Category: Uncategorized

A slightly sane person may take a weekend off to recover from writing a summer novel. I am not that person. Much of what goes into the posts has to be built out over the next few weeks, but for now, this is in a similar format to years’ past. Enjoy!

Boys Adjustment: -30
Girls Adjustment: -38

EARLY BIRDS WHO GOT THE WORM

Reading, researching, and writing so much, I have a pretty decent pulse of who’s who and who to expect to place well in races. What that summer research DOES NOT account for are the kids who worked their tail off over the past few months and are seeing the positive consequences of those actions.

In these first few weeks of the season, the shoutouts will often go to the first few names I don’t recognize. These kids likely are seeing a breakthrough and deserve the recognition. As the season rolls on, this will likely transition to those who contributed to team success or attention towards those who placed near the front.

All this said, a lack of inclusion does not mean I didn’t notice or I don’t care. I’m just one man and can only write/process so much.

Luke Bultman, Rockford

Last year, Luke opened here with a 16:59 and eventually got down to 16:19, placing 12^th in the OK Red. Here, he opened with a 16:18, which makes one wonder how those conference meets will turn around two months down the line.

Colin Stawasz, Lowell

11^th grade was a bit of a rough year for Stawasz. He was unable to start the season until late September, finally returning to his sophomore form toward the end of the year. With a 16:21 opener, he’s far exceeded where he was in 10^th grade. I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself, but his reclaimed speed could factor huge for Lowell come November.

Emma Putnam, Lowell

It appears that the rise of the Red Arrow boys’ program has positively affected the girls. Putnam opened here in 2025 with a 22:58, eventually closing her season in the 20’s. Her first sub-20 here, 19:47, is considerably lower than where she ended her freshman campaign.

Abree VanDenBrink, Wayland Union

Last fall, it took the Wayland Wildcat until mid-September to run this quick. That sophomore season finished with four straight sub-20’s and a State Finals appearance. To be off to this fast a start bodes well for a repeat and faster.

*** = State Title Contender
** = Top Ten Contender
* = State Qualifying Contender
Based on the 2021-2024 ratings, 2025 to be added in soon.

BOYS TEAM RATINGS

Team	Top-5 Avg.	Division
Lowell***	200.0	1
Kalamazoo Central**	196.3	1
Grand Ledge**	194.9	1
Rockford**	193.2	1
Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	181.8	1
Grand Haven	180.2	1
Battle Creek Lakeview	176.4	1
Portage Central	170.5	1
Grand Rapids Northview	148.3	1
Team	Top-5 Avg.	Division
Holland Christian***	201.9	2
Battle Creek Harper Creek	170.4	2
Holland	170.0	2
Grand Rapids Catholic Central	166.0	2
Three Rivers	165.9	2
Coldwater	148.2	2
Hastings	123.3	2
Wayland Union	114.2	2
Team	Top-5 Avg.	Division
Centreville**	180.9	3
Parchment	121.1	3
Springport	107.8	3
Team	Top-5 Avg.	Division
Holland Calvary Christian***	191.3	4
Gobles*	147.2	4
Martin*	145.2	4
Team	Top-5 Avg.	Division
Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	194.9	HS

GIRLS TEAM RATINGS

Team	Top-5 Avg.	Division
Rockford**	144.1	1
Portage Central**	133.6	1
Grand Ledge*	119.5	1
Grand Haven	115.0	1
Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	95.3	1
Battle Creek Lakeview	78.7	1
Lowell	75.0	1
Grand Rapids Northview	22.7	1
Kalamazoo Central	10.1	1
Team	Top-5 Avg.	Division
Holland Christian***	140.7	2
Holland**	124.3	2
Hastings	79.9	2
Battle Creek Harper Creek	79.5	2
Wayland Union	77.1	2
Three Rivers	67.5	2
Grand Rapids Catholic Central	67.4	2
Coldwater	54.7	2
Team	Top-5 Avg.	Division
Centreville	30.2	3
Team	Top-5 Avg.	Division
Gobles**	88.2	4
Martin*	73.8	4
Team	Top-5 Avg.	Division
Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	85.1	HS

