Category: Uncategorized

SUMMER PREVIEW

Accomplishments & Accolades

• 33^rd Place – Division 2 State (XC)
• 2^nd Place – Region 12 (XC)
• Team State Champion (XC)
• 3x State Qualifier (XC)
• 19^th Place – Division 2 State 3200m
• 2^nd Place – Region 13 3200m
• 3^rd Place – OK White 3200m



Ratings Throughout the Years

Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date
11	Alex Thole	16:25.0	East Grand Rapids	197.3	Portage Early Bird	19-Aug
11	Alex Thole	16:50.6	East Grand Rapids	188.5	OK White 1	7-Sep
11	Alex Thole	16:44.2	East Grand Rapids	187.3	Bath	10-Sep
11	Alex Thole	16:48.2	East Grand Rapids	184.3	OK White 2	21-Sep
11	Alex Thole	16:12.3	East Grand Rapids	191.9	Otsego Bulldog	1-Oct
11	Alex Thole	17:05.0	East Grand Rapids	194.3	OK White 3	5-Oct
11	Alex Thole	16:05.7	East Grand Rapids	194.1	Portage	8-Oct
11	Alex Thole	16:04.4	East Grand Rapids	191.2	Northview	19-Oct
11	Alex Thole	16:03.6	East Grand Rapids	194.5	Region 12	29-Oct
11	Alex Thole	16:28.8	East Grand Rapids	191.4	D2 State	5-Nov
11	Alex Thole	15:51.8	East Grand Rapids	195.4	MITCA	12-Nov
Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date
10	Alex Thole	16:58.6	East Grand Rapids	188.8	Portage EB	20-Aug
10	Alex Thole	16:48.7	East Grand Rapids	186.1	Pete Moss	28-Aug
10	Alex Thole	16:44.6	East Grand Rapids	187.1	OK White 1	8-Sep
10	Alex Thole	16:29.0	East Grand Rapids	192.7	Bath	11-Sep
10	Alex Thole	16:44.5	East Grand Rapids	193.2	Spartan	17-Sep
10	Alex Thole	16:17.1	East Grand Rapids	190.0	OK White 2	22-Sep
10	Alex Thole	16:43.2	East Grand Rapids	187.6	Cougar Falcon	25-Sep
10	Alex Thole	16:43.2	East Grand Rapids	184.3	Otsego Bulldog	2-Oct
10	Alex Thole	16:14.6	East Grand Rapids	188.8	OK White 3	6-Oct
10	Alex Thole	16:28.1	East Grand Rapids	193.3	Portage	9-Oct
10	Alex Thole	16:28.8	East Grand Rapids	186.7	OK White 4	20-Oct
10	Alex Thole	17:24.9	East Grand Rapids	187.4	14 SFRC	29-Oct
10	Alex Thole	16:22.4	East Grand Rapids	189.9	D2 State	6-Nov
10	Alex Thole	16:24.1	East Grand Rapids	191.0	MMOC	13-Nov
Grade	Name		Team	Rating	Meet	Date
9	Alex Thole		East Grand Rapids	170.4	Pete Moss	29-Aug
9	Alex Thole		East Grand Rapids	176.1	OK White (GF)	16-Sep
9	Alex Thole		East Grand Rapids	177.2	Cedar Springs Mini	19-Sep
9	Alex Thole		East Grand Rapids	180.5	OK White 2	23-Sep
9	Alex Thole		East Grand Rapids	186.1	Bulldog Elite	3-Oct
9	Alex Thole		East Grand Rapids	176.4	OK White Championship	14-Oct
9	Alex Thole		East Grand Rapids	179.4	PR 22	23-Oct
9	Alex Thole		East Grand Rapids	177.2	D2 Reg 11	31-Oct
9	Alex Thole		East Grand Rapids	182.8	D2 State	6-Nov

The Rundown

A head down worker, Alex is the literal definition of a senior captain. He’s excelled at the end of the year, both on the grass and on the track. Although he didn’t step on the stage as an individual at MIS, he did us one better, accepting the Division 2 XC crown along with his EGR teammates. The wait for individual glory had to wait a week, but his patience paid off in the form of a 15:51 at MITCA, #2 all-time at East Grand Rapids (behind Evan Bishop!). Come June, he left FHE feeling as if he left something on the track. One week later, he drove out of Davison with a fresh, new 9:17 personal best. Many on these lists have goals to accomplish that haven’t been achieved. Alex has contributed to the big one. But sometimes ascending to the peak of that mountain is immensely more satisfying. He’ll be looking to lead his Pioneers there once again.

