- Race may take the title as the most unheralded (or perhaps least known to me) runner on this list
- He’s steadily improved throughout his career, breaking 17:00 at the tail end of his freshman year, getting under 16:30 as a sophomore, then sub-16 as a junior
- His junior year was riddled with golds – winning at Berrien County, Pre-Regionals, and Regionals
- And when faced with stiffer competition at the State Meet, he battled to place in the top 15
- Rating-wise, I love his consistent high-level performances
- Of the 11 races I computed, 7 were 195+ (sub-16:15 equivalent)
- Jessica is one of the more accomplished incoming freshmen this year
- She comes from great bloodlines – her mother, a former state champ and U of M standout, but that doesn’t always mean guaranteed success, as in running, hard work beats talent
- Among her victories at the middle school level: WMC (XC and Track), Grand Rapids MS Championship, West Michigan MS Championship, Mid Michigan Megastar (Track), and just a whole host of sub-12 cross performances
- She even stepped up in distance at the Meet of Champions, winning her race in 18:12 (and who knows what she’d have ran if she were pushed)
- And she steps into a great situation, no pressure to be the lead runner on an already great team
Michigan XC Speed Ratings 