Uncategorized – Page 2 – Michigan XC Speed Ratings

2026 Division 2 State Finals Preview

May 28, 2026 mixcspeedratings

TEAM TITLES

Four boys teams look to have a gap on the rest of the field – Alma, Flint Powers Catholic, Frankenmuth, and Harper Woods.

Harper Woods will be relying on DeAndre Bidden, the top-ranked sprinter in the 100m, a favorite to gain points in the 200m, and a relay contributor on two short sprint squads coming in as the favorite. An extra supplement could be points from Dakota Guerrant in the low hurdles and Shawn Mosley in the 200m.

Alma has a bit more depth, but more of the distance concentration. Both Thomas Larson and Ezekiel Baltierra will feature often, both individually and on their relays, which will need to score points. The Panthers have a bit more depth than Harper Woods, bringing Brayden Trumen in as a potential point-scorer in the high jump and Brendan Francisco the same in the 400m.

Both Flint Powers and Frankenmuth will be bringing busloads of athletes to Hamilton. Each team qualified all four of their relays and it appears that seven of those eight could rack up serious points. Grant Roberts will headline the Charger lineup, coming in as the #2 seed in the 200m, #6 in the 100m, and a prominent feature of their burgeoning sprint relays. And don’t you forget, these Flint boys were victorious on the cross course in the fall. That has to mean something. Frankenmuth is a bit more diverse in their numbers, qualifying Avery Simmons in the shot put and Brendan DeRocher in the pole vault, each capable of giving their Eagles an advantage early in the day.

As always, relays will play a large role in determining the outcome. All four of ‘em have three of these teams, three of the four have three teams capable of scoring. A bit unique to this division and gender is the role of the longer distance races. Alma, Frankenmuth, and Flint Powers all stand to gain points in the 1600m and 3200m. If other outstanding D2 distance kids populate the medal stand, odds will increase for Harper Woods.

In the girls group, I once again find four teams separated from the field, split into groups of two.

At the front, you’ve got Dearborn Divine Child and Stevensville Lakeshore.

Aubrey Wilson is as much of a sure thing that a team can ask for. She’s now a junior, and in her two prior appearances at Hamilton, she’s been a part of 29 and 30 points, respectively. Coming up under her wing is one of the better athletes in the division and perhaps the best freshwoman in the state, Jordane Falvey. In the long jump, Falvey has leapt over 17’ seemingly all year and in the 400m, just popped a second+ PR, clearly unfazed by the long season.

Lakeshore can point to a few more names, such as Kate Ort, Lucy Cross, Leigha Whitman, and Abbie Luckman. All four should be able to tally up solid points in their respective events, then come together in the relays. This Lancer outfit has won all year, victorious as the smaller school against D1 foes at Don Lukens and in the SMAC, still on top against their D2 brethren in Region 14.

Going about in different ways are two coastal teams, Holland Christian and Spring Lake. The Lakers have the firepower, with Macy Subka as perhaps the best hurdler in the division and Coa Parker following in her sister’s footsteps as a prominent distance girl. Both girls, along with Meghan Guczwa, play roles in their 4×2 and/or 4×4, two teams that can cross the line in first. The Maroons have potential points all over the place. Seeded barely outside the top-8 are many HC girls, in events ranging from the 800m to the 3200m, Discus to Shot Put to High Jump. Lest you forget, this deep distance squad was hoisting a trophy in November and deep track squad did the same just last week at Team State.

INTRIGUING BATTLES

Boys 100m – where it might take 10.80 just to make the final. The 8^th fastest mark of any D2 100m boy sprinter is 10.79 and 27 boys are listed at 11.00 and below. Whatever it is, there will be new blood, as the top-3 slots from 2025 were taken by seniors. Could it be Porter Westdorp, the highest-ranking returner? Or DeAndre Bidden and Nolan Cullens with the fastest times in the division? Or Austin Langeland, who popped a 10.69 into a headwind to capture Region 12?