BOYS INDIVIDUAL RATINGS

Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating
12	Luka Hammond	15:11.9	Grand Haven	226.0
12	Marshall Huhn	15:14.0	Lowell	225.3
12	Samuel Baker	15:16.0	Kalamazoo Central	224.7
10	Archer VerHage	15:54.2	Grand Haven	211.9
11	Rylen Richey	16:01.9	Grand Ledge	209.4
11	Will Hulin	16:04.1	Centreville	208.6
12	Mitchell Dunlap	16:08.6	GR Catholic Central	207.1
12	Josiah Derksen	16:08.8	Rockford	207.1
11	Abenezer Olson	16:10.8	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	206.4
11	David Kore	16:14.1	Three Rivers	205.3
12	Caelan Marsh	16:14.7	Grand Ledge	205.1
10	Grant Lampen	16:14.8	Holland Christian	205.1
11	Luke Bultman	16:18.4	Rockford	203.9
11	Marcus Essling	16:20.2	Portage Central	203.3
12	Cole Coffman	16:20.7	Holland Christian	203.1
12	Colin Stawasz	16:21.7	Lowell	202.8
10	Zander Stewart	16:22.1	Holland Christian	202.6
9	Drew Franken	16:24.3	Holland Christian	201.9
11	Elijah Demlow	16:25.6	BC Lakeview	201.5
12	Christian Getz	16:26.5	Holland Calvary Christian	201.2
12	Noah Rice	16:26.7	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	201.1
9	Cody Lam	16:29.6	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	200.1
11	Aiden Lambers	16:30.7	Holland	199.8
12	Brady Winther-MacInnis	16:30.9	Kalamazoo Central	199.7
12	Cody Bromley	16:32.7	Lowell	199.1
12	Evan Armstrong	16:34.3	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	198.6
12	Nolan Lounds	16:35.9	Grand Ledge	198.0
10	Zach Diller	16:39.7	Holland Christian	196.8
12	Noah Watson	16:44.4	Rockford	195.2
10	Max Reed	16:46.0	Centreville	194.7
12	Gibson White	16:49.8	Holland Calvary Christian	193.4
9	Nick Overweg	16:53.6	Centreville	192.1
10	Avi Elabed	16:54.1	Lowell	192.0
12	Noah Schipper	17:01.5	Holland Calvary Christian	189.5
12	Christian Ayres	17:03.6	BC Harper Creek	188.8
11	Derek Bostrom	17:04.2	Holland Christian	188.6
11	Colby Bartells	17:06.2	Kalamazoo Central	187.9
12	Oscar Dunfee	17:06.9	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	187.7
12	Brian Artman	17:06.9	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	187.7
12	Owen Ledebuhr	17:07.7	Holland Calvary Christian	187.4
9	Tanner Tarnutzer	17:08.9	Kalamazoo Central	187.0
12	Mason Fein	17:10.7	Wayland Union	186.4
11	Caelen Gray	17:11.6	Holland	186.1
11	Jackson Duval	17:12.5	BC Lakeview	185.8
11	Reagan Downing	17:15.3	Holland Calvary Christian	184.9
12	Charles Gavan	17:16.1	Rockford	184.6
12	Brody VanTuinen	17:17.1	Holland Calvary Christian	184.3
12	Rylan VanDenBeldt	17:17.4	Holland Christian	184.2
12	Liam Eaton	17:19.7	GR Northview	183.4
11	Charles Bare	17:24.1	Kalamazoo Central	182.0
10	Cooper Monroe	17:25.8	BC Harper Creek	181.4
12	Dayton VanderMoere	17:26.7	Grand Ledge	181.1
10	Tyler Bromley	17:26.8	Lowell	181.1
12	Noah Thelen	17:27.7	Grand Ledge	180.8
11	Daniel LaRoy	17:28.2	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	180.6
11	Landon Humphrey	17:36.6	Grand Ledge	177.8
11	Michael Bogard	17:38.1	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	177.3
12	Drew Swayze	17:38.4	Lowell	177.2
9	Jack Schulte	17:38.8	Holland	177.1
12	Micah Couser	17:38.9	Grand Ledge	177.0
11	Ivan Manlan-Coulibaly	17:41.3	Kalamazoo Central	176.2
11	Noah Heriford	17:42.4	Grand Ledge	175.9
9	Aidan Foley	17:42.9	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	175.7
12	Austin Hale	17:43.5	Kalamazoo Central	175.5
11	Rhy Schneider	17:44.3	Rockford	175.2
10	Fletcher Amos	17:45.1	Gobles	175.0
10	James Hollebeek	17:46.8	Rockford	174.4
9	Ian Schmidt	17:48.0	Grand Ledge	174.0
9	Gabe Miller	17:51.4	Rockford	172.9
11	Matthew Hoffmeyer	17:52.1	Grand Haven	172.6
12	Addison Dufendach	17:55.1	Rockford	171.6
11	Anthony Rushmore	17:56.4	GR Catholic Central	171.2
12	Sebastian Hernandez	18:00.0	Coldwater	170.0
9	Linkon Utter	18:00.3	Holland Calvary Christian	169.9
12	Elijah Laninga	18:00.8	Holland Calvary Christian	169.7
12	Carter Hughes	18:01.1	BC Lakeview	169.6
12	Cameron Cobley	18:01.3	BC Lakeview	169.6
10	Collin Bancroft	18:01.4	Grand Ledge	169.5
10	Joey Hall	18:02.0	Portage Central	169.3
10	Will Swanwick	18:03.3	Centreville	168.9
12	Wyatt Taylor-DeNooyer	18:03.8	Holland Christian	168.7
10	Thomas Sigler	18:03.8	Martin	168.7
10	Parson Jones	18:04.3	Holland Christian	168.6
11	Jack Mecklenborg	18:05.1	Portage Central	168.3
12	David Glista	18:06.0	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	168.0
12	Hunter Hayes	18:08.3	Martin	167.2
10	Elijah Harris	18:08.5	Three Rivers	167.2
12	Fletcher Stucky	18:08.7	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	167.1
9	Hudson Dannenberg	18:09.4	Holland Christian	166.9
10	Hudson Smith	18:11.4	Lowell	166.2
12	Jacob Fletcher	18:11.7	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	166.1
11	Alex VanDuren	18:13.9	Holland Christian	165.4
12	Luke Aerts	18:15.0	Coldwater	165.0
10	Dylan McKinney	18:19.8	Rockford	163.4
9	Zeke Hekman	18:20.8	Holland Christian	163.1
11	Timothy Adair	18:20.8	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	163.1
11	Macen White	18:22.3	Holland Christian	162.6
12	Carson Szarejko	18:23.0	BC Harper Creek	162.3
10	Josiah Ruble	18:27.0	BC Harper Creek	161.0
11	Mason Williams	18:30.8	Holland Calvary Christian	159.7
10	Graham Tormoen	18:33.6	Portage Central	158.8
11	Josh Ilgenfritz	18:34.0	BC Harper Creek	158.7
10	Lucas Newberry	18:39.1	Coldwater	157.0
11	Jake Richmond	18:40.3	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	156.6
11	Braam Maatman	18:41.2	Lowell	156.3
11	Tony Hilton	18:41.9	Three Rivers	156.0
12	Sean Bostwick	18:42.0	Rockford	156.0
11	Aiden VanLoenen	18:42.8	GR Northview	155.7
10	Landan Jenkins	18:43.2	BC Harper Creek	155.6
10	Bryson Yurcek	18:43.3	BC Lakeview	155.6
9	William Rund	18:43.7	Holland	155.4
10	Clyde Wolfe	18:44.8	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	155.1
12	Aiden Unangst	18:46.6	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	154.5
10	Tristian Rogers	18:46.6	Grand Ledge	154.5
9	Mason Rumely	18:49.0	GR Catholic Central	153.7
9	Hudson Skinner	18:49.6	Grand Ledge	153.5
12	Connor Bleything	18:50.1	Three Rivers	153.3
12	Caleb Adkins	18:51.0	Holland Calvary Christian	153.0
10	Kamden Grice	18:51.3	Kalamazoo Central	152.9
9	Beckett Melendez	18:51.4	Portage Central	152.9
9	Cooper Branch	18:52.5	Portage Central	152.5
10	Jude Arledge	18:53.5	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	152.2
11	Corbin Cummings	18:54.9	Rockford	151.7
10	James Forney	18:55.3	Lowell	151.6
12	Isaac Millward	18:55.5	Portage Central	151.5
12	Mason England	18:57.1	GR Catholic Central	151.0
12	Aiden Yost	18:58.3	Grand Ledge	150.6
10	Noah Bhan	18:59.8	Portage Central	150.1
12	Aidan Bradley	19:01.2	Springport	149.6
11	Callan Toman	19:01.7	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	149.4
11	Cole Ringel	19:02.5	Gobles	149.2
11	Drew Chenery	19:03.0	Portage Central	149.0
12	Blake Cripe	19:04.5	Portage Central	148.5
11	Josh Wiseman	19:05.1	Grand Haven	148.3
11	Graham Sleper	19:05.6	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	148.1
12	Cesar Rodriguez Delgado	19:06.5	Three Rivers	147.8
12	Jackson Harlow	19:07.7	Grand Ledge	147.4
12	Brayden Buelow	19:08.7	Portage Central	147.1
10	Leo Alivia	19:09.3	GR Catholic Central	146.9
12	Jadon Dettmann	19:10.3	Martin	146.6
12	Joel Schmidt	19:10.5	Grand Ledge	146.5
9	Nolan Richardson	19:15.5	GR Catholic Central	144.8
11	Levi Collins	19:16.8	Gobles	144.4
11	Ryan Boshoven	19:21.7	GR Catholic Central	142.8
11	Devin Stotz-Ghosh	19:21.8	Portage Central	142.7
9	Karstan Groot	19:23.4	Grand Haven	142.2
11	Tyson Beardsley	19:23.7	Holland Calvary Christian	142.1
12	Cameron Rynsburger	19:24.7	Holland Christian	141.8
9	Sam Bultman	19:26.0	Rockford	141.3
10	Gus Roman	19:27.2	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	140.9
10	Drew Swanwick	19:28.9	Centreville	140.4
11	Daren Austin	19:29.0	Parchment	140.3
12	Connor Bailey-Cook	19:29.1	Parchment	140.3
12	Gabe Boelman	19:29.4	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	140.2
11	Jackson McKinney	19:30.5	Hastings	139.8
12	Emmanuel Gonzalez	19:30.5	GR Northview	139.8
10	Sakario Galban	19:30.5	BC Lakeview	139.8
11	Miles Kushinka	19:31.1	GR Northview	139.6
9	Evan Williams	19:32.2	Holland Calvary Christian	139.3
9	Camden McKay	19:33.5	Rockford	138.8
12	William Drake	19:34.6	Grand Ledge	138.5
10	Karson Brennan	19:35.5	Grand Haven	138.2
9	Jackson Storrs	19:35.5	Hastings	138.2
10	Skylan Bowie	19:35.8	Grand Ledge	138.1
11	Wesley Harrington	19:37.5	Parchment	137.5
9	Austin Ringel	19:37.7	Gobles	137.5
9	Kelton Homan	19:37.7	Portage Central	137.4
11	Lucas Ofstein	19:38.2	Portage Central	137.3
12	Connor Burch	19:40.8	Grand Ledge	136.4
9	Philip (PJ) Stender	19:41.6	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	136.2
10	Zachary Mann	19:41.8	Rockford	136.1
10	Esaiah Hutchinson	19:42.8	Grand Ledge	135.7
11	Levi Charboneau	19:43.4	Lowell	135.5
10	Owen Sanford	19:43.9	Springport	135.4
10	Henry Schrauben	19:44.1	Lowell	135.3
9	Brennan Johnson	19:45.0	Rockford	135.0
11	Daxton Hune	19:45.6	Rockford	134.8
11	Jeremiah VanHouten	19:49.3	Martin	133.6
9	Louis Schillaci	19:53.2	Grand Haven	132.3
10	Luca Mesch-Carinci	19:54.5	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	131.9
12	Andrew Soltow	19:55.1	Grand Ledge	131.6
9	Max McCarty	19:55.1	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	131.6
12	Luke Arendshorst	19:55.2	Holland	131.6
9	Myles Pitcher	19:56.0	Holland	131.3
12	Brayden Marchal	19:57.4	Lowell	130.9
10	TJ Wolk	19:57.6	Holland Christian	130.8
12	Riley Laporte	19:57.9	Kalamazoo Central	130.7
12	Graydon Heystek	19:58.2	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	130.6
11	Ethan Moon	19:58.3	Grand Haven	130.6
11	Riley Bare	19:59.1	Kalamazoo Central	130.3
11	Nathaneal Karakula	19:59.6	Heritage Christian Academy	130.1
10	Easton Corradini	20:00.1	Portage Central	130.0
12	Traiton Coulier	20:00.3	Lowell	129.9
10	Titus Sager	20:00.5	Gobles	129.8
10	Evan Verwys	20:00.6	Rockford	129.8
11	Drake Green	20:02.1	Grand Haven	129.3
12	Kolton Hitsman	20:02.1	Grand Haven	129.3
11	Charles Wiseman	20:03.5	Grand Haven	128.8
