Her ability to keep it rolling, championship after championship, season after season, is simply astounding
The above image details her accomplishments during the MHSAA seasons, I couldn’t find enough room to fit AAU and indoor track
A few weeks ago at Junior Olympics, she grabbed the silver medal in the 1500m and the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP in the 3000m
Back at the LAB, she used a furious last lap to snatch victory, winning the MITS 3200m
It’s not as if it’s taken awhile to get to this level, she’s always been there
Her career commenced with five consecutive victories, that freshman year ended with an All-State
In the spring of ’21, she further established herself at the D1 level, placing 4th in the 3200m at East Kentwood
Even at her high speed, gains were made as a sophomore, getting into the top-10 at MIS and progressing from 10:53 to 10:26 over the eight-lap distance
More championships are coming in 2-3 months, you can all but guarantee Jayden will be present, competing up front
Grade
Name
Time
Rating
Meet
Course
Date
10
Jayden Harberts
19:00.2
149.9
Budd Ciciarelli
Bloomer Park
2-Sep
10
Jayden Harberts
18:21.5
154.2
Muskrat Classic
Algonac HS
11-Sep
10
Jayden Harberts
18:35.3
154.9
MAC Red 1
Eastwood Beach
21-Sep
10
Jayden Harberts
18:29.9
155.0
Jefferson
Sterling State Park
25-Sep
10
Jayden Harberts
18:27.3
149.9
MAC Division
Metro Beach
5-Oct
10
Jayden Harberts
19:11.7
144.4
Macomb County
Freedom Hill
16-Oct
10
Jayden Harberts
19:22.4
158.5
9 Anchor Bay
Anchor Bay HS
29-Oct
10
Jayden Harberts
17:59.6
157.1
D1 State
MIS
6-Nov
10
Jayden Harberts
18:09.6
154.5
MMOC
Shepherd HS
13-Nov
Grade
Name
Rating
Meet
Course
Date
9
Jayden Harberts
132.6
Chippewa Valley/Dakota/Eisenhower
Eastwood Beach
21-Aug
9
Jayden Harberts
138.9
Armada/Dakota/Richmond/Stevenson
Dakota HS
3-Sep
9
Jayden Harberts
142.4
Dakota/Fraser/Marian
Dakota HS
12-Sep
9
Jayden Harberts
153.3
MAC Red 1
Barnabo Field
19-Sep
9
Jayden Harberts
147.0
Cleverley Friday Night
Anchor Bay HS
25-Sep
9
Jayden Harberts
148.7
Hansons
Freedom Hill
3-Oct
9
Jayden Harberts
148.7
Macomb County
Freedom Hill
10-Oct
9
Jayden Harberts
148.9
PR 18
Romeo HS
20-Oct
9
Jayden Harberts
147.3
D1 Reg 9
Anchor Bay HS
30-Oct
9
Jayden Harberts
149.9
D1 State
MIS
6-Nov
As this Grand Haven program has risen back into prominence, along has come runners such as Nolan
His progression through the years makes so much sense, each tiny step building on one another
He began his career back in 2019, running above 18:00 in the beginning stages of the season, and closed it with a major confidence boost, a 16:34 at Benzie
This Buccaneer took it a step further in his sophomore version, multiple mid-16’s to close, but more importantly, a trip to MIS
I always say you need one trip to the State level to take in the experience and get ready to rip it the following year
Rip it is what he did, from mid-September on, racing to sub-16 in six of his final races
Not only the times, he put himself on the medal stand as well, placing 2nd at OK Red, 4th in Region 1, then his first All-State, 17th in Division 1
And it just keeps building, the spirit gained from the fall took hold in track, his 4:15 and 9:08 both ranking in the top-5 amongst Michigan returners
These Grand Haven kids keep it close to the vest and do an amazing job of letting their legs do the talking, after all, those are the results that matter
Where: Goodells County Park. Sure they have a farm museum, some old homes, expansive barns, but it seems like a spot made for cross country. Ample parking, easy course to follow, some strategic elements with turns and jaunts through the woods. I’m sure there are some teams looking to exact some revenge from the previous carnage that took place here in 2019. Anyhow, this has typically run a little fast, but on par with most regionals at this time of the year. A course map:
2021 Boys: Romeo (5th), Lake Orion (9th), Port Huron Northern (23rd)
Jacob Tanner already covered the boys race in great detail, mentioning many names, faces, players to watch, history, predicting the future. You should read it! Thank you, Jacob, for saving me a few paragraphs. There are a few things that I must mention, one of them that both of us learned. Romeo loses Gabe Phelps, who I had projected as a top-10 kid here, to Cranbrook for lacrosse. This clamps up the contenders to an even greater degree, with these projections having five teams separated by 40 points, four teams by 20 points.