Boys 1600m – a few weeks back, the waters were muddy. Though as time passes, more clarity is being gained. That vision came to fruition at Saturday’s Distance Night Under the Lights, where a pair of Alma boys, Thomas Larson and Ezekiel Baltierra set themselves above the rest of their D2 brethren, running 4:12 and 4:13. They will be challenged, as Ryan Good is a terrifying opponent, one that can negative split a 1:50 for 800m.

Girls 4×4 – which could be the deciding factor in a team trophy. Both Stevensville Lakeshore and Spring Lake have teams capable of winning a title, both occupy the top-2 seeds in the event. Spring Lake has only run their combo of Meghan Guczwa, Cora Parker, Kayleigh Clark, and Macy Subka on one occasion, hitting an EQ at East Kentwood. The Lakeshore quartet of Kate Ort, Abbie Luckman, Lucy Cross, and Rorie Tippetts has passed the baton around a few times, winning both in the SMAC and in Region 14. The top-end speed, speed endurance, and mid-distance ability is all there, with each team featuring sub-27, sub-59, and sub-2:16 girls. Expect these two to push each other well under 4-flat.

Girls 4×8 – three teams have separated themselves from the field – Holland Christian, Sturgis, and Cadillac. Sturgis has established a track tradition as of late, winning a state title, being a force in the sprints and jumps. Their distance program is coming along, anchored by Berkley Holtz, but speedy throughout, laying down a 9:25 to win their Wolverine Conference. Which was a mark that was slightly bested that same from a Maroon squad made of up of their top XC performers. I love the wide-ranging exploits of the HC 4×8 squad, with two girls sub-2:20 in the 800m, a 400m specialist in Annika Stob, and a 3200m specialist such as Ellery Lampen. But neither of these two quartets have matched the fastest time in D2, which is held by Cadillac. Thus far in 2026, the Vikings have put four girls sub-2:25, 5:30, and 11:45. A well-rounded distance crew with the firepower to bring home the gold.

Girls High Jump – the top-8 girls have seasons bests ranging from 5’ 5” to 5’ 4”. Someone’s gonna have to go beyond their comfort zone to win this, else we’ve got a convoluted mess of misses.

Girls Long Jump – an area where the girls have kept pushing the needle. The first 18-footer of the season occurred back in late March, the phenom freshman Jordane Falvey leaping to a 18’ 0” at the Jim Gardiner Invite. Defending D2 Champion Leigha Whitman screamed back a few weeks later to take the division lead, but was later replaced by another Divine Child girl, the multi-talented Aubrey Wilson. These three have been joined in the 18’s by Sadie Dykstra, looking to earn back the title and add it to the 2024 one in her portfolio. Recently joining the group in the 18’s is 2024 All-Stater and all around jumping extraordinaire, Bella Friddle.

STATE RECORD BREAKERS?

Last year, Ben Goran set on this path, clearing 15’, attaining the 9^th grade class record in the vault. The trajectory has risen up even further, as Goran’s 16’ 5” to win Region 12 eclipsed the sophomore class record by nearly a foot. Trevor Stephenson’s 16’ 9.5” looms a few inches ahead, and Goran on this course? Could be any day now.

Declin Doroh has had barriers on his mind all year, what’s another one? Clearing 6’ 10” in mid-April, the thought of a 7’+ high jump must have permeated his brain for the past month. With his season nearing an end and opportunities lessening, Doroh has made the most of his chances, inching up to 6’ 11” to win the SMAC and 7’ 0” to win Region 14. 2” in a month with another 2.25” to go.

Aubrey Wilson is inching closer and closer to the 100m record, an 11.37 set by Shayla Mahan back in 2007. With the exception of one prelim in early May, Wilson has been in the 11’s all year. Come championship time, she’s busted out a 11.54 to win the CHSL and a 11.55 to win Region 17, the former of which a wind-legal mark and the latter barely too much wind. Two tenths of a second is still a sizable gap, but not insurmountable given that our weather has been less than sprint friendly.

