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: Hana Boggess
School: Ann Arbor Pioneer
Grade: 12th

Personal Records

5k (XC) – 17:51
800m – 2:17
1600m – 4:59
3200m – 10:44

Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
11	Hana Boggess	19:44.1	Ann Arbor Pioneer	119.0	Division 1 State	2-Nov	2024
11	Hana Boggess	18:48.8	Ann Arbor Pioneer	142.1	SEC Championship	17-Oct	2024
11	Hana Boggess	18:40.3	Ann Arbor Pioneer	145.2	Portage	5-Oct	2024
11	Hana Boggess	17:51.2	Ann Arbor Pioneer	158.3	Otsego Bulldog	28-Sep	2024
11	Hana Boggess	18:45.1	Ann Arbor Pioneer	150.6	SEC Red 2	24-Sep	2024
11	Hana Boggess	18:05.8	Ann Arbor Pioneer	155.7	Jackson	21-Sep	2024
11	Hana Boggess	18:42.6	Ann Arbor Pioneer	156.1	Spartan	13-Sep	2024
11	Hana Boggess	18:50.6	Ann Arbor Pioneer	151.8	SEC 1	10-Sep	2024
11	Hana Boggess	18:47.3	Ann Arbor Pioneer	149.2	John Bruder Classic	4-Sep	2024
11	Hana Boggess	19:06.7	Ann Arbor Pioneer	136.1	Pete Moss	24-Aug	2024
Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
10	Hana Boggess	19:56.5	Ann Arbor Pioneer	113.2	MITCA	11-Nov	2023
10	Hana Boggess	20:10.3	Ann Arbor Pioneer	120.2	SEC Championship	19-Oct	2023
10	Hana Boggess	20:07.6	Ann Arbor Pioneer	118.5	Freeland Falcon	14-Oct	2023
10	Hana Boggess	20:43.9	Ann Arbor Pioneer	103.4	Portage	7-Oct	2023
10	Hana Boggess	19:22.0	Ann Arbor Pioneer	119.7	SEC Red 2	27-Sep	2023
10	Hana Boggess	20:25.5	Ann Arbor Pioneer	107.5	Jackson	23-Sep	2023
10	Hana Boggess	20:30.7	Ann Arbor Pioneer	113.8	Spartan	15-Sep	2023
10	Hana Boggess	20:02.1	Ann Arbor Pioneer	121.6	John Bruder Classic	7-Sep	2023
10	Hana Boggess	20:56.8	Ann Arbor Pioneer	105.7	Pete Moss	25-Aug	2023
Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
9	Hana Boggess	20:23.8	Ann Arbor Pioneer	99.4	Region 5	29-Oct	2022
9	Hana Boggess	19:42.1	Ann Arbor Pioneer	116.6	SEC Championship	20-Oct	2022
9	Hana Boggess	20:10.6	Ann Arbor Pioneer	109.5	Freeland Falcon	15-Oct	2022
9	Hana Boggess	20:47.2	Ann Arbor Pioneer	100.6	Portage	8-Oct	2022
9	Hana Boggess	20:47.0	Ann Arbor Pioneer	103.3	SEC Red 2	28-Sep	2022
9	Hana Boggess	20:00.5	Ann Arbor Pioneer	113.8	Jackson	24-Sep	2022
9	Hana Boggess	21:21.2	Ann Arbor Pioneer	99.3	Spartan	16-Sep	2022
9	Hana Boggess	22:15.8	Ann Arbor Pioneer	75.4	SEC 1	14-Sep	2022
9	Hana Boggess	21:23.9	Ann Arbor Pioneer	93.7	John Bruder Classic	7-Sep	2022

Accolades

XC

5^th Place – 2024 SEC Red Championship

Track

4^th Place – 2025 Division 1 State 4×8
22^nd Place – 2025 Division 1 State 1600m
2025 Region 5 1600m
2^nd Place – 2025 Region 5 3200m

You Know I Dig Her Improvement

And Hana may have had one of the bigger jumps for anyone from the 2023 to 2024 season. Any time I see the dramatic leap from year to year, I look to see if there were signs. And sure, Boggess broke 12 in the 3200m as a freshman, hit a 5:30 in the 16 as a sophomore. But those were sort of in line with the marks she had shown in cross, sub-20 on a few occasions over her first two years. With Forsyth and Sanok Dufallo moving on, a few Pioneer girls needed to step up.

Boggess impressed from the jump. A 19:06 at Pete Moss was nearly 2 min. faster than her sophomore debut. The first sub-19 came at Shepherd, where she’d been on the high side of 20:00 a year earlier. By September’s end, she’d come as far down as 17:51, a full 90+ seconds faster than her sophomore version. The drastic improvements only continued to track, where 5:30 became 4:59, 11:48 turned into 10:44, and she earned the right to handle the baton on Pioneer’s traditional All-State 4×8 squad.

Time to get cracking on these regional previews. As with the 50 Tickets, these are a bit condensed compared to past years. I found the writing was getting excessive, repetitive, and more work than the actual season. But still, regional projections are in order. I thought I’d highlight a few of the battles, tough regions, and outstanding individuals.

Compared to Division 4, Division 3 is a bit easier in terms of finding who will be going to what school. Returning roster sizes are a bit larger and the feeder middle schools are easier to follow.

Anyhow, here are your D3 Girls predictions. Similar to the 50 Tickets, these are based on last year’s XC season and track seasons, projected improvements, and a few bits of subjective shuffling.

Toughest Regions

Region 25 – 6 teams in the top-23. Once again, this makes sense. Mid-Michigan has always been this cross country heartland, shrouded in tradition and cultures that care about the sport. This year’s version adds a Remus Chippewa Hills from Division 3, an addition that takes the region from tough to extremely tough. Ranked teams that could be missing out on a November trip to Brooklyn might be St. Louis, who brings in three freshmen that raced at/near 14:00, Sanford-Meridian and Midland Bullock Creek, both of whom bring back a multitude of girls that were sub-22 in 2024.

Intriguing Battles

Region 19 – Boyne City vs. Kalkaska for the final spot. This past fall, the Boyne City Ramblers earned the final qualifying spot, then went onto place 20^th in Division 3. They return 6 of their top-7, including their first 3 finishers here. Kalkaska finished a bit further back, but the improvement of Aaliyah Hillier during track plus the addition of a promising 9^th grader could move the Blazers up.

Region 23 – Lumen Christi vs. Olivet. Jackson Lumen Christi is the mainstay, the traditionally strong, consistently top-10, title-winning squad. The Titans most recently won the D3 title in 2023 and still have a few holdovers from that squad – Samantha Schroeder and Macy Fazekas. With youth, Olivet could potentially knock them off. Coming from their middle school program is a Lily Britton, who won the majority of her races in 2024 and even broke 20:00 at MITCA. She’s joined by another freshman who was consistently in the low-13’s. Add in multi-faceted Emily Peters and sub-20 as a freshman Tiya Feldpausch and you might see an extremely strong top-four.

Region 19

Top 27 Teams

Top-10 Traverse City St. Francis
#13 Harbor Springs
#26 Boyne City

Proj. Place	Team	Score
1	Traverse City St. Francis	32
2	Harbor Springs	54
3	Boyne City	106
4	Kalkaska	115
5	Grayling	155
6	Cheboygan	174
7	Charlevoix	191
8	Roscommon	201
9	Standish-Sterling	206
10	Tawas	231

Top Athletes

Molly Kate Hollandsworth – the runner-up here (to her teammate, Betsy Skendzel) last year and 4^th the year prior. Molly spent much of her sophomore season in the 19’s.

