Category: Uncategorized

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2026’s 50 Tickets to Brooklyn: Boys #2

mixcspeedratings

It’s baaack. A summertime tradition has returned, the 50 Tickets to Brooklyn. These lists celebrate the top 50 returners – based on a concoction of the ’25 XC season, projected improvements, the ’26 Track season, and a tiny bit of my own input.

Enjoy!

2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020

Many of these photos are sourced from either MLive or Miles Postema. Any others will find credit in the caption.

GradeNameTimeTeamRatingMeetDateYear
11Robert Jazwinski III15:07.1Whitehall213.3D2 State Finals1-Nov2025
11Robert Jazwinski III14:56.6Whitehall208.5Region 1025-Oct2025
11Robert Jazwinski III15:11.3Whitehall213.2WMC Lakes 314-Oct2025
11Robert Jazwinski III15:05.5Whitehall207.5GMAA11-Oct2025
11Robert Jazwinski III15:13.3Whitehall218.2Portage4-Oct2025
11Robert Jazwinski III16:14.1Whitehall205.6WMC Lakes 230-Sep2025
11Robert Jazwinski III15:10.0Whitehall216.3Allendale Falcon27-Sep2025
11Robert Jazwinski III15:28.4Whitehall220.9Spartan12-Sep2025
11Robert Jazwinski III16:48.2Whitehall204.9WMC Mega9-Sep2025
11Robert Jazwinski III15:15.1Whitehall220.3Under the Lights v222-Aug2025
GradeNameTimeTeamRatingMeetDateYear
10Robert Jazwinski III15:58.0Unattached201.0Late Season Warrior19-Oct2024
10Robert Jazwinski III15:42.8Unattached201.4Freeland12-Oct2024
10Robert Jazwinski III15:43.5Unattached203.8Allegan5-Oct2024
10Robert Jazwinski III16:15.8Unattached202.7PC Early Bird16-Aug2024
GradeNameTimeTeamRatingMeetDateYear
9Robert Jazwinski III15:59.5Hart193.2MITCA11-Nov2023
9Robert Jazwinski III15:54.0Hart194.7Division 3 State4-Nov2023
9Robert Jazwinski III16:05.9Hart194.7Mel Hall21-Oct2023
9Robert Jazwinski III15:23.9Hart205.4WMC Mega17-Oct2023
9Robert Jazwinski III15:34.0Hart204.7Hart & Sole14-Oct2023
9Robert Jazwinski III15:51.4Hart199.9Portage7-Oct2023
9Robert Jazwinski III15:30.7Hart203.8Bluejay30-Sep2023
9Robert Jazwinski III15:38.0Hart205.3Cougar Falcon23-Sep2023
9Robert Jazwinski III15:33.1Hart206.0Ottawa Hills15-Sep2023
9Robert Jazwinski III15:50.2Hart202.6Leanna Wolf Geers7-Sep2023
9Robert Jazwinski III15:48.7Hart207.8Pete Moss26-Aug2023

Personal Records

5k (XC) – 14:56
800m – 1:59
1600m – 4:11
2 Mile – 9:03

Accolades

XC

Division 2 State Champion
2x All-State
Region 10 Champion
WMC Lakes Champion
GMAA Champion

Track

Division 2 State 3200m Champion
8th Place – Division 2 State 4×8
7th Place – MITS/MITCA Indoor State SMR
Region 12 3200m Champion
WMC Lakes 3200m Champion

His Specialty

Grit.

Grit in doing farmwork as recovery or as part of your pre-run routine.

Grit in two school transfers, sitting out your sophomore year, running on your own, but watching others enjoy moments with their teams.

Grit while being plagued by mono during the XC Finals or with SI joint issues throughout this past spring.

Grit down on MIS’s lonely final turn, with Jonah Workman pulled up on your shoulder, potentially your first defeat looming in a few short minutes.

Many of our runners go through adversity, experiencing life’s varied circumstances. Few of our state’s athletes have done so with the eyes of the running community upon them. Bobby has gritted his teeth, dealt with the downturns, and emerged on the other side as a stoic, confident, and extremely fast guy.

Donning the Whitehall jersey throughout the ’25-’26 season saw Jazwinski go undefeated on the grass, running in the low-15’s on many instances with the occasional foray into the 14’s. He held the fastest time of the day at Spartan, pulled away from the field on a hot day at Portage, and even while under the weather, held on for the D2 state title. He experienced a stunted spring, sparingly racing. With a few weeks of good health under his belt, he was able to summon a 9:07 to win the D2 3200m title, then a few weeks later, extract out a 9:03 for the full 2 miles.