Three seconds is a tiny bit of a gap, but if one watches Eliza Schwass race, one can foresee records being etched in her name. Schwass’s 4:40 was impressive enough, but the method she took to get there left many in wonder. Schwass split around 3:34-35, then closed in a fiery 65-66. I’m not sure an evenly-paced race with runners to push her will happen here, but in that environment, expect a run well into the 4:30’s.

DISTANCE PREDICTIONS

Come on, you knew I had to impart some of my own guesses for my distance kids. I’ve been making those early qualifier posts, calculating rankings, announcing meets, but I haven’t had the chance to predict and project. These are purely vibes-based, no complex formulae like in XC. And with the caveat that I really appreciate you all – none of this is personal. I’ll be hopping around from Kent City to Rockford to Hudsonville to Hamilton, but if you do prove these wrong and respectively want to let me have it, you know where to find me.

Boys 4×8

Grand Rapids Christian
Whitehall
Saginaw Swan Valley
Flint Powers Catholic
Muskegon Oakridge
Frankenmuth
Alma
East Grand Rapids

Boys 1600m

Thomas Larson
Ryan Good
Ezekiel Baltierra
Brett Magnus
Lennox Naswell
Moises Salazar Jr.
Nick Parker
Sean Ryan

Boys 800m

Ryan Good
Ben Romero
Jacob Hylton
Duncan Palmer
Thomas Larson
Ryder Stipanovich
Cole Wisniewski
Seth Randall

Boys 3200m

Robert Jazwinski III
Moises Salazar Jr.
Mitchell Dunlap
Aden Ashworth
Brett Magnus
Thomas Larson
Owen Metzger
Jacob Stanislawski

Girls 4×8

Sturgis
Cadillac
Holland Christian
Grand Rapids South Christian
Stevensville Lakeshore
Pinckney
Coopersville
Linden

Girls 1600m

Eliza Schwass
Jaelyn Ray
Ava Schafer
Ayda Skeels
Ella McInerney
Kayla Shellenbarger
Remie Ellis
Ana Lovell

Girls 800m

Eliza Schwass
Kate Ort
Kayla Shellenbarger
Cora Parker
Chloe Rinzema
Abbie Luckman
Elliana Hufton
Ella McInerney

Girls 3200m

Katie Berkshire
Jaelyn Ray
Ava Schafer
Eliza Schwass
Caroline Randall
Elise Barden
Mia May
Alivia Ottinger

Uncategorized

2026 Division 3 State Finals Preview

May 27, 2026 mixcspeedratings

TEAM TITLES

Yeah, this boys meet is wide open. I count SIX teams with legitimate shots of taking home the championship trophy and with numbers that large, there’s likely a chance someone outside of those listed brings home the runner-up hardware. Among the contenders

Ann Arbor Greenhills – strong in relays, especially of the longer distance variety. Will need individuals to find points, strong candidates being Sebastian Dickinson, Henry Beck, Naveen Kulkarni, and Royal Seale.

deep green = title contender, medium green = sure all-state contender, light green = could score points

Hanover-Horton – another team that will feature in relays. Austyn Hocter has the hurdling prowess necessary for major points.

Reed City – led by strong individuals such as Jack Deitsch and Tyler Woodside.

Lansing Catholic – will lean on athletes such as Leland VanAlstine and Lucas Gates.

Hart – Chase Lorenz will do serious work, as he has all season. On regional day, he earned 30 points on his own and 10 as a part of the 4×4, surely in practice for this coming Saturday.

Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central – yet another squad with high relay ranks. The venerable and always ready Christian Craanen will look to supplement the Kestrel baton points.

Relay, relay, relay. The folk that think track ain’t a team sport surely won’t like this title race. As the day wears on, look for the teams that perform above expectation to have a chance. Coming out of the 4×1, the standings from relay races *should* look like this:

SMCC: 20
H-H: 20
Greenhills: 12
Lansing Catholic: 7

If a team is above expectation, good news for them. If all are at or slightly below expectation, odds increase for Reed City and Hart.

