These girls were the first since the D4 bunch where I got more All-Staters than what I thought I might get. 24 of 30 with the projections thinking I’d hit 23.86.
Unexpected All-State
Lillian Deskins, Romeo
Projected: 36th, 36.2% chance of All-State
Late start to the season in a new place, but a quick study to Romeo’s system. Ran her best towards the end of the year, with a 18:28 here and 18:25 in Terre Haute.
Alexis Ball, Traverse City Central
Projected: 56th, 8.2% chance of All-State
Past two years had sub-19’s and top-50 finishes, but no All-States to show for it. Came through in a big way with a nearly 20 sec. personal best.
Isabelle Becker, Bay City Western
Projected: 33rd, 36.6% chance of All-State
Patient race led to a large payoff. 72nd at the mile, 25th when she finally crossed the line.
Ava Kurczewski, Walled Lake Northern
Projected: 112th, 1.3% chance of All-State
Previous two MIS performances were 93rd and 103rd place finishes. Senior year, final race for the Knights was the best of her career – Ava’s first time in the 18’s since 2022’s MITCA race.
Ella Kirkwood, Traverse City Central
Projected: 44th, 7.4% chance of All-State
Third mile was her fastest of the race and her kick was 3rd fastest of all girls. All in all, she moved up 60 places from her spot at the mile, crossing the line in 29th to grab her first All-State ever.
Jordyn Klaasen, Zeeland West
Projected 50th, 10.9% chance of All-State
By this point, her ability to come through in early November shouldn’t be doubted. Three years, three finishes in the top-30.
All-State History
Rachel Forsyth
Whether that be from the great record keepers and writers from our track/XC community, local reporters, or national outlets, Rachel’s story has been shared far and wide. Often, she’s been asked to give her thoughts and asked how she’d recount the past few years. These articles and pieces are essential to understanding how her journey has led to her historical senior season.
I believe these features tell her story much better than I could, so I’d like to focus on the stats, which speak volumes to where she has and will place in history
COURSE RECORDS
(thank you to Jeff Hollobaugh and michtrack.org for this tremendous resource)
Indian Creek Park (SEC Red 1) – 16:44, previously 16:58 from Zofia Dudek
Sharp Park (Jackson) – 16:36, previously 17:23 from Maggie Farrell
Saline HS (SEC Red 2) – 16:18, first year on the course
Portage West MS (Portage) – 16:47, previously 17:00 from Olivia Theis
Hudson Mills South (SEC Championship) – 16:40, previously 17:47 from Anne Forsyth
Lake Erie (Region 5) – 16:07, previously 17:05 from Zofia Dudek. Dirt from the hill was used as part of a shoreline restoration, making it impassable for the course, so a bit of a change. But not a 58 second change 🙂
MIS (D1 State) – 16:28, previously 16:53 from Olivia Theis
If you’re counting, that’s 9 Michigan races, 8 raced to a new course record. The only one that she missed was a Benzie course that had been changed and by my numbers, was slower than the previous version. But I’m sure Rachel is fine with letting her sister, Anne, hold onto one of them records.
WINNING RECORD
Of Rachel’s 14 races this year, 12 were wins. The 2 defeats were a 5th place finish at Nike Nationals and a 3rd place finish at Foot Locker. Rachel was the only girl to place in the top-10 in each national meet. On her career, she finished with a 63% win rate, coming across the line first in 29 of 46 tries. That would be impressive head-to-head, mind-boggling when regularly competing against fields of 100+ girls.
SPEED RATING RANKS
Over the past 5 years of speed ratings, Rachel is tied with Zofia Dudek for the highest overall rating, a 190.1 at the SEC Championship. The Hudson Mills course is normally a quick one, but rains had wrecked the Gabriel Richard meet five days prior, and the South course was slow to recover. Rachel was anything but slow, winning by well over 2 minutes in what is one of the more competitive conferences in the State.
On the all-time speed rating list (dating back to 2019, containing 150k+ ratings), Rachel holds 3 of the top-5 marks, 5 of the top-11, and 8 of the top-21. Her top three, the SEC Championship, Region 5, and Division 1 State, were all run during championship season, meaning she upped her already impressive game to another rarely seen level.
Movin’ Up
Tied for the most passes from Mile 1 were Pioneer’s young freshman, Nina Moore and one of Oakland County’s best, Alena Tiernan. Both girls went by 74 girls in the final 2.1 miles.
In her final race of her career, Portage Central’s Addison Begeman was able to go by 43 girls after 2 miles.
And in the final kick, from three on, Macomb Dakota’s Lidia Clancy mowed down 13 other girls in order to finish 100th.
Matching her OK Gold counterpart, Selma Anderson came through with the quickest kick in the field. You wouldn’t know it in terms of the number of girls that she passed, but you do know it in terms of time, 31.5 seconds in the final 0.1 miles. That equates to around a 4:52 pace and is unsurprising if you’ve ever seen the tenacity in which Selma closes a race.
Perfectly Paced
Far and away, the most even splits in the race went to Annabeth Hazlewood. The Salem freshman ran with wisdom well beyond her years. Her 19:09 finishing time came out to 6:10 pace. With a 6:09 split at the mile, 12:20 at two, and 18:30 at three, she easily was the most consistent throughout the race. The benefit of that strategy? Moving from 125th at one, 69th at two, 57th at three and finishing in 54th.
