Category: Uncategorized

A summer tradition returns.

Hard to fathom that I’ve been penning these Summer Previews for now, 7 years. Just as in the past, I’ll have the 50 best returners, then as time rolls on, the Regional Previews and Top Ten Teams.

Differing from the past is the format. Individual posts for each region and ticket are a TON OF WORK. Instead, I’ll be knocking off the 50 Tickets with sets of 10 and Regional Previews by their division and gender. Hopefully with these methods, I’ll be finishing on time and actually spending effort detailing what could be some great regional battles.

Anyhow, starting with the girls (they run first this year), your 50 Tickets to Brooklyn. These celebrate our top-50 returners – based on the 2024 XC season, 2025 track season, projected improvement, and a tiny bit of my own opinions.

Enjoy!

2024
2023
2022
2021
2020

(Also, first time ever that I’ve included Upper Peninsula folks in these! I know they’re not running at MIS, but they’re still representatives of Michigan)

Name: Emma Hoffman
School: Otsego
Grade: 12th

Personal Records

5k (XC) – 17:22
1600m – 4:52
3200m – 10:17
5000m – 16:42

Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
11	Emma Hoffman	17:31.0	Otsego	163.3	Division 2 State	2-Nov	2024
11	Emma Hoffman	17:51.7	Otsego	159.1	Region 13	26-Oct	2024
11	Emma Hoffman	19:22.7	Otsego	130.8	Allegan County	18-Oct	2024
11	Emma Hoffman	17:25.3	Otsego	165.9	Wolverine Conference	15-Oct	2024
11	Emma Hoffman	17:22.5	Otsego	167.8	Otsego Bulldog	28-Sep	2024
11	Emma Hoffman	18:11.5	Otsego	166.5	Spartan	13-Sep	2024
11	Emma Hoffman	17:45.0	Otsego	166.7	Shamrock	3-Sep	2024
11	Emma Hoffman	17:53.4	Otsego	170.2	SW Rustbuster	28-Aug	2024
11	Emma Hoffman	18:18.8	Otsego	166.7	St. Joseph	20-Aug	2024
Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
10	Emma Hoffman	18:31.3	Otsego	143.9	Division 2 State	4-Nov	2023
10	Emma Hoffman	18:56.6	Otsego	135.8	Region 13	28-Oct	2023
10	Emma Hoffman	19:42.3	Otsego	125.9	Allegan County	20-Oct	2023
10	Emma Hoffman	18:18.9	Otsego	138.7	Wolverine Conference	17-Oct	2023
10	Emma Hoffman	18:48.5	Otsego	141.8	Portage	7-Oct	2023
10	Emma Hoffman	18:03.8	Otsego	154.1	Otsego Bulldog	30-Sep	2023
10	Emma Hoffman	18:33.7	Otsego	144.8	Jackson	23-Sep	2023
10	Emma Hoffman	19:12.9	Otsego	146.0	BS Shamrock	5-Sep	2023
10	Emma Hoffman	18:31.0	Otsego	144.0	SW Rustbuster	30-Aug	2023
Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
9	Emma Hoffman	18:27.8	Otsego	149.1	D2 State	5-Nov	2022
9	Emma Hoffman	18:38.9	Otsego	141.4	Region 13	29-Oct	2022
9	Emma Hoffman	19:11.2	Otsego	138.9	Wolverine Conference	18-Oct	2022
9	Emma Hoffman	18:48.0	Otsego	140.3	Portage	8-Oct	2022
9	Emma Hoffman	18:34.9	Otsego	144.4	Otsego Bulldog	1-Oct	2022
9	Emma Hoffman	18:34.7	Otsego	142.1	Cougar Falcon	24-Sep	2022
9	Emma Hoffman	19:08.4	Otsego	143.5	Spartan	16-Sep	2022
9	Emma Hoffman	19:09.6	Otsego	137.5	SW Rustbuster	31-Aug	2022
9	Emma Hoffman	20:18.9	Otsego	127.7	St. Joseph	23-Aug	2022