Full steam ahead onto what will be a memorable senior year, with high goals and a determined mind.

Uncategorized

2026’s 50 Tickets to Brooklyn: Girls #3

mixcspeedratings

It’s baaack. A summertime tradition has returned, the 50 Tickets to Brooklyn. These lists celebrate the top 50 returners – based on a concoction of the ’25 XC season, projected improvements, the ’26 Track season, and a tiny bit of my own input.

Enjoy!

2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020

Many of these photos are sourced from either MLive or Miles Postema. Any others will find credit in the caption.

GradeNameTimeTeamRatingMeetDateYear
10Rachel Smith17:03.9Okemos173.4MITCA8-Nov2025
10Rachel Smith17:04.7Okemos171.4D1 State Finals1-Nov2025
10Rachel Smith16:59.1Okemos173.6Region 424-Oct2025
10Rachel Smith17:09.6Okemos174.1CAAC Blue 216-Oct2025
10Rachel Smith17:08.6Okemos171.8Greater Lansing11-Oct2025
10Rachel Smith17:22.5Okemos175.8Portage4-Oct2025
10Rachel Smith17:06.9Okemos179.4Bluejay27-Sep2025
10Rachel Smith17:54.0Okemos168.3CAAC Blue 118-Sep2025
10Rachel Smith17:35.9Okemos180.0Spartan12-Sep2025
10Rachel Smith17:43.7Okemos163.8Bath6-Sep2025
GradeNameTimeTeamRatingMeetDateYear
9Rachel Smith17:46.7Okemos158.1Division 1 State2-Nov2024
9Rachel Smith17:50.8Okemos157.4Region 225-Oct2024
9Rachel Smith18:22.8Okemos152.7CAAC Blue 217-Oct2024
9Rachel Smith17:40.3Okemos163.6Greater Lansing12-Oct2024
9Rachel Smith17:39.5Okemos166.5Bluejay28-Sep2024
9Rachel Smith18:57.1Okemos137.3CAAC Blue 119-Sep2024
9Rachel Smith18:11.4Okemos166.5Spartan13-Sep2024
9Rachel Smith18:50.6Okemos149.5Bath7-Sep2024

Personal Records

5k (XC) – 16:59
1600m – 5:00
3200m – 10:32

Accolades

XC

2nd Place – Division 1 State
2x All-State
2x CAAC Blue Champion
Region 4 Champion
Greater Lansing Champion

Track

6th Place – 2025 Division 1 State 3200m
2025 CAAC Blue 1600m/3200m Champion
2025 Region 4 1600m/3200m Champion

You Know I Dig Improvement

When I think improvement, three factors come to mind.

The least important are these speed ratings. They don’t earn you a medal, trophy, and it’s not someone’s goal to run a certain number. But they’re a tool that controls for the invariantly variable courses. Rachel’s average rating as a freshman was a 156.5, the equivalent of a 18:15-18:20. Over a greater quantity of races during her sophomore season, she averaged 173.2, or around a 17:20. Nearly a minute drop.

This bore out in terms of actual time, where Smith began her ’24 season in the high-18’s, then found her way into the 17’s towards season’s end. She brought it in the big races too, 17:40ish efforts at Greater Lansing, Bluejay, Region 2, and MIS. Coming into the ’25 season, her PB was a 17:39 from Bluejay. A year later at Shepherd, she ripped a breakthrough – 17:06. In the final month of the fall, she bested that time on three separate occasions, the fastest of which being a 16:59 to win Region 4. A 40 second reduction.

Those three occasions were Regional, State, and MITCA. Her initial foray into that scene during her first year emitted a 3rd place Regional finish, 10th spot in D1, and 11th place closer at MITCA. Rachel then grew into a Regional Champion, State runner-up, and MITCA runner-up.

Ratings, times, and most importantly, accomplishments. All three took a step forward in ’25 and we hope for the same in ’26.

Uncategorized

2026’s 50 Tickets to Brooklyn: Boys #3

mixcspeedratings

It’s baaack. A summertime tradition has returned, the 50 Tickets to Brooklyn. These lists celebrate the top 50 returners – based on a concoction of the ’25 XC season, projected improvements, the ’26 Track season, and a tiny bit of my own input.

Enjoy!

2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020

Many of these photos are sourced from either MLive or Miles Postema. Any others will find credit in the caption.

