE Michigan squad.

12. Cedar Springs – pack running should be a major advantage for the RedHawks. Case in point: last year’s Region 10 where CS had the fastest fifth and sixth runners in the field. They bring back five of their six varsity runners from that race.

11. Forest Hills Eastern – the Hawks have depth and low-sticks and a culture hellbent on improvement. Grayson Michels surely has embraced that thought, dropping over a minute from his freshman best to run 16:28 last October.

Best Track Seasons

(some of the teams that improved the most from before track to now)

Petoskey

800m: 3 returners sub-2:20
1600m: 6 returners sub-5:00
3200m: 3 returners sub-11:00

Paw Paw

800m: 4 returners sub-2:15
1600m: 4 returners sub-5:00
3200m: 3 returners sub-11:00

Adrian

800m: 7 returners sub-2:15
1600m: 5 returners sub-5:00
3200m: 3 returners sub-11:00

2025 State Finals

8^th – Forest Hills Eastern
13^th – Chelsea
16^th – Cedar Springs
17^th – Adrian
18^th – DeWitt
20^th – Spring Lake
21^st – Detroit Country Day
23^rd – Petoskey

DNQ – Ludington, Haslett, Tecumseh, Freeland, St. Joseph, Vicksburg, Owosso, Paw Paw, Grand Rapids South Christian

27-11

27. Forest Hills Eastern – the Hawks bring back four girls that were in the 20:30’s or faster.

26. Ludington – leading the way will be Eliza Schwass, though Annabelle Lowman is as good of a #2 as one will find. The senior-to-be has reached the MIS podium all three of her seasons, hitting as high as 8^th the past two Novembers.

25. Allendale – the Falcon depth extends a little further than D2 teams in the same ballpark, as Allendale returns seven girls that were sub-22 or faster.

24. Holly – given the evolution of Maddie Lindley and Julia Bambach, you gotta figure the Bronchos will have another girl exponentially break through. There are plenty of candidates!

23. Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard – both Bridget Fidkowski and Monica Lynn should be at the forefront of any race. That was the case in Region 18, where the pair placed 2^nd and 4^th, greatly contributing to the Fighting Irish regional crown.

22. Adrian – coming off the heels of a great track season, the Maples are super strong up front. Of course there’s the venerable Ayda Skeels, but also Madison Petty, who was 19^th in D2 last year and a state qualifier in the 1600m.

21. Pinckney – it’s Jaelyn Ray’s team, with quality depth in tow. Both Valyntina Garcia and Eastynn Charder broke into the 19’s late in the ’25 season, the two being valuable contributors to the Pirates’ regional championship.

20. Sturgis – the Sturgis MS Trojans were St. Joseph County champs and many of those youngsters could feature on this high school team.

19. Freeland – Clara Kaczor is the hallmark of this team, and she leads a Falcon squad that should have plenty of bodies to choose from. Eight other Freeland returners were sub-22 at some point last fall.

18. Macomb Lutheran North – the Region 17 Champion in both 2024 and 2025. The Mustangs clearly are working to earn another trophy, evidenced by a track season that saw five LN girls slip under 6:00 in the 1600m.

17. Plainwell – Mai Nguyen is a name I haven’t covered much, but her accomplishments are vast. She’s a 3x individual qualifier on the track, hit 3^rd place in both the Wolverine Conference and Region 13, and medaled here at D2 State last fall.

16. Clare – a traditionally strong program that just recently moved up to D2. After a year of adjustment, the Pioneers should be in contention to qualify out of Region 10.

15. Holland – have one of the quicker 1-2 combos in the state with Johanna Mulder and Olivia Weiss. Mulder won the OK Black 3200m in sub-11 PR fashion and Weiss stepped onto the medal stand at MIS in November.

14. Williamston – could be greatly influenced by the Hornet MS program, which had two girls under 12:30 last fall and in the top-10 at Junior Greater Lansing.

13. Spring Lake – the track state championship vibes have to rub off, right? Most evident of the Laker fitness was the 800m, where four returners ran under 2:35, including standout Cora Parker, who placed 3^rd in D2.

12. Coopersville – fresh off an 11^th place finish and back for more. Breslyn Klein seems on the verge of a big season, coming off a track campaign where she sprinted to the 6^th fastest freshman 800m time in Michigan.

11. Cadillac – seems like reloading is the philosophy on the shores of Lake Cadillac. It’s best exemplified by their lead girl, Ella McInerney, who dropped 20+ second PR’s in the 1600m and 3200m this past spring.