11	Tegan Lowe	20:03.6	Lowell	128.8
10	Kay’Veon Jefferson	20:03.8	BC Lakeview	128.7
9	Rowan Griffin	20:04.9	Three Rivers	128.4
11	Adrian Perez	20:05.1	Three Rivers	128.3
9	John Stamm	20:06.1	Portage Central	128.0
9	Tanner Bingaman	20:06.3	Centreville	127.9
11	Caleb Sausser	20:07.0	Kalamazoo Central	127.7
11	Landon Weis	20:07.5	Centreville	127.5
9	Graham Mason	20:09.5	Portage Central	126.9
11	Evan Marschner	20:10.4	Kalamazoo Central	126.5
12	Nathaniel Lowrie	20:10.8	BC Harper Creek	126.4
12	Drew Vanderpuyl	20:12.3	Coldwater	125.9
10	Louie Orme	20:13.8	Holland	125.4
10	Ethan King	20:15.8	Portage Central	124.7
11	Daniel Stout	20:16.0	Rockford	124.7
12	Musa Khadija	20:17.3	Grand Haven	124.2
10	Theo Freestone	20:17.4	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	124.2
10	Crew Petersen	20:18.5	Rockford	123.9
10	Ian Holm	20:19.2	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	123.6
12	Collin Long	20:20.3	Coldwater	123.2
10	Eli Holmes	20:21.0	GR Northview	123.0
11	Jonah Tripicchio	20:21.3	BC Lakeview	122.9
12	Andrew Potter	20:22.3	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	122.6
12	Lucas Szczesny	20:23.6	Portage Central	122.1
10	Deacon Bacalia	20:25.0	Kalamazoo Central	121.7
11	Seth Alderman	20:25.1	Kalamazoo Central	121.6
9	Henry Rotman	20:26.4	Holland Calvary Christian	121.2
11	Parker Erb	20:26.9	Hastings	121.0
11	Zaden Perfitt	20:28.4	Lowell	120.5
11	Ty Brower	20:31.3	Holland Christian	119.6
9	Ethan Fein	20:31.4	Wayland Union	119.5
11	Bryce Robinson	20:31.7	Three Rivers	119.4
10	Yannick Giedeman	20:31.9	Rockford	119.4
10	Dawson Wiggerman	20:33.6	Rockford	118.8
11	Zachary Siegel	20:34.7	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	118.4
12	Luke Lyon	20:36.7	BC Lakeview	117.8
10	Caleb Neubert	20:37.1	BC Harper Creek	117.6
10	Alekzander Watkins	20:37.5	Kalamazoo Central	117.5
12	Andrew Sleeper	20:40.0	Grand Haven	116.7
10	Bryce Cole	20:41.9	Three Rivers	116.0
11	Max Sytsma	20:45.7	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	114.8
9	Corban Brueck	20:45.8	Centreville	114.7
9	Ari Immink	20:46.8	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	114.4
11	Tyler Severino	20:47.3	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	114.2
9	Silas Toman	20:48.2	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	113.9
10	Finley Richardson	20:49.4	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	113.5
11	Lucas Winter	20:52.7	Parchment	112.4
10	Clayton Roussakis	20:52.8	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	112.4
12	Ryan Geerts	20:53.2	Holland	112.3
12	Quinn Murphy	20:56.3	Rockford	111.2
9	Colin Alday	20:56.8	BC Harper Creek	111.1
11	Alex Timmers	20:57.0	Hastings	111.0
10	Jairo Lugo	20:57.7	Kalamazoo Central	110.8
9	Darek Zielonka	20:58.2	Portage Central	110.6
11	Owen Wickstra	20:59.2	Holland Christian	110.3
9	Peter Czuk	20:59.9	Portage Central	110.1
12	Gari Salvador-Garcia	21:00.0	Martin	110.0
11	Josiah Miller	21:00.4	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	109.9
10	Jack Wurtzel	21:01.7	BC Lakeview	109.5
11	Mason Wolfe	21:01.7	Three Rivers	109.4
9	Thomas Moon	21:04.3	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	108.6
12	Gavin Dannenberg	21:04.9	Holland Christian	108.4
11	Camden Adkins	21:06.6	Holland Calvary Christian	107.8
10	Max Clapp	21:07.7	GR Northview	107.4
9	Leo Detmers	21:09.2	Grand Ledge	106.9
11	Tanner Krzysik	21:11.1	Hastings	106.3
10	Spencer Wolfram	21:11.8	GR Catholic Central	106.1
9	Micah LaFlure	21:13.2	GR Northview	105.6
11	Brody Bushman	21:16.2	BC Harper Creek	104.6
10	Ezra Neef	21:19.4	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	103.5
12	Andrew Allen	21:19.8	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	103.4
9	Henrik Feutz	21:23.4	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	102.2
11	Josh Severn	21:23.4	GR Northview	102.2
9	Cyrus Leopold	21:23.5	Grand Ledge	102.2
10	Tariq Gibson	21:23.9	BC Lakeview	102.1
9	Spencer Norton	21:24.7	BC Harper Creek	101.8
12	Caleb Kramer	21:25.3	Hastings	101.6
10	Isaiah Radawski	21:26.7	Portage Central	101.1
10	Lucas Westcott	21:27.0	Kalamazoo Central	101.0
10	Levi Iford	21:27.5	Holland Christian	100.8
9	Takumu Sugaya	21:28.5	BC Lakeview	100.5
12	Skyler Morgan	21:30.4	BC Lakeview	99.9
9	Dean Edick	21:33.1	Grand Ledge	99.0
10	Gage Salsbery	21:34.9	GR Catholic Central	98.4
9	Isaac Naylor	21:35.0	Portage Central	98.4
12	Oliver Mildenberg	21:36.6	Centreville	97.8
11	Zeke Zwiep	21:37.0	Holland Christian	97.7
9	Jaxon Pitcher	21:38.3	Springport	97.2
10	Zeke Serna	21:38.5	Three Rivers	97.2
9	Owen Garrison	21:40.2	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	96.6
12	Jackson Byers	21:41.7	Wayland Union	96.1
9	Isaac Leix	21:42.2	Grand Ledge	95.9
11	Paul Foster	21:42.5	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	95.8
9	Zane Jagger	21:43.9	Grand Ledge	95.4
12	Ryland Pastor	21:45.8	BC Harper Creek	94.7
10	Zachary Marchal	21:46.6	Lowell	94.5
11	Zane Marino	21:48.6	Kalamazoo Central	93.8
9	Issac Bassett	21:50.7	Holland	93.1
10	Will Veldheer	21:50.8	GR Northview	93.1
11	Liam Simmons	21:51.5	GR Northview	92.8
9	Spencer Mccarty	21:52.6	Martin	92.5
10	Desmond Karr	21:54.4	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	91.9
10	Gavin Brueck	21:54.9	Centreville	91.7
11	Caleb Hopkins	21:58.8	Martin	90.4
9	Maxwell Heisler	21:59.6	Springport	90.2
11	Paxton Butler	21:59.9	GR Northview	90.0
10	Peter Lewis	22:00.1	Kalamazoo Central	90.0
11	Dakota Cole	22:00.2	Hastings	89.9
10	Carter Bultje	22:02.2	Wayland Union	89.3
11	Jackson Hunt	22:02.7	BC Harper Creek	89.1
9	Andrew Arwady	22:04.2	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	88.6
9	Julian Kretz	22:06.3	Hastings	87.9
10	Xander Ruiter	22:07.6	Martin	87.5
10	Lincoln Cook	22:08.6	Gobles	87.1
9	Sam Joyce	22:11.2	Holland	86.3
9	Aiden Hamlet	22:11.3	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	86.2
10	Sean Reiff	22:14.8	Portage Central	85.1
11	Eli Li	22:20.1	Hastings	83.3
10	Grayson Champagne	22:24.3	Rockford	81.9
11	Billy Hilbert	22:27.3	Hastings	80.9
10	Jackson Martin	22:31.0	Wayland Union	79.7
9	Jaice Walker	22:32.1	Portage Central	79.3
12	Bobby Livingstone	22:34.0	Centreville	78.7
12	O’Neill Dougherty	22:35.6	BC Harper Creek	78.1
11	Easton Bierlein	22:39.6	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	76.8
9	Yohann De Leon	22:41.6	Rockford	76.1
9	Elliott Kushinka	22:43.6	GR Northview	75.5
9	Bo Bourassa	22:44.9	Hastings	75.0
12	Cooper Stannard	22:45.0	Parchment	75.0
10	Logan Tenbrink	22:47.1	Martin	74.3
9	Roderick Rosa	22:49.2	BC Lakeview	73.6
11	Ethan Kowalczyk	22:50.6	GR Northview	73.2
10	Grafton Oliver	22:50.7	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	73.1
9	Evan Merriott	22:51.8	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	72.7
9	Lucas Ewing	22:52.6	Wayland Union	72.5
12	Minte VanderHart	22:52.9	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	72.4
9	Reuben Calow	22:53.5	BC Lakeview	72.2
10	Logan Rose	22:55.7	BC Lakeview	71.4
10	Shayne Krasinski	22:56.7	Wayland Union	71.1
10	Bradley Sre	22:57.2	Centreville	70.9
11	Luke Penninga	23:00.9	Lowell	69.7
11	Caleb Rice	23:01.3	BC Lakeview	69.6
12	Trevor Porter	23:02.9	GR Northview	69.0
9	Peter Johnston	23:06.6	Lowell	67.8
12	Tristan Karr	23:07.2	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	67.6
10	Matthew Falkenstein	23:09.3	Centreville	66.9
10	Espen Pasienza	23:10.5	Springport	66.5
10	Luke Steen	23:11.2	Holland Christian	66.3
10	Gavin Keeler	23:12.7	Martin	65.8
12	Oscar Lucas	23:16.4	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	64.6
10	Izayah Davis	23:37.9	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	57.4
9	Charlie Hanley	23:45.9	Rockford	54.7
9	Matthew Hibma	23:47.4	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	54.2
9	Kevin Johnson	23:47.8	Grand Ledge	54.1
11	Jack DeGraaf	23:48.3	GR Northview	53.9
11	Logan Decker	23:48.5	Coldwater	53.9
11	Andrew Thomas	23:52.2	Rockford	52.6
11	Nolan Cline	23:56.1	Grand Ledge	51.3
10	Ren Lucas	23:58.4	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	50.5
10	Ryan Harris	24:00.0	Hastings	50.0
9	Jackson Grant	24:05.7	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	48.1
11	Joseph VandeWege	24:12.2	Holland Christian	45.9
9	Chandler Geigley	24:15.2	Centreville	44.9
11	Elijah Henderson	24:20.7	GR Northview	43.1
9	Jake Chappell	24:21.6	Portage Central	42.8
9	Bennett Myers	24:24.3	Grand Ledge	41.9
9	Judah Endres	24:25.7	GR Northview	41.5
9	Benjamin Friess	24:26.3	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	41.2
9	Kellan Brown	24:29.3	GR Northview	40.3
9	Birch Russcher	24:30.3	Holland	39.9
9	Santos Ramirez	24:30.7	GR Northview	39.8
12	Theo Fuller	24:31.3	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	39.6
9	Sullivan Householder	24:31.3	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	39.6
11	Max DeLorme	24:32.5	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	39.2
10	Sidney Brown Jr	24:38.9	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	37.0
12	Teron Hart	24:44.1	BC Lakeview	35.3
9	Noah Luebs	24:46.8	Lowell	34.4
12	Nicholas Whited	25:03.9	Grand Ledge	28.7
11	David Lewis	25:05.1	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	28.3
10	Eduardo Arroyo Garcia	25:07.3	BC Lakeview	27.6
10	Cohen Bailey	25:14.7	BC Harper Creek	25.1
11	Joshua Jordan	25:19.2	Springport	23.6
10	Clayton Broker	25:22.1	Centreville	22.6
10	Ethan Miller	25:27.1	Parchment	21.0
9	Theo Yinger	25:33.6	Kalamazoo Central	18.8
9	Owen Acker	25:35.0	Hastings	18.3
10	Ericson Nichols	25:40.8	GR Northview	16.4
10	Gavin Raden	25:43.9	GR Northview	15.4
12	Jonathan Meza-Navarro	25:48.3	Martin	13.9
9	Evan Kean	25:54.5	Kalamazoo Central	11.8
12	Michael Austin	25:58.6	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	10.5
11	Braylon Wood	26:13.9	Coldwater	5.4
11	Griffin Shamblin	26:18.5	Grand Haven	3.8
11	Liam Kirtley	26:20.9	BC Lakeview	3.0
9	Cooper Anderson	26:23.7	Centreville	2.1
9	Owen Johnson	26:24.6	BC Lakeview	1.8
10	Romeo Azzarella	26:28.1	Wayland Union	0.6
9	Jack Latchaw	26:29.9	Lowell	0.0

