Albrecht, Saugatuck Power Through D3
November 5, 2016
Second Half reports
BROOKLYN – It was a race that took a toll on the front-runners.
Caro sophomore Yami Albrecht appeared just fine after winning the MHSAA Division 3 boys cross country championship Saturday, until a fellow competitor congratulated him with a hug. Albrecht staggered back a bit and closed his eyes, trying to get his bearings.
The runner he outkicked for the title, Bridgman senior Brian Njuguna, was helped through the finishing chute area at Michigan International Speedway by two runners from other teams.
Sure, the fast runners can sometimes make it look easy – but it isn’t, not with hopes and dreams on the line.
“It’s probably the toughest race I ran all year,” Albrecht said. “In the race, I was hurting, but the person next to me was hurting just as bad. I had the advantage. I felt I was stronger. I was able to get it.”
Albrecht won the sprint to the finish with a time of 15:47.4. Njuguna was second in 15:50.4 and St. Louis senior Evan Goodell was third in 15:52.7.
“It was just like I imagined it,” Albrecht said. “The top four of us were the people I was thinking were going to be there.”
While the muddy conditions over the final 1,200 meters resulted in slower times for many of the top runners, the duel against Njuguna helped propel Albrecht to a personal-best time. His previous best was 15:49.1 in the Regional meet.
A year ago, he ran 16:03.8 as a freshman to place eighth in Division 3.
“Since then, I’ve been thinking about first place,” Albrecht said. “I was able to get that done. It feels good. I’m thankful for my coaches and my teammates.”
The three-way battle for first became a two-man duel as the finish line came into view. Njuguna took the lead as they hit the straightaway before Albrecht made a decisive move.
“Once we got on the straightaway, I felt pretty good,” Albrecht said. “I thought I had it. … I thought I could catch up to him. I was going to see what he was going to do and go off that once he got in front of me.”
Moving up to Division 3 didn’t impact Saugatuck, which won the team championship by a 61-137 margin over Lansing Catholic. Hanover-Horton was third with 182 points.
Saugatuck had always been a Division 4 school, winning MHSAA titles in that division in 2013 and 2015. This was the team’s fifth straight year in the top four of its Finals race.
Seniors Zachary Pettinga, Nick Butch and Orlando Carrion helped the Indians win three MHSAA championships and take second place in 2014 during their careers.
The team’s top runner was a sophomore, Corey Gorgas, who was fourth overall and second in the team race in 16:02.2. Pettinga was fifth overall and third in the team race in 16:06.6.
Completing Saugatuck’s scoring were Butch (10th in team race, 16:36.7), Carrion (18th, 16:44.2) and junior Keegan Seifert (28th, 17:00.5).
The Indians had three runners across the line before Lansing Catholic’s top runner crossed.
The MHSAA Cross Country Finals are sponsored by the Michigan National Guard.
PHOTOS: (Top) Caro’s Yami Albrecht (542) holds onto the lead ahead of Bridgman’s Brian Njuguna in the Division 3 Final. (Middle) Saugatuck’s Keegan Seifert (663) works to stay with a large pack in helping the Indians to the team title. (Click to see more from RunMichigan.com.)
SAC Sound-off: It's not the Win, But the Race
February 8, 2012
All I ever wanted from my high school athletic career was to be an all-state runner in cross country.
My sophomore year, our cross country team won the MHSAA Division 3 title at Michigan International Speedway, but we didn’t have any all-state runners! I was so excited because our top five consisted of four seniors and me. I was our number three runner, and placed 44th overall. It seemed like just the start of big things.
Track season was a blast that year, even though I didn’t qualify for the MHSAA Finals in any events. But when I got back into cross country in fall 2010, I really wanted to be all-state. (The top 30 individuals in each race receive the honor.)
I trained really hard, but I couldn’t get any faster than when I was a sophomore. In fact, I was running slower than I did the year before. I ended up placing 47th in my division at the MHSAA Finals. I was extremely disappointed. But, the season was over. I decided it was time to focus on track.
I ran all winter and attended a few indoor meets. The training paid off when the season started. I was running as fast as I did the year before, and I was able to make our 3200-meter relay team. I qualified for the MHSAA Division 3 Final only with my relay team, but we placed third – and I finally was all-state.
But I wanted more. I wanted to earn the honor by myself.
I ran nearly 500 miles over the summer to prepare for the 2011 cross country season. I ran faster than I ever had before. I thought I had all-state in the bag this year.
And again, I fell short. Again, I placed 47th at MIS.
Yes, I was very disappointed in myself again. But I learned that getting the all-state medal is not what is important. Having fun is what really matters. And throughout my career, I’ve had plenty.
That doesn’t mean I’m not going to try to get all-state this spring. It just means that I am going to have more fun trying!
Travis Clous, Benzie Central senior
- Sports: Cross country, track and field, basketball
- Non-sports activities: Student section, pep band, marching band, concessions worker
- Favorite classes: Band and AP biology
- Must-see TV: "How I Met Your Mother"
- One shining moment: My sophomore year of cross country when we won the MHSAA Finals even though we did not have a single all-state runner.
- What’s next: I plan to attend either Hope College or Michigan State University to enter the pre-med field, but as of now. I am still undecided. I plan to run wherever I go, though.
- My favorite part of game day is: ... before the race, I listen to my Ipod. I usually listen to older music to get pumped. I also like to listen to Disney soundtracks; my favorite is the music from "Mulan." The songs usually get stuck in my head, and I end up singing them on the run. I feel like the music helps move me along.
PHOTO courtesy of Travis Clous (front), running at the MHSAA Division 3 Cross Country Final.