There were a few other girls that were steady as well:
Romeo’s Olivia Purdy and Lillian Deskins, securing that state title Brownstown-Woodhaven’s young Hope Noal Forest Hills Northern’s Izzy Fazio
Grade
Name
Time
Team
Rating
12
Rachel Forsyth
16:28.5
Ann Arbor Pioneer
185.2
12
Selma Anderson
17:13.6
GR Ottawa Hills
170.1
11
Lucy Cook
17:19.7
Rochester
168.1
9
Annie Hrabovsky
17:28.7
Romeo
165.1
11
Victoria Garces
17:29.1
Midland Dow
165.0
12
Jayden Harberts
17:57.8
Macomb Dakota
155.4
10
Natalia Guaresimo
18:05.8
Romeo
152.7
12
Ella Christensen
18:12.6
Northville
150.5
12
Layla Krayem
18:14.8
Livonia Stevenson
149.7
11
Grace Tykocki
18:15.9
Grand Blanc
149.4
11
Helen Sachs
18:17.7
Holland West Ottawa
148.8
11
Mallory Bigelow
18:19.1
Oxford
148.3
10
Emmerson Clor
18:20.2
Romeo
147.9
11
Valerie Beeck
18:23.7
Grand Haven
146.8
12
Laney Alig
18:25.2
Saline
146.3
9
Anyla Robinson
18:26.6
Detroit Cass Tech
145.8
12
Clara James-Heer
18:27.9
FHC GR Forest Hills Central
145.4
12
Morgan Brown
18:28.4
Livonia Churchill
145.2
11
Cassie Garcia
18:28.5
Northville
145.2
12
Payton Scheffler
18:28.6
Brownstown Woodhaven
145.1
10
Lydia LaMarra
18:28.7
Brighton
145.1
11
Lillian Deskins
18:28.9
Romeo
145.0
12
Lydia Bowman
18:29.0
Ann Arbor Pioneer
145.0
12
Alexis Ball
18:34.5
Traverse City Central
143.2
11
Isabelle Becker
18:35.7
Bay City Western
142.8
11
Ava Alicandro
18:36.3
White Lake Lakeland
142.6
12
Ava Kurczewski
18:38.5
Walled Lake Northern
141.8
12
Carrigan Eberly
18:38.9
Brighton
141.7
12
Ella Kirkwood
18:39.3
Traverse City Central
141.6
11
Jordyn Klaasen
18:41.2
Zeeland West
140.9
11
Addy Smith
18:42.2
Grand Haven
140.6
12
Hannah DeRoeck
18:42.9
Lake Orion
140.4
11
Ava Peters
18:43.3
Livonia Franklin
140.2
12
Paige McArdle
18:44.3
Davison
139.9
12
Braydee Elling
18:45.2
Oxford
139.6
11
Kaelin Hughes
18:46.5
Livonia Stevenson
139.2
10
Ava Porras
18:48.4
Holland West Ottawa
138.5
12
Nikki Carothers
18:50.8
Brighton
137.7
11
Corynn Gady
18:51.0
Saline
137.7
11
Jane Olney
18:52.3
Holland West Ottawa
137.2
11
Olivia Purdy
18:52.8
Romeo
137.1
12
Katie Watkins
18:55.2
Midland Dow
136.3
12
Emma Hoffmeyer
18:56.3
Walled Lake Western
135.9
12
Sylvia Sanok Dufallo
18:58.7
Ann Arbor Pioneer
135.1
10
Abby Veit
18:58.9
TC West (Traverse City)
135.0
11
Sydney Roberts
18:59.1
Midland Dow
135.0
10
Ava Lawrence
18:59.3
East Kentwood
134.9
9
Becca van Lent
19:01.2
Ann Arbor Skyline
134.3
12
Katie Hume
19:01.6
Ann Arbor Pioneer
134.1
12
Sonya Shelgikar
19:03.1
Ann Arbor Huron
133.6
11
Annie Alkema
19:03.4
Kalamazoo Central
133.5
12
Lily Salazar
19:07.8
Okemos
132.1
9
Jillian Broyles
19:08.3
Highland-Milford
131.9
9
Annabeth Hazlewood
19:09.0
Salem
131.7
11
Molly Baracco
19:09.3
Farmington
131.6
10
Addison Herr
19:09.7
Bloomfield Hills
131.4
12
Natalie Mello
19:10.5
Ann Arbor Pioneer
131.2
11
Elle Bissett
19:10.8
Brighton
131.1
12
Mariah Belmont
19:11.3
Macomb Dakota
130.9
10
Trinity VanderWoude
19:11.4
Rockford
130.9
9
Colette Lozo
19:13.8
Northville
130.1
11
Taylor Brodeur
19:14.0
Oxford
130.0
10
Jersi Bilek
19:15.0
Muskegon Reeths-Puffer
129.7
12
Allison Mayer
19:15.1
Ann Arbor Skyline
129.6
11
Lauren Walker
19:16.2
Holt
129.3
12
Kylee King
19:16.5
Oak Park
129.2
9
Jaclyn Suderman
19:16.8
Bay City Western
129.1
12
Nicole Mays
19:17.0
Okemos
129.0
10
Macy Czelada
19:18.0
South Lyon
128.7
12
Izzy Fazio
19:18.5
FHN GR Forest Hills Northern
128.5
12
Anna Reineck
19:19.1
Clarkston
128.3
10
Nevaeh Polovina
19:19.2
Davison
128.3
11
Chloe DeRidder
19:19.9
Grandville
128.0
10
Lillian Schlack
19:19.9
Saline
128.0
10
October Harns
19:20.0
Okemos
128.0
9
Daisy Cox
19:20.4
Rockford
127.9
10
Siene Muraszewski
19:20.9
Utica
127.7
9
Ava Goodman
19:21.5
Hartland
127.5
9
Sophie Roth
19:22.8
Saline
127.1
9
Tessa Mascari
19:24.9
TC West (Traverse City)
126.4
12
Nancy Gage
19:25.8
Saline
126.1
12
Emilee Rudlaff
19:27.4
Kalamazoo Central
125.5
12
Madelyn Gordon
19:27.8
Walled Lake Northern
125.4
9
Iva Ravindra
19:28.5
Temperance Bedford
125.2
11
Grace Grupido
19:29.7
Fraser
124.8
10
Cianah Budnik-Ramos
19:30.6
Grand Haven
124.5
11
Julia Frampton
19:31.8
Holland West Ottawa
124.1
11
Emma Gunnett
19:33.1
Holland West Ottawa
123.6
9
Irie Scrase
19:33.7
Ann Arbor Skyline
123.4
10
Kayla Ward
19:34.8
South Lyon
123.1
12
Nina Frost
19:35.1
Fenton
123.0
9
Hope Noal
19:35.7
Brownstown Woodhaven
122.8
12
Sydney Smith
19:35.9
Davison
122.7
11
Emma Smith
19:37.2
Rockford
122.3
11
Savannah Spangler
19:38.1
Grosse Pointe South
122.0
9
Nina Moore
19:38.4
Ann Arbor Pioneer
121.9
9
Olivia Jenney
19:38.7
Bloomfield Hills
121.8
12
Ava King
19:38.9
TC West (Traverse City)
121.7
11
Violet Hrabovsky
19:39.2
Romeo
121.6
10
Lidia Clancy
19:39.3
Macomb Dakota
121.6
10
Olivia Stacy
19:39.4
Portage Northern
121.5
10
Lauren Bradley
19:39.4
Highland-Milford
121.5
10
Katelyn Frazier
19:39.7
Fraser
121.4
10
Audrey Hamilton
19:39.8
Troy
121.4
10
Brooke McFarland
19:39.9
Utica
121.4
12
Bryna Mead-O’Brien
19:40.3
Okemos
121.2
9
Cassie Karasinski
19:40.8
Hudsonville
121.1
11
Abi Albright
19:41.5
Grand Haven
120.8
11
Anna Sybenga
19:41.7
FHC GR Forest Hills Central
120.8
12
Alisia Olteanu
19:42.4
Walled Lake Western
120.5
10
Aviana Skinner
19:42.7
Grand Ledge
120.4
10
Quincy Behm
19:43.7
Ann Arbor Pioneer
120.1
11
Rosie Gregory
19:43.9
Northville
120.0
9
Gabriella Fugazzi
19:45.0
Okemos
119.7
10
Peyton Tucker
19:45.5
TC West (Traverse City)
119.5
10
Elizabeth Schafer
19:47.4
Okemos
118.9
9
Claire Porinsky