GIRLS INDIVIDUAL RATINGS

Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating
12	Caroline Randall	18:01.6	Hastings	172.1
11	Avery Engbers	18:21.0	Holland Christian	165.7
12	Daisy Cox	18:23.2	Rockford	164.9
12	Libby Smith	18:47.0	Gobles	157.0
11	Jillian Lewakowski	18:57.0	Rockford	153.7
12	Veyda Conley	18:58.1	Martin	153.3
12	Olivia Weiss	19:04.6	Holland	151.2
11	Avery Scott	19:09.3	Portage Central	149.6
12	Ellery Lampen	19:23.6	Holland Christian	144.8
10	Ava Montero	19:25.9	Grand Ledge	144.0
11	Keagan Mulka	19:35.8	Rockford	140.7
12	Eliana Stob	19:41.2	Holland Christian	138.9
11	Gianna Burgos	19:44.9	BC Lakeview	137.7
10	Emma Putnam	19:47.8	Lowell	136.7
12	Rae DeFrang	19:57.4	Rockford	133.5
11	Gracie Carlisle	19:59.7	Portage Central	132.8
9	Anna Zietlow	20:05.9	Holland Christian	130.7
12	Johanna Mulder	20:08.5	Holland	129.8
11	Claire Mouw	20:11.2	Portage Central	128.9
9	Valentina Lopez-Bringas	20:11.4	Portage Central	128.9
11	Julia Welc	20:14.5	Portage Central	127.8
12	Reese DeFrang	20:15.7	Rockford	127.4
9	Molly Murphy	20:27.3	Holland	123.6
12	Mackenzie Huizenga	20:28.0	Holland Christian	123.3
11	Abree VanDenBrink	20:30.3	Wayland Union	122.6
10	Kinsley Lounds	20:32.8	Grand Ledge	121.7
10	Paige Thelen	20:37.8	Grand Ledge	120.1
10	Camryn Gervais	20:39.5	Grand Haven	119.5
12	Lauren Shaffer	20:42.3	Gobles	118.6
11	Claire Watson	20:42.5	Rockford	118.5
10	Kinsley Newman	20:46.3	Grand Haven	117.2
9	Molly White	20:47.6	Holland Christian	116.8
11	Sophie Jones	20:49.8	Holland Christian	116.1
11	Eleanor Matthews	20:52.2	Grand Haven	115.3
10	Tessa Nienhuis	20:54.6	Holland	114.5
9	Ava Mann	20:56.8	Grand Haven	113.7
9	Lara Souza	20:58.7	Portage Central	113.1
10	Londyn Schmidt	21:00.1	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	112.6
9	Maddie Flynn	21:03.0	Grand Ledge	111.7
10	Maddie Guy	21:04.9	Portage Central	111.0
12	Olivia Hollebeek	21:06.7	Holland Christian	110.4
9	Lillien Hitsman	21:10.6	Grand Haven	109.1
10	Tatum Richardson	21:18.7	Portage Central	106.4
12	Ava DeYoung	21:21.4	Gobles	105.5
11	Lilly Harthorn	21:21.8	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	105.4
11	Ashlyn DePoy	21:29.9	Holland	102.7
11	Marta Kellam	21:30.4	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	102.5
11	Ava Knot	21:32.1	Holland Christian	102.0
12	Elena Czuk	21:34.0	Portage Central	101.3
11	Addison Johnson	21:35.8	Centreville	100.7
11	Lexi Gibson	21:36.4	Holland	100.5
10	Sadie Nelson	21:37.8	Grand Ledge	100.1
9	Konlee Gundy	21:38.3	Grand Haven	99.9
12	Liliana “Lili” Smiskova	21:40.4	Wayland Union	99.2
9	Sylvia Parbel	21:40.6	Grand Haven	99.1
12	Amelia Kraemer	21:41.9	BC Lakeview	98.7
10	Caroline Berkemeier	21:42.3	GR Catholic Central	98.6
12	Sarah MacIntosh	21:44.6	Rockford	97.8
9	Libby VanDuren	21:47.5	Holland Christian	96.8
11	Kyra Shaver	21:49.2	Rockford	96.3
12	Amira Khadija	21:49.5	Grand Haven	96.2
9	Kloey Osborn	21:54.9	Three Rivers	94.4
11	Gweneth (Gwen) Eby	21:55.2	Coldwater	94.3
12	Belle Richardson	21:57.9	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	93.4
12	Olivia Storteboom	22:00.1	Portage Central	92.6
12	Layla Silkworth	22:01.6	BC Harper Creek	92.1
12	Adeline Bagnall	22:04.5	Grand Haven	91.2
12	Elyana Davis	22:06.3	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	90.6
12	Teagan Borick	22:07.5	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	90.2
11	Gracie Hibma	22:13.0	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	88.3
10	Marissa Demorest	22:17.5	BC Harper Creek	86.8
10	Leah Smit	22:19.8	Holland Christian	86.1
11	Leah Aagesen	22:21.0	GR Catholic Central	85.7
10	Elsie Woldhuis	22:29.2	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	82.9
11	Ashley Stewart	22:35.2	Holland Christian	80.9
10	Elyana Jurkowski	22:41.8	Wayland Union	78.7
12	Addison Seppala	22:43.3	Rockford	78.2
12	Brynn Potter	22:44.3	Rockford	77.9
9	Quinn Wildern	22:44.6	Rockford	77.8
9	Lenna Wendt	22:46.2	Hastings	77.3
9	Lucy Schwartz	22:46.6	BC Harper Creek	77.1
12	Brynn Copenhaver	22:48.5	Three Rivers	76.5
11	Kennedy Elliott	22:49.6	Portage Central	76.1
9	Cadey Weinmann	22:51.4	Rockford	75.5
11	Allison Rodgers	22:52.2	Martin	75.3
12	Lucy Van Huis	22:54.5	Holland	74.5
9	Lyla Zumer	22:56.7	BC Harper Creek	73.8
10	Katelyn Spada	23:03.8	Kalamazoo Central	71.4
10	Reese Palmer	23:07.6	Holland Christian	70.1
12	Sara Schipper	23:07.7	Martin	70.1
9	Arie Neef	23:07.8	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	70.1
9	Cecilia Perdue	23:09.7	GR Catholic Central	69.4
10	Julie Netrhova	23:09.9	Lowell	69.4
10	Kyle Konitzer	23:14.6	Grand Ledge	67.8
10	Alaina Kirkpatrick	23:15.7	BC Harper Creek	67.4
9	Grace Owens	23:16.4	Rockford	67.2
9	Elise Rossiter	23:17.2	Portage Central	66.9
10	Ellerie Bucklin	23:20.2	Coldwater	65.9
10	Ava Storm	23:20.7	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	65.8
10	Macey Woods	23:21.1	Rockford	65.6
11	Sophia Miller	23:21.1	Wayland Union	65.6
9	Makayla Shultz	23:24.7	Rockford	64.4
9	Lauren Kane	23:27.5	Three Rivers	63.5
11	Hayden Brill	23:28.0	Grand Haven	63.3
10	Gabby Muniz	23:32.5	Portage Central	61.8
9	Hailey Holt	23:33.0	Rockford	61.7
11	Sadie Plain	23:35.3	Rockford	60.9
10	Elin Beeck	23:35.9	Grand Haven	60.7
12	Kate Elias	23:39.5	Portage Central	59.5
9	Haddie Carlisle	23:39.6	Portage Central	59.5
9	Mya McBride	23:39.8	Coldwater	59.4
9	Eva Elzinga	23:39.9	Hastings	59.4
9	Leah Breese	23:42.7	Lowell	58.4
12	Mia Vonderheide	23:43.6	Lowell	58.1
9	Avery Mulka	23:44.0	Rockford	58.0
12	Alexa Bates	23:45.5	Portage Central	57.5
12	Dakota Belknap	23:48.0	Grand Ledge	56.7
11	Lara Roden	23:51.6	Portage Central	55.5
12	Maryana Calderon	23:51.6	BC Lakeview	55.5
10	Emma Weiss	23:52.0	Holland	55.3
10	Emerson Leary	23:53.4	Hastings	54.9
11	Ava Lipsey	23:54.0	Grand Ledge	54.7
9	Ellie Aughenbaugh	23:54.9	Coldwater	54.4
12	Mallory Verhougstraete	23:55.5	Grand Haven	54.2
10	Lillian Fletcher	23:56.8	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	53.7
9	Claire Westervelt	23:58.0	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	53.3
12	Lillie Kerr	23:58.3	Three Rivers	53.2
12	Harper Schoon-Tanis	24:00.7	Holland	52.5
12	Mikena Ismail	24:01.7	Lowell	52.1
11	Olivia Sowton	24:04.9	BC Lakeview	51.0
11	Ayla Frantz	24:06.6	BC Lakeview	50.5
9	Faith Kempenaar	24:06.9	Grand Haven	50.4
9	Simone Allen	24:08.3	Three Rivers	49.9
12	Reese Storteboom	24:09.7	Portage Central	49.4
12	Lauren Gandy	24:10.2	BC Harper Creek	49.3
11	Mercy Hibma	24:14.4	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	47.9
11	Jenna VanderLaan	24:14.7	GR Catholic Central	47.8
11	Evelyn Moon	24:20.9	Portage Central	45.7
9	Norah Rugg	24:21.0	Holland Christian	45.7
11	Elizabeth Pennings	24:22.9	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	45.0
10	Vayda Woolston	24:23.7	Lowell	44.8
10	Alivia Baxter	24:26.8	Grand Ledge	43.7
9	Joy Hibma	24:27.2	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	43.6
11	Aubrie Stuart	24:29.5	BC Harper Creek	42.8
9	Reagan Dellar	24:32.1	Portage Central	42.0
–	Stella Holland	24:35.3	Holland Christian	40.9
9	Kinsey Jozwiak	24:36.6	BC Harper Creek	40.5
9	Abby Miller	24:40.1	BC Harper Creek	39.3
11	Tatum Hawley	24:41.7	Grand Haven	38.8
12	Eisele Prutch	24:46.0	Holland	37.3
10	Riley Bender	24:48.2	Martin	36.6
11	Laura Rotman	24:49.4	Holland Calvary Christian	36.2
9	Charlotte Bagley	24:50.8	Hastings	35.7
9	Seraphina Korte	24:51.1	GR Catholic Central	35.6
9	Victoria Tamayo	24:51.5	GR Catholic Central	35.5
10	Temperance Harrington	24:52.5	Lowell	35.2
9	Emily Falkenstein	24:53.1	Centreville	35.0
9	Maggie Blain	24:53.1	GR Northview	35.0
10	Arianna McGinnis	24:53.9	Kalamazoo Central	34.7
11	Brynne Schmuker	24:54.2	Lowell	34.6
11	Rylee Zumer	24:54.9	BC Harper Creek	34.4
8	Aerianna Getz	24:57.2	Holland Calvary Christian	33.6
11	Sydney Pflug	24:57.2	GR Northview	33.6
10	Emma Dettmann	24:57.5	Martin	33.5
10	Lily Kane	25:01.9	Three Rivers	32.0
12	Norah Kerwin	25:02.4	Portage Central	31.9
12	Ruby Kennedy	25:03.0	Grand Haven	31.7
9	Payton McKay	25:03.2	Rockford	31.6
11	Addison Tomsic	25:04.6	Gobles	31.2
12	Grace Blossom	25:06.7	Rockford	30.4
10	Penny Phelps	25:07.8	Portage Central	30.1
11	Alyssa Sparks	25:11.9	Gobles	28.7
12	Gabriella Tietema	25:15.0	Grand Haven	27.7
10	Molly Spurgis	25:17.8	Rockford	26.7
9	Daphne Rodkey	25:18.9	Grand Haven	26.4
12	Anna Ziedins	25:20.0	GR Catholic Central	26.0
9	Rilynn Kwiatkowski	25:20.3	GR Catholic Central	25.9
12	Clara Maine	25:20.4	Grand Haven	25.9
10	Chelsea LaDronka	25:21.1	Grand Haven	25.6
11	Kensley Tett	25:22.7	Lowell	25.1
11	Kennedy Moore	25:25.0	Springport	24.3
10	Emma Barecki	25:25.4	GR Northview	24.2
10	Anna Jubenville	25:25.6	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	24.1
10	Elizabeth Kangas	25:27.0	Three Rivers	23.7
9	Ella Collins	25:30.9	Gobles	22.4
11	Haylee Ledesma	25:33.2	Lowell	21.6
9	Bonny Garlets	25:33.4	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	21.5
11	Mackenzie Hausman	25:35.8	Kalamazoo Loy Norrix	20.7
9	Paige McGuire	25:37.0	Rockford	20.3
10	Kate Potter	25:38.2	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	19.9
9	Bethany LaRoy	25:38.3	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	19.9
11	Skyla Hu	25:38.4	Portage Central	19.9
11	Annie Lou Howell	25:39.1	Holland	19.6
9	Ava Lewis	25:39.4	Wayland Union	19.5
9	Lucy Nickelson	25:39.6	Hastings	19.5
12	Kallie Dodd	25:40.9	Grand Haven	19.0
11	Kendal Klingenberg	25:45.8	Holland Christian	17.4
9	Isabella White	25:47.5	Grand Ledge	16.8
10	Caeli Brockway	25:52.0	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	15.3
11	Jadyn Rodgers	25:53.8	GR Northview	14.7
9	Leah Peck	25:54.9	Holland	14.4
9	Kylie Harris	25:54.9	Three Rivers	14.4
11	Jaycee Hunt	25:56.4	Grand Haven	13.9
10	Ramona Rodkey	25:58.4	Grand Haven	13.2
10	Ella Wolff	25:59.9	Centreville	12.7
9	Sophia DeMott	26:01.2	Hastings	12.3
11	Quinn Miller	26:01.5	Grand Haven	12.2
10	Lola Norris	26:02.1	BC Lakeview	12.0
12	Kayden Jager	26:02.2	Martin	11.9
10	Joselyn Leon-Moreno	26:06.5	BC Lakeview	10.5
11	Leah Mechtenberg-Berrigan	26:11.4	Kalamazoo Central	8.9
9	Aria Diaz	26:13.1	Gobles	8.3
9	Abegail Bautista	26:14.8	BC Lakeview	7.7
10	Emma Sealy	26:15.6	Three Rivers	7.5
9	Ava Borowicz	26:16.3	Grand Haven	7.2
9	Lily Kurlinski	26:19.4	GR Northview	6.2
11	Avaline Blum	26:20.4	Centreville	5.9
10	Maggie Bedolla	26:21.0	Grand Ledge	5.7
12	Mia Heisler	26:25.6	Springport	4.1
11	Cora Stender	26:27.6	Kalamazoo Homeschool Sports	3.5
9	Ella Couser	26:32.1	Grand Ledge	2.0
10	Lillian “Lilli” Lakatos	26:33.6	Wayland Union	1.5
10	Taylor Cooley	26:36.2	Gobles	0.6
9	Maren Marlatt	26:36.6	Hastings	0.5

Ready to read, read, and read some more? The Top-10 Teams are here.

