Category: Uncategorized

Uncategorized

2026’s 50 Tickets to Brooklyn: Boys #7

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
10Gavin Katic15:37.7Fenton201.8MITCA8-Nov2025
10Gavin Katic15:21.7Fenton208.4D2 State Finals1-Nov2025
10Gavin Katic15:55.5Fenton204.5Region 1625-Oct2025
10Gavin Katic16:06.1Fenton197.0FML 315-Oct2025
10Gavin Katic15:11.6Fenton208.5Gabriel Richard11-Oct2025
10Gavin Katic15:43.2Fenton204.3Greater Flint4-Oct2025
10Gavin Katic15:32.2Fenton209.9Bluejay27-Sep2025
10Gavin Katic16:15.9Fenton206.1FML 224-Sep2025
10Gavin Katic15:55.0Fenton212.0Spartan12-Sep2025
10Gavin Katic15:52.4Fenton202.9Bath6-Sep2025
10Gavin Katic15:58.4Fenton201.2FML 13-Sep2025
10Gavin Katic16:08.8Fenton203.4Birch Run Early21-Aug2025
GradeNameTimeTeamRatingMeetDateYear
9Gavin Katic16:15.0Fenton189.7MITCA9-Nov2024
9Gavin Katic15:49.0Fenton197.7Division 1 State2-Nov2024
9Gavin Katic16:05.8Fenton197.4Region 426-Oct2024
9Gavin Katic16:43.8Fenton188.4FML 316-Oct2024
9Gavin Katic15:54.4Fenton195.9Greater Flint5-Oct2024
9Gavin Katic16:34.8Fenton193.4FML 225-Sep2024
9Gavin Katic16:36.1Fenton193.0Linden Classic21-Sep2024
9Gavin Katic16:42.9Fenton196.0Holly14-Sep2024
9Gavin Katic16:37.1Fenton193.3Bath7-Sep2024
9Gavin Katic16:50.9Fenton187.4FML 14-Sep2024
9Gavin Katic17:01.5Fenton190.5Early Bird Open29-Aug2024

Personal Records

5k (XC) – 15:11
800m – 1:57
1600m – 4:12
3200m – 9:04

Accolades

XC

4th Place – Division 2 State
Region 16 Champion
Greater Flint Champion
FML Champion

Track

5th Place – Division 1 State 3200m
12th Place – Division 1 State 4×8
7th Place – MITS/MITCA Indoor State 1600m
FML 1600m/3200m Champion

You Know I Dig Improvement

And Gavin’s jump from his freshman to sophomore year was something else. In terms of time, Gavin slipped under 16:00 on two occasions during his freshman year. A year older and he was there almost every meet. His personal best moved from 15:49 to 15:11 and instead of being on the cusp of an All-State, he was the 4th place finisher.

The most dramatic jumps came on the track, especially in the longer distances. Amongst 9th graders, Katic held top-10 times in both the 1600m and 3200m (ranked #1). Fast forward a year later and he held the #1 sophomore marks in both events, significantly ahead of the rest of his class in both events. He qualified for the eight-lapper as a freshman, then learned from that experience, placing 5th in all of Division 1. And perhaps even more importantly, he brought his teammates along for the ride as well, Fenton qualifying and hitting a sub-8 in the 4×8.

Quickly improving, a burgeoning talent.

