It’s baaack. A summertime tradition has returned, the 50 Tickets to Brooklyn. These lists celebrate the top 50 returners – based on a concoction of the ’25 XC season, projected improvements, the ’26 Track season, and a tiny bit of my own input.
5th Place – Division 1 State Region 8 Champion OAA Red Champion Oakland County Champion
Track
2nd Place – Division 1 State 1600m 2x All-State 3rd Place – MITS/MITCA Indoor State 1600m 7th Place – MITS/MITCA Indoor State 3200m 6th Place – MITS/MITCA Indoor State 4×4
These are a rough average of El’s ratings over the past three years and their equivalent times. This isn’t a knock on any of the girls listed or yet to come, but she (and a few others) are really unlike many girls out there, beginning their career well outside the elite level and jamming their way into the scene.
Half-marathon long runs as a freshman. 60 mile weeks as a sophomore. 70 mile weeks as a junior. 80 miles a week this summer. She’s put herself out there too, taking in the criticism from runners and coaches proclaiming that miles upon miles isn’t a healthy formula. And she’s come out the other side with ample evidence that they have worked for her.
Not just in cross, where the improvement is evident (14th at her REGIONAL as a freshman to 5th in the STATE as a junior). She’s moved from a 11:36 3200m as a freshman to 10:36 this past spring. 5:09 in the 1600m to 4:43 (downhill on the road, but still). She’s a force, pushing her body in training, shattering through barriers with a mind hellbent on improvement.
As with the 50 Tickets and the Top Teams (11-27 listed thus far), these are driven through a combination of last fall’s ratings, projected improvements (based on high school class and rating), and this past track season. They contain every cross returner and most of the 8th graders rising to the high school level (but not all, as not all middle schools feed to a specific high school).
For Division 4, I expect many changes from these summer lists. With the smaller enrollments and team sizes, the impact of one boy/girl can loom large. Many times, this occurs through recruitment in the school or someone dual-sporting that never had before.
You may notice that these are more condensed than in previous years. I cannot fathom how I used to write posts for every single region! I just don’t have the time these days. But the projections are still here, even in a less wordy and less time-consuming format.
Enjoy. Use as motivation, but always know, these are never personal. Just numbers.
Toughest Regions
Region 28 Girls
Which I could also throw into the most intriguing battles! Early on, it’s looking as if at least three deserving teams could be sent home. Bellaire, Petoskey, St. Michael, East Jordan, Rogers City, Indian River Inland Lakes, and Central Lake/Ellsworth are all ranked between 17th and 27th. Bellaire appears have the most depth of the six, though that matters less at the regional level. St. Michael, East Jordan, and Rogers City look to be strong through three, with the fourth and fifth spots mattering most.
Region 29 Boys
Typically a tough spot, probably made a bit easier with Maple City Glen Lake moving to D3. Anyhow, five teams in the top-16, four of those ranked 11th or lower. I wouldn’t be shocked if any combination of Mesick, Leland, Mason County Eastern, Grand Traverse Academy, or Buckley advanced.
Intriguing Battles
Region 31 Girls
With any bit of Fowler, Gobles, or Martin being in the mix to win it. Last year, Gobles took home the crown in a close battle against Martin, the main difference coming from their superb top-two, Libby Smith and Lauren Shaffer. Though this year, Martin brings back every scorer and Gobles needs to replace one. Fowler is the darkhorse, looking to be bolstered by the addition of freshmen. Their MS squad placed 4th in Jr. Greater Lansing last year, extremely impressive for a tiny D4 school going against much higher enrollments.
Region 32 Girls
With Kalamazoo Hackett and Bridgman perhaps duking it out for the win. The Bees move back to D4, having placed 24th in D3 last year. Hackett dominated here last fall, scoring a mere 18 points. Though the Irish have to replace three from their top-seven. As any XC competition will be, the gaps play a role. The Bees could be stronger through the middle of their pack, the Irish could have more depth. If there’s bodies separating either section, that could loom large. A lot of “coulds”!