Accolades

XC

2^nd Place – 2023 & 2025 Division 2 State
17^th Place – 2024 Division 2 State
2023 & 2024 Allegan County Champion
2024 Wolverine Conference Champion
2024 Region 13 Champion

Track

2025 Division 2 State 1600m & 3200m Champion
Unbeaten Outdoor Season
3^rd Place – 2025 MITS 3200m
4^th Place – 2025 MITS 1600m
6^th Place – 2024 Division 2 State 1600m

You Know I Dig Her Improvement

And between her sophomore and junior years, the improvement was out of this world. Between the track and the grass, she left hardly a stone unturned, setting PRs and winning titles.

Embracing an uptick in training during her junior summer, Hoffman sped out of the gate with a win at St. Joseph, her fastest opener yet. The next race was another first, a sub-18, one of many she’d put together over the course of the year. More wins throughout September paved the path towards her biggest breakthrough, 17:22 at her home invite, a massive 20+ second personal best. She’d match that level a few more times over the course of the year – most notably a 17:31 finish at State, a venue where she’s always performed her best.

Digging into the nitty gritty of the times, the track is where we can objectively see the development. Concentrating mainly on the longer distances, Hoffman was able to slip under 5 min. for the first time ever (5:02 to 4:52) and rip through her 3200m best (10:50 to 10:17). Both led to a new, rarely seen, level of competition, a season where Emma didn’t face a single defeat. Not at the GR Elite Challenge, Distance Night, regional or conference, and lastly, not at D2 State.

Your defending D2 1600m and 3200m champion, improving by leaps and bounds, seeking more.

A summer tradition returns.

Hard to fathom that I’ve been penning these Summer Previews for now, 7 years. Just as in the past, I’ll have the 50 best returners, then as time rolls on, the Regional Previews and Top Ten Teams.

Differing from the past is the format. Individual posts for each region and ticket are a TON OF WORK. Instead, I’ll be knocking off the 50 Tickets with sets of 10 and Regional Previews by their division and gender. Hopefully with these methods, I’ll be finishing on time and actually spending effort detailing what could be some great regional battles.

Anyhow, starting with the girls (they run first this year), your 50 Tickets to Brooklyn. These celebrate our top-50 returners – based on the 2024 XC season, 2025 track season, projected improvement, and a tiny bit of my own opinions.

Enjoy!

2024
2023
2022
2021
2020

(Also, first time ever that I’ve included Upper Peninsula folks in these! I know they’re not running at MIS, but they’re still representatives of Michigan)