19:48.0
South Lyon East
118.7
11
Alena Tiernan
19:49.3
White Lake Lakeland
118.2
11
Alena Blumberg
19:50.0
Dexter
118.0
12
Viktoria Bloniarz
19:50.7
Monroe
117.8
10
Juliet Lewis
19:51.6
Brighton
117.5
11
Stephanie Bulat
19:52.8
Rochester
117.1
9
Roxanne Jorgensen
19:55.1
Portage Northern
116.3
10
Bailey Wenzlick
19:55.4
TC West (Traverse City)
116.2
10
Nora Gerzema
19:55.5
Farmington Hills Mercy
116.2
10
Taylor Parsons
19:56.3
Rochester
115.9
11
Norah Lesner
19:56.5
Utica
115.8
10
Rhea Mouw
19:56.7
Portage Central
115.8
10
Rebecca Jud
19:57.3
Salem
115.6
11
Clare Mathison
19:57.6
FHC GR Forest Hills Central
115.5
10
Annabelle Beloiu
19:57.8
Northville
115.4
11
Lucinda Paliani
19:58.4
Ann Arbor Huron
115.2
10
Olivia Cereska
19:59.1
Fraser
115.0
9
Maya Pletzer
19:59.7
White Lake Lakeland
114.8
12
Samantha Wogaman
20:02.0
Grand Blanc
114.0
9
El McMahan
20:02.1
Rochester Adams
114.0
11
Mia Snellgrove
20:04.9
Rochester
113.0
11
Ellie Nohovig
20:05.9
Highland-Milford
112.7
11
Ella Harlow
20:06.2
Portage Northern
112.6
9
Lilianna Peace
20:06.4
Clinton Twp. Chippewa Valley
112.5
12
Payton Hosley
20:06.5
Grand Haven
112.5
11
Catherine Steele
20:06.7
Farmington
112.4
12
Gracie Youngblood
20:06.9
Romeo
112.4
10
Selena White
20:07.7
Brighton
112.1
9
Addison Brigham
20:07.9
Clarkston
112.0
9
Avery DeGrendel
20:08.0
Clarkston
112.0
10
Eleanor Grant
20:08.3
Wyandotte Roosevelt
111.9
11
Ella Reaves
20:08.9
Holt
111.7
12
Aubrey Mery
20:09.3
Oxford
111.6
12
Lily Hetzel
20:10.2
Salem
111.3
12
Peyton Ludwig
20:10.8
FHC GR Forest Hills Central
111.1
10
Payton Lamb
20:11.4
TC West (Traverse City)
110.9
10
Lilamae Frank
20:11.6
BC Lakeview
110.8
12
Claire Bireta
20:11.7
Allen Park
110.8
9
Aubrey Rizzo
20:11.9
Macomb Dakota
110.7
9
Mia Carson
20:13.4
Northville
110.2
11
Isabelle Krause
20:13.4
Walled Lake Northern
110.2
10
Addie Birkholz
20:13.5
Holland West Ottawa
110.2
11
Ayla Balazer
20:14.2
Ann Arbor Skyline
109.9
11
Mia Stibitz
20:14.3
FHC GR Forest Hills Central
109.9
10
Molly Kate Coates
20:15.0
Northville
109.7
11
Luciana Rodriguez
20:15.2
Fraser
109.6
10
Laila Bodell
20:16.0
Oxford
109.3
9
Katelyn Parrish
20:17.3
Farmington
108.9
9
Emma Brown
20:18.4
Utica
108.5
9
Kareena Babu
20:19.1
Novi
108.3
11
Addison Bruckman
20:20.2
Dexter
107.9
11
Camden Essenmacher
20:20.8
Hartland
107.7
11
Abby Roth
20:21.2
Saline
107.6
11
Melana Karsten
20:22.4
Rockford
107.2
12
Sydney Gergics
20:24.5
Rochester Hills Stoney Creek
106.5
11
Rachel Grice
20:25.5
Kalamazoo Central
106.2
12
Laurel Tolliver
20:25.5
Grand Haven
106.2
12
Gabrielle Bolitho
20:26.0
Brighton
106.0
9
Samantha Bartell
20:26.6
Salem
105.8
9
Gabrielle Chevez
20:27.1
Muskegon Reeths-Puffer
105.6
12
Addison Begeman
20:27.5
Portage Central
105.5
9
Allie Gallagher
20:27.6
Walled Lake Northern
105.5
12
Holly Corteville
20:27.8
Walled Lake Northern
105.4
12
Tessa Rindfliesch
20:29.3
Zeeland West
104.9
9
Reagan Reaume
20:30.1
Gibraltar Carlson
104.6
10
Sydney Fischer
20:30.3
Clarkston
104.6
9
Morgan Scally
20:30.4
White Lake Lakeland
104.5
9
Brooklyn Wiltse
20:31.0
Davison
104.3
11
Gracey Barry
20:31.7
Grand Haven
104.1
11
Grace Roth
20:33.7
Saline
103.4
11
Sophia Aquino
20:34.0
Utica
103.3
12
Leanna Barnett
20:35.4
Rockford
102.9
9
Olivia Storteboom
20:35.9
Portage Central
102.7
11
Kerrigan Kennedy
20:37.0
Highland-Milford
102.3
12
Brooke Lemos
20:38.3
Davison
101.9
9
Annie Roraff
20:38.3
Rochester
101.9
11
Alanna Clague
20:39.5
Portage Central
101.5
12
Mackenzie Hendry
20:39.8
White Lake Lakeland
101.4
10
Reese Smith
20:40.0
TC West (Traverse City)
101.3
10
Jacalyn Yakel
20:40.5
Utica Eisenhower
101.2
9
Lyla Dowling
20:42.3
Holland West Ottawa
100.6
11
Claire O’Boyle
20:44.1
Lowell
100.0
10
Lexi Kowalski
20:45.1
Kalamazoo Central
99.6
9
Maggie Baginski
20:45.6
Utica Eisenhower
99.5
10
Ryann Smitka
20:46.1
Macomb Dakota
99.3
10
Sarah Wazne
20:46.7
Dearborn Heights Crestwood
99.1
9
Addie Jones
20:46.9
Salem
99.0
11
Jamie Patterson
20:47.4
Oxford
98.9
12
MK Elliott
20:49.6
Portage Central
98.1
12
Lauren Thomas
20:49.7
New Baltimore Anchor Bay
98.1
11
Allison Nussear
20:50.6
Midland Dow
97.8
11
Julia Timpa
20:51.4
Macomb Dakota
97.5
11
Natalie Lewis
20:53.1
Rockford
97.0
10
Macy Guikema
20:55.2
Jenison
96.3
10
Elliana Perugi
20:59.1
Brownstown Woodhaven
95.0
11
Anna Krampe
20:59.7
FHC GR Forest Hills Central
94.8
9
Addison Sokolowski
21:00.3
Highland-Milford
94.6
9
Viktoria MacDougall
21:01.0
Farmington
94.3
12
Sydney Lambert
21:01.0
Midland Dow
94.3
9
Linda Lopez
21:01.5
Lake Orion
94.2
10
Joslyn Bechtol
21:02.0
Brownstown Woodhaven
94.0
9
Alex Iacoban
21:02.4
Farmington
93.9
12
Remi Flanz
21:05.8
Fraser
92.7
9
Paige Haller
21:06.2
Walled Lake Central
92.6
11
Olivia Gartrell
21:08.0
Davison
92.0
11
Lily Rosender
21:10.4
Walled Lake Northern
91.2
11
Daphne Ball
21:10.5
Byron Center
91.2
9
Logan Robison
21:11.3
Clarkston
90.9
12
Shawna Monsere
21:11.8
Highland-Milford
90.7
10
Alyssa Mertes
21:12.2
Rockford
90.6
12
Ana Lopez
21:12.3
Rochester Adams
90.6
11
Natalie Joiner
21:12.4
White Lake Lakeland
90.5
10
Lilah Yoder
21:13.1
FHC GR Forest Hills Central
90.3
10
Abby Spencer
21:16.8
Farmington
89.1
10
Kate Molloy
21:19.4
Fraser
88.2
11
Macy Jenkins
21:20.2
Highland-Milford
87.9
12
Alexandria Mason
21:20.2
Ann Arbor Skyline
87.9
9
Reese Storteboom
21:21.3
Portage Central
87.6
11
Jun Hur
21:23.9
Portage Central
86.7
10
Audrey Henckel
21:24.9
Rochester
86.4
10
Kierra Magner
21:26.0
Farmington
86.0