Stefi Reskevics – twice a D4 All-Stater, Stefi and her Ram teammates move into D3.

Nico Triebold – ended her 2024 season on a high note, placing 4^th here and 43^rd at MIS, both sub-20 performances.

Brynne Schulte – twice an All-Stater, Schulte had her 2024 season cut short. But she was back on the wagon in track, qualifying for State in the 1600m and 3200m, then placing 12^th in D3 in the former.

Place	Grade	Name	Team
1	11	Molly Kate Hollandsworth	Traverse City St. Francis
2	11	Stefi Reskevics	Harbor Springs
3	11	Nico Triebold	Grayling
4	12	Brynne Schulte	Elk Rapids
5	11	Emily Dunphy	Traverse City St. Francis
6	10	Hailee Bertels	Boyne City
7	10	Emma Kerr	Traverse City St. Francis
8	12	Delaney Little	Boyne City
9	12	Anna Pray	Elk Rapids
10	9	Hadley Corlew	Harbor Springs
11	12	Paige Ritchie	Traverse City St. Francis
12	10	Aaliyah Hillier	Kalkaska
13	9	Sophia Groff	Tawas
14	11	Stella Houdek	Traverse City St. Francis
15	12	Fran Warren	Harbor Springs
16	11	Havyn Tarrant	Traverse City St. Francis
17	10	Sophia Balistreri	Harbor Springs
18	11	Genevieve Rodham	Harbor Springs
19	10	Kylee Jenkins	Kalkaska
20	12	Rachel Dhaseleer	Charlevoix

Region 20

Top 27 Teams

Top-10 Hart
#12 McBain
#15 Benzie Central

Proj. Place	Team	Score
1	Hart	48
2	McBain	78
3	Benzie Central	85
4	Leroy Pine River	138
5	Shelby	169
6	Manistee	172
7	Reed City	175
8	Mason County Central	176
9	Manton	208
10	Lake City	251
11	Kingsley	281
12	Harrison	372
13	Morley-Stanwood	385

Top Athletes

Caelyn Torry – came through with a highly successful freshman campaign – Highland Conference champion, runner-up here, and 16^th in D3.

Emma Miller – Hart looks to be reloading, as Miller was undefeated in the WMC Rivers league and even slipped into the 19’s while running at MITCA’s Meet of Champions.

Avery Kelly – another year of a Kelly stepping up when confronted with the friendly confines of MIS. 30^th place and a medal for Avery in her D3 State Finals debut.

Place	Grade	Name	Team
1	10	Caelyn Torry	McBain
2	9	Emma Miller	Hart
3	10	Avery Kelly	Benzie Central
4	10	Madisyn Wanstead	Leroy Pine River
5	11	Natalie Rosema	Hart
6	10	Avalynne Allee	Leroy Pine River
7	10	Alaina Schaner	Hart
8	11	Lydia Soelberg	Shelby
9	10	Lilly Whaley	Benzie Central
10	10	Faith Helsel	Lake City
11	11	Marlowe Walcott	Reed City
12	10	Maggie McClellan	Benzie Central
13	9	Lily Sisson	Leroy Pine River
14	11	Betsy Gooden	Manton
15	11	Kayden Hinton	McBain
16	10	Joselyn Flores	Hart
17	11	Maylan Sanders	Mason County Central
18	10	Bryn Riley	Hart
19	9	Lydia Eisenga	McBain
20	9	Mya Bronkema	McBain

Region 21

Top 27 Teams

Top-10 Grand Rapids Covenant Christian
#25 Grandville Calvin Christian

Proj. Place	Team	Score
1	Grand Rapids Covenant Christian	44
2	Grandville Calvin Christian	112
3	Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian	113
4	Kent City	136
5	Muskegon Western Michigan Christian	155
6	Saranac	159
7	Belding	161
8	Holland Black River	164
9	Lakeview	173
10	Montague	214
11	The Potter’s House	262
12	Ravenna	356

Top Athletes

Kamryn Salladay – was so successful over in Region 20 (defending champion) that they had to move her over into Region 21. Twice top-10 at MIS with something to prove as track didn’t go her way.

Elliana Max – as the season wore on and she became more acquainted to the 5k, the times started dropping. First sub-19 was at Portage and she found three more of ‘em, including a 18^th place finish in D3.

Shelby Kuiper – has a penchant for coming through at the end of the year. Kuiper has raced to personal bests at her past two State Finals, both resulting in All-State certificates.

Place	Grade	Name	Team
1	11	Kamryn Salladay	Lakeview
2	10	Elliana Max	Kent City
3	11	Shelby Kuiper	Grand Rapids Covenant Christian
4	11	Laura Castrejon	Newaygo
5	11	Leah Sneller	Muskegon Western Michigan Christian
6	9	Leah Elzinga	Grand Rapids Covenant Christian
7	10	Ellason Foster	Newaygo
8	10	Danika Lopez	Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian
9	11	Marnath Tuol	Grandville Calvin Christian
10	9	Fiona Seaver	Montague
11	10	Esther Cahill	Saranac
12	9	Bayla Curtis	Kent City
13	10	Abbie Koole	Grand Rapids Covenant Christian
14	11	Lydia Minderhoud	Grand Rapids Covenant Christian
15	11	Anna DeVries	Grand Rapids Covenant Christian
16	11	Kaylie Riksen	Muskegon Western Michigan Christian
17	9	Joselyn Vogel	Kent City
18	11	Faith Jenkins	Grandville Calvin Christian
19	12	Sylvia Skujins	North Muskegon
20	9	Sonya Minderhoud	Grand Rapids Covenant Christian

Region 22

Top 27 Teams

Top-10 Saugatuck
#18 Buchanan
#27 Constantine

Proj. Place	Team	Score
1	Saugatuck	26
2	Buchanan	77
3	Constantine	97
4	Bridgman	132
5	Niles Brandywine	152
6	Watervliet	155
7	Schoolcraft	155
8	Fennville	170
9	Bangor	191
10	Hartford	294
11	Kalamazoo Christian	302
12	Comstock	354

Top Athletes

Isabelle Sliter – an 18:21 run at MITCA leaves one wondering her potential. A bit of that was seen in indoor, as Sliter ran 5:14 in January. The 2024 D3 All-Stater will look to move forward faster and repeat her outstanding close to the season.

Place	Grade	Name	Team
1	11	Isabelle Sliter	Fennville
2	12	Alina Martinson	Saugatuck
3	9	Tala Carlin	Buchanan
4	11	Kamryn Sixberry	Saugatuck
5	9	Ellyse Heyser	Saugatuck
6	11	Lyvia Curtis	Saugatuck
7	9	Morgan Niblock	Constantine
8	9	Anna Davidhizar	Constantine
9	9	Ryann Monroe	Saugatuck
10	12	Kandin Shuler	Bridgman
11	10	Anna Howell	Bridgman
12	9	Daniella Romero	Watervliet
13	10	Alison Murray	Niles Brandywine
14	9	Allison Burns	Constantine
15	10	Avery Mollberg	Buchanan
16	12	Alaina Nagel	Buchanan
17	10	Olivia Bays	Schoolcraft
18	10	Kaylin Pinkowski	Bridgman
19	12	Makynna Williams	Buchanan
20	10	Alyda Leep	Schoolcraft

Region 23

Top 27 Teams

Top-10 Jackson Lumen Christi
Top-10 Olivet

Proj. Place	Team	Score
1	Jackson Lumen Christi	50
2	Olivet	51
3	Jonesville	127
4	Hanover-Horton	150
5	Onsted	176
6	Centreville	182
7	Napoleon	186
8	Bronson	186
9	Union City	193
10	Hillsdale	220
11	Sand Creek	240
12	Quincy	269
13	Homer	337
14	Springport	422

Top Athletes

Samantha Schroeder – already written about!