Region 35 Boys
The projections have Kingston, Dryden, Marlette, and Vassar, all competing for the 2nd and 3rd spots, separated by a mere 7 points. Vassar is a name I’ve rarely written about over the years and the Vulcans are led by Wyatt Blohm, whose surge during track could’ve brought about a fitness that helps them advance into November. Typical with these D4 teams, what it’ll likely come down to is – what do they have from the 3rd runner on? One addition or surprise could go a long way.
REGION 28
Boys
Proj. Place
Team
Proj. Score
Div. Rank
1
Petoskey St. Michael
34
Top-10
2
East Jordan
64
22
3
Central Lake / Ellsworth
70
26
4
Mackinaw City
76
5
Fairview
100
Carter Toensfeldt, Fairview
Closed his junior year on an extreme high note – knocking over 30 sec. off his PR at MITCA.
Caleb Chamberlin, Petoskey St. Michael
Quick progression throughout his first year for the Guardians, ending with a 16:49 and 28th place finish at MIS.
Atticus Cadarette, Petoskey St. Michael
Has shown a tendency to bring his best material to the season’s close, with two consecutive jumps in the late season.
Proj. Place
Grade
Name
Team
1
12
Carter Toensfeldt
Fairview
2
11
Caleb Chamberlin
Petoskey St. Michael
3
11
Atticus Cadarette
Petoskey St. Michael
4
11
Zander Chellis
Central Lake / Ellsworth
5
11
Cole Wesley
Petoskey St. Michael
6
11
Ethan Sutton
East Jordan
7
10
Abraham Poel
East Jordan
8
10
Cooper Feagan
Petoskey St. Michael
9
10
Knox Wilson
Mackinaw City
10
11
Logan Holden
Indian River Inland Lakes
11
12
Jayden Dunnebeck
East Jordan
12
8
Clayton VanOrman
Mackinaw City
13
10
Thomas Degrez
Hale
14
10
Mason Dawson
Central Lake / Ellsworth
15
10
Bjorn Johnson
Rogers City
16
11
Mikey Sullivan
Mackinaw City
17
10
Deacon Szymoniak
Onaway
18
12
Jack Puroll
Central Lake / Ellsworth
19
9
Ryder Chellis
Central Lake / Ellsworth
20
10
Thomas Steed
Petoskey St. Michael
Girls
Proj. Place
Team
Proj. Score
Div. Rank
1
Bellaire
64
17
2
Petoskey St. Michael
77
20
3
East Jordan
85
21
4
Rogers City
85
22
5
Indian River Inland Lakes
96
26
6
Central Lake / Ellsworth
101
27
7
Boyne Falls
146
Veronica Paga, Petoskey St. Michael
The defending regional champ. Made a huge leap from her sophomore year, where she was 15th here.
Amelia Hoyt, Bellaire
Competed at MIS as an 8th grader, placing 21st. One of two in the middle school ranks to step on the podium.
Proj. Place
Grade
Name
Team
1
12
Veronica Paga
Petoskey St. Michael
2
9
Amelia Hoyt
Bellaire
3
11
Mea Wesley
Petoskey St. Michael
4
10
Lillian Coen
Central Lake / Ellsworth
5
12
Danielle Agren
Johannesburg-Lewiston
6
12
Elizabeth Furman
Indian River Inland Lakes
7
10
Reese Brege
Rogers City
8
10
Nora Inman
East Jordan
9
10
Josephine Furman
Indian River Inland Lakes
10
11
Fenlynn Johnson
Rogers City
11
12
Avary Bearden
East Jordan
12
10
Madalyn Dewey
Bellaire
13
12
Avery Langlois
Rogers City
14
10
Sofia Cadarette
Petoskey St. Michael
15
11
Bristol Skop
East Jordan
16
10
Grace Campbell
Bellaire
17
12
Ruby Pletcher
Central Lake / Ellsworth
18
12
Morgan Reh
Bellaire
19
8
Elle Orlarey
Boyne Falls
20
12
Isabella Hocking
Bellaire
REGION 29
Boys
Proj. Place
Team
Proj. Score
Div. Rank
1
Leland
56
Top-10
2
Mesick
64
Top-10
3
Mason County Eastern
94
11
4
Grand Traverse Academy
95
10
5
Buckley
100
16
6
Bear Lake
146
7
Traverse City Christian
164
8
Lake Leelanau St. Mary
192
Kyle Redman, Mesick
Defending regional champ and 3x All-Stater, coming off his second consecutive medal in the D4 3200m.