9
Skylar Seedman
21:26.9
Rochester
85.7
10
Camryn Quidort
21:28.8
Oxford
85.1
11
Mylene Pham
21:33.9
Macomb Dakota
83.4
12
Morgan Gill
21:35.2
Rochester Hills Stoney Creek
82.9
12
Eleanor Kroetsch
21:41.5
Utica
80.8
9
Katie Yuan
21:43.1
Ann Arbor Skyline
80.3
12
Olivia Hyatt
21:43.6
Davison
80.1
10
Ava Danielson
21:43.7
Clarkston
80.1
10
Anna Furman
21:44.2
Kalamazoo Central
79.9
9
Genevieve Connolly
21:46.7
White Lake Lakeland
79.1
12
Lydia Martoni
21:50.6
Fraser
77.8
11
Ivy Beall
21:58.3
Midland Dow
75.2
12
Mallory Messer
22:09.5
Salem
71.5
10
Tessa Swier
22:16.2
Midland Dow
69.3
9
Chiamara Ogbonna
22:16.6
Brownstown Woodhaven
69.1
9
Emily Alt
22:20.1
Walled Lake Northern
68.0
12
Aileen Bachrens
22:23.2
Ann Arbor Skyline
66.9
9
Lilly McNair
22:34.3
Utica
63.2
9
Erin Sax
22:40.1
Brownstown Woodhaven
61.3
10
Liliana Cipolla
22:57.2
Salem
55.6
11
Isabella Frederick
23:06.4
Kalamazoo Central
52.5
Adjustment: +19
Projections vs. Reality
And to close it out, correct on 25 of the 30 All-State boys. Throughout these finals, the projections nailed 198 of the 240 All-Staters, right on 82.5%
Unexpected All-State
Vincent Peterson Sand, Ann Arbor Pioneer
Projected: 31st, 46.3% chance of All-State
Mr. Consistent in the 15’s this year, with 8 of his 11 races of the sub-16 variety.
Anirudh Krishnan, Plymouth
Projected: 36th, 15.7% chance of All-State
From 2 miles to the finish, Anirudh had the 10th fastest split of any D1 boy. That speed on the closing stretch moved him up from 28th at two to 21st at the finish.
Benjamin Hartigan, Northville
Projected: 34th, 20.9% chance of All-State
In 2022, was one of the better freshmen in the State to NOT run in the State Finals. In this, his first appearance, made up for lost time, as he was the 3rd sophomore across the line.
Oliver Moss, Berkley
Projected: 42nd, 15.0% chance of All-State
Career progression is something to marvel. Oliver went from a 19:47 personal best as a freshman to a 15:37 here in their last cross race in a Berkley uniform.
Ian Lewis, Livonia Churchill
Projected: 38th, 13.6% chance of All-State
Saw a significant drop this past spring (4:45 to 4:27 in the 1600m) which led to further gains in cross. Sub-16 on three occasions during cross, winning the Livonia City title and placing 28th here.
All-State History
Seth Norder
I don’t think you’ll find a more calloused, yet grateful athlete than Seth. Two second place finishes on the big stage, another one on the track. Countless accounts of him being a great teammate and motivator for his Grand Haven Bucs. And then after seasons of trying, triumphs in championship meets.
Seth was introduced to us during his sophomore year, but the groundwork was laid much earlier. As a freshman, although unable to compete in the XC State Finals, Seth was able to close his season with three consecutive sub-17’s, including a 16:18 at the inaugural Michigan Meet of Champions. Come spring, his 4:28 in the 1600m earned him the #2 rank amongst all Michigan freshmen. The times were there, both on the grass and on the track, the foundation established for the next three years.
The following three seasons, we saw Seth learn how to race with the elitest of the elites, while throwing down marks for his age that would wow us for the future. On the track, examples would be his sub-9 in late April of his sophomore year or an 8:46 at Bluejay Elite this past May. Two years ago, a late season run that included two 15:2x’s. And in the fall of ’22, multiple sub-15’s at important regular season meets.
With that established speed, Seth was able to challenge some of the State’s best. The cross final in 2021 was a runaway Riley Hough victory, but that gap was considerably closed seven months later, where Norder gave Hough everything he could handle, falling in the D1 1600m final by less than a second. A few months later, on a windy day at MIS, a back-and-forth battle ensued with Benne Anderson, with Anderson prevailing in the final meters. Three championship races, three straight runner-ups, learning the necessary lessons before the dominance of the past two seasons.
June’s Division 1 3200m final was certainly a dominant one. Coming off that 8:46 in early May, a 4:08 in late April, and a scorching 4x800m split (I had 1:51), it was clear that Seth was in impeccable shape. Adversity came in the way of smothering heat, the likes of which that we hadn’t seen all spring. Wisely skipping the 1600m and throwing everything into the 3200m, Seth strained and grinded, but won in a comfortable margin, his 9:04 giving him his first individual title.
Look below and you’ll find that Seth grinded his way to a cross title as well. Consistent splits, all in the 4:45-4:50 range. He led a pack 20 boys through that first mile in 4:50 or under, but with that steady attitude, increasing effort, and laser focus on efficient running, he was alone by two miles, opening up a 5 second lead on Thomas Westphal (his future teammate, the only kid to run sub-15 at State and lose). Come the finishing stretch, that gap had closed, but it was apparent to all watching that Seth would win, overcoming two years of defeats to finally hoist an individual cross country title of his own.
Movin’ Up
Romeo typically embarks on a conservative start to the race, but passing 124 people in the final 3400 meters is absurd. Michael Magnoli was able to do that and was nearly matched by Kalamazoo Central’s Ty Billings.