Ashlynn Harris – 3x top-ten finisher here, 2x All-State, and keeps getting better each year. 2024’s state finish resulted in her being on the cusp of breaking under 19.

Place	Grade	Name	Team
1	11	Samantha Schroeder	Jackson Lumen Christi
2	12	Ashlynn Harris	Bronson
3	9	Lily Britton	Olivet
4	10	Tiya Feldpausch	Olivet
5	10	Maisey Toteff	Hanover-Horton
6	12	Macy Fazekas	Jackson Lumen Christi
7	9	Avery Haynes	Brooklyn Columbia Central
8	12	Emily Peters	Olivet
9	11	Allison Gautsche	Union City
10	9	Madelynn Patterson	Olivet
11	9	Mila Scheele	Jackson Lumen Christi
12	10	Brynleigh Griffiths	Jonesville
13	11	Brynlee Swihart	Hanover-Horton
14	10	Madalynn Trame	Sand Creek
15	10	Madisyn Lindemann	Napoleon
16	11	Helen Lefere	Jackson Lumen Christi
17	11	Joleane Gulledge	Jonesville
18	11	Kendyl Musielewicz	Quincy
19	9	Ella Worthing	Jackson Lumen Christi
20	9	Hazel Sloat	Centreville

Region 24

Top 27 Teams

Top-10 Pewamo-Westphalia
#16 Bath
#17 Stanton Central Montcalm

Proj. Place	Team	Score
1	Pewamo-Westphalia	26
2	Bath	72
3	Stanton Central Montcalm	78
4	Laingsburg	133
5	Ovid-Elsie	138
6	Chesaning	145
7	New Lothrop	190
8	Montrose	203
9	Perry	206
10	Durand	272

Top Athletes

Alyssa Kramer – she’s in here!

Grace Coston – Hoffman and Choponis move on, but Grace will still be out here doing her thing. Twice an All-Stater, she even broke through into the 18’s late last year.

Abigail Reis – unreal progression toward the end of last season, as Reis transformed from a girl who was over 23:00 as a sophomore to one that scraped under 19:00 as a junior.

Place	Grade	Name	Team
1	11	Alyssa Kramer	Pewamo-Westphalia
2	12	Grace Coston	Stanton Central Montcalm
3	12	Abigail Reis	Millington
4	11	Charlotte Simon	Pewamo-Westphalia
5	10	Madison Wils	Bath
6	12	Anna Poppema	Bath
7	10	Adelyn Thelen	Pewamo-Westphalia
8	9	Calista George	Pewamo-Westphalia
9	9	Hattie LaLonde	Bath
10	12	Abbie Schneider	Pewamo-Westphalia
11	9	Katherine Schafer	Pewamo-Westphalia
12	11	Jenna Keilen	Pewamo-Westphalia
13	12	Clarissa Baese	Ovid-Elsie
14	11	Andrea Rolston	Stanton Central Montcalm
15	10	Alonna Schack	Chesaning
16	12	Braelyn Bunting	Stanton Central Montcalm
17	10	Kendal Tokar	Ovid-Elsie
18	10	KiKi Rusz	Laingsburg
19	10	Leah Theile	Chesaning
20	12	Hazel Burley	Laingsburg

Region 25

Top 27 Teams

Top-10 Ithaca
#11 Remus Chippewa Hills
#14 Caro
#19 St. Louis
#22 Sanford-Meridian
#23 Midland Bullock Creek

Proj. Place	Team	Score
1	Ithaca	52
2	Remus Chippewa Hills	81
3	Caro	88
4	St. Louis	123
5	Sanford-Meridian	124
6	Midland Bullock Creek	131
7	Saginaw Valley Lutheran	151
8	Pigeon-Laker	164
9	Hemlock	254
10	Cass City	303
11	Sandusky	310
12	Pinconning	362

Top Athletes

Violet Tetil – the races she was able to run last year showcase a much improved runner from 2023. At MITCA’s Meet of Champions, she was able to slip under 19, a mark that shows she can be a contender for the D3 podium.

Khloe Lehnst – growing up in the sport, she finally got the opportunity to compete at the high school level. One of a great group of Ithaca girls, she managed to drop into the low-19’s late in the year, finishing 2^nd here and 28^th in D3.

Jocelyn Tetil – 8^th grade season included Thumb Area and conference wins, along with a few introductions to the 5k.

Mattie Gagne – didn’t have the greatest regional race here last year, but redeemed herself a bit at MITCA. I’m assuming she has something to prove in 2025.

Place	Grade	Name	Team
1	11	Violet Tetil	Caro
2	10	Khloe Lehnst	Ithaca
3	9	Jocelyn Tetil	Caro
4	12	Mattie Gagne	Midland Bullock Creek
5	10	Dory Simon	Remus Chippewa Hills
6	11	Makinna Foglesong	Ithaca
7	11	Pyper Braun	Pigeon-Laker
8	12	Myleigh Hephner	Ithaca
9	12	Quinn Hatfield	Remus Chippewa Hills
10	10	Lindsey Cmeyla	Saginaw Valley Lutheran
11	10	Isabelle Strand	Ithaca
12	11	Mikenna Nagel	Sanford-Meridian
13	10	Averie Stefanovsky	Caro
14	11	Emily Beethe	Saginaw Valley Lutheran
15	9	Lexi Kinder	St. Louis
16	12	Makenna Gwisdalla	Bad Axe
17	12	Elizabeth Ontis	Remus Chippewa Hills
18	10	Olivia Brown	Bad Axe
19	9	Kinley Gerow	Hemlock
20	9	Madison Lemert	St. Louis

Region 26

Top 27 Teams

Top-10 Lansing Catholic
#20 Leslie
#21 Ann Arbor Greenhills

Proj. Place	Team	Score
1	Lansing Catholic	20
2	Leslie	92
3	Ann Arbor Greenhills	94
4	Almont	128
5	University Liggett	145
6	Plymouth Christian Academy	151
7	Marine City	164
8	Algonac	221
9	Wixom St. Catherine	229
10	Rochester Hills Lutheran NW	239
11	Stockbridge	246
12	Detroit Osborn	334

Top Athletes

Hailey Creisher – sung her praises here!

Josie Bishop – took a few meets for her to get used to things but in September, a switch flipped. Consistent mid-19 performer before dropping some serious time at CAAC #3 and D3 State (20^th).

Grace Wonch – coming off a track season where she set an immense personal best in the 3200m. Her 11:15 ranks 2^nd amongst D3 returners and she was able to pick up a medal in the event at the State Finals.

Place	Grade	Name	Team
1	12	Hailey Creisher	Leslie
2	10	Josie Bishop	Lansing Catholic
3	11	Grace Wonch	Lansing Catholic
4	12	Frances Melinn	Lansing Catholic
5	10	Lindsey Ludwig	Lansing Catholic
6	10	Isabelle Currie	Lansing Catholic
7	10	Addison Gregg	Ann Arbor Greenhills
8	12	Madi Hare	Plymouth Christian Academy
9	10	Margaret Guerra-Harrison	Leslie
10	12	Ella Heffner	Charyl Stockwell Academy
11	9	Elsa Korte	Lansing Catholic
12	10	Taylor Stanczak	Almont
13	11	Avery Miller	Lansing Catholic
14	11	Reagan Lees	Wixom St. Catherine
15	12	Laila Evola	Almont
16	9	Anamaria Brazdau	Plymouth Christian Academy
17	10	Madisyn Hunter	Leslie
18	11	Libby Schuster	Ann Arbor Greenhills
19	10	Lexie Donaldson	University Liggett
20	12	Janaan Rehman	Ann Arbor Greenhills

Region 27

Top 27 Teams

Top-10 Blissfield
#24 Grass Lake

Proj. Place	Team	Score
1	Blissfield	22
2	Grass Lake	61
3	Monroe St. Mary CC	76
4	Erie Mason	112
5	Ottawa Lake-Whiteford	114
6	Ida	153
7	Adrian Madison	174
8	Detroit Cristo Rey	239

Top Athletes

Hope Miller – greatness illustrated here!