Best Track Seasons

(some of the teams that improved the most from before track to now)

Adrian

800m: 2 returners sub-2:25
1600m: 3 returners sub-5:55
3200m: 3 returners sub-12:20

Macomb Lutheran North

800m: 6 returners sub-2:50
1600m: 5 returners sub-6:00
3200m: 4 returners sub-12:30

Cadillac

800m: 6 returners sub-2:40
1600m: 5 returners sub-5:45
3200m: 4 returners sub-13:00

2025 State Finals

6^th – Cadillac
7^th – Pinckney
11^th – Coopersville
12^th – Holland
16^th – Spring Lake
17^th – Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard
20^th – Adrian
21^st – Freeland
23^rd – Williamston
24^th – Macomb Lutheran North
25^th – Sturgis

DNQ – Clare, Plainwell, Holly, Allendale, Ludington, Forest Hills Eastern

The goal for this summer’s preview is to be a bit more thorough and coherent. Usually I’m rushed and racing to get out content before the season begins, but I swear this year will be different! I’m starting a little earlier, I already performed a ton of the dirty work over the winter, and am as motivated as ever.

Anyhow, the plan is this:

1. Write a bit about teams ranked 11-27, D4 through D1
2. Knock out the 50 Tickets
3. Have more detailed posts about the Top 10 Teams
4. Throw out the always controversial Regional Projections
5. Hopefully have one all-encompassing post for each division (including the UP, which typically starts a little later than us trolls, so they’ll get their own two-week period in late August)

Why rank to 27? Well, unless there’s a 4th place team that qualifies out of a regional, there are 27 teams that compete at the Lower Peninsula State Finals.

These projections are based on a combination of last season’s ratings, projected improvements, and this past track season. They contain kids that ran XC in 2025, either for their high school or a middle school that typically feeds to that high school. Projecting D4 is always a little rough because of the smaller enrollments. My estimation is that there’s more recruiting from within the school and multi-sport athletes compared to other divisions. As a result, these likely miss out on athletes that could have a huge impact.

As always, these are for fun and a way to keep the best sport in the world on your mind through these summer months.

27-11

27. Buchanan – John Keser had a huge end to his junior cross season, closing out October and November with many races in the low-16’s, including an All-State finish here in D3

26. Plymouth Christian Academy – a young team gets a year older. The Eagles graduate only two from their 12^th place squad in 2025 and will likely feature many underclassmen on this year’s squad.

25. Ann Arbor Greenhills – coming off a standout track season from their crew, especially Naveen Kulkarni, who was just on the cusp of breaking 10-flat.

24. Muskegon Western Mich. Christian – the Warriors will surely benefit from Owen Sytsema’s first track season, in which the junior was able to bust out a 4:43 in the 1600m at season’s end.

23. Hillsdale – the emergence of Bryce Youngman during track will give the Chargers a formidable 1-2, as the youngster threw down the 20^th fastest 3200m time for a Michigan freshman.

22. Midland Bullock Creek – in the span of one spring to the next, Marshall Brandt dropped from 2:12/4:53 to 2:03/4:23. Who’s to know what’s next, but that’s surely inspiring for the other Lancers out there.

21. Gladwin – the Flying G’s move from D2 to D3 this fall and they could find success through their depth. Four HS returners were at 18-flat or faster and four incoming freshmen were sub-12 in MS.

20. Pigeon-Laker – an experienced team that’s hoping to make a return to MIS from their 19^th place finish in 2024. Led by Evan Olson, who was runner-up in Region 25 last year.

19. Grand Rapids Covenant Christian – the Chargers consistently have some of the better numbers and more active MS programs in all of D3. This looks to pay off again in 2026, this time led by a strong top-3, all under 17:30 last fall.

18. Centreville – led by Will Hulin, but don’t lose sight of the young talent behind him. This past track season, the Bulldogs had two freshmen that were sub-11 in the 3200m.

17. Montague – will follow the footsteps of Nolan Kessler, who each year has shown a penchant for big-time racing at season’s end, dropping into the 16’s in his closing races in both his freshman and sophomore seasons.

16. Blissfield – led by one of the better top-two’s in the division with some fearsome depth behind. Michael Weidmayer was All-State both on the track and grass and Noah Sills dropped considerable time in the 3200m, 10:31 to 9:58 in one year.

15. The Potter’s House – could be one of the stronger squads through six runners of anyone in the division. The Pumas bring back five boys that were sub-18 or faster and their sixth fastest returner was a measly three seconds back at 18:03.

14. Rochester Hills Lutheran NW – Nole Lorenzen is the star of the show, but it’s kids such as Jack Songer that give the Crusaders this high of a ranking. Songer was sub-17 on three occasions last fall, including a 6^th place finish in the MIAC.

13. Erie Mason – an experienced outfit that should be solid through all five scoring spots, as the Eagles bring back five runners that were either sub-18 in cross or sub-11 in the 3200m during track.

12. Traverse City St. Francis – a year away from the spotlight to rebuild, the Glads have come roaring back. TCSF brings back all seven runners from last year’s state squad that finished 15^th. Filtering out seniors from that 2025 Final has the Gladiators finishing 7^th.

11. Holland Black River – Jonas Ballard has established himself as one of the better pure distance runners in D3, breaking 10 and placing top-15 in the division’s 3200m each of the past two springs.

