Last Year
SUMMER PREVIEW
MID-SEASON
FINAL PROJECTIONS
THE RESULT
Girls
- Goodrich (7th)
- Linden (27th)
- Detroit Country Day (24th)
Boys
- Pinckney (3rd)
- Linden (15th)
- Cranbrook-Kingswood (25th)
Top 27 Teams
Previous years had top-25 teams, but there’s 27 (and sometimes more) team qualifiers and what does it hurt to add another two?
Girls
Linden (19th), Dearborn Divine Child (20th)
Boys
Pinckney (6th)
(If your team isn’t listed in the images above or the scores below, you probably don’t have five returners, at least on ol’ athletic.net. I’m sure many of these teams will fill out their rosters by late October)
Projected Scores
| Place | Girls Team | Score |
| 1 | Linden | 54 |
| 2 | Dearborn Divine Child | 56 |
| 3 | Pontiac Notre Dame Prep | 110 |
| 4 | Pinckney | 129 |
| 5 | Lake Fenton | 135 |
| 6 | Detroit Country Day | 141 |
| 7 | Bloomfield Hills Marian | 160 |
| 8 | Orchard Lake St. Mary’s | 181 |
| 9 | Cranbrook-Kingswood | 203 |
| 10 | Garden City | 319 |
| 11 | Redford Westfield Prep | 349 |
| 12 | Dearborn Henry Ford Academy | 364 |
| Place | Boys Team | Score |
| 1 | Pinckney | 37 |
| 2 | Cranbrook-Kingswood | 73 |
| 3 | Orchard Lake St. Mary’s | 104 |
| 4 | Detroit Country Day | 113 |
| 5 | Linden | 122 |
| 6 | Dearborn Divine Child | 123 |
| 7 | Lake Fenton | 143 |
| 8 | Pontiac Notre Dame Prep | 208 |
| 9 | Redford Union | 255 |
| 10 | Pontiac | 329 |
Top Runners
Thought I’d give a review of some of the top returners in each region. Returners means no incoming freshman (you’ll get your days in the sun). If you’re on a top team or in the 50 Tickets and you’re projected highly here, you hit the jackpot! Yes, I’m writing a bit less than previous years, but I think I’ve learned my lesson in that I need to conserve energy and brainpower for all divisions and regions. Typically by August, I’m rushing to get these done. This time around, hopefully all regions get the same amount of coverage.
Mea D’Agostino, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s
Track perhaps tells a better tale, where Mea qualified for D2 State in the 3200m, won the CHSL Bishop and hit an 11:45 at the Oakland County Championship.
Maria Nunning, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep
One of the rare ones to run her personal best AT last year’s state finals, her 19:47 a full minute faster than her freshman version.
Nell Stover, Detroit Country Day
Has come a long way from the girl that opened her career in the 27’s. This past fall, consistently in the 21’s and even as low as 20:30 at Willow.
Kathryn Kurtinaitis, Dearborn Divine Child
She’s been sub-60 on the track each of the past two springs. And not just a quarter miler either, reaching into the 19’s during cross in 2022.
Solomon Kwartowitz, Cranbrook-Kingswood
3rd here last year, made more impressive by the fact that he was hurt for much of the early fall. Other honors included another bronze at the Oakland County Championship and top-10 at State.
Not gonna find many people that improved the way he did from his sophomore year of track to junior cross country season. Typically, those running 4:30/10:00 will be in the low-16’s, not the blazing mid-15’s.
Watching him race the 1600m at Brighton Bulldog, I was impressed by his savviness and patience. Sat on the field until the later stages on the race, making the final and deciding move to attain victory. After his 4:19 there, a week later he ran 9:10.
Looking deeper into track, consider that his 2022 season with a few sub-16’s had a track season containing a 3200m best of 9:49. This past spring, he lowered that to 9:35. Extrapolate that and does mid-15’s sound possible?
In each successive year, has moved up here. 22nd as a freshman, 11th as a sophomore, then 6th this past year.
Colin Murray, Dearborn Divine Child
Steppin’ into the lead role at Divine Child. One of many to break 16:00 at Milan last year, but proved it was no fluke with a 25th place finish at State.
Michigan XC Speed Ratings 