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Where: Portage West MS

A course that needs to handle the biggest meet in the state. Wide turns, runner-friendly, spectator friendly. One hill, early and little over half way, fairly flat the rest of the way. Tended to run a little fast last year and compared to previous years at the same course. All in all, a fair test. The ever helpful, wearer of many hats, major reason the sport in Michigan is prioritized the way it is, Dan Wytko sent me this map of the course:

2021 Boys: Caledonia (2^nd), Portage Central (20^th), Battle Creek Lakeview (22^nd)

2021 Girls: Holland West Ottawa (2^nd), Zeeland West (24^th), St. Joseph (17^th)

Unfortunately, to finish all these previews before Friday morning, some areas need to get cut. The writing about the various athletes, any sort of team battles, history, backdrop, that’s the most logical area to take in order to save time. The negative is that’s my favorite part. The positive is that with a lighter schedule of meets next week, I’ll be able to write my Upper Peninsula preview (yes, you read that right) and fill these in. So I’ll likely post an update to all the socials after those athletes are covered, and maybe we’ll have more info on some of the teams that are in contention.

Top 25 Boys Teams: Portage Central (4^th), Kalamazoo Central (15^th), Forest Hills Central (19^th)

Top 25 Girls Teams: Forest Hills Central (9^th), Lowell (20^th), Forest Hills Northern (25^th)

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• What’s wowing to me is the sheer immediacy, the sheer impact Helen had on the cross country scene
• No break in periods, no adjustments to the longer distance, no busting of rust, she immediately jumped on the sub-18 and 170+ rating train and was along for the ride all season
• We saw it in the opener at Portage, sub-18, 171.3, and she was under those 1080 seconds 7 more times in 2021
  • This would happen in championship races (OK Red, D1 State), this would happen in massive invites (Spartan, Otsego Bulldog, Portage), no stage too big for Helen
• This loud arrival was well anticipated, Helen being the #2 all-time 8^th grader at the 3200m distance, covering those eight laps in 10:44
• A few months back, those eight laps are where she made her home yet again, winning at the elite Golden Triangle invite, setting a personal best in the process, then coming back on the tail end of a triple at State to lower that best
• Her track season was especially valuable and the best of both worlds for a youngster, quick times, but learning how to race
  • Present in large events such as OK Red, Barnyard, Golden Triangle, the lessons learned from those showdowns led to a state meet where she was able to grab medals individually in the 1600m and 3200m and with her team in the 4x800m
• A year full of speedy growing that will pay dividends for the next three years and beyond, where we will see Helen on many stages, in the state and beyond

Grade	Name	Time	Rating	Meet	Course	Date
9	Helen Sachs	17:56.0	171.3	Portage EB	Portage West MS	20-Aug
9	Helen Sachs	18:40.0	156.3	Under the Lights (GRSC)	South Christian HS	27-Aug
9	Helen Sachs	17:55.5	166.5	Bredeweg	Macatawa Bay MS	11-Sep
9	Helen Sachs	17:48.5	173.8	Spartan	Forest Akers	17-Sep
9	Helen Sachs	17:36.8	159.4	OK Red 1	Grand Haven HS	21-Sep
9	Helen Sachs	17:27.8	170.4	Otsego Bulldog	Otsego HS	2-Oct
9	Helen Sachs	18:13.3	158.6	OK Red 2	Macatawa Bay MS	5-Oct
9	Helen Sachs	17:26.1	175.3	Portage	Portage West MS	9-Oct
9	Helen Sachs	17:30.0	161.3	OK Red Conference	Riverside Park	21-Oct
9	Helen Sachs	18:39.0	141.0	3 Portage	Portage West MS	29-Oct
9	Helen Sachs	17:48.1	161.0	D1 State	MIS	6-Nov