As with everything in this summer preview, those are compiled through a combination of last year’s ratings, projected improvements, the past track season, and a very tiny bit of my own opinions. Very little of the numbers and rankings are subjective and I certainly don’t “hate” any team. Don’t let your sour teammates or parents let you believe that to be the case. The only thing I hate is AI, as all this writing comes from myself personally, all inspired by the love I have for the sport and the outstanding individuals here in Michigan.

The rankings are simply a hypothetical meet between all XC teams of a division. Thus, you may see a difference from the regional projections. Which is how XC plays out – meet size can be either a boon or a detriment.

Checking in at 87,520 words, the equivalent of a 350 page book (I think a scientific book with all the graphs and repeated intros), 2026’s Summer Preview is DONE. I need a nap. Or the season to start. All this mental stress will help me for my upcoming 50k, right?

Teams That Are Defending Their Crown

Whitmore Lake

Make that 3x defending champs. Many Trojans have come to MIS, raced their hearts out, then lifted a championship trophy after. A few have moved on – Elodie Weaver, Sofia Robertson, Carina Burchi, Natalie Meadows, amongst others. A few remain – Kaylie Livingston, Malynda Lambros, and Caroline Darrah. No matter what occurs on the course this year, the Trojan legacy has been set.

Lansing Catholic

Truly dominant was the 2025 Lansing Catholic season. Not just dominant against their D3 brethren, against the whole darn schedule. The Cougars varsity squad competed in 12 5k’s, a good chunk of those against D3 and Lansing-area folk, but of course Portage, Averill, Michigan Catholic, Region 26, and the State Finals are in there. With one exception at the hands of D1’s 15^th place Okemos squad, Lansing Catholic came away with a victory, typically by a large margin. Sadly, Frances Melinn moves on, but the entire rest of the squad remains.

Holland Christian

Sure showed up on the big day this past November. Three girls ran a personal best – Mackenzie Huizenga, Annika Stob, and Eliana Stob. Eliana paired that personal best with an unexpected All-State, placing 17^th when she was projected to finish 31^st. For the Maroon team, the pre-race projections gave them an 18% chance of winning. They made their move in the second mile, overtaking Otsego, then evading any chance of a comeback. Six girls return from that title squad, led Avery Engbers, strengthened by tremendous depth. It’ll be a tough road to defend, but a tough task for anyone to knock off these girls.

Ann Arbor Pioneer

Pioneer is always a tough team to project. I don’t say that to make excuses, it’s just a matter of fact with the Ann Arbor Middle Schools, which generally aren’t on athletic.net. And if meets are listed, they’re wholly within the city of Ann Arbor, not against the world of Michigan XC, so it’s tough to even compute.

Take what was already projected to be an elite team and add Kiera Von Blon and Laura Forsyth, not to mention Lizzie Wernimont, and what was thought to be a top team quickly became the state’s #1. The Pioneers cruised through Michigan’s major meets – Spartan, Jackson, and Portage, then held on for dear life as a patient Romeo squad gave them everything they could handle.

Hana Boggess moves onto Butler, the rest of these champions remain. And maybe they’ll add an unknown piece!

Teams That Moved Divisions

Maple City Glen Lake

Yep, you get the same section as the boys. It’s just impressive to move into a faster division, be on the lower end of enrollment, yet have every reason to be super competitive.

That competitiveness comes from multiple avenues. You’ve got upperclasswomen such as Carmella Julian and Alayna Ottenbacher. Julian was a D4 All-Stater last year and Ottenbacher was in the top-20 for all of the NWC and Regional competition. But she’s not the only Ottenbacher on the roster, as Avyrie Ottenbacher comes up from the middle school level, where she was a consistent 12-13 min. figure. Sandwiched between the two are solid depth pieces, a constant with the Drowns and their great culture.

Teams With Wily Ol’ Veterans

Gobles

Three girls – Libby Smith, Lauren Shaffer, and Ava DeYoung have been a hallmark of the Tiger program for years. These three have presided over a great period in Gobles history, qualifying for the D4 State Finals each of the past three seasons, winning two regionals in the process. When running at the state level, they’ve been competitive, putting together three top-10 finishes.

Kalamazoo Hackett

Although the Irish are replacing much (Kate Van Es, Bethany Carpenter, and Emma Riker among the dearly departed), they still have a trio of upperclasswomen to rely upon. Commencing her career as a junior, Kiera Piper hasn’t been racing XC for long, but a senior is a senior. Brie Siems has been around for awhile, with much accumulated triathlon endurance paired with three straight years in the mid-20’s. And Delaney McBride just ran a personal best in her final regular season race of the 2025 season.

Buckley

The roster may be small – but it’s senior dominant. And in an uncertain world, having been there matters. Mikayla Kulawiak has been there, completing three HS seasons, running in the 20’s for the first time ever in this latest one. So too has Tsune DuCheney, introduced to the world of running last fall, starting in the 23’s and ending hundreds of seconds faster. And for good measure, Kaylee Swanson has toed the MIS line three years in a row, breaking 22 there for the first time ever in 2025.

Pewamo-Westphalia

Coming on at #4 on Michtrack’s Legacy Ratings (2000-on) is P-W. It follows that, if you’re on the Pirate team for a considerable amount of time, you’re likely to find important stages. Then celebrate with your team after you completed your race. 12^th graders such as Alyssa Kramer, Jenna Keilen, Charlotte Simon, and Delaney Smith have certainly taken part in consequential races. These girls have combined for three straight Region 24 titles, winners even if the venue and course change. They’ve been runner-ups the past two years, and were freshmen on a Pirate ship that finished a lowly 4^th. They know what it takes to endure a long season and have something at the end.

Grand Rapids Christian

The ’25 Eagles were senior-laden, with Annika TerBeek, Ellie Scholma, and Lilah Poel playing a major role in the team success. They had contributions from juniors as well, Zoe Hoekstra and Lucy Waalkes. As that band of leadership moves on, the littler Eagles will look to Hoekstra and Waalkes for guidance. And they’ll see two girls that’ve been through three years of GRC XC. Waalkes saw herself break into the 18’s for the first time ever at the tail end of last season. Hoekstra has moved from a girl who stayed above 20:00 in her 9^th grade year to one that was 36^th in D2 as a junior (and ran 11:10 in the 3200m – more is coming!). Two excellent stories to pass along and continue the tradition.

Goodrich

When I think about experience, I think about girls such as Alivia Ottinger, who’s been everywhere. 3x at MIS, RunningLane, FootLocker, NXR, MITCA, New Balance Outdoor, Nike Indoor, Nike Outdoor. Need I go on? Kayla Shellenbarger has been places too, featuring prominently in the freshman races at New Balance Outdoor. Others haven’t necessarily traveled out of state, but have accrued wisdom through the various travels of their career, with both Baylor Lauinger and Claire Brown being part of three Martian D2 Finals squads.

Ann Arbor Skyline

The Eagles could easily be filed under the folks that are benefitting from a major track improvement. That track improvement was just another notch in the portfolio of these girls that’ve seen so much. Becca Van Lent, Irie Scrase, Isla Tharp, Lucia Llanes, and Lila Edison have each taken part in cross over the past 2-3 seasons, each of them part of at least two Skyline state squads. Indoor, you’ve seen Llanes capture an 800m title. Two weeks later, her teammates traveled east for an All-American 4×8 in Boston. They joined together in Rockford for an equally impressive feat, a D1 State title. Every season, everywhere.

Holland West Ottawa

Talk about a band of teammates that’ve been everywhere. I perform some of my spring work announcing at Romeo’s Barnyard Invite. West Ottawa always brings girls there. Panthers taking the trek to the eastern suburbs were Alyssa Danek, Collette Wierks, Ella Wierks, Mary Dolbow, Lyla Dowling. Driving hours to race for a few minutes takes investment, and investment typically comes from time spent in a program. Dowling has been around for three years, Danek as well. The Wierks entered XC after an eye-popping 9^th grade spring on the track. Dolbow only has two years at the high school level, but five altogether, as she spent full falls on the grass in the MS scene.

Rockford

Another traditionally strong program that’s junior and senior heavy. The projected scorers for the Rams include two seniors and three juniors. As with many already written, these girls have participated in some of Michigan’s grandest environments. One, the forever grueling OK Red, where there are no meets off. A regional in a strong running region. And the State Finals, where the Rams have placed in the top-20 for each of the past three seasons. Daisy Cox, Jillian Lewakowski, Morgan Sanders, Keagan Mulka, and Rae Defrang have been through it all.

Portage Central

Portage Central doesn’t just kick off the season for many, host every regional in the world, or bring in thousands of XC fans each early October, they’ve got a program where kids stick around and become quick. Both Avery Scott and Gracie Carlisle have been mentioned in the past on this site, getting writeups either this summer or last. Three other upperclasswomen occupy what could be their scoring squad – Claire Mouw, Julia Welc, and Olivia Storteboom. For two consecutive years, both Welc and Mouw have run in the 19’s by November’s finale. Storteboom was there in ’23 and ’24, stayed north of 20:00 last year, but is coming off what may be the best track season of her career, dropping 800m and 1600m PR’s.

Teams Prominently Featuring Twins

Otsego

This is meant as no disrespect to the Addelyn Sabbatke, Taylee Fox, and Skylar Mejeur’s of the world. They’re deserving of mention, as are many others on the teams listed in these top-10’s. But without Alayna Verhage and Adelyn Verhage, Otsego wouldn’t be quite what they can be this year, a state title contender. Both girls entered the high school scene as runners thought to have a chance at making an impact, which they both lived up to. Both ran in the 18-19’s for a great majority of their races, placing in the top-10 in both the Wolverine Conference and Region 13. Alayna ended up stepping on the podium at State, with Adelyn placing 59^th. Pretty cool for two girls going through this life together.

Teams That Are Deeeeeeep

Hillsdale Academy

The Colts were had depth last year and graduate only a few of those girls. I’m here to report that it’s very likely that positive attribute will happen again. A total of 9 Hillsdale Academy girls were sub-22 at some point in 2025. The “slowest” of which were Lorelei Stemme and Moira Beier, both of whom ran 21:38 to close their seasons, and given a year of growth, should be displacing many D4 girls this fall.

Grand Traverse Academy

Not only do the Mustangs have quality numbers, they also have experienced depth. I count four seniors amongst their potential scorers and a few other 12^th graders that could act as displacers. These girls come in levels, up front you’ve got Amelia McKinney and Madison Smith. McKinney has earned D4 medals the past two years and Smith dropped considerable time as a junior. Then extending further back are seven other returners that were sub-23 or faster in 2025.

Traverse City St. Francis

They’re comin’ backkkkk. The Glads were team champions here in 2022, runner-up in 2023. A 4^th place finish came in 2024, 8^th in 2025. This could be a return to the ’24 level and perhaps even better. Buoyed by some incoming freshmen, I see numbers and quality ones at that. A whole varsity lineup, seven girls, return that were sub-22 or faster in 2025. Added into the recipe are a tsp. of two incoming freshmen that were sub-13, bringing together what may be a trophy-hoisting finished product.

Grand Rapids Covenant Christian

A distinct MIXC memory is heading to the ’22 Regionals at Allendale, seeing droves upon droves of passionate Covenant Christian fans roving around the course, flags waving, cheering on their squad. You’d normally see that at a college national meet, not at a D3 regional. But it speaks volumes of the depth of the Charger culture. Which today, if athletic.net doesn’t lie, has upwards of 30 girls on the roster.

