One must be careful with teams such as Northville. If you’re not intently watching, talent lurks in the cut, bides its time, and suddenly springs upon you.
A freshman year of cross was inauspicious, but fast at the end, Ben running in the 17’s for much of the year on those tough KLAA courses, before dropping a 16:51 at the Meadows and 16:42 at Willow. Sneakily good for a youngster, but nothing that predicted the onslaught we’ve seen the past three seasons.
First, a 4:31 freshman 1600m that ranked #8 amongst all 9th graders. Second, a 15:37 and 24th place finish at MIS, 10 spots better than his projected placing. Then a perfect 4×8 relay leg that led to Powell and Herger sealing another state championship.
Coming more and more into the light, Ben Hartigan.
One of many Crusaders not to get overwhelmed by the championship season moments. Low-17’s throughout October into November, the kind of marks that help your team hoist a trophy.
Benzie to Chippewa Hills, Region 29 to 20 to 30. No matter what the division or location, Coleson has moved on from each region to run at State. He looks to make it four in a row this fall, now at Allendale in Region 31.
(Seriously though, White Cloud is that perfect central location that makes them an easy chess piece to move around. They could easily drive to Shepherd or Benzie and still be within a reasonable distance of a regional.)
Dropped into the 18’s on many occasions, won over half of her races, finished 2nd here, and nailed a top-10 finish at MIS. I’d say that’s a pretty decent start to her career.
Fowler’s immaculate track season wasn’t just in the sprints and hurdles, you also had girls such as Kelcie that ran 5:23/11:59. She’s coming over from Region 33, where she’s nabbed a state qualifier in each of her past three regional races.
All she does is run. Ava might not be the most talented girl of all time, but she gets here on her dedication to the sport. As a freshman, she debuted with a series of 22:00+ efforts. In 1.5 years time, she was qualifying for State in the 3200m with a 11:13. Her junior season was her best yet, running of one her better races of the year in a near All-State bid. Come track, she worked on that speed, knocking a whopping 26 sec. off her personal best, earning another state qualifier. Often, the biggest breakthroughs come from those that undergo improvement, but fall just short of their goals. A podium spot, Franklin school records, and a chance to redeem her track State meet await, and I know Ava will be there for it.
Michigan XC Speed Ratings 