Billings did capture the crown of the passes in the final 1.1, moving up 50 spots in the nearly 1800m.
Neither two could match Forest Hills Central’s soccer star Will Banfield in the final stretch, who went by 25(!!!) boys with his 26.9 second split in the final tenth of a mile. That was the fastest split from three miles on, the equivalent of 4:10 pace.
Perfectly Paced
Hardly surprising that the perfectly paced award goes to the lad who controlled the race – Seth Norder. On his way to a 14:54 (4:48 pace), Seth gave us 4:46.2, 4:49.1, and 4:47.5 splits.
Joining him in the land of metronomic races were:
Novi’s Carter Lukas and Soma Sato Canton’s Clark Madden Forest Hills Central’s Ben Romero
The pre-race projections thought 25-26 of the All-Staters would come in as expected, instead there were six underdogs.
Unexpected All-State
Annabelle Lowman, Ludington
Projected: 54th, 13.4% chance of All-State
The Ludington girls have slowly been making themselves known at the elite levels. For Annabelle, it was a precipitous drop at the end of the year, transitioning from a 20-21 min. girl towards the low-18’s at both State and MITCA.
Nora O’Leary, Petoskey
Projected: 38th, 33.4% chance of All-State
A patient first mile put her in position to gain a spot on the podium. Despite running essentially the same split (5:56, 5:59), Nora moved up from 42nd to 17th and held that position until the finishing stretch, where she moved into 16th.
Samantha Brown, Clio
Projected: 35th, 32% chance of All-State
Dramatic year-to-year improvement from this sophomore. As a freshman, she hung around the 20’s/high-19’s. Come her sophomore season, she was able to break her way into the 18’s, including a 18:37 closer here at MIS.
Layla Jordan, Goodrich
Projected: 33rd, 19.6% chance of All-State
The mid-distance star is beginning to show flashes of distance discipline. Sub-19 in five of her final six races, including an 18:12 at MITCA.
Natalie Foltz, Frankenmuth
Projected: 34th, 24.4% chance of All-State
It appears that the All-State tradition will continue over in Frankenmuth. The sophomore dropped 12 spots from her freshman year, hitting the 18’s for the third time on the year.
Caroline Randall, Hastings
Projected: 36th, 33.8% chance of All-State
Your I-8 conference champion showed she’s a championship-level racer, earning 4th in Region 12, winning the Barry County meet, then placing 29th here.
All-State History
Emily Tomes
Take a gander at the Fifty Tickets done over the summer and you’ll notice a trend. The 7th, 10th, 11th, 14th, 15th, 18th, and 19th spots were all taken by Division Two girls. Now I know my summer work isn’t the end all be all, but it’s all defined by previous track and cross seasons. And based on the 2022-2023 season, any one of those girls (and more!) could’ve won and we wouldn’t have batted an eyelash.
What was Emily’s case and argument? First, a reputation as a fierce racer. She came into view late in her freshman year, summoning a massive personal best in the heat of the D2 finals, breaking 19:00 for the first time ever. After a few years of growth, she returned to that stage, finding a fifth-place finish after a ferocious kick. Another one could come from track, where she displayed an increased amount of strength and endurance. She had lowered her personal best in the 1600m to well under 5:00, a 4:56 at the State Finals in fact. Earlier in the spring, a 10:44 at the Bluejay Elite 3200m gave her the 2nd fastest returning mark in Division Two.
Her 2023 season started inauspiciously, with a 20:41 at Michigan Catholic. But if you know that course and Emily’s typical trajectory, in hindsight, you know that wasn’t a major cause for concern. Come mid-September, it was evident that her base level of fitness was much improved over previous years. In the major invites of the mid-season, Tomes was able to run into the mid-18’s on every occasion, a substantial improvement from the 19:00+ efforts of her junior year. Come championship time, it was only natural that she’d summon yet another level.
Just as predicted in the summer, the D2 girls race started with many candidates in the quest for glory. At the mile, 11 girls split between 5:36-5:39. At two, that front pack had whittled down to five, Tomes in the back, hanging in there and ready to pounce on any move. Coming onto the track, it was three: Elena Figueroa (setting up for a monster track season), Gail Vaikutis (4th in the mud at RunningLane), and Tomes. Closer to three, the latter two had separated, and it came down to the finishing speed of Tomes and Vaikutis. The two will be teammates in the coming years at Michigan, but in this race here they were competing against one another, with Tomes prevailing in the final meters.
Movin’ Up
DeWitt’s Mia Williams was the queen of moving up through the race, passing 61 girls from the mile to the finish and 26 girls from 2 miles on, the tops from each split.
She didn’t, however, set the mark for runners passed down the home stretch, as that went to Grand Rapids South Christian’s Riley VanderLaan, who moved up 9 spots in the final 173m.
By far the quickest kick of the field was the winner, Emily Tomes, who split a 29-flat for the final tenth of a mile, hitting 4:10 pace.
that little dot at the bottom left was Emily’s time in the final 0.1, a clear 2+ seconds faster than any other girl
Perfectly Paced
Mentioned earlier, Petoskey’s Nora O’Leary. Her 18:28 was the equivalent of 5:56 pace, which she maintained throughout the entire race. 5:56.5 at the mile, 11:55.6 at two (5:59), 17:54.3 through three (5:59). In doing so, she moved up 25 spots from one to two, held that position into three, then moved up one down the finishing stretch.