Last autumn’s roster had a significant quantity. Quality as well, with 10 girls racing to sub-22’s. Two move on, leaving varsity spots to a deserving seven.

Hart

The 2025 Pirates won Region 20. They had the 5^th best top runner in the field. They had the best 2^nd runner, best 3^rd runner, best 4^th runner, best 5^th runner, and best 7^th runner. The State Finals were a little less dramatic, but still prove the point, as Hart’s 6^th place team had only one All-Stater, Natalie Rosema. It’s not that Rosema isn’t a strong runner, she is, it’s just that Hart gains an advantage in a larger field where their pack can do their thing. With five returners in the mid-20’s or faster, that’s some speedy and expedient work.

Northville

The blend of having a socioeconomic area made for XC success, feeder schools pouring talent onto the team, great coaching = a wonderful culture. A wonderful culture keeps the numbers high, and with the numbers high, there’s plenty of talent to choose from. This past fall, the Mustangs had 10 girls in the 19’s or faster. This is positive in another way, as it allows for girls to grow without the pressure of the varsity races early on. Brynn Somers and Ella Corby did just that, evolving into low-19 girls by season’s end, learning the lessons that’ll allow them to pounce on the 2026 season.

Teams Local to MIXC

Royal Oak Shrine

We (Hansons Running Shop) just hosted a team day for Royal Oak Shrine. We do this for a ton of larger schools, but no one as small as Shrine. Though in terms of D4 roster size, Shrine always punches above their weight. Year after year, the Knights tend to have one of the larger rosters in D4 and thus, always have a slight advantage in runners to draw from. I guess that’s partially a reason how a team can draw in a Ella Lamb, primarily an 800m girl who slightly stepped into the longer distances this spring. Her 5:17 from the Barnyard should portend well to this upcoming cross season.

Teams Bolstered By Youth

Fowler

Since I’ve been around, Fowler has been a deep track school. They’ve got hurdlers, vaulters, sprinters, and relays upon relays. The occasional distance runner has rolled through, now it appears the Eagles are spreading their wings deeper into the distance realm. As many as four freshman could see an impact, both near the front and applying depth. Clara Thelen looks to be the standout of the bunch, running in the mid-12’s at the end of October and leading her Fowler MS team to a win in the Zone 5 Small School section.

Lake City

The Trojans may feel the most impact from the addition of just a few. Last October, Lake City placed 7^th in Region 20, 71 points back of 3^rd place. Hypothetically throwing runners into a race doesn’t completely work, as it changes decisions of runners in the race. But it can be somewhat of a mathematical tool, and given that Aubrey Doan and Isadora Shaw ran the Benzie PROM race, we can get an idea of how Lake City would’ve fared with those outstanding (then) 8^th graders. With Shaw’s 18:15 and Doan’s 19:35, the Trojan’s would’ve scored ~100 less points, occupying a position near the runner-up spot. A great number of LC girls remain and they’ve got fire coming in.

St. Joseph

Take a peek at St. Joseph Upton’s 2025 results and you’ll see why anticipation is high for this iteration of the Bears. Upton torched their Lakeland Conference Jamboree with a perfect score, dominated the Berrien County Meet by a 30+ pt. margin, and finished runner-up against much larger schools in Zone 1. Three prominent 8^th graders could move up, all sub-13 a year ago.

Grand Rapids South Christian

2025’s season preview said this about the Sailors, “Beyond the title favorites, you’ve got plenty of other teams impacted by potentially high quality youngsters. Grand Rapids South Christian adds three girls that were in the low-13’s or faster.”

Partially right! High-quality youngsters did have an impact on the South Christian fortune. The Sailors finished 4^th, right where they were projected in the summer. But there FOUR impactful freshmen girls. Now, your guess is as good as mine as to which three I was referring to, all we know now is that Lily VanEyk, Noelle Hulst, Annalise Wiltjer, and Isabelle Oostema delivered as promised, and then some. All four were sub-20 at some point and give South Christian a solid base from which to work with over the next few seasons.

Cedar Springs

I’m not a huge fan of placing a ton of pressure on a 9^th grader, but Halle Vallere can absolutely make an impact on the Redhawk fortunes. She was undefeated in RCA action, winning all four jamborees with consistent mid-12 marks. On the track, she featured mainly in the 400m/800m, hitting top-35 marks in each.

East Grand Rapids

Charlotte Schellhammer and her East Grand Rapids MS crew sure wrecked fools last year. They won all of their WMMSC Jamborees, won Zone 6’s Large School division, and placed 4^th out of a massive 45-team Portage field. Many of those girls will be making the transition to the high school level this fall, including Charlotte, who ran in the low-12’s on a few occasions.

DeWitt

DeWitt Middle School had numbers in 2025, multitudes of new girls introduced to the sport. They had elite youngsters such as Clara Cook (winner of everything, racing into the low-11’s) and Isla Tramontana (who evolved and grew into joining Cook in the 11’s). And they won – dominating fields in their league, at Jr. Greater Lansing, and in Zone 5. The two above, plus Andria Clippard should only add to the burgeoning tradition taking place north of Lansing.

Novi

Katelynn Egli has been a low-stick for Novi over the past two years, but she can’t do it on her own. She’s presided over some state-worthy teams, however, bringing her Wildcats along to D1 State the past two seasons. From 2024 to 2025, Novi made an 8 place jump in the standings (24th to 16^th), partially thanks to three freshmen – Ella German, Jessica Philip, and Sora Saito. Each of the three progressed throughout the season, racing their fastest at the final few meets. Philip and Saito were on the edge of 20 min., while German made a dramatic slide into the low-19’s. The same trend could be beneficial for Novi in 2026.

Jenison

Already receiving a bit of attention in the regional preview was Harper Henderson, impactful enough to keep the Wildcats as a top-ten team. Henderson only had one loss in last fall’s 8^th grade season. She won Zone 7 and was undefeated in WMMSC action, running in the 11’s for a good chunk of the six weeks of racin’. The XC endurance came along to spring too, where Henderson ranked within the top-5 in Michigan for every middle school distance event.

Traverse City Central

It’s now sophomores, last fall’s freshmen, bringing up the level of Trojan running. Both Cecelia Jacobson and Gretchen Oyer took different paths last year, but both arrived in a way that gives thought to how they could perform as sophomores. Jacobson kicked off her season with a late-summer 19:46 at Party in the Park. She stayed in the 19’s until late into October, then ripped a 18:52 at Region 2, which then was sliced even further at State. Oyer stayed north of 20:00 all fall, but then turned in a spring where she was able to hit 5:30 in the 1600m, a definite sign that further growth can occur this upcoming fall.

Teams Looking For A Comeback Season

Ithaca

The Yellowjackets had a rough close to the 2025 season. Placing 9^th and 5^th the two years prior, Ithaca was continuing the tradition left from the previous generation of Yellowjacket athletes. Even in last year’s season, the girls had bouts of success – winners at their home invite and the first TVC jamboree, a 3^rd place in their division at Spartan. But for whatever reason (we don’t judge or criticize), only 4 girls were able to complete their regional race.

No matter, however. It’s a new year and we learn the lessons from the past. The Yellowjacket roster has been replenished (11 strong if athletic.net can be trusted!), replete with the necessary speed to compete in 2026.

Teams Where I Haven’t Mentioned Other Important Runners

Hudsonville

The 50 Tickets and Regional Previews have heavily featured these Eagles. Three girls were listed in the 50 Tickets – Cassie Karasinski, Grace Snyder, and Chloe Purwin. In the Regional Previews, Lexie Snyder got a little writeup. That’s 4 of 5 potential scorers and over half the varsity lineup, but I should give mention to other Hudsonville girls that can contribute, as there are many who could be solid depth pieces.

You’ve got Ashley Wayne, Michaela Pries, Sidney Eaton, and Addison Dodd. Pries and Wayne just came off a spring season where they continually flashed speed, Pries shooting down to a 5:34 in the 1600m and Wayne maintaining her 5:30/12-flatish fitness. Dodd ran personal bests in everything from the 800m to 3200m. Eaton didn’t line up on the track, but showed 19 min. potential on a few occasions during her freshman year.

The speed and depth is present to outperform this ranking.

Teams Coming Off A Big Track Season

Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart

I really hate to give all the attention to one athlete, but I don’t believe I’ve given enough of a shoutout to Taylor Wills. Talk about a track transformation. For the past two cross seasons, Wills has been running on the high side of 23:00, only breaking into lower times in the final four races of 2025. Based on that, who could’ve predicted what went down a few months back? Taylor had tremendous breakthroughs in everything from the 800m to the 3200m. For each event:

800m – 2:41 > 2:26
1600m – 6:03 > 5:19
3200m – 14:11 > 12:26

Accolades especially came over four laps, where Wills won Region 37, the MSAC, and the Mid-Michigan MoC. Then to cap it off, placed 5^th in Division 4. There’s gonna be a serious XC PR drop coming soon.

Concord

The Yellowjackets have been a team on the rise over the past year. They began last fall’s mid-season rankings in the 15^th spot, then moved into the top-10 before placing 8^th at D4 State. Iny my unreleased late April rankings (taking into account XC, projected improvements, incoming freshman, but not adding track), they were ranked 9^th. But here they’re 8^th, so some progress must’ve been made.

Four girls stood out in terms of making progress:

Audrey Pyle 20:01 XC > 2:22/5:39
Haley Stimer 20:17 XC > 2:32/5:48/12:57
Audrey Rinehart 20:29 XC > 2:48/12:58
Mya Barrett 22:21 XC > 6:23

Blissfield

The state qualifying standards were abnormally hard, the math not mathing, but these Royals stepped up. A few graduating seniors made up half of their distance state squad, Hailey Sills and Hope Miller. Two Royals that’ll feature this fall were also part of the team that traveled to Kent City – Kaleea Braun and Anna Hallett. Both were part of the 4×8 outfit that won in Lenawee County, Region 26, LCAA, and placed 9^th in D3.

Hallett in particular excelled in the distance events, running 5:29/12:01 after her late-season XC improvement. Braun concentrated on the 800m, running 2:30’s by season’s end. Another piece that was undoubtedly influenced by the faster girls was Mollie Yeager, who moved from a fall PR of 21:16. to running 2:45/5:45/12:41 this spring.

Benzie Central

I loved the turnaround these Huskie girls made. You just have to look at the Benzie history, with the thousands of conference and regional titles, even a few state championships mixed within. They’re a team that typically finishes the cross season strong. This past year wasn’t the case, as BC limped into the finish, placing 3^rd in Region 20 and then 16^th in D3. But bad stretches never last in running if you’re open to solutions.

In the quest of fast solutions, state relay medals were found, a 5^th place in the 4×8 and 7^th place in the 4×4.

Progress was made by:

Avery Kelly 19:06 XC >2:28/5:23
Maggie McLellan 19:55 XC > 2:37/5:40/12:22
Lilly Whaley 21:18 XC > 2:42/5:50/13:18
Kaitlyn Kaple 21:38 XC > 2:35

Also, it appears that added to these girls is Addison Hughes, not accounted for in the rankings as she didn’t run cross, but someone who ran 2:32 for the 800m.