Best Track Seasons

Muskegon Western Mich. Christian

800m: 4 returners sub-2:10
1600m: 4 returners sub-5:00
3200m: 3 returners sub-11:30

Centreville

800m: 3 returners sub-2:15
1600m: 3 returners sub-5:30
1600m: 3 returners sub-11:00

Blissfield

800m: 3 returners sub-2:20
1600m: 5 returners sub-5:05
3200m: 4 returners sub-11:00

2025 State Finals

7^th – Holland Black River
11^th – Ann Arbor Greenhills
12^th – Plymouth Christian Academy
14^th – Buchanan
15^th – Traverse City St. Francis
16^th – The Potter’s House
17^th – Midland Bullock Creek
19^th – Erie Mason
22^nd – Blissfield
27^th – Montague

DNQ – Rochester Hills Lutheran NW, Centreville, Grand Rapids Covenant Christian, Pigeon-Laker, Gladwin (D2), Hillsdale, Muskegon Western Mich. Christian

27-11

27. Harbor Beach – making the leap up from D4, where the Pirates narrowly missed a state qualifying spot in 2025. Senior Cailin Spearman had a breakthrough season and based on track, seems poised for more.

26. Pigeon-Laker – senior Pyper Braun leads the way, fresh off her third straight D3 Finals appearance in the 1600m.

25. Leslie – graduates Hailey Creisher, but the tradition of Blackhawks march on. Perhaps with a family member near the front?

24. Bronson – by last fall’s end, Alonna Goodsell had dropped a minute off her previous best. This past spring, she finished her first season running solely distance events, which will surely pay off come fall.

23. Buchanan – last season, Tala Carlin acquitted herself quite well to the high school level, placing 18^th at D3 State. Buchanan now brings in three freshmen girls capable of an impact, their middle school Bucks flaunting three girls that were sub-14 in MS cross.

22. Hanover-Horton – track season featured a tremendous drop for Maizey Totoff, 12 seconds in the 800m, good enough for a state qualifier and 13^th place finish. The two lapper isn’t necessarily the greatest comparison to XC, but you gotta imagine she’ll reach new levels soon.

21. Jonesville – it wasn’t just the Comet boys that experienced spring relay success. Jonesville’s girls 4×8 won Hillsdale County and placed 2^nd in the Cascades Conference, with that 4×8 comprised of three XC returners.

20. Sanford-Meridian – depth could extend further than most, with six Sanford-Meridian girls in the 22’s or faster in 2025.

19. Chesaning – the Chesaning MS girls are coming off a 3^rd place Zone 4 finish (against many bigger schools) and could provide a great lift for the HS program.

18. Harbor Springs – the Rams always have numbers and this year appears to be no different, with six returners that were sub-23 and three in the low-21’s or faster

17. Olivet – Tiya Feldpauch is the headliner and deservedly so, but don’t sleep on the two sophomores behind her. Lily Britton was an All-Stater in both the spring and fall, Madelynn Patterson

16. Saugatuck – three prominent returners headline the Trailblazer cause – Kamryn Sixberry (3^rd in Region 3), Lyvia Curtis (31^st at D3 State), and Ellyse Heyser (owner of a 11:51 in the 3200m).

15. Midland Bullock Creek – the Lancers have some freshmen who could fill in up front, but also many interchangeable depth pieces to ensure consistent finishes at the back. Four Bullock Creek returners were sub-22 at some point in 2025.

14. Grandville Calvin Christian – the Squires are gradually making a return to their past glory. 22^nd in D3 in 2024, 10^th this past fall, with a real chance of repeating 2025’s fortunes. Or even improving.

13. McBain – led at the front by Caelyn Torry, but also senior Madelyn Reinink, who busted through into the 19’s late in her junior season.

12. Kent City – the Eagles always find a way. This fall, it appears the path will be through a mix of depth (5 returners sub-21:45) and a low-stick (Elliana Max, the regional and CSAA White Champion).

11. Jackson Lumen Christi – the Titans will always rely on the savvy veteran Samantha Schroeder, the defending champion and contender again for the D3 crown. But the depth is intriguing, as LC seems like it could find 9 girls in the sub-22 range. If one or two break through, they’ll find themselves in the top-5 once again.

Best Track Seasons

Jonesville

800m: 6 returners sub-3:00
1600m: 4 returners sub-6:15
3200m: 3 returners sub-14:00

Sanford-Meridian

800m: 4 returners sub-3:00
1600m: 3 returners sub-6:05
3200m: 3 returners sub-13:45

Saugatuck

800m: 3 returners sub-2:40
1600m: 3 returners sub-5:40
3200m: 3 returners sub-12:05

2025 State Finals

3^rd – Saugatuck
4^th – Jackson Lumen Christi
7^th – McBain
9^th – Olivet
10^th – Grandville Calvin Christian
13^th – Kent City
20^th – Bronson
21^st – Harbor Springs
22^nd – Leslie

DNQ – Midland Bullock Creek, Chesaning, Sanford-Meridian, Jonesville, Hanover-Horton, Buchanan, Pigeon-Laker, Harbor Beach (D4)