Toughness on the ice leads to toughness on the course. Or is it the other way around? Either way, she’s moved up each and every year, finally slipping under 20:00 at last fall’s regionals.
May have only moved from 15th to 12th in Region 19, but moved through the world at State, nearly halving her finishing place from 2021. Her 64th place finish was key in displacing the 5th (and some 4th) runners of rival teams.
Before her Cadillac Invite, she had spent her whole career over 21:00. Her 20:52 there introduced a slew of sub-21 efforts, five of them in her final seven races.
Championships are being won, medals earned, and times have been dropped – everything is coming to a head for Clio’s continually rising senior. After a slow start to his career, he began to see progress in the middle of his freshman year, gradually turning into a solid freshman that could run in the 17’s. From there, he clawed his way toward a sub-17 as a sophomore, but the real step forward came during his sophomore track season. A 4:28 in the FML 1600m gave him a victory, then 4:29 later in the year qualified for State.
After that leap, Elliott put it all together during his sophomore year. In the fall, his first sub-16 at Greater Flint. A high finish in the FML. His second straight top-10 in Region 15. Then the kicker, an All-State, his first time claiming that as well. I’m continually impressed when these youngsters show an aptitude for all events. We know Elliott could rip off the mile, evidenced by his sophomore year. As a junior, he was able to add to his resume without losing focus on his main event. A 1:56 at the MITS Championship placed him 9th (against the entire state, not just D2). Tapping into that #ShepherdMagic, he moved with the pack onto a 9:21. But come championship time, it was all about those four laps. Another win in the FML led to another state qualifier, but this time Elliott was able to put it all together during his final individual race of the year, his 4:17 knocking a whole 11 seconds off his sophomore best.
From the 800m up to the 5k, this wolf will be eatin’ all season, leading his underdog Clio pack all the way.
From start to finish, Elena’s sophomore year was a marvel to see. Her cross country season commenced with a sub-19 win at Lakeview, then her track season was complete after a 4:52 at the Division 1 1600m. As a freshman, she had given us hints of that talent, racing to sub-19 first at Riverside Park, then pulling off a Berrien County victory in a similar time. During her championship season in ’21, she was able to roll off a slew of 19-min. efforts, but not quite as quick as her performances earlier in the year. Perhaps it was a year’s growth, perhaps lessons learned, either way, she raced in a much more consistent manner as a sophomore, nearly matching her PB in the SMAC Championship, moving into the top-5 in Region 13, and then notching her first All-State ever. And that was all before her great track seasons, where she set PBs in all events, displaying range across the board. With another year of her Bears near the top of Division 2 and Gail Vaikutis to train with, expect the same streak of elite results.
Michigan XC Speed Ratings 