Ty Redman, Mesick
Unfortunately was unable to compete at MIS last fall, but has plenty of experience on the state stage, earning two All-State finishes in his career.
Daniel Chaney, Lake Leelanau St. Mary
In 2024, the then 10th grader was 34th in the region with an 18:27. A year later, 3rd with a 16:00. Same course, same Region 29.
Proj. Place
Grade
Name
Team
1
12
Kyle Redman
Mesick
2
12
Ty Redman
Mesick
3
12
Daniel Chaney
Lake Leelanau St. Mary
4
11
Lance Niedzielski
Mason County Eastern
5
10
Ethan Harrand
Buckley
6
11
Owen Jarosz
Frankfort
7
11
Nolan Koscinski
Bear Lake
8
11
Carter Suttmann
Leland
9
10
Easton Harrand
Buckley
10
11
Beckett Dennis
Grand Traverse Academy
11
11
Christopher Knudsen
Leland
12
11
Hannes Graebel
Leland
13
11
Campbell Fedderman
Leland
14
12
Milo Shoup
Mason County Eastern
15
10
Kyle Doty
Mesick
16
10
Jaxon Williams
Grand Traverse Academy
17
10
Holden Preneta
Leland
18
11
Kaiden Lague
Mason County Eastern
19
12
Nate Gorman
Traverse City Christian
20
11
Hanes Graebel
Leland
Girls
Proj. Place
Team
Proj. Score
Div. Rank
1
Grand Traverse Academy
39
Top-10
2
Onekama
54
15
3
Buckley
56
Top-10
4
Bear Lake
89
23
5
Mason County Eastern
132
6
Mesick
144
Callie Sinke, Onekama
Coming off a track season where she ran her fastest times ever in the 800m and 1600m, the latter of which where she placed 2nd in D4.
Sophia Grinage, Leland
Underwent a huge progression as a sophomore, moving from a girl that was outside the top-50 at MIS to one that placed 4th.
Proj. Place
Grade
Name
Team
1
11
Callie Sinke
Onekama
2
11
Sophia Grinage
Leland
3
10
Ava Higley
Frankfort
4
12
Amelia McKinney
Grand Traverse Academy
5
12
Addy Zeller
Onekama
6
10
Zakia Wagoner
Onekama
7
12
Natalie Burpee
Leland
8
12
Madison Smith
Grand Traverse Academy
9
10
Brooklyn Griffin
Buckley
10
11
Melodie Hulinek
Bear Lake
11
12
Addison Patrzik
Grand Traverse Academy
12
12
Mikayla Kulawiak
Buckley
13
12
Tess Hoedel
Grand Traverse Academy
14
10
Tessa Rutherford
Bear Lake
15
12
Tsune DuCheney
Buckley
16
12
Kaylee Swanson
Buckley
17
10
Autumn Patrzik
Grand Traverse Academy
18
11
Maria Schwerin
Grand Traverse Academy
19
11
Ariana Paris
Buckley
20
10
June York
Grand Traverse Academy
REGION 30
Boys
Proj. Place
Team
Proj. Score
Div. Rank
1
Breckenridge
24
Top-10
2
Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart
58
Top-10
3
Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary
81
15
4
Beal City
99
20
5
Carson City-Crystal
144
6
Coleman
151
7
Merrill
181
8
Montabella
193
9
St. Charles
260
Anthony Rowe, Breckenridge
Devastating kicker who holds nearly every Breckenridge running record on the track. At the D4 finals, placed 3rd in the 800m and 4th in the 1600m and could definitely contend for the individual crown in a few months.