Other girls who were able to run close to even splits were:
Isabella Taber and Sydney Ferguson, both from DeWitt Monroe Jefferson’s Jenna Pilachowski Marshall’s Camille DeCola
Grade
Name
Time
Team
Rating
12
Emily Tomes
17:31.4
GR Catholic Central
163.9
12
Gail Vaikutis
17:33.6
St. Joseph
163.1
11
Elena Figueroa
17:46.6
St. Joseph
158.8
9
Ava Schafer
17:53.8
St. Johns
156.4
12
Natalie VanOtteren
17:58.2
Grand Rapids Christian
154.9
12
Drew Muller
18:06.0
East Grand Rapids
152.3
11
Emma Drnek
18:07.7
Zeeland East
151.8
12
Mary Richmond
18:13.1
Frankenmuth
150.0
12
Logan Brazee
18:16.0
Otsego
149.0
11
Kamryn Lauinger
18:21.2
Goodrich
147.3
12
Megan Germain
18:23.7
Otsego
146.4
11
Sadey Seyferth
18:24.8
East Grand Rapids
146.1
11
Sophy Skeels
18:25.5
Adrian
145.8
9
Annabelle Lowman
18:26.2
Ludington
145.6
11
Ezgi Kurt
18:27.3
Alma
145.2
12
Nora O’Leary
18:28.7
Petoskey
144.8
10
Emma Hoffman
18:31.3
Otsego
143.9
12
Meghan Ford
18:32.6
Mason
143.5
12
Kyla Meyers
18:34.7
Spring Lake
142.8
10
Lilah Poel
18:36.1
Grand Rapids Christian
142.3
9
Clara Kaczor
18:36.6
Freeland
142.1
10
Samantha Brown
18:37.1
Clio
142.0
11
Summer Brower
18:37.8
Ludington
141.7
12
Jenna Pilachowski
18:38.0
Monroe Jefferson
141.7
12
Camille DeCola
18:43.1
Marshall
140.0
12
Addison Washler
18:43.9
Forest Hills Eastern
139.7
11
Layla Jordan
18:44.7
Goodrich
139.4
10
Natalie Foltz
18:45.3
Frankenmuth
139.2
9
Caroline Randall
18:45.8
Hastings
139.1
10
Ellie Scholma
18:46.9
Grand Rapids Christian
138.7
12
Payton Holtz
18:49.1
Grand Rapids Christian
138.0
12
Abby Young
18:49.7
St. Johns
137.8
9
Baylor Lauinger
18:57.6
Goodrich
135.1
10
Meredith Cook
18:58.3
Zeeland East
134.9
12
Anastee Davis
19:01.6
Adrian
133.8
11
Natalia DeMea
19:02.8
Chelsea
133.4
9
Lucy Conzelmann
19:04.5
Frankenmuth
132.8
9
Olivia Hollebeek
19:05.0
Holland Christian
132.7
12
Tatum Dykstra
19:08.5
Fruitport
131.5
9
Ayda Skeels
19:08.9
Adrian
131.4
9
Eliana Stob
19:11.4
Holland Christian
130.5
12
Morgan Newton
19:12.8
Croswell-Lexington
130.1
11
Joy Evans
19:13.8
Alma
129.7
10
Alexis Kotkowicz
19:16.5
Spring Lake
128.8
12
Emma DeVries
19:17.1
GR West Mich. Aviation
128.6
11
Eva Thompson
19:17.5
Croswell-Lexington
128.5
12
Allison Kuzma
19:17.7
Zeeland East
128.4
10
Emma Crandell
19:18.7
Owosso
128.1
12
Bea Reeser
19:21.0
Spring Lake
127.3
9
Adeline Armstrong
19:22.0
East Grand Rapids
127.0
11
Avery Byrne
19:22.8
Goodrich
126.7
9
Ellery Lampen
19:23.4
Holland Christian
126.5
12
Ellia Agar
19:23.5
GR South Christian
126.5
9
Lane Isom
19:23.7
Richland Gull Lake
126.4
11
Lexie Ruffing
19:24.4
Spring Lake
126.2
12
Sparrow Centeno
19:25.2
Southgate Anderson
125.9
9
Mia May
19:25.7
Sparta
125.8
10
Linnea Paige
19:26.3
Fremont
125.6
11
Ava Crews
19:27.0
Middleville Thornapple-Kellogg
125.3
11
Nicole Schafer
19:27.2
Williamston
125.3
9
Jaelyn Ray
19:27.5
Pinckney
125.2
10
Falyn Doss
19:27.5
New Boston Huron
125.2
9
Claire Brown
19:28.1
Goodrich
125.0
11
Madison Morris
19:28.2
Tecumseh
124.9
12
Naomi Nelson
19:29.9
Grand Rapids Christian
124.4
10
Ava Pawlick
19:30.8
Petoskey
124.1
11
Nadia Grierson
19:33.2
Ludington
123.3
11
Karie Keefer
19:33.5
Freeland
123.2
9
Skylar Mejeur
19:33.9
Otsego
123.0
11
Kayla Williams
19:34.7
DeWitt
122.8
11
Courtney Bovair
19:35.2
Carleton Airport
122.6
11
Taylor Mitchell
19:35.3
Otsego
122.6
10
Katie Berkshire
19:35.7
Gaylord
122.4
12
Adia Sikkema
19:36.7
Grand Rapids Christian
122.1
10
Chloe Khon
19:37.6
Jackson Northwest
121.8
10
Miriam Kloha
19:39.9
St. Johns
121.0
12
Libby Summerland
19:40.6
Owosso
120.8
11
Chloe Josephson
19:42.5
Linden
120.2
9
Melody Meckstroth
19:43.1
Linden
120.0
9
Kylie Mausolf
19:44.3
Birch Run
119.6
11
Maria Nunning
19:45.4
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep
119.2
9
Lucy Waalkes
19:46.0
Grand Rapids Christian
119.0
11
Mea D’Agostino
19:46.1
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s
119.0
9
Alivia Ottinger
19:47.0
Goodrich
118.7
12
Ava Baltierra
19:47.7
Armada
118.4
11
Kathryn Kurtinaitis
19:49.2
Dearborn Divine Child
117.9
10
Taryn DiLaura
19:49.6
Zeeland East
117.8
12
Claire Marosi
19:51.3
GR Catholic Central
117.2
11
Madison Johnson
19:51.5
Paw Paw
117.2
12
Maddie Bosch
19:51.9
Hudsonville Unity Christian
117.0
10
Jillian Clason
19:54.3
Forest Hills Eastern
116.2
12
Clara Fletcher
19:56.2
St. Johns
115.6
9
Sydney Timmons
19:56.6
Otsego
115.5
11
Elizabeth Ambroggio
19:56.7
Warren Regina
115.4
9
Diya Goyal
19:57.3
Cranbrook Kingswood
115.2
11
Mia Williams
19:57.8
DeWitt
115.1
12
Kirsten Koss
19:58.9
Dearborn Divine Child
114.7
9
Sophia Schafer
19:59.1
Williamston
114.6
11
Ayla Holben
19:59.3
DeWitt
114.6
9
Molly Gaudard
19:59.3
Flint Kearsley
114.6
9
Grace Mahaffy
20:00.3
Goodrich
114.2
10
Berkley Holtz
20:01.0
Sturgis
114.0
12
Emma Steele
20:01.7
Vicksburg
113.8
12
Jaeden Harshberger
20:02.4
Hopkins
113.5
12
Jennifer Hernandez-Medina
20:03.0
Three Rivers
113.3
11
Autumn Thompson
20:04.2
DeWitt
112.9
11
Grace Murphy
20:05.4
Flint Powers Catholic
112.5
11
Preslee Perkins
20:06.4
Stevensville Lakeshore
112.2
10
Jada Prescott
20:06.6
Freeland
112.1
11
Kayla Slade
20:06.6
Dearborn Divine Child
112.1
12
Ava Boggs
20:07.8
Flint Kearsley
111.7
11
Desiree Duque-Rico
20:07.9
GR West Mich. Aviation
111.7
12
Katherine Riemersma
20:08.0
Spring Lake
111.7
12
Riley Peer
20:09.1
Monroe Jefferson
111.3
9
Ainsley Sullivan
20:10.3
Forest Hills Eastern
110.9
10
Isabella Taber
20:11.6
DeWitt
110.5
10
Sydney Ferguson
20:11.8
DeWitt
110.4
11
Nell Stover
20:12.6
Detroit Country Day
110.1
12
Jade Murdoch
20:13.0
St. Joseph
110.0
11
Julionna West
20:14.2
Owosso
109.6
10
Josie Longcore
20:14.6
Plainwell
109.5
10
Brooklynn Brown
20:16.8
Cadillac
108.7
10
Reese Supianoski
20:17.2
Williamston
108.6
9
Hayden Lemieux
20:19.4
Paw Paw
107.9
11
Hayven Thiel
20:19.9
Corunna