• All last summer, Kilian Whalen was in my ear, telling me I’m sleeping on Seth Norder, he’s gonna shock the world
• And stubborn me, relying on those numbers, admitting he’ll be good but to hit the brakes
• Seth, another example that it ain’t all about numbers, sheer will, work ethic, and talent will go a long way
• As a freshman cross country runner, he was solid throughout the season, with some breakthroughs late, a 16:31 in the OK Red, a 16:18 at Meet of Champions, but a lack of competition at the State level kept him off many a radar
  • Similar in track, he didn’t advance to state, resulting in less eyes on him
  • But dissimilar were his marks, Seth’s 4:28 ranking 2^nd amongst all freshman milers
• Back to Kilian’s words, were they ever right
  • The first signs were early, sub-16 at Ottawa Hills, low-16’s in OK Red jamborees (always a tougher task to run fast after school)
  • Those early improvements set the stage for a championship season where he blasted his previous best (15:33 at Portage), emerged victorious at OK Red and Region 1, then was the winner of Riley Hough’s chase pack at State (this writer had him 10^th)
• He didn’t stop when on the track, lowering that 1600m best by 20+ seconds (a sophomore class record), this time putting the first major scare into Riley, cutting that gap that was previously there in the fall
  • The 1600m isn’t his only event either, Seth gritted out a 8:59 eight-lapper in late April, extrapolating, it’s obvious that he could go much faster a month later
• There is a theory that a runner must experience championship races and stages before they’re able to make an impact
• Like Helen, Seth is out there proving that wrong, a large testament to his confidence and character

Grade	Name	Time	Rating	Meet	Course	Date
10	Seth Norder	16:56.3	193.6	Fruitport Eagle	Fruitport Calvary Christian	24-Aug
10	Seth Norder	16:08.5	202.2	Bredeweg	Macatawa Bay MS	11-Sep
10	Seth Norder	15:56.5	205.5	Ottawa Hills	Riverside Park	17-Sep
10	Seth Norder	16:04.8	192.1	OK Red 1	Grand Haven HS	21-Sep
10	Seth Norder	15:51.5	200.2	Allendale Falcon	Allendale HS	2-Oct
10	Seth Norder	16:21.1	194.6	OK Red 2	Macatawa Bay MS	5-Oct
10	Seth Norder	15:33.8	211.4	Portage	Portage West MS	9-Oct
10	Seth Norder	15:43.7	198.4	OK Red Conference	Riverside Park	21-Oct
10	Seth Norder	15:24.4	207.2	1 Allendale	Allendale HS	30-Oct
10	Seth Norder	15:19.9	211.4	D1 State	MIS	6-Nov

Grade	Name	Rating	Meet	Course	Date
9	Seth Norder	178.2	Grand Haven/Zeeland East	Grand Haven HS	24-Aug
9	Seth Norder	161.3	Grand Haven/Grandville	South Christian Athletic Complex	10-Sep
9	Seth Norder	176.8	Spring Lake Laker	Spring Lake HS	12-Sep
9	Seth Norder	178.9	EK/GH	Grand Haven HS	22-Sep
9	Seth Norder	159.7	Grand Haven/Rockford	East Rockford MS	29-Sep
9	Seth Norder	182.5	Grand Haven/Jenison	Unity Christian HS	6-Oct
9	Seth Norder	166.9	GH/HWO	Grand Haven HS	13-Oct
9	Seth Norder	180.9	PR 1	Grand Haven HS	23-Oct

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Where: Huron Meadows, aka “The Meadows”

During the latter half of last October, rainy day after rainy day swamped many courses around Southeast Michigan. The North Course at Hudson Mills had mudpits in the woods, the swampy Algonac and Anchor Bay areas were swampy, Willow couldn’t even host, and Huron Meadows ran as fair as it normally runs.

Is it the higher ground? Firm footing? Good drainage? Magic evaporation of the Brighton area? Who knows, but what one can expect as a runner is a flat track in the open areas and a bit of rolling terrain in the woods. As a spectator or coach, one can expect to see their favorite athletes at least 5 times if not more. Just be sure to get there early with only one entrance to the park.

Expect to see times consistent with what one would run at State.

2021 Boys: Brighton (1^st), Hartland (17^th), East Lansing (16^th)

2021 Girls: Brighton (7^th), Ann Arbor Skyline (14^th), South Lyon East (13^th)

Unfortunately, to finish all these previews before Friday morning, some areas need to get cut. The writing about the various athletes, any sort of team battles, history, backdrop, that’s the most logical area to take in order to save time. The negative is that’s my favorite part. The positive is that with a lighter schedule of meets next week, I’ll be able to write my Upper Peninsula preview (yes, you read that right) and fill these in. So I’ll likely post an update to all the socials after those athletes are covered, and maybe we’ll have more info on some of the teams that are in contention.

Top 25 Boys Teams: Brighton (3^rd), Ann Arbor Skyline (17^th)

Top 25 Girls Teams: Brighton (11^th), Ann Arbor Skyline (13^th), Howell (18^th), South Lyon East (19^th), Grand Blanc (24^th)