Brady Edwards, Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart
The defending regional champ. Had quite a championship season, consistently racing in the low-16’s here, at State, and at MITCA.
Cooper Burt, Breckenridge
Incoming Huskie freshman was undefeated in middle school action last fall, winning his conference and the Northern Michigan Meet of Champions. Even gave us a hint of what he can do for 5k – racing to a 16:47 at the PROM race here.
Proj. Place
Grade
Name
Team
1
12
Anthony Rowe
Breckenridge
2
12
Brady Edwards
Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart
3
9
Cooper Burt
Breckenridge
4
10
Abram Fettig
Saginaw Nouvel
5
12
Amos Norder
Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary
6
12
Rush Marsden
Fulton
7
10
Oliver Burt
Breckenridge
8
12
Wesley Chaffee
Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart
9
10
Gus Barr
Breckenridge
10
12
Dominick Chiverton
Breckenridge
11
10
Eli Baker
Coleman
12
12
Noah Dubridge
Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart
13
11
Logan Funnell
Beal City
14
11
MJ Flowers
Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary
15
10
James Sanders
Breckenridge
16
12
Trevor Dolloff
Ashley
17
10
Asher Thomas
Coleman
18
9
Thomas Hohlbein
Beal City
19
10
Simon Norder
Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary
20
9
Conley Bland
Beal City
Girls
Proj. Place
Team
Proj. Score
Div. Rank
1
Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart
44
Top-10
2
Breckenridge
51
14
3
Beal City
62
19
4
Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary
96
25
5
Montabella
109
6
Vestaburg
131
Claire Long, Saginaw Nouvel
Track star who has captured the D4 400m title the past two years. Sandwiched between those victories was a cross season where the Nouvel senior won this region and placed 16th in the division.
Maizy Matthews, Breckenridge
Last year’s regional setting was her first sub-20 ever and a 2nd place finish.
Cylie Tilmann, Beal City
Incoming Aggie freshman was in the low-13’s in a good chunk of her middle school races last year.
The defending regional champ and 2x All-Stater. Concentrated on mid-distance action this spring, aiding his Calvary teammates in their runner-up 4×8 finish.
Noah Schipper, Holland Calvary Christian
If you thought contributing to the Calvary title was the culmination of a great season, you were mistaken, as Schipper dropped even further with a 16:11 PR at MITCA.
Martin Clipper that has always been a factor here, placing in the top-three all three years. Coming off a track season with a huge leap in the 3200m, moving from a 11:52 PB to a 11:18. 3rd at both the 1600m and 3200m at the D4 Finals.
Faith Schipper, Holland Calvary Christian
Made her presence known in the four races she ran against high schoolers. 3rd here and 7th at State. Curious to see where she can go with a full schedule of learning how to extend to the 5k distance.
