2020 Previews – Page 20 – Michigan XC Speed Ratings

50 Tickets to Brooklyn (#11)

As with Adit Dau, it is tough to rate Ottawa Hills runners because of the few races on their plate, with one subpar performance, they can be underrated
Madison didn’t have that subpar performance (and really hasn’t throughout her career), even getting better as the season progressed
She ran a massive PR at the Benzie Regional, then followed it up with an equally impressive race at MIS
That State Meet race earned Madison her first All-State honor
After missing the 2019 track season, she was on her way to (again) setting some massive PRs, starting with an 11:06 in the Elite 3200m at Grand Valley

Late in 2018, Owen began to show he’ll be a contributor in this sport
Sub-17 efforts at Jackson, Willow, a 17:02 on a cold, muddy November day in Brooklyn
Then he opened with a 15:49 at Pete Moss, and we saw that potential realized
Owen’s State Meet last year may not have gone how he wanted, but his overall track record shows a runner that will be at the front of every race
Multiple sub-16/200+ performances
The most significant, I believe, is his 15:36/207.8 at Portage, where he placed 9^th in a loaded field
- And beat some of our better seniors who will be competing in the Big 10 this season
During indoor, he was able to better his 1600m PR from 4:30 to 4:25 and demolish his 3200m best, improving from 9:41 to 9:23

This site aims to analyze XC beyond times, but I can’t help to marvel at Gavin’s times throughout the year in these major races
Consistently between 15:40 and 16:20, a very high standard, ranging across a variety of courses
Particularly impressed by that Holly performance, finishing top-10 in a loaded field (Dexter, Brighton, Clarkston, Hartland, Holt, WL Central, Milford, Catholic Central)
Gavin and Caleb Jarema will provide low scoring, no matter the order, at the front of Division 2 races
He’s also an example of consistent improvement between years, dropping 0:30 either in his PR or his average rating, can’t help but think that trend will continue

Rylee is a girl I’d characterize as a winner, and her results back that up
Other than a 3^rd place finish at Greater Lansing (and still an impressive performance), she won all her major races last year
Very rarely at the HS level does one see tactical racing, but Rylee’s State title in 2019 was a great example of this
- She hung with a pack of 5 through 2 miles, then blasted the last mile en route to an 8 second victory
She was on a path to improvement on the track as well, having run 10:38 indoors, a drop from her 10:48 last spring
Division 3 gets a bit tougher this year, but given her competitiveness, I see Rylee closing that gap more than one would expect

Following a season where she struggled with various ailments, Lani found her form this winter
Beginning in January, she notched impressive accomplishments in one race after another, culminating in an indoor State Title in the 1600m
During the winter, she was able to run 2:17/10:28, then this spring, 4:49.
It’s not as if she’s not accomplished in XC, last year she was either 1^st or 2^nd in any major race, and even got down to the 18’s
Very rarely have I injected my subjectivity into this, but I feel in this case it’s warranted, those times on the track, especially in longer distances, will bare out on the course

Jude has potential to be another great in the long line of Rockford legends
It has taken him awhile, but he’s shown steady progression throughout his three years in high school
His freshman year, he showed flashes of potential, breaking 17:00 twice at Allendale
Last year, he capitalized on that potential, breaking into the 15’s and winning a regional championship
A few other accomplishments as well: Top-15 at Portage, Top-5 at Bath, but narrowly missed out on that All-State, which I’m sure he’ll get this upcoming season