107.7
10
Christina Theis
20:20.7
Ludington
107.4
10
Avery Turk
20:21.2
New Boston Huron
107.3
12
Daniela Hinojos
20:22.3
Riverview
106.9
11
Josie Jenkinson
20:22.4
Owosso
106.9
11
Brooklyn Khon
20:23.0
Armada
106.7
10
Samantha Bieber
20:24.8
Chelsea
106.1
9
Addison Josephson
20:25.1
Linden
106.0
10
Madelyn Baar
20:25.3
East Grand Rapids
105.9
12
Avery Hecksel
20:25.6
East Grand Rapids
105.8
10
Elise Barden
20:25.9
Frankenmuth
105.7
12
Molly O’Brien
20:29.0
Bloomfield Hills Marian
104.7
11
Autumn Brower
20:29.2
Ludington
104.6
12
Remington Arney
20:30.1
Newaygo
104.3
12
Brooklyn Springvloed
20:31.3
GR South Christian
103.9
9
Samantha Whitlam
20:33.2
Macomb Lutheran North
103.3
11
Cami Kraai
20:34.9
Whitehall
102.7
12
Kennedy Roskopp
20:35.5
Warren Regina
102.5
12
Cecilia Ruchti
20:35.8
St. Joseph
102.4
12
Dora Henry
20:36.0
Haslett
102.3
11
Claire Heller
20:36.2
Detroit Country Day
102.3
11
Lillian Rutallie
20:36.6
Marysville
102.1
10
Alyssa Korte
20:38.0
Grosse Ile
101.7
12
CamBrie Corey
20:38.6
Petoskey
101.5
12
Paige Kloha
20:39.2
Freeland
101.3
10
Megan Kuzma
20:39.5
Zeeland East
101.2
11
Landrey Kuhn
20:40.8
Freeland
100.7
12
Gabby Fernandez
20:41.0
Warren Regina
100.7
10
Meghan Guczwa
20:42.9
Spring Lake
100.0
10
Tessa Hatt
20:43.2
Sturgis
99.9
9
Sidney Shepard
20:44.3
Linden
99.6
11
Natalie Lentine
20:44.5
Warren Regina
99.5
9
Zora Ziolkowski
20:46.7
Chelsea
98.8
11
Mary Larocca
20:48.4
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep
98.2
11
Natalie Summerland
20:48.7
Owosso
98.1
11
Brynn Hurley
20:49.1
Croswell-Lexington
98.0
11
Lauren Thompson
20:52.2
Chelsea
96.9
11
Bethany Zimmerman
20:52.3
Spring Lake
96.9
12
Merceydez Patton
20:53.3
Muskegon Oakridge
96.6
9
Ella McInerney
20:53.9
Cadillac
96.4
10
Beatrice Perucchetti
20:54.5
St. Joseph
96.2
10
CC Kuras
20:57.5
Zeeland East
95.2
9
Isabel Reinke
20:58.1
Freeland
95.0
10
Gabby Cleveland
21:00.7
Frankenmuth
94.1
11
Rachel Berkenpas
21:02.0
GR South Christian
93.7
12
Analise Chelotti
21:02.6
DeWitt
93.5
9
Ahna Woltjer
21:03.3
GR West Mich. Aviation
93.2
9
Hannah Haines
21:03.8
Madison Heights Lamphere
93.1
9
Gabriella Komarowski
21:04.6
St. Clair
92.8
12
Mackenzie Keillor
21:05.2
Ludington
92.6
10
Sydney Bir
21:05.3
Sturgis
92.6
12
Kennedi Wood
21:10.3
Sparta
90.9
10
Anna Kujansuu
21:11.1
Dearborn Divine Child
90.6
12
Riley VanderLaan
21:11.6
GR South Christian
90.5
10
Grace Kooyer
21:11.7
GR South Christian
90.4
12
Skotti Ball-Duley
21:12.8
Owosso
90.1
11
Kate Paluszewski
21:12.9
Dearborn Divine Child
90.0
9
Allison Brandt
21:14.3
Ludington
89.6
11
Kim Miller
21:15.2
Monroe Jefferson
89.3
11
Charlie Drew
21:16.4
Niles
88.9
12
Reagan Brooks
21:16.7
Linden
88.8
9
Lydia Johnson
21:18.0
St. Joseph
88.3
12
Eliza Nelson
21:18.9
Croswell-Lexington
88.0
9
Ella Thornton
21:20.9
St. Clair
87.4
10
Rebekah Stachura
21:21.6
Otsego
87.1
11
Madalynn Karsies
21:22.1
Pinckney
87.0
10
Molly McNabb
21:22.6
St. Clair
86.8
9
Claire Dunn
21:23.5
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep
86.5
11
Abby Robinson
21:26.2
Gladwin
85.6
10
Rory Workman
21:29.2
East Grand Rapids
84.6
11
Jillian Wygonik
21:31.3
Dearborn Divine Child
83.9
11
Lorelei Mahon
21:31.4
Warren Regina
83.9
12
Seren Angus
21:31.6
Chelsea
83.8
9
Sofia Lewis
21:31.8
GR West Mich. Aviation
83.7
12
Marisa Mazza
21:32.4
Cadillac
83.5
10
Lili Zondervan
21:32.6
GR South Christian
83.5
11
Quincy Stiffler
21:33.2
East Grand Rapids
83.3
12
Ava Fahrenkopf
21:34.3
Linden
82.9
10
Chloe Rinzema
21:35.6
GR South Christian
82.5
12
Sylvia Thomas
21:38.5
St. Johns
81.5
9
Flora Ramos
21:39.9
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep
81.0
12
Brianna Albers
21:40.3
Richmond
80.9
11
Allie Komarowski
21:40.9
St. Clair
80.7
10
Cessaly Fichtner
21:41.0
Freeland
80.7
10
Elizabeth Salinas
21:41.5
Dearborn Divine Child
80.5
10
Aubrey Sargent
21:42.0
St. Clair
80.3
10
Nora Buys
21:46.2
GR West Mich. Aviation
78.9
12
Lily Sackrider
21:47.0
St. Johns
78.7
11
Lydia Finn
21:52.3
St. Johns
76.9
12
Allisyn Pagel
21:53.1
Adrian
76.6
10
Pauline Chapman
21:58.9
Richmond
74.7
12
Sydney Hoffman
22:09.3
Petoskey
71.2
11
Mia Schroeder
22:10.4
Monroe Jefferson
70.9
9
Addie Main
22:10.5
Cadillac
70.8
11
Addison Mikel
22:16.0
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep
69.0
11
Clare Conzelmann
22:17.0
Frankenmuth
68.7
12
Kaitlyn Miller
22:17.1
Frankenmuth
68.6
12
Alyssa Masserant
22:17.8
Monroe Jefferson
68.4
10
Sofie Dzik
22:18.7
GR West Mich. Aviation
68.1
12
Clara Fredenberg
22:18.7
Chelsea
68.1
10
Catherine Kipila
22:22.1
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep
67.0
10
Kenzie Eicher
22:24.1
Sturgis
66.3
12
Abagayle Barkley
22:27.1
Croswell-Lexington
65.3
12
Lauren Cole
22:27.3
Petoskey
65.2
9
Riley Schweitzer
22:30.3
Linden
64.2
9
Eleanor Park
22:32.0
Sturgis
63.7
9
Greta Meisel
22:34.5
Petoskey
62.8
12
Addison Bellows
22:35.2
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep
62.6
11
Clair Bacon
22:48.9
St. Clair
58.0
12
Marah Putnam
22:52.6
Chelsea
56.8
12
Hadley Hilt
22:58.1
Cadillac
55.0
10
Piper Tracy
22:58.4
Cadillac
54.9
9
Zoe Barnes
22:59.2
Cadillac
54.6
9
Jaylynn Maduri
23:06.8
Croswell-Lexington
52.1
11
Eden Brewer
23:09.4
St. Clair
51.2
10
Madeline Pacola
23:11.8
Petoskey
50.4
11
Kat Wilson
23:25.9
Zeeland East
45.7
10
Nancy Gordon
23:27.6
Adrian
45.1
9
Carlee Bakewell
23:30.8
Adrian
44.1
12
Paityn Modert
23:32.0
Sturgis
43.7
11
Carly Old
23:50.1
Croswell-Lexington
37.6
9
Madelyn Yezback
24:00.2
Warren Regina
34.3
11
Sofia Switalski
24:03.1
Warren Regina
33.3
11
Kylie Brooks
24:09.4
Sturgis
31.2
10
Teagyn Blevins
24:55.3
Adrian
15.9
Adjustment: +18
Projections vs. Reality
D2’s boys had perhaps the highest number of breakthroughs and underdogs thus far, with 7 of the 30 All-State athletes getting in there when unexpected.