Proj. Place
Grade
Name
Team
1
12
Libby Smith
Gobles
2
12
Veyda Conley
Martin
3
9
Faith Schipper
Holland Calvary Christian
4
10
Ryleigh Alderink
Holton
5
9
Clara Thelen
Fowler
6
12
Lauren Shaffer
Gobles
7
12
Lindsey Nordyke
Byron Center Zion Christian
8
11
Zoe Fabing
Fowler
9
9
Kady Lorence
Holland Calvary Christian
10
9
Annie Koenigsknecht
Fowler
11
12
Ava DeYoung
Gobles
12
11
Allison Rodgers
Martin
13
11
Madison Deutschmann
Byron Center Zion Christian
14
12
Bailey Case
Pentwater
15
12
Sara Schipper
Martin
16
9
Hope Phillips
Fowler
17
9
Madilynn Schneider
Fowler
18
11
DuRae Sage
Martin
19
10
Riley Bender
Martin
20
11
Laura Rotman
Holland Calvary Christian
REGION 32
Boys
Proj. Place
Team
Proj. Score
Div. Rank
1
Kalamazoo Hackett
27
Top-10
2
Bridgman
54
19
3
St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake Catholic
106
4
Eau Claire
111
5
White Pigeon
114
6
Athens
123
7
Colon
159
Elias Baldwin, Decatur
Mid-distance specialist placed 5th in a gutsy effort at State and is now putting in major miles hoping to be a D4 contender. Has an intriguing fall ahead…
Proj. Place
Grade
Name
Team
1
12
Elias Baldwin
Decatur
2
9
Benjamin Bolinder
Bridgman
3
12
Kellen Siems
Kalamazoo Hackett
4
10
Carson Ernsberger
Bridgman
5
11
Kadin McGee
Decatur
6
12
Max Barron
Tekonsha
7
9
Gabe Basch
Kalamazoo Hackett
8
10
Lukasz Butkiewicz
Kalamazoo Hackett
9
12
Aiden Jackson
White Pigeon
10
12
Kyron Christner
Mendon
11
10
Henry Young
Kalamazoo Hackett
12
9
Hudson Becker
Bridgman
13
9
Gabe Bash
Kalamazoo Hackett
14
12
Colin Gallagher
Kalamazoo Hackett
15
9
Owen Banyon
St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake Catholic
16
9
Blake Morrison
Climax-Scotts
17
12
Alejandro Lemus
Eau Claire
18
12
Connor Banyon
St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake Catholic
19
10
Karston Kappenman
Kalamazoo Hackett
20
9
Chance Salmon
Bridgman
Girls
Proj. Place
Team
Proj. Score
Div. Rank
1
Kalamazoo Hackett
27
Top-10
2
Bridgman
28
12
3
Battle Creek St. Philip
86
4
Eau Claire
105
Kiera Piper, Kalamazoo Hackett
Her first cross season as a junior had Piper progress from a mid-21 girl to one that snuck under 20:00 at State, placing 20th with a 19:57.
Proj. Place
Grade
Name
Team
1
12
Kiera Piper
Kalamazoo Hackett
2
9
Caroline Conklin
Bridgman
3
10
Cayla Buss
Decatur
4
12
Brie Siems
Kalamazoo Hackett
5
11
Kaylin Pinkowski
Bridgman
6
11
Anna Howell
Bridgman
7
11
Delaney McBride
Kalamazoo Hackett
8
12
Stella Ullig
Bridgman
9
9
Monica Waurio
Kalamazoo Hackett
10
11
Abigail Riker
Kalamazoo Hackett
11
10
Nora Schultz
St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake Catholic
12
12
Sarah Stemaly
Athens
13
11
Evangeline Brown
Bridgman
14
12
Emmy Nofs
Battle Creek St. Philip
15
9
Ella Blumberg
St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake Catholic
16
9
Mary Vogel
Kalamazoo Hackett
17
11
Abigail Douglass
Bridgman
18
12
Angel Milam
Bridgman
19
10
Brooklyn Marshall
Mendon
20
10
Grace Ulbrich
Kalamazoo Hackett
REGION 33
Boys
Proj. Place
Team
Proj. Score
Div. Rank
1
Whitmore Lake
23
Top-10
2
Genesee Christian
83
21
3
Novi Christian Academy
89
25
4
Dansville
95
5
Byron
118
6
Morrice
153
7
Lansing Christian
159
8
Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes
185
Nathan West, Webberville
Became a totally new runner as a sophomore, moving from an athlete that closed in the low-17’s to one that was in the low-16’s. Grabbed the final podium spot at MIS and is ready to move up further.
Middle school CMAC and Zone 5 Small School Champion. Even busted out a low-20 performance to cap off her 8th grade season.
Malynda Lambros, Whitmore Lake
Established early on that she was an improved runner, hitting a 19:38 early at Shepherd. Held on throughout the season to place 30th at MIS.