Name: Aiden Pengelly
School: Canton
Grade: 12th

Personal Records

5k (XC) – 14:59
1600m – 4:22
3200m – 9:33

Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
11	Aiden Pengelly	14:59.6	Canton	214.8	MITCA	9-Nov	2024
11	Aiden Pengelly	15:01.0	Canton	213.7	Division 1 State	2-Nov	2024
11	Aiden Pengelly	15:17.6	Canton	211.1	Region 6	26-Oct	2024
11	Aiden Pengelly	15:13.0	Canton	214.7	KLAA Championship	17-Oct	2024
11	Aiden Pengelly	15:21.8	Canton	214.4	River Rat Open	10-Oct	2024
11	Aiden Pengelly	15:19.9	Canton	212.0	Wayne County	5-Oct	2024
11	Aiden Pengelly	15:24.4	Canton	210.2	Hansons	28-Sep	2024
11	Aiden Pengelly	15:16.1	Canton	212.6	Jackson	21-Sep	2024
11	Aiden Pengelly	15:45.8	Canton	215.1	Holly	14-Sep	2024
11	Aiden Pengelly	15:51.0	Canton	209.3	Tri of the Year	10-Sep	2024
11	Aiden Pengelly	16:16.2	Canton	209.3	Averill	7-Sep	2024
11	Aiden Pengelly	15:44.0	Canton	211.0	Lamplighter	23-Aug	2024
Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
10	Aiden Pengelly	15:39.6	Canton	199.8	MITCA	11-Nov	2023
10	Aiden Pengelly	15:31.6	Canton	203.8	Division 1 State	4-Nov	2023
10	Aiden Pengelly	15:34.7	Canton	202.1	Region 6	28-Oct	2023
10	Aiden Pengelly	16:14.4	Canton	203.5	KLAA Conference	20-Oct	2023
10	Aiden Pengelly	15:42.0	Canton	200.7	River Rat Open	13-Oct	2023
10	Aiden Pengelly	15:58.1	Canton	197.3	Wayne County	7-Oct	2023
10	Aiden Pengelly	15:54.6	Canton	203.1	Hansons	30-Sep	2023
10	Aiden Pengelly	16:21.5	Canton	195.5	Spartan	15-Sep	2023
10	Aiden Pengelly	16:02.0	Canton	197.3	Northwood	9-Sep	2023
10	Aiden Pengelly	16:36.1	Canton	197.3	Mustang	29-Aug	2023
Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
9	Aiden Pengelly	16:36.9	Canton	181.4	Region 6	29-Oct	2022
9	Aiden Pengelly	17:10.8	Canton	175.7	KLAA	22-Oct	2022
9	Aiden Pengelly	17:12.5	Canton	169.8	River Rat Open	14-Oct	2022
9	Aiden Pengelly	17:15.5	Canton	166.8	Wayne County	8-Oct	2022
9	Aiden Pengelly	17:17.2	Canton	166.3	Marauder	1-Oct	2022
9	Aiden Pengelly	17:36.5	Canton	161.2	Jefferson	24-Sep	2022
9	Aiden Pengelly	18:17.1	Canton	159.3	Spartan	16-Sep	2022
9	Aiden Pengelly	17:53.0	Canton	163.0	Northwood	10-Sep	2022
9	Aiden Pengelly	19:37.1	Canton	146.0	Milford	1-Sep	2022

Accolades

XC

2^nd Place – 2024 Division 1 State
18^th Place – 2023 Division 1 State
2024 KLAA, Wayne County, & Region 6 Champion

Track

5^th Place – 2024 KLAA Championship 3200m

You Know I Dig His Improvement

From year to year, fall to fall, it just keeps coming in droves.

From 2022 to 2023, it was impressive enough. Working way back to his freshman season, Aiden spent much of his races on the high side of 18. An admirable mark, but not often that in a short month that one progresses from there all the way down to the 16:30’s, which Pengelly was able to accomplish in his season closer at Region 6.

Following his freshman fall, it’s been a steady string of time drops. As a sophomore, he wasted zero time busting rust, Aiden opened with a mid-16 on the tough Cass Benton track, a harbinger for greater marks to come. Unshockingly, they did – 15’s were on tap for a good chunk of the year, the fastest of which being a 15:31, good for 18^th place in D1.

You won’t be surprised that more reductions came as a junior. Jackson is often the first opportunity to really roll, which Aiden was able to do, finding a 15:16 on the quick Sharp Park course. That fast race led to many similar ones, 15:1x’s in wins at Wayne County, Region 6, and in the KLAA. Not satisfied with a minor improvement, Pengelly ripped a 15:01 at State and was one of six Michiganders to break 15:00 on the year, which went down at MITCA.

Here’s to another relentless season.

A summer tradition returns.

Hard to fathom that I’ve been penning these Summer Previews for now, 7 years. Just as in the past, I’ll have the 50 best returners, then as time rolls on, the Regional Previews and Top Ten Teams.

Differing from the past is the format. Individual posts for each region and ticket are a TON OF WORK. Instead, I’ll be knocking off the 50 Tickets with sets of 10 and Regional Previews by their division and gender. Hopefully with these methods, I’ll be finishing on time and actually spending effort detailing what could be some great regional battles.