SUMMER PREVIEW

Accomplishments & Accolades

• Division 4 State Champion (XC)
• 3x Top-5 Division 4 State (XC)
• 2x Region 29 Champion (XC)
• Distance Triple – Division 4 State Track
• 6x Track State Champion
• 12x All-State (XC & Track)



Ratings Throughout the Years

Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date
11	Aiden Harrand	19:38.1	Buckley	131.0	Pete Moss	27-Aug
11	Aiden Harrand	19:37.8	Buckley	133.4	Buckley	10-Sep
11	Aiden Harrand	18:41.8	Buckley	147.1	Sparta	17-Sep
11	Aiden Harrand	18:30.1	Buckley	142.3	Cadillac	24-Sep
11	Aiden Harrand	18:33.2	Buckley	144.6	Bluejay	1-Oct
11	Aiden Harrand	19:10.2	Buckley	132.9	Portage	8-Oct
11	Aiden Harrand	18:59.4	Buckley	135.5	Class D	22-Oct
11	Aiden Harrand	18:11.0	Buckley	140.7	Region 29	29-Oct
11	Aiden Harrand	19:05.9	Buckley	136.4	Division 4 State	5-Nov
11	Aiden Harrand	18:10.6	Buckley	147.8	MITCA	12-Nov
Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date
10	Aiden Harrand	18:55.1	Buckley	145.3	Pete Moss	28-Aug
10	Aiden Harrand	19:11.6	Buckley	142.8	Buckley	11-Sep
10	Aiden Harrand	19:15.8	Buckley	131.1	NWC 1	14-Sep
10	Aiden Harrand	18:28.5	Buckley	145.5	Cadillac	25-Sep
10	Aiden Harrand	19:44.0	Buckley	132.0	NWC 2	28-Sep
10	Aiden Harrand	18:17.9	Buckley	139.4	NWC Benzie	12-Oct
10	Aiden Harrand	18:37.0	Buckley	140.0	Class D	23-Oct
10	Aiden Harrand	18:08.8	Buckley	140.4	Region 29	30-Oct
10	Aiden Harrand	18:30.6	Buckley	141.5	Division 4 State	6-Nov
10	Aiden Harrand	18:41.0	Buckley	144.0	MITCA	13-Nov
Grade	Name		Team	Rating	Meet	Date
9	Aiden Harrand		Buckley	116.3	Pete Moss	29-Aug
9	Aiden Harrand		Buckley	127.0	Buckley	12-Sep
9	Aiden Harrand		Buckley	126.0	Buckley Bear	26-Sep
9	Aiden Harrand		Buckley	127.8	NWC Jamboree 2	29-Sep
9	Aiden Harrand		Buckley	126.5	Cecil Burch	3-Oct
9	Aiden Harrand		Buckley	118.3	Pre-Region 58	24-Oct
9	Aiden Harrand		Buckley	136.5	Region 29	31-Oct
9	Aiden Harrand		Buckley	121.7	Division 4 State	7-Nov

The Rundown

Someone may have to count those All-States and State Titles again. With the rate Aiden gains them, it’s hard to keep track. Anyhow, her and I go way back. Let’s take a trip back to 2020, when I had no clue how to use Photoshop and still included incoming freshmen in these tickets. Based off her middle school profile of 5:14 7^th grade miles and battling with Alyson Enns at Portage, Aiden made her way onto here. Three years later, she’s back again.

Her and I can joke about it now, but she should’ve been on here last year. As a sophomore, she placed 2^nd at the Division 4 XC Finals, then came back and showcased her speed on the track. She was aided by winter training from the Up North Elite crew, having training partners near her speed, relays to put her in competitive spots, leading to new worlds of pace she may have not thought possible. Her sophomore season ended with a sub-5 in the 1600m, a 2:19 in the 800m, both winning the Division 4 Finals. I screwed up (it happens!) and for some reason didn’t match her track times to her cross ratings, and she was left out. If it had been done correctly, she’d have come in the 30’s last summer.

With her old friendly rival Makenna Scott moving onto Oakland, Abby VanderKooi taking her talents to Grand Valley, the door was open for Aiden to claim her first title in Brooklyn. She left little doubt throughout the year, winning all but one of her pre-State races. Then she left little doubt at the Speedway, opening up a 10 second gap in the first mile that only grew as the race progressed. Come spring, it was more of the same title-winning, but in even more impressive fashions. She perfected the distance triple, first running for time at Reed City, blasting personal best after personal best (4:53, 2:11, 10:54). Then for place at State, outlasting all the other Division 4 girls en route to wins in all three events.

That distance triple paved the way for her little Buckley team to win the Division 4 track title. She’ll be leading them again in these next few months, hoping to make it back down south. Aiden, I hope this makes up for last year!