Proj. Place
Grade
Name
Team
1
12
Kaylie Livingston
Whitmore Lake
2
9
Grace Jolin
Dansville
3
11
Malynda Lambros
Whitmore Lake
4
12
Adrienne Mitchell
Lansing Christian
5
9
June Counts
Whitmore Lake
6
9
Madalyn Stolz
Dansville
7
11
Allison Schmitt
Clarkston Everest Collegiate
8
11
Gabriella Wood
Lansing Christian
9
10
Cassa Minnis
Dansville
10
11
Andi Kirkman
Genesee Christian
11
12
Annie Wernet
Lansing Christian
12
11
Madison Markowicz
Novi Christian Academy
13
12
Evelyn McIndoe
Novi Christian Academy
14
9
Sierra Sherer
Whitmore Lake
15
11
Mariah Diaz
Lansing Christian
16
12
Makenna Bush
Lansing Christian
17
9
Esmee Ewing
Dansville
18
12
Jane Wilder
Webberville
19
12
Caroline Darrah
Whitmore Lake
20
12
Josephine Pedersen
Ann Arbor Rudolf Steiner
REGION 34
Boys
Proj. Place
Team
Proj. Score
Div. Rank
1
Hillsdale Academy
19
Top-10
2
Sand Creek
66
12
3
Manchester
117
27
4
Concord
127
5
Jackson Preparatory
139
6
Camden-Frontier
156
7
Petersburg-Summerfield
171
8
Addison
188
9
Vandercook Lake
226
10
Reading
239
Henry Rorick, Hillsdale Academy
Just had his coming out party on the track, running low-10’s all season for the 3200m, placing 8th in the division.
Timothy Gaebler, Hillsdale Academy
After finding himself on the cusp as a sophomore, broke into the 16’s as a junior.
Peter Winn, Hillsdale Academy
Big gains made in his sophomore season, improving from a 19-20 min. kid to one that was threatening the 16’s.
Alec Dodak, Manchester
The Dutchman who could break up the HA onslaught. Underwent a rapid transformation as a junior, moving from a kid who was 32nd here to 7th.
Stephen Holm, Hillsdale Academy
Another 9th grader with an outstanding track season. His 4:42 in the 1600m ranked 3rd amongst D4 freshmen.
Proj. Place
Grade
Name
Team
1
10
Henry Rorick
Hillsdale Academy
2
12
Timothy Gaebler
Hillsdale Academy
3
11
Peter Winn
Hillsdale Academy
4
12
Alec Dodak
Manchester
5
10
Stephen Holm
Hillsdale Academy
6
12
Silas Daniels
Sand Creek
7
11
Jacob Tatsak
Adrian Lenawee Christian
8
10
Blake Root
Sand Creek
9
12
John Birzer
Hillsdale Academy
10
12
Drake Fenstermaker
Camden-Frontier
11
10
Brayden Winsted
Sand Creek
12
12
Carson Van Sickle
Hillsdale Academy
13
12
Keaton Smith
Concord
14
11
William Schlueter
Hillsdale Academy
15
10
Braydn Patrick
Jackson Preparatory
16
11
Tony Gudakunst
Addison
17
10
Alec Parker
Sand Creek
18
10
Jase Herendeen
Concord
19
10
Asher Church
Hillsdale Will Carleton
20
10
Brayden Patrick
Jackson Preparatory
Girls
Proj. Place
Team
Proj. Score
Div. Rank
1
Hillsdale Academy
26
Top-10
2
Concord
48
Top-10
3
Sand Creek
102
4
Manchester
103
5
Petersburg-Summerfield
124
6
Pittsford
133
Evelyn Meyer, Hillsdale Academy
Track continued to prove what the end of XC gave a hint at. Regional champ in the 1600m and 3200m, placing 8th in the latter at Hudsonville.
Audrey Pyle, Concord
Won this region as a freshman, dropping a major personal best (20+ seconds) to capture the title. Concentrated a bit more on the 800m (and thus, may be underrated here) and to good result, placing 4th in D4.