Bella LaFountain – 3x All-Stater and consistently top-5 here. Had another outstanding track season that saw state qualifiers in the 800m and 1600m.

Hailey Sills – this spring, picked the perfect day to have the race of her life, breaking 12:00 for the first time ever and earning a state qualifier. May she carry the momentum into cross!

Place	Grade	Name	Team
1	12	Hope Miller	Blissfield
2	12	Bella LaFountain	Monroe St. Mary CC
3	12	Hailey Sills	Blissfield
4	10	Adalyn Jarchow	Grass Lake
5	11	Anna Hallett	Blissfield
6	11	Kaleea Braun	Blissfield
7	10	Ella Claus	Clinton
8	9	Josslyn Handy	Clinton
9	12	Natalie Benitez	Blissfield
10	11	Braelynn Chiotti	Ottawa Lake-Whiteford
11	11	Elise Bullock	Grass Lake
12	11	Juleigh Husby	Monroe St. Mary CC
13	9	Mollie Yeager	Blissfield
14	11	Adeline Stormont	Grass Lake
15	11	Makenzie Hilberer	Grass Lake
16	9	Layla Gilbert	Blissfield
17	10	Kate Otting	Erie Mason
18	10	Breslin Wing	Ottawa Lake-Whiteford
19	12	Leona Knudsen	Monroe St. Mary CC
20	12	Riley England	Erie Mason

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: Gage Hoffman
School: Stanton Central Montcalm
Grade: 12th

Personal Records

5k (XC) – 15:36
800m – 2:03
1600m – 4:21
3200m – 9:39

Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
11	Gage Hoffman	15:36.8	Stanton Central Montcalm	200.4	Division 3 State	2-Nov	2024
11	Gage Hoffman	15:55.6	Stanton Central Montcalm	195.5	Region 24	25-Oct	2024
11	Gage Hoffman	16:17.0	Stanton Central Montcalm	186.3	Northern Mich. Meet of Champions	19-Oct	2024
11	Gage Hoffman	15:41.1	Stanton Central Montcalm	204.3	Portage	5-Oct	2024
11	Gage Hoffman	15:50.6	Stanton Central Montcalm	201.5	Bluejay	28-Sep	2024
11	Gage Hoffman	15:59.3	Stanton Central Montcalm	203.9	Cedar Springs	21-Sep	2024
11	Gage Hoffman	16:21.9	Stanton Central Montcalm	201.4	Spartan	13-Sep	2024
11	Gage Hoffman	16:10.7	Stanton Central Montcalm	197.1	Central Montcalm Hornet	7-Sep	2024
11	Gage Hoffman	16:09.2	Stanton Central Montcalm	205.9	Saranac	28-Aug	2024
11	Gage Hoffman	15:40.0	Stanton Central Montcalm	207.7	Under the Lights v2	23-Aug	2024
Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
10	Gage Hoffman	16:04.4	Stanton Central Montcalm	191.5	MITCA	11-Nov	2023
10	Gage Hoffman	16:01.4	Stanton Central Montcalm	192.2	Division 3 State	4-Nov	2023
10	Gage Hoffman	16:40.3	Stanton Central Montcalm	192.2	Region 24	27-Oct	2023
10	Gage Hoffman	16:22.5	Stanton Central Montcalm	190.8	Late Season Warrior	21-Oct	2023
10	Gage Hoffman	16:24.9	Stanton Central Montcalm	189.7	CSAA Conference	17-Oct	2023
10	Gage Hoffman	16:09.5	Stanton Central Montcalm	193.8	Portage	7-Oct	2023
10	Gage Hoffman	16:00.4	Stanton Central Montcalm	193.9	Bluejay	30-Sep	2023
10	Gage Hoffman	16:04.8	Stanton Central Montcalm	196.7	Cedar Springs	23-Sep	2023
10	Gage Hoffman	16:37.6	Stanton Central Montcalm	190.1	Spartan	15-Sep	2023
10	Gage Hoffman	16:46.8	Stanton Central Montcalm	188.7	Central Montcalm Hornet	9-Sep	2023
10	Gage Hoffman	16:09.4	Stanton Central Montcalm	195.5	Saranac	30-Aug	2023
10	Gage Hoffman	16:18.0	Stanton Central Montcalm	197.3	Under the Lights v2	25-Aug	2023
Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
9	Gage Hoffman	16:25.0	Stanton Central Montcalm	190.0	D3 State	5-Nov	2022
9	Gage Hoffman	16:32.9	Stanton Central Montcalm	185.7	Region 21	29-Oct	2022
9	Gage Hoffman	16:24.1	Stanton Central Montcalm	190.0	Don Baese	21-Oct	2022
9	Gage Hoffman	16:48.6	Stanton Central Montcalm	186.2	CSAA Conference	18-Oct	2022
9	Gage Hoffman	16:54.7	Stanton Central Montcalm	188.4	CSAA Lakeview	4-Oct	2022
9	Gage Hoffman	16:27.2	Stanton Central Montcalm	185.9	Bluejay	1-Oct	2022
9	Gage Hoffman	16:31.9	Stanton Central Montcalm	182.0	Cedar Springs	24-Sep	2022
9	Gage Hoffman	16:50.4	Stanton Central Montcalm	182.2	CSAA (Morley Stanwood)	22-Sep	2022
9	Gage Hoffman	16:54.2	Stanton Central Montcalm	182.6	Sparta	17-Sep	2022
9	Gage Hoffman	17:22.3	Stanton Central Montcalm	179.9	Central Montcalm Hornet	10-Sep	2022
9	Gage Hoffman	16:47.4	Stanton Central Montcalm	187.5	John Bruder Classic	7-Sep	2022
9	Gage Hoffman	17:07.5	Stanton Central Montcalm	188.8	Saranac	31-Aug	2022
9	Gage Hoffman	17:14.4	Stanton Central Montcalm	195.9	ES Warrior	23-Aug	2022

Accolades

XC

3^rd Place – 2024 Division 3 State
3x Top-10 – Division 3 State
2024 Region 24 & CSAA Silver Champion

Track

2025 CSAA White 800m, 1600m, & 3200m Champion
2025 Region 30 1600m Champion

His Breakout Race

The fashion in which Hoffman kicked off his junior year let us know that 2024 was gonna be special. Throughout his career, Gage had racked up the accomplishments, most notably two top-10 finishes at D3’s State Finals. But with all those honors, he’d stayed north of 16-flat. Until his junior debut, a 15:40 at Under the Lights. That was nearly 40 sec. quicker than where he began his sophomore year and one of six sub-16 efforts on the year. The final one being a 15:36 personal best at State, good for 3^rd place in D3.

