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50 Tickets to Brooklyn: Boys #3

mixcspeedratings

SUMMER PREVIEW

Accomplishments & Accolades

  • 4th Place – Division 1 State (XC)
  • Region 9 & MAC Champion (XC)
  • 2nd Place – Macomb County (XC)
  • 2nd Place – Division 1 State 1600m
  • 2x All-State (Track)
  • 2x Macomb County 1600m Champion
  • 2x Region 10 1600m Champion
  • MAC Red 800m Champion
  • Region 10 1600m Champion



Ratings Throughout the Years

GradeNameTimeTeamRatingMeetDate
11Thomas Westphal16:17.4Anchor Bay204.2Lamplighter19-Aug
11Thomas Westphal15:38.6Anchor Bay201.5Muskrat Classic10-Sep
11Thomas Westphal15:58.6Anchor Bay205.5Spartan16-Sep
11Thomas Westphal16:01.6Anchor Bay192.5MAC Red 120-Sep
11Thomas Westphal15:14.3Anchor Bay210.2Bluejay1-Oct
11Thomas Westphal15:59.1Anchor Bay200.3Macomb County15-Oct
11Thomas Westphal15:27.9Anchor Bay206.4MAC Division22-Oct
11Thomas Westphal15:12.2Anchor Bay207.3Region 929-Oct
11Thomas Westphal15:42.0Anchor Bay205.7Division 1 State5-Nov
11Thomas Westphal15:00.4Anchor Bay212.5MITCA12-Nov
GradeNameTimeTeamRatingMeetDate
10Thomas Westphal17:58.4Anchor Bay164.5Anchor Bay EB2-Sep
10Thomas Westphal17:26.7Anchor Bay173.8Muskrat Classic11-Sep
10Thomas Westphal18:22.0Anchor Bay164.0MAC White 114-Sep
10Thomas Westphal18:08.7Anchor Bay165.1Spartan17-Sep
10Thomas Westphal18:05.5Anchor Bay169.8Cleverley Friday Night24-Sep
10Thomas Westphal17:50.0Anchor Bay165.7MAC White 228-Sep
10Thomas Westphal17:29.9Anchor Bay170.7MAC Division5-Oct
10Thomas Westphal17:45.5Anchor Bay172.2Macomb County16-Oct
10Thomas Westphal18:47.3Anchor Bay172.6Region 929-Oct
GradeNameTeamRatingMeetDate
9Thomas WestphalAnchor Bay112.7MAC White15-Sep
9Thomas WestphalAnchor Bay98.5Macomb County9-Oct
9Thomas WestphalAnchor Bay114.0MAC White Division15-Oct

The Rundown

He’s been on a tear for 1.5 years and it ain’t letting up. Through his freshman year into his sophomore year of cross, Thomas laid down a few respectable marks for kids his age, breaking 2:30 in the 800m, heading into the 17’s on multiple occasions, even advancing up to All-County in cross. When it came time to put together a consistent training block for the following track season is when we saw him transform into the Tom we know today.

The son of a former Stevenson standout, Mike Westphal, Tom quickly moved to etch his name into any history book he could find. Over the past three seasons, he’s won 9 championship style races, whether that be Macomb County or MITCA, MAC Red or Regionals. At the state level, he’s placed in the Division 1 1600m each of the past two years and 4th at the Cross Country version. He races aggressively, often splitting well under 5:00, daring the field to come along or risk opening up an insurmountable gap. Coming off a summer training on the dirt roads of Hale and hilly terrain of Lake Orion, he’s stronger than ever and ready to bring home more titles to the shores of Lake St. Clair.

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50 Tickets to Brooklyn: Girls #3

mixcspeedratings

SUMMER PREVIEW

Accomplishments & Accolades

  • Division 1 State Champion (XC)
  • Region 1 Champion (XC)
  • OK Red Champion (XC)
  • 2x All-State (XC)
  • 2022 Team State Champion (XC)
  • 3x All-State (Track)
  • 4th Place – 2022 Division 1 3200m
  • 6th Place – 2022 Division 1 1600m