Whereas the boys trophy race brings everyone into the fold, the girls are centered between two teams: Lansing Catholic and Olivet. Both teams will rely on multi-event athletes, such as Grace Wonch and Josie Bishop for Lansing Catholic and Celina Sinclair, Emily Peters, and Tiya Feldpausch for Olivet. Relays are covered, Lansing Catholic more centered on distance and Olivet capable of points in all. Both are more track-based, with Olivet’s concentration a bit more wide-ranging and Lansing Catholic’s sea of baby blue felt in everything a lap and above.

You’ll have to excuse me if I bring cross country into this, but I can’t help to think of the effect of breaking up a pack. The Cougars will have a team-like presence in the 1600m and 800m, and it’ll be imperative that Feldpausch and Lily Britton break up the blue & black pack in the scoring slots. That works two-fold, gaining points for the Olivet squad and lessening those for LC. Working against the Eagles, however, will be the issue of the event maximum. Peters, Feldpausch, and Sinclair can’t run in everything, so how do you manage their entries without a hit on potential points?

INTRIGUING BATTLES

Boys Long Jump – where Jack Deitsch and Gavin Lewis own the two top marks in Division 3, separated by a mere 1.25”. Deitsch is undefeated on the year, besting Lewis in Region 21 just the other week. But Lewis took that defeat and turned it into something greater, popping a 22’ 9” on the same board at Manton. Now he gets another crack at the Reed City Coyote, who will be looking to defend his 2025 title.

Boys 4×8 – two heads standing above the rest – Jonesville and Ann Arbor Greenhills. As is normally the case with the 4×8, teams concentrate on it late in the year, and thus common matchups tend to not be a thing. But the time speak for themselves, each squad on the cusp of a sub-8. It’s been two years since we’ve seen a 7:xx from a D3 4×8 and I’d expect one (or two) on Saturday.

Boys 400m – where you have three boys hurtling into the 48’s and below. Dennis Jackson, the defending D3 champion, hit that sub-48 barrier in his win last year and holds the #2 time in D3 thus far in 2026. He just baaarely trails Hart’s Chase Lorenz, a sprinter who can handle all events, ranked #1 in D3 in everything under a lap. The wild card is Elk Rapids freshman Garrett Godden, who has subtracted nearly two seconds in his two months of his freshman year, a 9^th grade campaign that’s featured wins in the NSC, Region 21, and at D3 Team State.

Girls 800m – all year it had been appearing that this was a wide open battle (and it still may be!). Then two girls have separated over the past week – Josie Bishop and Violet Tetil. Following a spring of 2:20ish performances and regional victories, each 800m star dropped a 2:15 over the past week, both asserting themselves as candidates for the crown.

Girls 200m – with a trio of girls in close proximity. Giuliana Nastale has been here before, won here before, capturing the short sprint double last year. The Wayne State commit hasn’t been defeated in the half-lap in 2026 and is looking to keep it that way. But she’s got challengers such as Peyton Grant, who owns the best time in D3 (albeit wind-aided) and Celina Sinclair, who was 4^th here in 2025.

STATE RECORD BREAKERS?

Does this count if they’ve broken the state record? Then bested their own record, over and over. Of course it does. Over the past two years, Addyson Stiverson has held a hold over the Girls Shot Put record. Prior to 2021, no Michigan girl had ever thrown above 50’. During that first post-pandemic season, Opal Jackson and Sarah Marvin each threw above the barrier, with Marvin setting the record of 51’ 11” that’d stand for a short while until Stiverson came along.

Stiverson set the stage and thought toward her record-breaking behavior early in her career, going undefeated in Michigan as a freshman, winning the D3 title, placing 5^th in the COUNTRY at NBON, and throwing the best shot put marks a 9^th grade girl had ever thrown. One year ago, Stiverson graduated from phenom freshman to a sophomore etching her name in history, eclipsing the previous best with a 52’ 10.75” at Frankenmuth. Since then, she’s rewritten and edited her own book, throwing 53’ 3’.5” and 53’ 7.5” in consecutive weeks at Grand Valley, then jumping a whole 2 feet with her 55’ 7.5” in late April. In each season, Stiverson has shown growth, so certainly we can expect more, either here, in the summer, or during her senior year.