Name: Ezekiel Baltierra
School: Alma
Grade: 11th

Personal Records

5k (XC) – 15:36
800m – 1:58
1600m – 4:19
3200m – 9:24

Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
10	Ezekiel Baltierra	15:36.7	Alma	202.4	MITCA	9-Nov	2024
10	Ezekiel Baltierra	15:48.8	Alma	197.7	Division 2 State	2-Nov	2024
10	Ezekiel Baltierra	15:50.7	Alma	197.1	Region 14	25-Oct	2024
10	Ezekiel Baltierra	17:16.1	Alma	195.0	TVC Overall	15-Oct	2024
10	Ezekiel Baltierra	15:40.0	Alma	204.0	Greater Lansing	12-Oct	2024
10	Ezekiel Baltierra	16:01.4	Alma	198.2	TVC 3	8-Oct	2024
10	Ezekiel Baltierra	15:59.4	Alma	198.2	Portage	5-Oct	2024
10	Ezekiel Baltierra	15:57.4	Alma	195.5	Birch Run Fall	1-Oct	2024
10	Ezekiel Baltierra	15:50.7	Alma	199.4	DeWitt	28-Sep	2024
10	Ezekiel Baltierra	16:07.4	Alma	205.2	TVC 2	25-Sep	2024
10	Ezekiel Baltierra	16:36.5	Alma	205.8	TVC 1	17-Sep	2024
10	Ezekiel Baltierra	16:09.4	Alma	205.5	Spartan	13-Sep	2024
10	Ezekiel Baltierra	15:49.9	Alma	207.0	John Bruder Classic	4-Sep	2024
10	Ezekiel Baltierra	16:24.4	Alma	204.9	Yellowjacket	28-Aug	2024
Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
9	Ezekiel Baltierra	15:38.9	Alma	200.0	MITCA	11-Nov	2023
9	Ezekiel Baltierra	15:46.5	Alma	198.5	Division 2 State	4-Nov	2023
9	Ezekiel Baltierra	15:47.6	Alma	197.1	Region 15	27-Oct	2023
9	Ezekiel Baltierra	16:39.6	Alma	190.5	CC-C Eagle	20-Oct	2023
9	Ezekiel Baltierra	16:00.3	Alma	190.2	TVC Overall	17-Oct	2023
9	Ezekiel Baltierra	16:26.4	Alma	195.9	Greater Lansing	14-Oct	2023
9	Ezekiel Baltierra	15:49.9	Alma	196.4	TVC Red Championship	10-Oct	2023
9	Ezekiel Baltierra	16:21.7	Alma	193.4	Birch Run Fall	3-Oct	2023
9	Ezekiel Baltierra	15:55.2	Alma	195.6	Bluejay	30-Sep	2023
9	Ezekiel Baltierra	16:27.7	Alma	193.4	Spartan	15-Sep	2023
9	Ezekiel Baltierra	16:03.0	Alma	200.7	John Bruder Classic	7-Sep	2023
9	Ezekiel Baltierra	16:55.4	Alma	182.2	Yellowjacket	30-Aug	2023

Accolades

XC

30^th Place – 2024 Division 2 State
2x All-State
2^nd Place – 2024 Greater Lansing
3^rd Place – 2024 TVC Overall & Region 14

Track

6^th Place – 2024 & 2025 Division 2 State 4×8
18^th Place – 2025 Division 2 State 800m
19^th Place – 2025 Division 2 State 1600m

His Breakout Race

Harkening back to his freshman year in championship season. Baltierra was projected to be one of the top freshmen in the class of ’27 and had lived up to the hype, breaking 16:00, running with the leaders in every race. But he truly took a step starting at Region 15, running a 15:47 personal best. The times started dropping from there, ‘cause the next week was a 15:46 at State, good for 24^th. Then a 15:38 at MITCA. The pattern continued last season as well, with Zeke running his three fastest times of the year at State, Greater Lansing, and MITCA.

Name: Bryce Gross
School: Flint Powers Catholic
Grade: 12th

Personal Records

5k (XC) – 15:41
800m – 1:56
1600m – 4:18
3200m – 9:18

Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
11	Bryce Gross	15:57.5	Flint Powers Catholic	195.5	MITCA	9-Nov	2024
11	Bryce Gross	15:41.4	Flint Powers Catholic	200.2	Division 2 State	2-Nov	2024
11	Bryce Gross	15:42.1	Flint Powers Catholic	201.6	Region 15	25-Oct	2024
11	Bryce Gross	15:49.5	Flint Powers Catholic	197.5	SVL Championship	16-Oct	2024
11	Bryce Gross	16:44.6	Flint Powers Catholic	187.1	Kayla O’Mara	12-Oct	2024
11	Bryce Gross	15:55.3	Flint Powers Catholic	195.6	Greater Flint	5-Oct	2024
11	Bryce Gross	16:09.9	Flint Powers Catholic	195.0	Bluejay	28-Sep	2024
11	Bryce Gross	16:13.2	Flint Powers Catholic	205.9	Holly	14-Sep	2024
11	Bryce Gross	15:45.5	Flint Powers Catholic	205.5	Northwood	7-Sep	2024
11	Bryce Gross	17:02.1	Flint Powers Catholic	204.6	Milford	29-Aug	2024
Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
10	Bryce Gross	16:17.6	Flint Powers Catholic	187.1	MITCA	11-Nov	2023
10	Bryce Gross	16:24.0	Flint Powers Catholic	186.0	Division 2 State	4-Nov	2023
10	Bryce Gross	16:16.6	Flint Powers Catholic	187.5	Region 15	27-Oct	2023
10	Bryce Gross	15:56.0	Flint Powers Catholic	192.7	SVL Championship	18-Oct	2023
10	Bryce Gross	16:33.0	Flint Powers Catholic	181.3	Greater Flint	7-Oct	2023
10	Bryce Gross	16:22.9	Flint Powers Catholic	186.4	Bluejay	30-Sep	2023
10	Bryce Gross	17:16.8	Flint Powers Catholic	180.1	Holly	16-Sep	2023
10	Bryce Gross	16:57.0	Flint Powers Catholic	179.0	Northwood	9-Sep	2023
10	Bryce Gross	17:01.5	Flint Powers Catholic	184.5	Corunna Early Bird	29-Aug	2023
Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
9	Bryce Gross	17:21.5	Flint Powers Catholic	166.2	Region 15	28-Oct	2022
9	Bryce Gross	17:01.4	Flint Powers Catholic	172.2	SVL Championship	19-Oct	2022
9	Bryce Gross	17:21.3	Flint Powers Catholic	164.2	Greater Flint	8-Oct	2022
9	Bryce Gross	17:47.8	Flint Powers Catholic	158.1	SVL South 2	27-Sep	2022
9	Bryce Gross	17:39.6	Flint Powers Catholic	159.8	Mid-Season Spectacular	23-Sep	2022
9	Bryce Gross	19:13.7	Flint Powers Catholic	139.8	Holly	17-Sep	2022
9	Bryce Gross	18:05.8	Flint Powers Catholic	158.7	Northwood	10-Sep	2022
9	Bryce Gross	17:57.9	Flint Powers Catholic	165.0	Corunna Early Bird	30-Aug	2022

Accolades

XC

20^th Place – 2024 Division 2 State
2024 SVL Champion
2^nd Place – 2024 Greater Flint
3^rd Place – 2024 Region 15

Track

7^th Place – 2025 Division 2 State 1600m
8^th Place – 2025 Division 2 State 800m
5^th Place – 2025 Division 2 State 4×8
2025 SVL 3200m Champion
2025 Region 20 800m Champion

His Breakout Race

Northwood this past year. Bryce has always been a kid who starts the season in one place and ends it in a much faster fashion. As a freshman, he debuted over 18-flat and ended on the cusp of breaking into the 16’s. A season later, he started where he left off and finished in the 15’s. So when he took to Northwood running a full minute quicker than his sophomore self, you knew something special was in store. His first ever win led to an undefeated SVL season and his first ever All-State.