With so many teams in a tight space, each place is crucial. The ratings here suggest that there will be a significant pack of kids with ratings between 165-180, on a Goodells-type course, this will be 16:45 to 17:30. If you’re a 17:15 kid and have a bad day, you could slide down 10 places more than normal. Consequently, the opposite is true. Manipulating packs is the key to lower points. Here’s a few runners from each contending teams that will be in that pack:
Michael Magnoli, Romeo: 4:43 at the Macomb County 1600m Zach Larson, Stony Creek: 10:18 during a windy 3200m at Elmer Ball Jet Miller, Grosse Pointe South: Improved nearly 2:00 from his freshman to sophomore year Connor Steepe, Fraser: 10:20 at the Macomb County 3200m Aidan Leslie, Anchor Bay: 4:45 at the Barnyard
If any of these folks have a day, that could be the hidden factor needed in clinching a spot in this highly competitive regional.
Of course, all this talk about the boys and the girls get no love. Romeo’s reloading again, replacing Sarah Greb, the Felstows, Brianna Wiegand, and many others from the monstrous class of ’22. But when you take your middle school program seriously, the result is a team that rebuilds on the run.
By the projections, this might not be the year for Fraser… yet. Their girls track team had about as solid of a program-building year that one can ask for. Six returning girls ran sub-13 in the 3200m, four sub-6 in the 1600m. That’s definitely a start, and given these projections weight towards cross country, perhaps I’m underrating the Ramblers.
One girl not underrated by myself is Dakota’s Lindsay Harvey. While Mariah Belmont and Jayden Harberts will rack up all the accolades and medals, it’s girls such as Lindsay that make a team. She’s part of their 4×800 that captured a Macomb County title and an All-State.
Top 25 Boys Teams: Romeo (9th – but this was before I found out Gabe Phelps is playing lacrosse at Cranbrook), Port Huron Northern (11th), Grosse Pointe South (22nd)
Top 25 Girls Teams: Romeo (7th), Macomb Dakota (15th), Rochester Hills Stoney Creek (22nd)
Here, I’m writing at least a little anecdote about kids that are in the top-15 but aren’t freshman (Lance, Emmerson), in the 50 Tickets (Logan, Thomas, Connor, Madison, Mariah, AnnDee, and I think I’m missing someone?), or on Top 10 teams (Romeo and Romeo). Want to spread love but also not overwork myself. All in all, my estimation is through all these previews, I’ll be writing at least a sentence about 1000+ kids. If there’s an error in here, let me know.
Justin Roose, Fraser: Improvements abound from Justin, from 62nd to 5th at Regionals and lowering his personal best by over a minute.
Chaz Huthwaite, Rochester Hills Stoney Creek: Began to ramp it up a bit last October, grabbing a 20th place finish at the Oakland County Championship. More than cut his place in half, he was 45th as a freshman.
Brendan Downey, Grosse Pointe South: A sleep sleep sleeper on the Division 1 scene. With a few sub-17’s in the fall, he was able to flash a little potential. But there were some clunkers mixed in there. Track showed a significant improvement in his consistency and the payoff on all those quality races – a 4:23 in the D1 State 1600m.
Zachary Rubicz, Anchor Bay: Thomas ain’t the only Tar boy comin’, Zach’s created some promise as well. Slipped under 10:00 in early May, a sure sign that he’s ready to spend some time in the 16’s come cross.
Dylan Penberthy, L’Anse Creuse North: He of the massive breakthrough at State. 16:28 there when his previous best was above 17:00.
Tyler Donovan, Fraser: In line with many in Macomb County, kids such as Tyler seriously stepped up their game. A 9:49 closer at the County meet sets the bar high for what looks to be an outstanding fall.
Glen “Big Baby” Davis, Port Huron Northern: I’m sounding like a broken record with the progressions here. But you can’t stop calling it out. From 19:00 to 16:48, one can only imagine all the miles put down along the way.
Luke VanderHeuvel, Port Huron Northern: Athletes such as Luke jumping from 53rd to 21st are a major reason why the Huskies came into the season ranked 4th in their region and left Anchor Bay proving those wrong.
Evan Lord, Rochester Hills Stoney Creek: It’s the work ethic for me. For years, I’ve been hearing of Evan’s passion towards the sport. That time dedicated surely led to his 10:03 thrown down during the spring.
Luke Maher, Port Huron Northern: This trio and those closely behind are what makes Port Huron Northern dangerous. Three sub-17’s at the front, Luke made a point to put himself in that group with his 16:55 at D1 State.
Jacob Maurer, Utica Eisenhower: Has always been a good miler, the hope is that can translate to the grass. His 4:36 at the County Meet was good for 6th and maybe a signal that he can push into the 16’s?
Grace Grupido, Fraser: She’s the leader of this young band of Fraser Ramblers, and who better to look to than a girl who gritted out a 5:14/11:18 as a freshman.
Lily Solek, Rochester Hills Stoney Creek: She’s made it to MIS in each of her three seasons, but 2021 was her lowest finish yet. After hitting 18:59 a few weeks prior, she was the 74th finisher at the speedway.