Linden

Linden just always *feels* like a track school. The reason for that being is when I started to pay greater attention to the spring, Linden was popping out elite sprinters. From these past several months, I can tell you that their prowess on the oval extends beyond a single lap.

In late May, the Eagles brought four individuals to Hamilton for the D2 Finals – Addison Josephson, Melody Meckstroth, Emma Durling, and Courtney Floeter. Each of these girls qualified in their individual event, but also put together resumes all season that featured PRs in 2 or 3 distance events. Long story short, their progress was no fluke.

Altogether, Linden brings back:

800m – 4 sub-2:30 girls
1600m – 5 sub-5:40 girls
3200m – 4 sub-13:00 girls

Considerable progress was made by:

Addison Josephson – 18:17 XC > 2:24/5:20/11:23
Melody Meckstroth 19:43 XC > 5:32/11:47
Courtney Floeter – 19:28 XC > 2:19/5:17
Sidney Shepard 20:48 XC > 2:27/5:30
Emma Durling – 21:13 XC > 2:29/5:20

Ready to read, read, and read some more? The Top-10 Teams are here.

As with everything in this summer preview, those are compiled through a combination of last year’s ratings, projected improvements, the past track season, and a very tiny bit of my own opinions. Very little of the numbers and rankings are subjective and I certainly don’t “hate” any team. Don’t let your sour teammates or parents let you believe that to be the case. The only thing I hate is AI, as all this writing comes from myself personally, all inspired by the love I have for the sport and the outstanding individuals here in Michigan.

The rankings are simply a hypothetical meet between all XC teams of a division. Thus, you may see a difference from the regional projections. Which is how XC plays out – meet size can be either a boon or a detriment.

I’ll likely have the Girls Top-10’s released on Friday morning, before Lamplighter and Portage Central Early Bird.

Enjoy!

Teams That Are Defending Champions

Holland Calvary Christian

The Calvary boys earned a trophy here in 2025 with great help from the experience they’d accumulated over the years. Three of their boys had run there three times, one twice, and another once. With such a small enrollment, Calvary was able to race as 8^th graders back in 2022, certainly lessening the shock of the environment later in their careers. As such, a patient race strategy paid off. All seven of last fall’s finalists return!

Charlevoix

The Rayders’ title run was a great tale, the men of Charlevoix surely motivated by their inspiring coach, Doug Drenth. With everything you read and take in, you truly get the sense that Charlevoix was running for something greater that day. Many of their harriers return, including Hunter Eaton, Aurie Selph (who vastly improved as a sophomore), Ryder Hopkins (ran a personal best at MIS), and Maxwell Drenth (who dropped over 30 sec. from what he ran at MIS the previous year).

Flint Powers Catholic

The Chargers came off a tremendous track campaign in ’25 and bolted into the following cross season. They were ranked #4 to start the season and quickly moved up to the top of the rankings. Still, Powers had to hold off a feisty East Grand Rapids at the D2 Finals, escaping with an 8-pt. victory. Powers loses much from that state squad – Thomas Beiter, Caleb Carignan, and Bryce Gross moving onto other pastures. Still, Lennox Naswell, Ben Bouchey, Alexander Iordanou, and Ryan Rathsburg remain.

Northville

Four in a row for the Mustangs. In this age of a hyper-competitive and constantly evolving running world, staying on top for this long is a FEAT. Just look at Michigan history! Northville is one of four boys teams to complete a four-peat, the others being Charlevoix (1987-1991), Dexter (2002-2006), and Dearborn (1927-1930). The Mustangs will miss seniors such as Ben Hartigan and Ryan Stojov, but the pipeline is strong, as is frontrunner Brandon Cloud.

Teams With Tremendous Depth

Hillsdale Academy

For a D4 school (and I’m not saying D4 schools are less capable, they just have less to draw from), the Colts can really load it up. The depth comes in many forms – by pure numbers, by a pack that can displace anyone at the D4 Finals, or the amount of athletes that can run under 20:00. Taking a peek at their athletic.net roster, there are 20 boys listed, a tremendously high figure. HA returns 13 boys that were sub-20, along with Timothy Gaebler, Peter Winn, Henry Rorick who all placed in the top-100 at MIS.

Whitmore Lake

The Trojan depth appears to even go beyond their varsity squad. Coming back are eight WL boys that were sub-20 in 2025. Combine that with three incoming MSers that were sub-13. For an example of how the Trojans can overwhelm, peer at Region 33’s results from this past fall. Landen Livingston of course led the way with a victory and it was awhile before we saw another red jersey. But then the Trojans came through with the best 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th, 6^th, and 7^th runners in the field, winning the region by a 15-pt. margin.

Hart

The team numbers and high-end pack are gamechangers for the Pirates. Sure, better depth leads to better scoring outcomes, as places can rapidly change later in the results. But it also gives a greater chance of a breakthrough. If 10 kids have a 20% chance of a serious leap, on average 2 of ‘em will reach beyond their goals. If 2 kids have that 20% chance, there’s scenarios where neither of those hard-workers take a huge step.

Moving beyond my rambling, the Pirates return 9 kids that were sub-18 and bring in Agustin Hernandez who dropped a 17:08 at Benzie’s PROM.

East Grand Rapids

EGR always has one the higher enrollments in D2. That’s not everything, as you’ve gotta recruit kids to the team and train ‘em properly. For years, Coach Collette had been doing that, winning a title in ’22 and giving Flint Powers everything they could handle a year ago. The foundation has been set for the next generation of athletes and coaches.

Thomas Fisher is one name to look for as a newer contributor. He raced a bit more sparingly last fall, even running on JV into October (and winning at Bluejay). He’s been putting in miles this summer, 13 of ‘em coming at the Charlevoix half where he busted out a 1:17. Certainly a good proposition and prospect if Pioneers down the lineup are averaging sub-6’s at early summer races.

Pinckney

Much of the Pirate power comes from the class of ’29. Last year’s freshman class had a field day at Gabriel Richard, six of ‘em in the very low-18’s or faster. On their own, they’d comprise a solid and deep squad. Then you add Cole McCraw, Lincoln Reed, and Caleb Maciag, a senior trio that was all sub-17 on at least one juncture last fall and you’ve got a stew going.

Brighton

Forever one of those cultures that continually has stupendous team numbers to draw from. With many to train and reap the results, five have seem to emerge as impactful scorers – Blake Kulesza, Roarke MacArthur, Brendan Williams, Josh Keillor-Beale, and Grant Kulesza. A few months back, these five all turned in 1600m efforts that were sub-4:40 and all sans Blake (who didn’t race one) were sub-10 in the 3200m. I do recall past Brighton squads having excellent 3200m track campaigns and then turning around to hoist trophies.

Midland

The D1 projections from last year highlighted the Chemic depth and those projections came to fruition during the Finals race. Placing 6^th overall, Midland had one of the better 4^th runners in the race (Andrew Worsley) and the best 5^th (Logan Gessford). Three of the solid and dependable Chemics have moved on, but sophomores such as Alex Pelliccia (4:31 in the 1600m as a freshman) and Jackson Thompson (17:09 PB from cross) should be able fill in quite nicely.

Teams Headed By Twins

Mesick

Last fall, the combination of Kyle Redman and Ty Redman raced together on 10 occasions. Of those 10, the highest total of points the two accumulated was 5 (at Baker Woods and Bluejay(. All of the WMD conference meets, along with Region 29, featured 1-2 finishes from the Redman boys. Their presence at the forefront has been the case for years, as the two have racked up 5 All-State certificates at the D4 Finals. With these blonde beasts heading any race they’re in, the Bulldogs truly only need to score three.

Teams With Youthful Exuberance

Leland

Boys XC is typically dominated by seniors. In normal high school/college parlance, upperclassmen are by definition juniors or seniors. For XC boys, I’d consider the categories to be split between seniors and everyone else. Leland’s ’26 outfit could be junior-heavy, headlined by the class of ’28 – Carter Suttmann, Christopher Knudsen, Hannes Graebel, and Campbell Fedderman. These four were able to race at Region 29, where through their top-22 finishes, were able to secure 2^nd place for the Comets.

Kalamazoo Hackett

To stay in the top-10 while replacing the venerable Marek Butkiewicz and Sean Siems, you’d better have some little ones waiting in the wings. We received a minor peek at what the Irish might bring in ’26 with the freshman seasons of Lukasz Butkiewicz and Henry Young, two upcoming sophomores that last fall seemed to get better with every race, both culminating their seasons with PBs at MIS. Potential also comes from the MS ranks, where future freshman Gabe Basch was racing in the low-12’s for his final three races of the season.

Grand Traverse Academy

Once again, one of those older, but not super young squads. It’s likely that the Mustang top-two will not be seniors, those two being Beckett Dennis and Jaxon Williams. The two finished nearly side-by-side at Region 29 last fall, running 17:25 and 17:27. A newcomer name that could be added into the fray is Remington Manthei, who won the WMD Middle School Championship in 2025.

Caro

It’ll be coming from a group of sophomores. This past season, the group of Jacob Daisy, Zeke Rickwalt, Jackson Ransford, and Jeffery Jon Dibble all received the opportunity to represent the Tigers at D3 State and all ran their fastest race of the season. Daisy, Ransford, and Rickwalt all were in the 17’s, while Dibble ran a respectable 19:19. From that race, 28 of the 256 runners were 9^th graders, and of those 28 freshmen, 4 were donning a Caro jersey. Those four plus Elliot Daisy, a newcomer who has shown a knack for hitting in the 17’s, set up Caro for years of future success.

Holland Christian

Lets put it this way – the Maroon D2 state squad consisted of two seniors, a junior, a sophomore, and three freshmen. That underclass-centric outfit placed 6^th in D2. Taking out the seniors, the Holland Christian returners placed 3^rd amongst the 13 teams that had 5 or more underclassmen. That’s one of the better groups of youngsters, not to mention that they’ll add Drew Franken, who just ripped 4:29/9:49 as an 8^th grader.

Parma Western

Ryan Good is of course the frontrunner, low-stick, and hard-kicking gamechanger up front. Equally important may be the ’29 class, highlighted by Micah Good, Leland Sowle, and Logan Cristian. These three were all sub-17 last fall, with Cristian even dipping into the 15’s. Come track, every one of the three achieved top-10 D2 freshmen marks in at least one event.

Otsego

I guess the allure of Mount Bulldog is so strong that Otsego kids just gravitate to the sport. Because each year could be represented in the continued Otsego success and tradition. The junior class contains Kaleb Koestner. The sophomores are bountiful, with Ryan Long, George Whitaker, and Victor Diaz. Even a freshman such as Ethan VanHouten might find his way into the top-seven. VanHouten was sub-12 in three of his final four MS races. Long and Whitaker delved into the 16’s in the fall, while Diaz greatly rose his fitness to a sub-5 in the 1600m. And Koestner progressed from a freshman primarily racing in the 18’s to a sophomore that dropped a sub-17 at the close, which leads one to believe there’s more to come.

