Those Alma boys come in running and they come in running FAST.
So fast even that long held school records aren’t safe. Thomas Larson started the record-busting tradition back in ’22. Then him and Zeke kept it rolling last year. I think this graphic sums it up better than I could write:
And it doesn’t even include Zeke’s 15:39 from the MITCA Meet of Champions.
Thinking in terms of the entire state, Baltierra can hold his own as well. His 15:47 at State was the 2nd fastest time of any freshman, any division. Thinking in terms of how he ranked on the track, both his 4:21 and 9:24 ranked 4th amongst all the state’s freshmen.
Competitive in Panther history and against his peers.
Another Morehouse that’s found their way in the sport, Luke could possibly grow from his mid-16 times from last fall. Moved from 4:40 to 4:30 in the 16, placing 3rd in the MAC White and 8th in the county in that same event.
Inching her way down toward state prominence on the track, which should carry over to XC. 9th in the 800m with a huge PB (2:16). A 3x State qualifier, she can hang on the grass as well.
Despite suffering a rough ankle injury, gutted out races here and at State, placing 6th and 99th respectively. Regardless of injuries, she’s been in the 18’s each of the past two years and All-State in 2022.
Part of the reason that the Ramblers have found their way toward the top of the Macomb County competition is their ability to bring girls along. In many races last year, Katelyn was over 1.5 minutes faster than she was in 9th grade.
It’s always a trip counting an athlete’s number of All-States. Then counting again. Perhaps even checking again. I came up with ten, seven on the track, three on the grass. For this here, let’s think of the ones from the 2023-24 season.
18:27 from the XC State Finals. Was among her fastest times ever. The two faster ones were both at Allendale, which seemed to run similar to MIS last year. But it was her best time at MIS, and five places higher than what she’d finished in D4 in 2021.
5:16 and 6th place in track’s 1600m, her 2nd straight podium finish in the event
Runner-up in the 4×8, their 9:36 being the fastest time the Warriors have run since she arrived on campus (and the fastest in WMC athletic.net history)
Continually achieving and bringing her team along with her, that Grace is really something else.
Michigan XC Speed Ratings 