Name: Moises Salazar Jr.
School: Adrian
Grade: 12th

Personal Records

5k (XC) – 15:18
800m – 1:59
1600m – 4:18
3200m – 9:15

Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
11	Moises Salazar Jr.	15:18.2	Adrian	208.6	MITCA	9-Nov	2024
11	Moises Salazar Jr.	15:24.8	Adrian	205.7	Division 2 State	2-Nov	2024
11	Moises Salazar Jr.	15:34.2	Adrian	203.3	Region 18	26-Oct	2024
11	Moises Salazar Jr.	15:57.3	Adrian	200.6	SEC Championship	17-Oct	2024
11	Moises Salazar Jr.	16:00.1	Adrian	200.6	Lenawee County	12-Oct	2024
11	Moises Salazar Jr.	15:43.6	Adrian	203.5	Portage	5-Oct	2024
11	Moises Salazar Jr.	15:38.9	Adrian	201.4	Otsego Bulldog	28-Sep	2024
11	Moises Salazar Jr.	16:03.0	Adrian	197.0	Jackson	21-Sep	2024
11	Moises Salazar Jr.	16:16.3	Adrian	203.6	SEC 1	10-Sep	2024
11	Moises Salazar Jr.	16:03.3	Adrian	200.9	Rambling Rock	7-Sep	2024
11	Moises Salazar Jr.	17:25.3	Adrian	196.9	Milford	29-Aug	2024
11	Moises Salazar Jr.	16:55.9	Adrian	185.4	Lenawee County Preview	24-Aug	2024
Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
10	Moises Salazar Jr.	15:42.0	Adrian	199.0	MITCA	11-Nov	2023
10	Moises Salazar Jr.	15:52.9	Adrian	196.4	Division 2 State	4-Nov	2023
10	Moises Salazar Jr.	15:44.6	Adrian	196.5	Region 18	28-Oct	2023
10	Moises Salazar Jr.	16:24.7	Adrian	195.4	SEC Championship	19-Oct	2023
10	Moises Salazar Jr.	16:49.7	Adrian	191.1	Lenawee County	14-Oct	2023
10	Moises Salazar Jr.	15:55.8	Adrian	198.4	Portage	7-Oct	2023
10	Moises Salazar Jr.	16:16.2	Adrian	191.6	Jackson	23-Sep	2023
10	Moises Salazar Jr.	16:30.7	Adrian	190.4	Bath	9-Sep	2023
10	Moises Salazar Jr.	16:43.9	Adrian	189.7	Early Bird Open	31-Aug	2023
10	Moises Salazar Jr.	16:39.3	Adrian	192.9	Lenawee County Preview	18-Aug	2023
Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
9	Moises Salazar Jr.	15:58.0	Adrian	193.3	MITCA	12-Nov	2022
9	Moises Salazar Jr.	16:18.7	Adrian	194.8	D2 State	5-Nov	2022
9	Moises Salazar Jr.	15:46.9	Adrian	192.7	Region 18	29-Oct	2022
9	Moises Salazar Jr.	15:52.2	Adrian	193.3	SEC Championship	20-Oct	2022
9	Moises Salazar Jr.	16:38.8	Adrian	185.1	Lenawee County	15-Oct	2022
9	Moises Salazar Jr.	16:11.2	Adrian	192.3	Portage	8-Oct	2022
9	Moises Salazar Jr.	16:20.4	Adrian	189.2	Otsego Bulldog	1-Oct	2022
9	Moises Salazar Jr.	16:37.0	Adrian	188.3	SEC White 2	28-Sep	2022
9	Moises Salazar Jr.	16:39.1	Adrian	184.6	SEC 1	14-Sep	2022
9	Moises Salazar Jr.	16:55.3	Adrian	181.2	Ramblin’ Rock	10-Sep	2022
9	Moises Salazar Jr.	17:19.7	Adrian	184.4	Lenawee County Preview	20-Aug	2022

Accolades

XC

11^th Place – 2024 Division 2 State
2024 SEC White & Region 18 Champion
3x All-State
2^nd Place – 2024 Lenawee County

Track

6^th Place – 2025 Division 2 State 3200m
2x All-State
2025 SEC White 800m & 1600m Champion
2025 Lenawee County 1600m Champion

His Breakout Race

We’re gonna take it way back to Moises’s freshman season, as it was there that he established himself as one that steps up in big ways. Undaunted by the stage and the weather, Salazar raced to an All-State finish, 27^th place, top freshman in the field. Since that day, he’s racked up two more MIS podium finishes, a league win, a regional title, and All-States on the track. Truly someone you can rely on come late October and early November.

Name: Thomas Larson
School: Alma
Grade: 12th

Personal Records

5k (XC) – 15:28
800m – 1:56
1600m – 4:15
3200m – 9:17

Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
11	Thomas Larson	16:00.5	Alma	194.5	MITCA	9-Nov	2024
11	Thomas Larson	15:28.9	Alma	204.4	Division 2 State	2-Nov	2024
11	Thomas Larson	15:54.5	Alma	195.8	Region 14	25-Oct	2024
11	Thomas Larson	17:17.6	Alma	194.5	TVC Overall	15-Oct	2024
11	Thomas Larson	15:48.6	Alma	201.1	Greater Lansing	12-Oct	2024
11	Thomas Larson	15:58.0	Alma	199.3	TVC 3	8-Oct	2024
11	Thomas Larson	16:26.7	Alma	189.1	Portage	5-Oct	2024
11	Thomas Larson	16:09.8	Alma	191.4	Birch Run Fall	1-Oct	2024
11	Thomas Larson	15:57.7	Alma	197.1	DeWitt	28-Sep	2024
11	Thomas Larson	16:28.7	Alma	198.1	TVC 2	25-Sep	2024
11	Thomas Larson	16:42.8	Alma	203.7	TVC 1	17-Sep	2024
11	Thomas Larson	15:56.3	Alma	209.9	Spartan	13-Sep	2024
11	Thomas Larson	15:43.8	Alma	209.1	John Bruder Classic	4-Sep	2024
11	Thomas Larson	16:16.4	Alma	207.5	Yellowjacket	28-Aug	2024
Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
10	Thomas Larson	15:49.1	Alma	196.6	MITCA	11-Nov	2023
10	Thomas Larson	16:09.9	Alma	190.7	Division 2 State	4-Nov	2023
10	Thomas Larson	15:47.1	Alma	197.3	Region 15	27-Oct	2023
10	Thomas Larson	16:16.4	Alma	198.2	CC-C Eagle	20-Oct	2023
10	Thomas Larson	15:48.8	Alma	194.1	TVC Overall	17-Oct	2023
10	Thomas Larson	16:14.1	Alma	200.0	Greater Lansing	14-Oct	2023
10	Thomas Larson	15:52.0	Alma	195.7	TVC Red Championship	10-Oct	2023
10	Thomas Larson	16:14.0	Alma	196.0	Birch Run Fall	3-Oct	2023
10	Thomas Larson	15:50.8	Alma	197.1	Bluejay	30-Sep	2023
10	Thomas Larson	16:15.5	Alma	197.5	Spartan	15-Sep	2023
10	Thomas Larson	16:14.5	Alma	196.8	John Bruder Classic	7-Sep	2023
10	Thomas Larson	16:41.5	Alma	186.8	Yellowjacket	30-Aug	2023
Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
9	Thomas Larson	16:00.8	Alma	192.4	MITCA	12-Nov	2022
9	Thomas Larson	16:52.8	Alma	183.4	D2 State	5-Nov	2022
9	Thomas Larson	16:23.2	Alma	185.6	Region 15	28-Oct	2022
9	Thomas Larson	16:37.3	Alma	181.6	TVC Overall	18-Oct	2022
9	Thomas Larson	16:24.2	Alma	189.3	Greater Lansing	15-Oct	2022
9	Thomas Larson	16:17.7	Alma	186.1	Apples 2 Apples	6-Oct	2022
9	Thomas Larson	16:26.4	Alma	186.2	Bluejay	1-Oct	2022
9	Thomas Larson	17:00.1	Alma	181.0	TVC 8 2	27-Sep	2022
9	Thomas Larson	16:28.9	Alma	195.4	Spartan	16-Sep	2022
9	Thomas Larson	16:28.6	Alma	193.8	John Bruder Classic	7-Sep	2022
9	Thomas Larson	17:05.6	Alma	182.5	Corunna Early Bird	30-Aug	2022