Last Year

SUMMER PREVIEW

MID-SEASON

REGIONAL PROJECTIONS

THE RESULT

Girls

1. Walled Lake Northern (8^th)
2. Highland-Milford (15^th)
3. White Lake Lakeland (26^th)

Boys

1. Highland-Milford (14^th)
2. Detroit Catholic Central (17^th)
3. White Lake Lakeland (20^th)

Top 27 Teams

Previous years had top-25 teams, but there’s 27 (and sometimes more) team qualifiers and what does it hurt to add another two?

Girls

Walled Lake Northern (14^th), Highland-Milford (22^nd)

Boys

Walled Lake Northern (7^th), White Lake Lakeland (12^th), Highland-Milford (17^th)

(If your team isn’t listed in the images above or the scores below, you probably don’t have five returners, at least on ol’ athletic.net. I’m sure many of these teams will fill out their rosters by late October)

Projected Scores

Place	Girls Team	Score
1	Walled Lake Northern	52
2	Highland-Milford	98
3	Royal Oak	149
4	Novi	153
5	White Lake Lakeland	153
6	South Lyon East	163
7	South Lyon	180
8	Walled Lake Western	222
9	Birmingham Seaholm	244
10	Berkley	288
11	West Bloomfield	350
12	North Farmington	368
13	Beverly Hills Groves	378
14	Walled Lake Central	378

Place	Boys Team	Score
1	Walled Lake Northern	48
2	White Lake Lakeland	60
3	Highland-Milford	79
4	Detroit Catholic Central	129
5	Royal Oak	177
6	Berkley	179
7	South Lyon	187
8	Novi	207
9	Brother Rice	288
10	Birmingham Seaholm	300
11	Walled Lake Western	334
12	Walled Lake Central	337
13	South Lyon East	339
14	North Farmington	346
15	Beverly Hills Groves	372
16	West Bloomfield	450

Top Runners

I’m making a slight change for the Division 1 folks. Previous regional writeups had the top finishers, even if they were mentioned in the Top 10’s or 50 Tickets. Because so many Division 1 kids make up the top 50 returners (which makes sense, since D1 covers about 60% of the state), I’ll write about a few returners beyond those 50. This will hopefully extend a bit more coverage towards more deserving athletes. Some of the 50 have been covered, others will get their own post. Check the Summer Preview page or keep checking back until next Thursday for those.

Alisia Olteanu, Walled Lake Western

Began to become herself during her freshman year of track, placing 3^rd in the freshmen County 800m, punching her way down to 2:27 twice. Since then, she’s been in the 19’s for much of her cross seasons (even closing 2022 with a monstrous PB at MITCA, 18:34). Racing the ovals, she’s made it to the Division 1 Finals twice, running 4:58 there as a sophomore.

Ava Kurczewski, Walled Lake Northern

Found her way into the 19’s for the first time since her freshman year. With that return to quicker times came the honors – All-County, top-100 at State, amongst others. I can’t help but think that the confidence gained from cross was a major impetus behind her outstanding track season, where she knocked off 15+ seconds from her 800m and almost 45 sec. from her 1600m.

Madelyn Gordon, Walled Lake Northern

For years, she’s been a reliable contributor for the Knights, making it to the State Finals all three years of her career. But she never ended her season with a hot streak such as last year. 3^rd in the LVC, 5^th at this Region, and then nearly getting under 19:00 at State.

Kayla Ward, South Lyon

Freshman year ended with four consecutive sub-20’s, including a top-10 finish over in Region 4.

Pierce Gryzmkowski, White Lake Lakeland

Dropped below 2:00 multiple times during the track season. First was at Indoor State, where he placed 20^th.  Turned that indoor breakthrough into a championship season streak – 1:56, 1:56, 1:54 at Regionals, States, and New Balance.

Oliver Moss, Berkley

Regional race set up perfectly for them, the pack of four ahead of Oliver conserving their energy and holding steady 71’s. They hung right in there, knocking 8 seconds off their time at Farmington, qualifying for State with a 9:30.

Lucas Karbel, Walled Lake Northern

Moving from 9:49 to 9:38 earned him a top-5 finish in the Oakland County 3200m.

Evan Rice, Walled Lake Northern

Championship season had a few attention-grabbing races. His 18^th spot at County was 23 places better than his sophomore version and the 4^th finish in the LVC Championship was 12 place improvement from the past year as well.

Ryan Ilikman, Detroit Catholic Central

Junior year contained nearly a minute drop from his sophomore season and his first race at MIS, where he placed 91^st.