Uncategorized

2026’s 50 Tickets to Brooklyn: Girls #8

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
10Emilia Garces17:17.9Midland Dow168.7MITCA8-Nov2025
10Emilia Garces17:23.3Midland Dow165.2D1 State Finals1-Nov2025
10Emilia Garces17:28.5Midland Dow162.8Region 225-Oct2025
10Emilia Garces17:44.6Midland Dow159.1SVL Championship15-Oct2025
10Emilia Garces17:42.5Midland Dow160.8Oiler Blue & Gold11-Oct2025
10Emilia Garces18:18.0Midland Dow153.3Heritage4-Oct2025
10Emilia Garces17:33.9Midland Dow170.4Bluejay27-Sep2025
10Emilia Garces17:43.1Midland Dow161.3VSV20-Sep2025
10Emilia Garces18:12.4Midland Dow162.9Holly13-Sep2025
10Emilia Garces17:44.9Midland Dow166.0Northwood6-Sep2025
10Emilia Garces17:56.4Midland Dow156.2Oiler29-Aug2025
GradeNameTimeTeamRatingMeetDateYear
9Emilia Garces17:42.6Midland Dow159.5Division 1 State2-Nov2024
9Emilia Garces17:36.3Midland Dow162.2Region 225-Oct2024
9Emilia Garces17:53.0Midland Dow154.0SVL Championship16-Oct2024
9Emilia Garces18:22.2Midland Dow140.6Heritage Hawks5-Oct2024
9Emilia Garces17:49.8Midland Dow163.1Bluejay28-Sep2024
9Emilia Garces18:43.0Midland Dow141.0VSV21-Sep2024
9Emilia Garces18:51.6Midland Dow152.8Holly14-Sep2024
9Emilia Garces18:57.1Midland Dow149.3SVL North 110-Sep2024
9Emilia Garces17:57.2Midland Dow161.3Northwood7-Sep2024
9Emilia Garces18:30.7Midland Dow156.8Oiler30-Aug2024
9Emilia Garces18:23.0Midland Dow159.3Under the Lights23-Aug2024

Personal Records

5k (XC) – 17:18
1600m – 4:57
3200m – 10:31

Accolades

XC

4th Place – Division 1 State
2x All-State
Region 2 Champion
SVL Champion

Track

15th Place – Division 1 State 3200m
11th Place – Division 1 State 4×8
SVL 1600m/3200m Champion

Her Championship Season

Was one of, if not the best stretch of running and racing in her career. That’s a bold statement, considering to that point, Emilia had been well accomplished. She was coming off a freshman season that featured an 8th place finish in Division 1 and many sub-18’s, going as low as 17:28 at the close. Garces had just finished September with a 17:33 at Bluejay, over 15 sec. faster than she’d run in 2024.

But now it came time to win. The second run at Dow’s regional site produced another victory at the Oiler Blue & Gold Invite. The next victory came at the SVL Championships, keeping league titles in Garces’ grasps. Then came the times. Her third effort at Mt. Pleasant produced her fastest time on the course, a 17:28 that won Region 2. Under the pressure-packed MIS environment, another drop down to 17:23. Finally, extending down even further with a 17:18 at MITCA.

In just about two months’ time, another opportunity awaits for Emilia to excel at season’s end.