Anyhow, starting with the girls (they run first this year), your 50 Tickets to Brooklyn. These celebrate our top-50 returners – based on the 2024 XC season, 2025 track season, projected improvement, and a tiny bit of my own opinions.

Enjoy!

2024
2023
2022
2021
2020

(Also, first time ever that I’ve included Upper Peninsula folks in these! I know they’re not running at MIS, but they’re still representatives of Michigan)

Name: Ava Schafer
School: St. Johns
Grade: 11th

Personal Records

5k (XC) – 17:05
800m – 2:19
1600m – 4:57
3200m – 10:39

Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
10	Ava Schafer	17:05.3	St. Johns	172.2	MITCA	9-Nov	2024
10	Ava Schafer	17:20.7	St. Johns	166.8	Division 2 State	2-Nov	2024
10	Ava Schafer	18:03.8	St. Johns	153.4	Region 14	25-Oct	2024
10	Ava Schafer	18:16.2	St. Johns	151.3	CAAC Red 3	17-Oct	2024
10	Ava Schafer	17:32.4	St. Johns	166.2	Greater Lansing	12-Oct	2024
10	Ava Schafer	17:45.8	St. Johns	162.1	DeWitt	28-Sep	2024
10	Ava Schafer	17:47.5	St. Johns	164.8	Ottawa Hills	13-Sep	2024
10	Ava Schafer	17:56.9	St. Johns	163.7	Marauder	4-Sep	2024
10	Ava Schafer	18:10.5	St. Johns	163.5	Under the Lights	23-Aug	2024
Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
9	Ava Schafer	17:32.6	St. Johns	161.1	MITCA	11-Nov	2023
9	Ava Schafer	17:53.8	St. Johns	156.4	Division 2 State	4-Nov	2023
9	Ava Schafer	18:28.6	St. Johns	154.1	Region 14	27-Oct	2023
9	Ava Schafer	18:20.2	St. Johns	147.3	CAAC Red 3	19-Oct	2023
9	Ava Schafer	18:32.5	St. Johns	152.5	Greater Lansing	14-Oct	2023
9	Ava Schafer	17:54.4	St. Johns	157.2	Bluejay	30-Sep	2023
9	Ava Schafer	18:33.4	St. Johns	150.5	Bath	9-Sep	2023
9	Ava Schafer	18:50.2	St. Johns	150.6	Corunna Early Bird	29-Aug	2023
9	Ava Schafer	18:16.0	St. Johns	160.7	Under the Lights	18-Aug	2023

Accolades

XC

2024 Division 2 State Champion
4^th Place – 2024 Division 2 State
2023 & 2024 Greater Lansing, CAAC Red, & Region 14 Champion

Track

2024 Division 2 3200m Champion
2025 CAAC Red & Greater Lansing 1600m & 3200m Champion
6^th Place – 2025 MITS 3200m

Her Championship Season

Was a season where it continued to come together, perhaps to the highest peak of her career thus far.

Ava entered high school with high expectations, and as a freshman, she more than lived up to those lofty goals. A patient race at the ’23 State XC Finals led to many runners getting passed during the later stages of the race, Schafer ending up in 4^th. A similarly even-paced race led to a track state title in the 3200m.

Coming into the fall, the thought was that she’d be a D2 contender or favorite, a role she embraced early, late, and often. Prior to October, she was unbeaten, racing to wins at DeWitt and Ottawa Hills. Past October 1^st, more wins and more personal bests. She repeated at Greater Lansing, the CAAC Red, and in Region 14. She embarked upon a similar race strategy at State (5:31, 5:40, 5:34, 35) and at MITCA (5:24, 5:31, 5:33 pace), metronomicly pouring on the pac, winning titles at each.

We’re blessed to be the witness for two more years of high-level performances.