Proj. Place
Grade
Name
Team
1
12
Evelyn Meyer
Hillsdale Academy
2
10
Audrey Pyle
Concord
3
10
Eliza Roberts
Hillsdale Academy
4
12
Haley Stimer
Concord
5
11
Allison Ost
Petersburg-Summerfield
6
12
Maren Gehrke
Hillsdale Academy
7
10
Heather Morris
Hillsdale Academy
8
9
Peyton Shiels
Britton Deerfield
9
10
Audrey Rinehart
Concord
10
12
Allie Miller
Hillsdale Academy
11
11
Lorelei Stemme
Hillsdale Academy
12
11
Madalynn Trame
Sand Creek
13
12
Moira Beier
Hillsdale Academy
14
11
Ellie Woodring
Addison
15
9
Remi Maynard
Britton Deerfield
16
9
Eden Weidmayer
Manchester
17
11
Abby Raymond
Petersburg-Summerfield
18
11
Mya Barrett
Concord
19
12
Caroline Mason
Manchester
20
12
Lillian Jagielski
Pittsford
REGION 35
Boys
Proj. Place
Team
Proj. Score
Div. Rank
1
Ubly
43
14
2
Kingston
98
3
Dryden
103
4
Marlette
103
5
Vassar
105
6
Deckerville
120
7
Mayville
123
8
Caseville
128
Weston Guza, Ubly
The Bearcat 9th grader was the 5th fastest D4 freshman at MIS.
Levi Fitchett, Dryden
Coming off a track season where he broke 5:00 for the first time ever and qualified for the State Finals in that very event.
Proj. Place
Grade
Name
Team
1
10
Weston Guza
Ubly
2
11
Levi Fitchett
Dryden
3
11
Wyatt Blohm
Vassar
4
12
Brennan Robinson
Kingston
5
10
Lucas Volmering
Ubly
6
12
Thijs Van Rijn
Kingston
7
10
Steven Budreau
Mayville
8
11
Brayden Kirkpatrick
Marlette
9
11
Jaycen Roberts
Dryden
10
9
Landon Messing
Deckerville
11
9
Joel McDonald
Ubly
12
12
Wesley Kosinski
Kinde North Huron
13
9
Mason Warner
Ubly
14
12
Donovan Glasgow
Capac
15
11
Dominic Cardillo
Caseville
16
12
Beckett Hagen
Ubly
17
10
John Adams
Vassar
18
9
Keaton Evans
Marlette
19
10
Owen Schultz
Peck
20
9
Paul Steeb
Deckerville
Girls
Proj. Place
Team
Proj. Score
Div. Rank
1
Ubly
29
18
2
Dryden
73
3
Kinde North Huron
78
4
Marlette
83
5
Deckerville
91
Norah Kiley, Kingston
Your reigning Division 4 800m champ has some serious range. Winner here in 2025 and was 5th in the D4 Finals.
Proj. Place
Grade
Name
Team
1
10
Norah Kiley
Kingston
2
11
Payton King
Kingston
3
11
Claire Wright
Dryden
4
11
Abbygail Plester
Ubly
5
10
Isabella West
Mayville
6
10
Ella Gustner
Dryden
7
11
Myah Peruski
Ubly
8
12
Aspen Jimkoski
Kinde North Huron
9
9
Eva Klee
Ubly
10
11
Peyten Albertson
Marlette
11
11
Taylor Geiger
Ubly
12
11
Brooklyn Morell
Ubly
13
9
Sophia Messing
Deckerville
14
9
Summer Franzel
Ubly
15
9
Brooklon Prowse
Brown City
16
11
Sophia Lawrence
Memphis
17
12
Elizabeth Schultz
Peck
18
11
Daniela Perna
Marlette
19
11
Kayle Talaski
Kinde North Huron
20
10
Emma Freeland
Kingston
REGION 36
Boys
Proj. Place
Team
Proj. Score
Div. Rank
1
Royal Oak Shrine
49
17
2
Cardinal Mooney Catholic
61
24
3
Auburn Hills Oakland Christian
75
4
Allen Park Cabrini
81
5
Austin Catholic
119
6
Southfield Christian
121
Jacob Ferdubinski, Riverview Gabriel Richard
Was 7th here a year ago, but redeemed himself in the best way possible – grabbing his second consecutive medal at D4 State.