Ratings Throughout the Years

GradeNameTimeTeamRatingMeetDate
10Helen Sachs17:17.0Holland West Ottawa176.3Under the Lights v226-Aug
10Helen Sachs17:22.6Holland West Ottawa178.1Bredeweg10-Sep
10Helen Sachs17:15.8Holland West Ottawa181.1Spartan16-Sep
10Helen Sachs17:01.6Holland West Ottawa173.1OK Red 120-Sep
10Helen Sachs17:21.3Holland West Ottawa168.9Otsego Bulldog1-Oct
10Helen Sachs17:32.8Holland West Ottawa169.1OK Red 24-Oct
10Helen Sachs17:03.0Holland West Ottawa175.3Portage8-Oct
10Helen Sachs17:06.0Holland West Ottawa169.3OK Red Championship20-Oct
10Helen Sachs17:01.8Holland West Ottawa177.4Region 129-Oct
10Helen Sachs17:18.7Holland West Ottawa172.8Division 1 State5-Nov
GradeNameTimeTeamRatingMeetDate
9Helen Sachs17:56.0Holland West Ottawa171.3Portage EB20-Aug
9Helen Sachs18:40.0Holland West Ottawa156.3Under the Lights v227-Aug
9Helen Sachs17:55.5Holland West Ottawa166.5Bredeweg11-Sep
9Helen Sachs17:48.5Holland West Ottawa173.8Spartan17-Sep
9Helen Sachs17:36.8Holland West Ottawa159.4OK Red 121-Sep
9Helen Sachs17:27.8Holland West Ottawa170.4Otsego Bulldog2-Oct
9Helen Sachs18:13.3Holland West Ottawa158.6OK Red 25-Oct
9Helen Sachs17:26.1Holland West Ottawa175.3Portage9-Oct
9Helen Sachs17:30.0Holland West Ottawa161.3OK Red Conference21-Oct
9Helen Sachs18:39.0Holland West Ottawa141.0Region 329-Oct
9Helen Sachs17:48.1Holland West Ottawa161.0Division 1 State6-Nov

The Rundown

Lessons learned turned into lessons applied. As a freshman, Helen competed in nearly 40 races on the track or on the grass, coming away with a few victories, but mainly a ton of 2nd-3rd places. In doing so, she learned how to chase, run behind someone, and cover moves, biding her time until it was her time to set the pace.

The 2022 fall season was without a doubt, her time to set the pace. After her opener at Under the Lights (a PB at the time, Helen, mind you), she reeled off a season full of victories. Aggressively setting the pace from the gun, she took home wins at huge invites such as Otsego Bulldog, Spartan and Portage, running in the low-17’s and priming herself for championship season. That championship season went about as spectacularly as the regular season, with victories in the OK Red, Region 1, NXR Midwest, and Division 1 State. Unfortunately, her postseason was cut short by injury (but she still made it to Oregon and San Diego!) and then track the same, but I trust that the West Ottawa coaches will have Helen ready to defend her individual and their team title.

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50 Tickets to Brooklyn: Boys #4

mixcspeedratings

SUMMER PREVIEW

Accomplishments & Accolades

  • 3rd Place – Division 1 State (XC)
  • 2x All-State (XC)
  • 2022 Team Champion (XC)
  • Region 6 Champion (XC)
  • KLAA Champion (XC)
  • 4x800m State & National Champion
  • 2nd Place – Division 1 State 800m
  • Region 6 & KLAA 800/1600m Champion
  • 5x All-State (Track)



Ratings Throughout the Years

GradeNameTimeTeamRatingMeetDate
11Brendan Herger15:53.7Northville212.1Lamplighter19-Aug
11Brendan Herger16:05.6Northville214.8Mustang30-Aug
11Brendan Herger15:46.0Northville206.7Bath10-Sep
11Brendan Herger15:33.5Northville213.8Spartan16-Sep
11Brendan Herger15:31.6Northville205.5Portage8-Oct
11Brendan Herger15:30.8Northville209.1KLAA22-Oct
11Brendan Herger15:23.9Northville205.7Region 629-Oct
11Brendan Herger15:34.1Northville208.3Division 1 State5-Nov
GradeNameTimeTeamRatingMeetDate
10Brendan Herger16:59.2Northville191.3Lamplighter20-Aug
10Brendan Herger16:28.4Northville192.9Bath11-Sep
10Brendan Herger16:34.0Northville196.7Spartan17-Sep
10Brendan Herger16:45.1Northville196.6Cleverley Friday Night24-Sep
10Brendan Herger16:19.6Northville198.1Wayne County9-Oct
10Brendan Herger16:01.8Northville197.4KLAA Championship21-Oct
10Brendan Herger16:23.7Northville197.1Region 630-Oct
10Brendan Herger15:51.3Northville200.9Division 1 State6-Nov

The Rundown

5:44 on the clock, comfortable lead, the thoughts of a long day ahead of him, Brendan could’ve easily run just enough to win the Division 1 4x800m. Do you think that’s in his character, just cruising? I don’t think so. In his short time on the cross course, Herger has done just the opposite of cruising. Two All-State efforts, this past year finishing 3rd. To go along with that 3rd place finish, he captured both the KLAA and Region 6 Championships.

I’m sure he could’ve sat patiently and waited for someone else to make a move during the individual 800m at Division 1 State. Nope, he led for the first 700, staving off a few challenges before being overtaken, yet holding on for 2nd.

Coming back to the relay, hell no, he didn’t walk it in. His 1:50.7 split brought home not only a State Title, but a State Record for his Mustangs. The lead runner of the defending State Champions, his aggressive racing at the front and at the end will be setting the tone as his Mustangs look to repeat in 2023.