Lowell

Avi Elabed has received some writing thus far and understandably so – he was one of the better freshmen in Michigan during the past twelve months. Tyler Bromley also deserves credit. Early on, Bromley wasted no time in shooting down the leaderboard. He began his career with a 17:44 at Portage Central’s Early Bird, then a month later, he was at 16:17 on Riverside Park’s burner of a course. Unfortunately his PR’s ended there, although I’d still classify his season a success based on the sheer number of mid-16 efforts. The following spring, Tyler clearly learned a lesson from cross, as he was able to close his 1600m campaign with a PR, running a 4:30 at Distance Night, a mark that ranked 10^th among Michigan 9^th graders in the event. Tyler, along with Avi, will be one of the better sophomore combos in D1 and the entire state.

Traverse City West

The Titans could be placed in a few of these subsets. They’re ranked more positively after track than they were before, thus they had a better spring than most. They’ve got much to choose from, both up front and deep into their lineup. A major factor in each is the class of 10^th graders that’ll be impacting the TCW team this fall. Austin Hughes, Emmett Duggar, Leland Barnett, Nolan Ruch, and Elliot Jones all had moments during the ’25-’26 year. For Hughes and Duggar, that was over four laps, which their bests were 4:28 and 4:38, respectively. Barnett displayed range from 2-flat in the 800m to 10:30 in the 3200m. Ruch and Jones each ran PR’s in the 17’s to close their cross campaigns. Hopeful upticks from the five listed above plus Finn Frost-Grayson and Liam Wierzba, means Northern Michigan will be represented at the large school level.

Jenison

A few short years ago, it was Seth Conner and Mason Lucas running things, now there’s been a changing of the guard. The Wildcats now keep reloading with talent, whether that be Hans Templeton (an incoming freshman who was a steady 11-min. figure last fall), Sullivan Oberg (who concentrated on the 3200m during track and very nearly slipped into the 9’s), or Caleb Conner (who after a summer of work, appears poised for a breakout).

Teams That Moved Divisions

Maple City Glen Lake

The typical uptick comes from a squad moving up in division numbers, such as D3 to D4. Speaking to the newfound strength of the Glen Lake program is their ability to join a tougher bunch, yet still retain the ability to place high at the new level. 2025’s Glen Lake MS squad won the D3/D4 race at Zone 7 and graduates two kids to the HS level – Adam Thompson and Samuel Feeney. Combine those two with an upper-level Laker bunch that returns all but one from 2025’s D4 runner-up and you’ve got a crew where success should travel to any division.

Holly

Brinker’s Bronchos hit the jackpot. Last fall, Holly had to travel north to the rough n’ tumble Region 2, where you essentially had to be on this list to move onto MIS. Holly had a solid day, placing nearly every varsity runner under 18:00, their top-3 in the low 16’s leading that pack. And they placed 6^th. Moving down to D2 while retaining five of those boys, including the entire top-3 of Broden Ladd, Trevor Murphy, and Cole Heikka is a formula for high placement in the D2 realm.

Teams Coached By Gene Lebron

Alma

It’s my belief that a team takes on the attitude of its coach. And when the coach is a feisty, outspoken, former state champ who loves his athletes like crazy, they tend to do well. Of course they work, have talent, and eat copious amounts of Sunday morning pancakes. The results speak for themselves, as over the past three years, these Panther boys have won every regional they’ve been placed in and have finished in the top-10 at D2 State each time out.

Hopefully these boys can give ol’ Lebron a reprieve so he can finish and post the indoor schedule.

Teams That Always Add New Pieces

Petoskey St. Michael

The 2025 version of the Guardians was projected as the #11 team pre-season, topped by standout runners such as Cody Bradley and Atticus Cadarette. PSM finished the year in 4^th place at D4 State, greatly aided by the addition of Caleb Chamberlin. The sophomore hadn’t run cross as a freshman, but that was not matter as he learned lessons throughout the season, ending in a 28^th spot at MIS. This year’s rendition of the Guardian comes in at #8, giving greater potential from an impactful add-on.

Teams with Wise, Old Veterans

Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart

The senior class, headlined by Wesley Chaffee, Noah Dubridge, and Brady Edwards, has sure grown together. Chaffee has found accolades in all three of his fall seasons, attaining top-10 regional finishes in each of his years. Dubridge and Edwards have taken a more gradual path, each dropping considerable minutes on the path to their sub-18 and sub-17 resumes, respectively.

Saugatuck

Meaningful races and positive outcomes can be helpful in the dog days of training. Back two seasons ago, the Trailblazers had one of those days to look back upon, as Saugatuck finished as an unlikely runner-up in D3. Then sophomores or freshmen, kids such as Ira Brown, Ashton Skinner, Grant Rehkopf, Jackson Bowman, Marcus Silva, and Sawyer Monroe stepped up and propelled Saugatuck to a trophy. The next iteration of the State Finals didn’t go the Trailblazer, but what’s a cross country life if you haven’t been through the highs AND lows?

Jackson Lumen Christi

Seems like it was just yesterday that Rocky Bolton and Avery Morrow were youngsters learning the ropes of the Titan tradition or sophomores who were vitally needed during JLC’s ’24 title hopes. Both have competed down the road at MIS for each of the past three years, the two breaking 17:00 there the past two seasons.

Pewamo-Westphalia

Back in ’23, the freshman class of Nolan Mitchell, Wyatt Werner, Charlie George, and John Kowatch entered P-W with the potential of leaving a legacy and continuing the Pirate tradition. Three state berths and two top-10 finishes later, they’ve accomplished just that.

Shepherd

Four seniors headline the ’26 version of the Bluejays – Bryce Cahoon, Jakin Whitney, William McDonald, and Drew Davis. These four have all competed for three years prior, accumulating an undefeated record in the Jack Pine over the past two seasons, with D2 team qualifiers to along with those conference-winning squads.

Ann Arbor Pioneer

Last fall, the Pioneers received a taste of what it’s like to compete for a D1 title. Kamari Ronfeldt was of course vitally important, as too was the progression of Colin Courage. Pioneer’s title hopes increased when Courage progressed from a high-17 opener to a runner reliably running in the low-16’s.

Unlike a majority of the other older teams, a good chunk of the Pioneer seniors will be athletes that didn’t toe the line at MIS last November. The State Finals, however, aren’t the only place where someone becomes familiar with the rigors of racing. Seniors such as Max Carne and Walker Ledbetter, amongst others, have been at it for their entire HS careers.

Saline

Thinking back in time – has there ever been a year in recent memory where the Hornet’s HAVEN’T advanced to MIS? Saline and Pioneer are seemingly always qualifiers out of Region 5. When you’re always moving on, you gain MIS experience. Jack Klein, Jacob Szalay, Wes Rogan, and Carlos Basulto were all present and a part of the Hornet runner-up squad from 2024. Added into the speedway experience last fall were Gavin Bast and Jacob Cole. Plenty of kids who’ve been through the ringer.

Salem

Seniors comprise the entirety of the projected top-five for the Rocks. Austin Mercado, Jack Hanner, Samuel Batt, Owen Dalebout, and Adam Burns have been mainstays in those white singlets for years. The first four gained MIS experience this past November and Burns has been battling for an eternity, moving from the 18’s as a freshman to a junior who dropped into the 16’s twice.

Teams That Added Ben Romero

Grand Rapids Christian

Okay yeah, XC is about more than one person. And GRC has been a team that’s always been in the mix (#1 on Michtrack’s D2 Boys Teams of the Century). But Ben takes what could’ve been a top-10 team into one that’s affirmatively on the list.

The Eagles probably won’t be the deepest they’ve ever been. However, the athletes that could score will likely be at the front of whichever race they’re entered. Reappearing are five boys that were sub-17:15 at one point in 2025, including kids such as James Scholten-Holcomb and Seth Sytsma who displayed the potential to run in the mid-16’s when needed.

Teams That Shocked The World By Finishing 2^nd Last Year

Lansing Catholic

Pre-race projections had the Cougars with about a 20% chance of stepping onto the podium and a smaller chance of winning (I had pre-made graphics for every team I thought could win, not the LC boys, so I was sweating bullets during the race). Many things would need to break right for these boys, as typically the top teams will have a boy step onto the medal stand and make the math a little easier. The Cougars earned their trophy the hard way, packed up from 17^th to 40^th in the team standings, having BY FAR the best 4-5 combo, Téo Krumm and Grady Richey, on that day. That championship magic is possible again, as 6/7 Cougars return who competed that day.

Teams With A Trophy Trailer

Breckenridge

Head to any meet with the Huskies around and you’ll see a trophy trailer being lugged around before, during, and after. Whether it’s the boys or girls or both, Breckenridge always fills the trailer with something. They’ve even carried around a Division 4 trophy, winning it all in 2019. This year’s boys version has a mix of speed, endurance, talented youth, and experienced seniors. Anthony Rowe and folks can definitely transport MSAC and Regional trophies in 2026. And maybe the ultimate one.

Teams On the Rise, Coming Off A Strong Track Season

Hanover-Horton

I bet you’d see a correlation between quick 4×8’s the spring prior and XC teams, especially if it’s like H-H’s scenario where they return three of those kids. The Comets placed 3^rd at the Division 3 Finals, the squad headlined by Cooper Flick, Chad Tyson, and Wyatt Hassenzahl.

Time-wise, the H-H returners include:

800m – 5 boys sub-2:10
1600m – 4 boys sub-4:50
3200m – 4 boys sub-10:30

And they’d probably exhibit a little more depth if Tyler Harris wasn’t out setting high jump PR’s and qualifying for D3 State.

Notable progress was made by:

Chad Tyson 16:02 XC > 2:00/4:25
Cooper Flick 16:22 XC > 2:03/4:32/9:45
Wyatt Hassenzahl 16:54 XC > 2:04/4:36/10:25
Anderson Cook 17:41 XC > 4:42/10:24

Jonesville

Just in terms of places and championships, the Comets had a day in Kent City. They were able to kick off the meet in comeback fashion, winning the 4×8 on the final lap. Doubling back, Caleb Blonde was 3^rd in the 800m, Collin Fucile 15^th in the 3200m, and recently departed Nicholas Fowler was 13^th in the 800m.

In terms of returners, Jonesville brings back:

800m – 5 boys sub-2:10
1600m – 4 boys sub-5:00
3200m – 4 boys sub-11:00

Notable progress was made by:

Caleb Blonde 15:48 XC > 1:56/4:23
Collin Fucile 16:17 XC > 4:34/9:44
Ashton Potwin 16:31 XC > 2:00/4:43
Briggs Baker 18:01 XC > 2:05/4:51
Jacob Gray 18:14 > 5:01/10:49

It’s likely that the gains from the above two will drive much of the Jonesville success this upcoming season. Shoring up the depth gives the Comets very little weak spots in their top-five.

Ann Arbor Skyline

Among their returners, the Eagles had:

800m – 4 boys sub-2:00
1600m – 4 boys sub-4:30
3200m – 4 boys sub-10:00

Here are some of the Skyline kids who had track transformations, running on a higher scale than their cross results.

Hudson Doll 16:07 XC> 1:56/4:21
Martin Gehrke 16:04 XC > 1:59/4:30/9:36
Matthew Guikema 16:10 XC > 2:00/4:27/9:54
Oskar MacArthur 16:18 XC > 1:54/4:17/9:50
Roman Stilwell 16:25 XC > 4:28
Garrett Comer 16:43 XC > 9:57

The two below might not even be Skyline scorers, but they saw gains in track as well. This was a wholesale team improvement.

Anton Kwaiser 17:53 XC > 2:05/4:38
Paxton Rose 17:46 XC > 1:58/4:45