GradeNameTimeTeamRatingMeetDateYear
11Brandon Cloud14:52.8Northville216.4D1 State Finals1-Nov2025
11Brandon Cloud15:24.6Northville208.8Region 725-Oct2025
11Brandon Cloud15:36.7Northville203.4KLAA Championship16-Oct2025
11Brandon Cloud15:33.8Northville211.4Portage4-Oct2025
11Brandon Cloud15:34.3Northville218.9Spartan12-Sep2025
11Brandon Cloud15:42.7Northville206.1Bath6-Sep2025
11Brandon Cloud15:45.4Northville212.9Northville Mustang26-Aug2025
11Brandon Cloud15:54.9Northville212.0Lamplighter15-Aug2025
GradeNameTimeTeamRatingMeetDateYear
10Brandon Cloud15:29.0Northville204.3Division 1 State2-Nov2024
10Brandon Cloud15:40.0Northville203.7Region 626-Oct2024
10Brandon Cloud15:53.6Northville201.1KLAA Championship17-Oct2024
10Brandon Cloud15:55.1Northville199.6Portage5-Oct2024
10Brandon Cloud16:20.7Northville201.8Spartan13-Sep2024
10Brandon Cloud16:18.4Northville200.2Tri of the Year10-Sep2024
10Brandon Cloud16:18.1Northville199.6Bath7-Sep2024
10Brandon Cloud16:51.5Northville197.8Mustang27-Aug2024
10Brandon Cloud16:18.1Northville199.6Lamplighter23-Aug2024
GradeNameTimeTeamRatingMeetDateYear
9Brandon Cloud16:29.9Northville184.4Division 1 State4-Nov2023
9Brandon Cloud16:20.4Northville186.9Region 628-Oct2023
9Brandon Cloud17:14.6Northville183.5KLAA Conference20-Oct2023
9Brandon Cloud17:00.0Northville177.0Portage7-Oct2023
9Brandon Cloud16:33.8Northville191.4Spartan15-Sep2023
9Brandon Cloud16:38.9Northville187.7Bath9-Sep2023
9Brandon Cloud17:30.6Northville179.1Mustang29-Aug2023
9Brandon Cloud16:38.1Northville196.3Lamplighter18-Aug2023

Personal Records

5k (XC) – 14:52
800m – 1:59
1600m – 4:12
3200m – 9:01
5k (Track) – 14:43

Accolades

XC

2nd Place – Division 1 State
3x Division 1 State Team Champion
2x All-State
Region 7 Champion

Track

Division 1 State 3200m Champion
3rd Place – Division 1 State 4×8
3x All-State
2nd Place – MITS/MITCA Indoor State 1600m
MITS/MITCA Indoor State 4×8 Champion
KLAA 1600m/3200m Champion
Region 6 3200m Champion

His Specialty

Reaching an unforeseen level at the State Finals.

Brandon’s first instances of this were during the 2024-2025 season. During the fall, he had raced in the low-16’s for much of the year, finally breaking into the 15’s when late September rolled around. Entering MIS, he’d found a personal best of 15:40 at the quick Willow course. Brandon proceeded to leave the speedway after an afternoon of running even splits and closing hard, finishing in 15:29 and 10th place, helping his Mustangs earn a team title. A similar scenario then unfolded in the spring, where Cloud came into the State Finals with a 9:25 PB in the 3200m and dropped 12 seconds at East Kentwood, placing 6th in the event.

These championship exploits took on a new degree this past season. Rather than drop a mere 11 seconds at MIS, he proceeded to subtract over half a minute from his season best, finishing in 14:52. Brandon hung with the lead pack for as long as possible and nearly covered every move, coming up just short in the final kick (he covered the final tenth of a mile in 26.7 sec. or 4:09 pace).  

This past spring, Brandon laid down an elite 3200m mid-season at Bluejay, a 9:01. His 9:02 to win the Division 1 3200m wasn’t quite as quick, a measly 9:02, but his tactics saw him reach into a world of pain and quickness that even his cross finish couldn’t match. After seven laps, Brandon once again put himself in excellent position, taking the lead right before the bell at ~8:03. He was passed early in that final lap, a gap opening up as Cloud hit the 300m mark at approximately 8:20. Down the backstretch and into the final turn, he aimed to match the move and muster anything he could for the final stages of the race. Covering the final 300m in approximately 41 seconds, an exasperated Cloud crossed the line in first.

Michigan is loaded with perhaps its best depth ever. With many championship races over the next year, having a penchant for clutch performances is a major bonus.