Accolades

XC

14^th Place – 2024 Division 2 State
3x State Qualifier
3^rd Place – 2024 Greater Lansing
4^th Place – 2024 TVC Overall

Track

5^th Place – 2025 Division 2 State 1600m
6^th Place – 2025 Division 2 State 800m
6^th Place – 2025 Division 2 State 4×8
4x All-State
2025 Region 11 1600m & 3200m Champion

His Breakout Race

A bit under the weather during the State Finals of his sophomore year, Thomas lost the chance to truly show what he’s made of. A year later, he more than made up for it, dropping a massive personal best and earning his first All-State on the grass. Prior to November’s race, Larson’s best time ever was a 15:43 in early September. When it came time for redemption at MIS, he left it all on the course, dropping 15 seconds from that mark and setting a new Alma school record.

Name: Brandon Cloud
School: Northville
Grade: 11th

Personal Records

5k (XC) – 15:29
800m – 1:59
1600m – 4:19
3200m – 9:13

Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
10	Brandon Cloud	15:29.0	Northville	204.3	Division 1 State	2-Nov	2024
10	Brandon Cloud	15:40.0	Northville	203.7	Region 6	26-Oct	2024
10	Brandon Cloud	15:53.6	Northville	201.1	KLAA Championship	17-Oct	2024
10	Brandon Cloud	15:55.1	Northville	199.6	Portage	5-Oct	2024
10	Brandon Cloud	16:20.7	Northville	201.8	Spartan	13-Sep	2024
10	Brandon Cloud	16:18.4	Northville	200.2	Tri of the Year	10-Sep	2024
10	Brandon Cloud	16:18.1	Northville	199.6	Bath	7-Sep	2024
10	Brandon Cloud	16:51.5	Northville	197.8	Mustang	27-Aug	2024
10	Brandon Cloud	16:18.1	Northville	199.6	Lamplighter	23-Aug	2024
Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
9	Brandon Cloud	16:29.9	Northville	184.4	Division 1 State	4-Nov	2023
9	Brandon Cloud	16:20.4	Northville	186.9	Region 6	28-Oct	2023
9	Brandon Cloud	17:14.6	Northville	183.5	KLAA Conference	20-Oct	2023
9	Brandon Cloud	17:00.0	Northville	177.0	Portage	7-Oct	2023
9	Brandon Cloud	16:33.8	Northville	191.4	Spartan	15-Sep	2023
9	Brandon Cloud	16:38.9	Northville	187.7	Bath	9-Sep	2023
9	Brandon Cloud	17:30.6	Northville	179.1	Mustang	29-Aug	2023
9	Brandon Cloud	16:38.1	Northville	196.3	Lamplighter	18-Aug	2023

Accolades

XC

10^th Place – 2024 Division 1 State
2x Team State Champion
5^th Place – 2024 Region 6
8^th Place – 2024 KLAA Championship

Track

6^th Place – 2025 Division 1 State 3200m
2025 Region 6 3200m Champion
4^th Place – 2025 KLAA Championship 3200m

His Breakout Race

Another outstanding member of the ’27 class, Cloud waited a little longer than others to lay down his best material. But after his 15:29 at State, he let us know that he can hang with the best at his age and in the entire state. That effort was a 10+ second personal best, a culmination of a championship season where he whittled time down, race after race. It also led to more honors down the line – a regional 3200m win and a repeat performance in the D1 State 3200m.

Name: Ben Hartigan
School: Northville
Grade: 12th

Personal Records

5k (XC) – 15:27
400m – 51.0
800m – 1:56
1600m – 4:17
3200m – 9:34

Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
11	Ben Hartigan	15:27.7	Northville	204.8	Division 1 State	2-Nov	2024
11	Ben Hartigan	15:39.6	Northville	203.8	Region 6	26-Oct	2024
11	Ben Hartigan	15:33.0	Northville	208.0	KLAA Championship	17-Oct	2024
11	Ben Hartigan	16:04.3	Northville	196.6	Portage	5-Oct	2024
11	Ben Hartigan	16:07.7	Northville	206.1	Spartan	13-Sep	2024
11	Ben Hartigan	16:03.9	Northville	205.0	Tri of the Year	10-Sep	2024
11	Ben Hartigan	16:11.6	Northville	201.8	Bath	7-Sep	2024
11	Ben Hartigan	16:25.8	Northville	205.1	Mustang	27-Aug	2024
11	Ben Hartigan	15:57.2	Northville	206.6	Lamplighter	23-Aug	2024
Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
10	Ben Hartigan	15:37.7	Northville	201.8	Division 1 State	4-Nov	2023
10	Ben Hartigan	15:56.6	Northville	194.8	Region 6	28-Oct	2023
10	Ben Hartigan	16:23.6	Northville	200.5	KLAA Conference	20-Oct	2023
10	Ben Hartigan	16:31.6	Northville	186.5	Portage	7-Oct	2023
10	Ben Hartigan	16:29.0	Northville	193.0	Spartan	15-Sep	2023
10	Ben Hartigan	16:29.3	Northville	199.2	Lamplighter	18-Aug	2023
Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
9	Ben Hartigan	16:51.8	Northville	182.1	KLAA	22-Oct	2022
9	Ben Hartigan	16:31.9	Northville	181.4	Wayne County	8-Oct	2022
9	Ben Hartigan	17:45.8	Northville	169.7	Spartan	16-Sep	2022
9	Ben Hartigan	17:47.9	Northville	166.0	Bath	10-Sep	2022
9	Ben Hartigan	19:00.5	Northville	156.5	Mustang	30-Aug	2022

Accolades

XC

9^th Place – 2024 Division 1 State
3x State Champion
2x All State
3^rd Place – 2024 KLAA Championship

Track

2024 & 2025 Division 1 State 4×8 Champion
11^th Place – 2025 Division 1 State 800m
2^nd Place – 2025 KLAA Championship 800m & 1600m

His Breakout Race

It’s a really easy pick with these Northville kids. They’re part of a winning culture and when you train with fast kids that can step up when needed, you know you can do the same. When it comes to State Finals races, the expectation is that you’ll bring your best material. And Ben’s first crack at it, he did just that. After running in the mid-16’s for much of his sophomore season and a sub-16 at regionals, his first foray at MIS was nearly a 20 sec. personal best, a 15:37. That 24^th place finish helped the Mustangs earn another state title. For added measure, he accomplished the same feat last season, running a 10 sec. personal best at State and contributing to another championship.