Savannah Spangler, Grosse Pointe South: Competed only six times as a freshman, but in those small amount of races, she was able to progress from 22:31 to 20:08. Regional champ in both the 1600m and 3200m, then was able to gain valuable experience racing on the big stage at Rockford.
Following in the footsteps of his brothers Patrick and Ethan comes Sean
Both are running at the collegiate level and that opportunity is 100% there for Sean if he so chooses
During his sophomore year, he did a great job of establishing himself as someone to watch, this past year, he did an even better job capitalizing on that shown potential
In 2019, Plymouth was fresh off a state title, the Michigan running world was wondering if they’d find a 4th or 5th man to capture another one
Some of us pegged Sean as a potential contributor, but that unfortunately didn’t come to fruition as his season ended early after a string of 18:00+ performances
These past two years, he’s really taken a whole new intensity
He spent the entirety of the 2020 championship season in the 16’s, the 2021 season in the low-16’s/high-15’s
This past October, those quick times led to honors – his first All-State, a Region 6 title
Come spring, he used those accomplishments to vault himself into 3200m success
First at New Balance, a shiny new personal best and placed 10th among D1 athletes
Then at State Finals, he both moved up 2 spots and hit another PB, kicking hard off a slower early pace
Plymouth had one of the better distance-oriented track seasons of anyone at the State, the Wildcats will look to continue that momentum into the fall with Sean at the helm of their accelerating ship
Grade
Name
Time
Rating
Meet
Course
Date
11
Sean Byrnes
16:49.1
189.6
A2 Early Bird
Huron Meadows
2-Sep
11
Sean Byrnes
16:40.7
192.8
Tommy Titan
Cass Benton
11-Sep
11
Sean Byrnes
16:16.4
201.2
Holly
Springfield Oaks
18-Sep
11
Sean Byrnes
16:04.4
200.5
Coaching Legends
Huron Meadows
2-Oct
11
Sean Byrnes
16:12.3
200.6
Wayne County
Willow
9-Oct
11
Sean Byrnes
15:58.7
193.4
Gabriel Richard
Hudson Mills (South)
16-Oct
11
Sean Byrnes
16:02.9
197.0
KLAA Championship
Huron Meadows
21-Oct
11
Sean Byrnes
16:18.2
198.9
6 Hudson Mills
Hudson Mills (North)
30-Oct
11
Sean Byrnes
16:00.5
197.8
D1 State
MIS
6-Nov
Grade
Name
Rating
Meet
Course
Date
10
Sean Byrnes
165.3
Northville/Plymouth
Cass Benton
1-Sep
10
Sean Byrnes
185.7
Hartland/Plymouth
Hartland HS
19-Sep
10
Sean Byrnes
179.3
Franklin/Plymouth
Cass Benton
29-Sep
10
Sean Byrnes
183.1
Brighton/Plymouth
Cass Benton
3-Oct
10
Sean Byrnes
181.8
Hartland/Plymouth/Salem
Willow
10-Oct
10
Sean Byrnes
182.3
Plymouth/Skyline
Huron Meadows
13-Oct
10
Sean Byrnes
185.2
KLAA
Huron Meadows
17-Oct
10
Sean Byrnes
183.6
PR 11
Hudson Mills (North)
24-Oct
10
Sean Byrnes
186.8
D1 Reg 6
Willow
31-Oct
10
Sean Byrnes
191.7
D1 State
MIS
6-Nov
Grade
Name
Rating
Meet
Course
9
Sean Byrnes
149.7
South Lyon
Island Lake
9
Sean Byrnes
150.6
A2 Early Bird
Huron Meadows
9
Sean Byrnes
163.4
Tommy Titan
Cass Benton
9
Sean Byrnes
160.3
Holly
Springfield Oaks
Drew follows in the footsteps as well, but of EGR greats
Anna Petr, Hannah Bodine, Ainsley Workman in recent memory, I’m sure there are many more from the past
Drew came into high school pegged for success, breaking 12:00 in cross, running well under that mark on the track
But being pegged for success doesn’t mean you’ll gravitate towards success
Through hard work and a little bit of patience, her track season was her best yet
She gained personal bests in the 800m (2:31 to 2:19) and 1600m (4:55 to 4:51)
The 3200m stayed the same, but she never ran a championship race for those eight laps
I say championship race for a reason, as she brought a whole new level of focus for those, winning the D2 State 1600m and 4×800, winning the OK White 1600m
Tons of talk about track, she’s well-accomplished on the grass as well
Sub-18 as a freshman, this past year wasn’t quite as quick, but the accolades ring the same
Twice 5th place in Division 2, Twice Regional Champ, and a valuable figure on EGR’s return to the top spot
New coach, same goals, having a reliable girl at the front will make Coach Collette’s transition easier and usher in a new era of Pioneer greatness
Michigan XC Speed Ratings 