Uncategorized

2026’s 50 Tickets to Brooklyn: Boys #8

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
11Ezekiel Baltierra15:20.3Alma207.6MITCA8-Nov2025
11Ezekiel Baltierra15:29.1Alma206.0D2 State Finals1-Nov2025
11Ezekiel Baltierra15:37.8Alma201.4Region 1424-Oct2025
11Ezekiel Baltierra15:46.0Alma199.7Greater Lansing11-Oct2025
11Ezekiel Baltierra16:02.9Alma201.0TVC 37-Oct2025
11Ezekiel Baltierra15:52.0Alma200.0Birch Run Fall30-Sep2025
11Ezekiel Baltierra15:23.0Alma213.0Bluejay27-Sep2025
11Ezekiel Baltierra15:34.4Alma207.5TVC 223-Sep2025
11Ezekiel Baltierra15:57.3Alma211.2Spartan12-Sep2025
11Ezekiel Baltierra15:52.0Alma207.7TVC 19-Sep2025
11Ezekiel Baltierra15:30.5Alma214.2John Bruder Classic3-Sep2025
11Ezekiel Baltierra15:41.9Alma205.0Saranac27-Aug2025
11Ezekiel Baltierra15:52.2Alma209.0Birch Run Early21-Aug2025
GradeNameTimeTeamRatingMeetDateYear
10Ezekiel Baltierra15:36.7Alma202.4MITCA9-Nov2024
10Ezekiel Baltierra15:48.8Alma197.7Division 2 State2-Nov2024
10Ezekiel Baltierra15:50.7Alma197.1Region 1425-Oct2024
10Ezekiel Baltierra17:16.1Alma195.0TVC Overall15-Oct2024
10Ezekiel Baltierra15:40.0Alma204.0Greater Lansing12-Oct2024
10Ezekiel Baltierra16:01.4Alma198.2TVC 38-Oct2024
10Ezekiel Baltierra15:59.4Alma198.2Portage5-Oct2024
10Ezekiel Baltierra15:57.4Alma195.5Birch Run Fall1-Oct2024
10Ezekiel Baltierra15:50.7Alma199.4DeWitt28-Sep2024
10Ezekiel Baltierra16:07.4Alma205.2TVC 225-Sep2024
10Ezekiel Baltierra16:36.5Alma205.8TVC 117-Sep2024
10Ezekiel Baltierra16:09.4Alma205.5Spartan13-Sep2024
10Ezekiel Baltierra15:49.9Alma207.0John Bruder Classic4-Sep2024
10Ezekiel Baltierra16:24.4Alma204.9Yellowjacket28-Aug2024
GradeNameTimeTeamRatingMeetDateYear
9Ezekiel Baltierra15:38.9Alma200.0MITCA11-Nov2023
9Ezekiel Baltierra15:46.5Alma198.5Division 2 State4-Nov2023
9Ezekiel Baltierra15:47.6Alma197.1Region 1527-Oct2023
9Ezekiel Baltierra16:39.6Alma190.5CC-C Eagle20-Oct2023
9Ezekiel Baltierra16:00.3Alma190.2TVC Overall17-Oct2023
9Ezekiel Baltierra16:26.4Alma195.9Greater Lansing14-Oct2023
9Ezekiel Baltierra15:49.9Alma196.4TVC Red Championship10-Oct2023
9Ezekiel Baltierra16:21.7Alma193.4Birch Run Fall3-Oct2023
9Ezekiel Baltierra15:55.2Alma195.6Bluejay30-Sep2023
9Ezekiel Baltierra16:27.7Alma193.4Spartan15-Sep2023
9Ezekiel Baltierra16:03.0Alma200.7John Bruder Classic7-Sep2023
9Ezekiel Baltierra16:55.4Alma182.2Yellowjacket30-Aug2023

Personal Records

5k (XC) – 15:17
800m – 1:58
1600m – 4:13
3200m – 9:06

Accolades

XC

6th Place – Division 2 State
3x All-State
TVC Red Champion
3x Top-5 – Greater Lansing

Track

7th Place – Division 2 State 1600m
7th Place – Division 2 State 4×8
4x All-State
Region 20 1600m Champion
TVC Conference 1600m Champion

His Breakout Race

For a kid who’s been in the 15’s all three years, stepped onto the podium each time at MIS, and owned a 4:21 1600m as a freshman, it’s really tough to find ONE breakout race. But I believe this past track season displayed just how much of Baltierra’s potential is still untapped. Two races stand out, both in terms of time and the sense that he’s got even more to show us.

You have to take these in the context of his career. Prior to Distance Night, Ezekiel had donned an Alma jersey for over 30 races at the 1600m distance. He began his career fast, closing his freshman year with a 4:21 in the event. He’d been a consistent runner, many of those efforts between 4:20 and 4:30. In 2026, a few had been a bit quicker, namely two 4:17’s, one for the full mile indoors and another to win Region 20. Past the pressures of regionals and in the right environment, Baltierra was able to pop a 4:13.7 in Grand Rapids.

He’d raced the 3200m a bit less often. He’d always been present at the Bluejay Elite 3200m, racing to 9:24, 9:53, and 9:27 the past three seasons. The week after state, Ezekiel took the trek over to Davison to hopefully end the season on a high note. Coming into the race, though lightly raced, he owned a personal best of 9:21. Under the Davison lights, Baltierra, along with Kamari Ronfeldt and Marek Butkiewicz, took aim at the 9-flat barrier. Zeke aggressively hung in there for much of the race, pushing the pace and holding the other two accountable. After eight laps, Baltierra finished with a brand new PR, 9:06, leagues ahead of where it stood prior.

Cross is next, with ample opportunity to raise his lofty standards.