Name: Samuel Baker
School: Kalamazoo Central
Grade: 11th

Personal Records

5k (XC) – 15:33
800m – 1:57
1600m – 4:13
3200m – 9:21

Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
10	Samuel Baker	16:04.6	Kalamazoo Central	193.1	MITCA	9-Nov	2024
10	Samuel Baker	15:33.8	Kalamazoo Central	202.7	Division 1 State	2-Nov	2024
10	Samuel Baker	15:48.7	Kalamazoo Central	202.1	Region 3	25-Oct	2024
10	Samuel Baker	15:33.1	Kalamazoo Central	205.3	SMAC Championship	19-Oct	2024
10	Samuel Baker	16:09.1	Kalamazoo Central	195.0	Portage	5-Oct	2024
10	Samuel Baker	15:43.0	Kalamazoo Central	200.0	Otsego Bulldog	28-Sep	2024
Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
9	Samuel Baker	15:59.3	Kalamazoo Central	194.6	Division 1 State	4-Nov	2023
9	Samuel Baker	16:29.3	Kalamazoo Central	188.2	Region 3	27-Oct	2023
9	Samuel Baker	16:07.7	Kalamazoo Central	189.4	SMAC Championship	21-Oct	2023
9	Samuel Baker	16:06.2	Kalamazoo Central	194.9	Portage	7-Oct	2023
9	Samuel Baker	15:54.8	Kalamazoo Central	195.4	Otsego Bulldog	30-Sep	2023
9	Samuel Baker	16:22.7	Kalamazoo Central	189.4	Ottawa Hills	15-Sep	2023
9	Samuel Baker	16:53.5	Kalamazoo Central	191.5	Kalamazoo	30-Aug	2023
9	Samuel Baker	16:38.2	Kalamazoo Central	190.6	Under the Lights v2	25-Aug	2023
9	Samuel Baker	17:02.8	Kalamazoo Central	188.1	Portage Early Bird	18-Aug	2023

Accolades

XC

14^th Place – 2024 Division 1 State
2024 SMAC Champion
2^nd Place – 2024 Region 3

Track

2025 Region 3 3200m Champion
2025 SMAC 1600m Champion
2025 Region 3 4×8 Champion

His Breakout Race

The SMAC Championship from this past fall set off a firestorm. Baker had already established himself as one of the better sophomores in the state. The prior year, he’d hit 15:59 at the State Finals and on the track, he’d found a top-10 freshman mark in the 1600m. In mid-October, he jumped up a level, registering a 15:33 league win on the vaunted Portage course. The next week, he was runner-up at Region 3. Then the following week, ripped a 15:33, good for 14^th in Division 1.

Name: Caden Livermore
School: Grandville
Grade: 11th

Personal Records

5k (XC) – 15:38
800m – 1:54
1600m – 4:09
3200m – 9:19

Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
10	Caden Livermore	16:09.8	Grandville	190.7	Division 1 State	2-Nov	2024
10	Caden Livermore	16:00.6	Grandville	193.8	Region 1	26-Oct	2024
10	Caden Livermore	16:05.7	Grandville	191.8	OK Red Championship	17-Oct	2024
10	Caden Livermore	15:38.8	Grandville	205.1	Portage	5-Oct	2024
10	Caden Livermore	16:36.0	Grandville	200.7	OK Red 2	25-Sep	2024
10	Caden Livermore	15:41.1	Grandville	204.3	Jackson	21-Sep	2024
10	Caden Livermore	16:58.2	Grandville	188.9	OK Red 1	10-Sep	2024
Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
9	Caden Livermore	16:53.3	Grandville	176.6	Division 1 State	4-Nov	2023
9	Caden Livermore	16:22.7	Grandville	186.1	Region 1	28-Oct	2023
9	Caden Livermore	16:17.2	Grandville	187.9	OK Red Conference	19-Oct	2023
9	Caden Livermore	16:48.4	Grandville	180.9	Portage	7-Oct	2023
9	Caden Livermore	16:44.8	Grandville	182.1	Ottawa Hills	15-Sep	2023
9	Caden Livermore	16:50.2	Grandville	185.6	Bredeweg	9-Sep	2023

Accolades

XC

4^th Place – 2024 OK Red Championship
6^th Place – 2024 Region 1

Track

2^nd Place – 2025 Division 1 State 1600m
2025 OK Red 3200m Champion
2025 Region 2 1600m Champion
3^rd Place – 2025 MITS 3200m

His Breakout Race

Probably the most random race listed, but one that spurred a wild track season. Following in his brother’s footsteps, Caden had made a name for himself on the cross course. A few sub-16’s dotted his resume, both at Portage and Jackson. He’d been top-10 in the competitive OK Red and Region 1. But cross didn’t nearly compare to track. The first sign of his great ability as a miler? A 4:17 opener, first race of 2025. That won GVSU’s 3^rd indoor meet, beating current D1 athletes and many on this list, mentioned and yet to come. In the five months following, he earned medals at indoor and outdoor state, and ran the fastest 1600m amongst MHSAA competitors.

Name: Jack MacGregor
School: Howell
Grade: 11th

Personal Records

5k (XC) – 15:20
1600m – 4:23
3200m – 9:13

Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
10	Jack MacGregor	15:20.2	Howell	207.9	MITCA	9-Nov	2024
10	Jack MacGregor	15:22.1	Howell	206.6	Division 1 State	2-Nov	2024
10	Jack MacGregor	15:42.2	Howell	205.3	Region 4	26-Oct	2024
10	Jack MacGregor	15:34.5	Howell	207.5	KLAA Championship	17-Oct	2024
10	Jack MacGregor	15:55.6	Howell	198.8	Greater Lansing	12-Oct	2024
10	Jack MacGregor	15:24.8	Howell	209.7	Jackson	21-Sep	2024
10	Jack MacGregor	15:41.2	Howell	216.6	Holly	14-Sep	2024
10	Jack MacGregor	15:41.6	Howell	208.1	Rambling Rock	7-Sep	2024
10	Jack MacGregor	15:44.0	Howell	211.0	Lamplighter	23-Aug	2024
Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
9	Jack MacGregor	16:19.4	Howell	186.5	MITCA	11-Nov	2023
9	Jack MacGregor	15:54.8	Howell	196.1	Division 1 State	4-Nov	2023
9	Jack MacGregor	16:15.1	Howell	195.6	Region 4	28-Oct	2023
9	Jack MacGregor	16:38.5	Howell	195.5	KLAA Conference	20-Oct	2023
9	Jack MacGregor	16:16.0	Howell	199.3	Greater Lansing	14-Oct	2023
9	Jack MacGregor	15:55.5	Howell	200.5	DeWitt	30-Sep	2023
9	Jack MacGregor	15:37.5	Howell	204.5	Jackson	23-Sep	2023
9	Jack MacGregor	16:05.6	Howell	203.8	Holly	16-Sep	2023
9	Jack MacGregor	16:12.6	Howell	199.1	Ramblin’ Rock	9-Sep	2023

Accolades

XC

6^th Place -2024 Division 1 State
2024 Region 4 Champion
4^th Place – 2024 KLAA Championship & Greater Lansing

Track

5^th Place – 2025 Division 1 State 3200m
2025 Region 4 & KLAA 3200m Champion
2^nd Place – 2025 MITS 3200m

His Breakout Race

With the exception of a few conference meets, Jack Mac was on his A game all year. 15’s each time out, wins at Holly and Region 4. 15:2x’s at Jackson and MIS. I was there for the Holly one, and that’s always a tough place to run fast. Jack ran a masterful race at Springfield Oaks, getting after it with Aiden Pengelly until he crested the final uphill, his ferocious kick clinching a victory. A win at a major stage against big names undoubtedly spurred the rest of the year, where he never faltered when faced with a huge challenge, especially at State, where the sophomore placed 6^th in all of D1.