Unexpected All-State
Caleb Palmreuter, Gladwin
Projected: 32nd, 49.3% chance of All-State
What a difference a year makes. Spent the majority of his junior year above 16:30, was a consistent low-16/high-15 kid as a senior.
Nolan Nixon, Cadillac
Projected: 52nd, 11.4% chance of All-State
Toughness prevailed. Due to injury, Nolan missed much of the summer. He slowly worked his way through the year, beginning in the 17’s and working his way down to a 15:45 here.
Isaac Staib, St. Johns
Projected 37th, 24.4% chance of All-State
When he’s been on, he’s really been on. Sub-16 on a few occasions throughout the year, such as a 15:50 at Bluejay and a 15:46 here. A sleeper to do some big things in the 800m this spring.
Ezekiel Baltierra, Alma
Projected 33rd, 37.2% chance of All-State
The lone freshman boy in the top-30. His final three races were all of the sub-16 variety, getting progressively faster from Region 15 to here to MITCA.
Andrew Yax, Clio
Projected: 49th, 6.9% chance of All-State
Picked the absolute right time to submit his first sub-16 ever. A 15:47 here was a 15 second personal best and over a minute faster than his performance the previous year.
Henry Cox, Plainwell
Projected: 43rd, 9.7% chance of All-State
Capped off an incredible senior year that included wins at Delton-Kellogg, Bangor, and Region 13. Henry ventured under the 16:00 mark on three occasions as well.
Moises Salazar, Adrian
Projected: 34th, 33% chance of All-State
Second consecutive All-State for this young sophomore, who was sub-16 in his final three races.
All-State History
TJ Hansen
Again, take a gander at the 50 Tickets and another theme will come forth. The high-quality, returning depth entering the season for these Division Two boys. They took up six spots in the top-ten, often unheard of as D1 takes up almost half of the state’s runners. You had a defending champ in Connell Alford, low-9 3200m runners in Solomon Kwartowitz, Nate Carmody, and Paul Moore, a mid-15 returner in Evan Loughridge, and your defending 3200m champ in TJ Hansen.
TJ entered high school with all the potential, a pressure that often proves too much for some. He’s handled it admirably, progressing with patience each step of the way. As a freshman, he accumulated many honors, such as the Saginaw County Championship and a Region 15 title, then in the closing stage, acquitting himself to MIS with a 12th place finish. A few months later during track, he was able to set the Michigan freshman record in the 2-mile, a 9:28 (the 3200m record held by Ben Hill, a 9:20) at New Balance Nationals.
The advancement continued in future seasons. I could recite stats and places all day, but I think the story of the end of his sophomore year speaks great volumes. Following the accident, faced with many reasons not to run, many fallback options if a race was going sideways, TJ persevered through the pain to secure another regional championship and a move up to 5th at D2’s State Finals. I have no doubt the confidence gained from pushing through tremendous pain has aided him in the coming seasons.
What has occurred in those coming seasons? A 3200m championship in the spring. His 9:11 wasn’t the fastest time of the season, but consider the conditions, blazing heat in early June. He came into that race with the third-fastest time in the field, but outlasted the rest of the field, a testament to his ability to block out any negativity during a race. Here, a State Championship. You know me, I like my charts, and here’s one of the top-30 finishers and their times over the final 1.1 miles:
If there’s anything that shows his dominance over the final stages of the race, the above is it, TJ’s split on the botton left. Over 10 seconds clear of any elite competitor on the finishing road to a State Title.
His impactful finishing ability was again on display this past weekend at NXN. The patient young man came through 1k in 79th, 2k in 39th, and by the time 4k came around, he was in 10th, a spot he held until the finish. With only one underclassman ahead of him, TJ will have the opportunity in coming years to further etch his name into Michigan running lore.
Movin’ Up
A dramatic jump was executed by Parma Western’s young Edison Lopeman. The sophomore moved from 137th at the mile to 51st at the line, advancing 86 whole places.
Similarly dramatic was Allendale’s Mason Hill, who was 108th at two and 65th at the finish line.
The Parma Western distance crew must be tough and fierce in the finishing stretch, because they had the best closer in the field. Titan Parker moved up 10 places in the final tenth of a mile, laying down a 25.1 split, the equivalent of sub-4 pace. Put that boy in an 800m this spring!
Perfectly Paced
The most even of even splits were delivered by the experienced Connell Alford. The result here in early November may not have been what he wanted. But he’s still running, competing this upcoming weekend at FootLocker. My guess is that ability to lock in and handle a tough pace may have something to do with his 2nd consecutive trip to San Diego. Anyhow, his 15:11 at MIS equated to 4:53 pace. His splits were right there on the mark: 4:52.5, 4:53.3, and 4:52.7.
Joining him in that metronome category were:
His Bulldog teammate, Jackson Dell Allendale’s Ronnie Silveira Two All-Staters across each gender that stayed steady, Marshall’s Jack Bidwell Another Parma Western kid, Cooper Singleton