Gavin Bowers, Austin Catholic
Unusually mega-consistent as a 9th grader, running all but one race in the 17’s.
Proj. Place
Grade
Name
Team
1
12
Jacob Ferdubinski
Riverview Gabriel Richard
2
10
Gavin Bowers
Austin Catholic
3
11
Liam Knuth
Cardinal Mooney Catholic
4
12
Silas Carroll
Ivywood Classical Academy
5
11
Will Bernacki
Royal Oak Shrine
6
12
Micah Arlow
Cardinal Mooney Catholic
7
11
Declan O’Connell
Allen Park Cabrini
8
12
Christian Brash
Allen Park Cabrini
9
12
Uzziel Thomassen
Auburn Hills Oakland Christian
10
10
Luke Robinson
Royal Oak Shrine
11
11
Nolan Mazur
Riverview Gabriel Richard
12
11
Dominic DeVeny
Cardinal Mooney Catholic
13
9
Jose Thomassen
Auburn Hills Oakland Christian
14
12
Gabe Shaffer
Royal Oak Shrine
15
10
Jack Paisley
Royal Oak Shrine
16
11
Xavier Zammit
Cardinal Mooney Catholic
17
11
Emanuel Nava
Allen Park Cabrini
18
11
Ethan Wielgat
Royal Oak Shrine
19
11
Barron Denham
Auburn Hills Oakland Christian
20
12
Ian Scott
Lutheran Westland
Girls
Proj. Place
Team
Proj. Score
Div. Rank
1
Royal Oak Shrine
32
Top-10
2
Auburn Hills Oakland Christian
75
3
Lutheran Westland
82
4
Southfield Christian
83
5
Austin Catholic
94
Ella Lamb, Royal Oak Shrine
800m specialist can throw down on the grass too, as she’s the defending champ here.
Cassidy Bowers, Austin Catholic
Austin Catholic junior found her way into the 19’s late last year, earning All-Macomb County and All-State.
It’s baaack. A summertime tradition has returned, the 50 Tickets to Brooklyn. These lists celebrate the top 50 returners – based on a concoction of the ’25 XC season, projected improvements, the ’26 Track season, and a tiny bit of my own input.
14th Place – Division 1 State 2x All-State 2nd Place – Region 1 3rd Place – OK Red Championship
Track
2025 & 2026 Division 1 State 1600m Champion 8th Place – Division 1 State 3200m 5x All-State Region 2 1600m/3200m Champion OK Red Conference 800m Champion
His Specialty
Savvy racing in the 1600m.
Yeah, that’s a reeeeal specific specialty, but when you’ve gone back-to-back with Division 1 wins, it’s worthy of a writeup.
The first example of his wisdom, quoted from last year’s 50 Tickets post:
“Then the best conclusion, a win in a drag race at State. Three west siders led at various points in the contest. Jackson Lam for the first kilometer, Caden Livermore and Hammond desperately trying to stay connected as Lam sped past 800m in 2:05. Luka gained and then held the lead from a kilometer to the bell, where Livermore made his bid. A gap opened and it was gut check time for Luka, be content with 2nd or hang until you can give one final surge. After choosing the latter, Hammond opened up his stride and gritted out a victory in the final meters.”
The second came at May 30th’s D1 Finals. Hammond once again let others do the work, trailing in second place for much of the first 1000 meters. He began to take on the lead at 600m to go, then gradually inched down the pace until he was in an all-out sprint for the final 300m. Caden Livermore right on his heels, ready to pounce on any weakness. Hammond somehow found another gear in the final 100m, closing in what appeared to be a sub-60. Another State Finals win, another variance of a deadly and decisive kick.
It ain’t just the four-lappers on the track, Luka is here because of his exploits on the grass. Sub-16 as a freshman, two straight state medals. His 3200m isn’t all that bad either, one of two Michiganders to move under 9:00 this past spring. The endurance and speed are two factors. The wisdom makes him extra special.
Michigan XC Speed Ratings 