Hough, Kessler, Romeo Show Speed
November 6, 2020
Second Half reports
BROOKLYN — Junior Riley Hough of Hartland and senior Hobbs Kessler of Ann Arbor Skyline would have preferred settling it head-to-head, not in a glorified time trial.
But both also understood the unique circumstances presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and appreciated any opportunity to compete in an MHSAA cross country championship.
Kessler ran the third-fastest time in the 25-year history of cross country Finals at Michigan International Speedway in the first of two Division 1 boys heats, only to be edged by a slightly greater performance by Hough in the second heat Friday morning.
Hough started and finished strong, overcoming Kessler’s faster third mile, to win the championship with a time of 14 minutes, 49.62 seconds. It was a the second-fastest time in MIS history, trailing only the legendary 14:10.4 performance by three-time Olympian Dathan Ritzenhein of Rockford in 2000.
Kessler raised the bar for Hough, posting a time of 14:51.79 in the first heat.
“I’m proud, because that was 100 percent of what I could give, but I can’t control anything he does,” Kessler said before Hough took the course. “I’m inclined to think he’s going to do great. He’s super talented and tough.
“It’s not the way I would’ve liked it, but I can’t complain too much. I did not think there was going to be a state meet. It was more of a gift. You can complain about the format, but it still resembles a state meet pretty similarly. It’s a blessing we got something in.”
Kessler was in the first heat because he was an individual qualifier. The first heat had individual qualifiers and third-place teams from Regionals. The second heat had first- and second-place teams from Regionals, a move designed to limit the size of fields to be in compliance with COVID-19 guidelines.
Hough and Kessler met during a dual meet Aug. 25, with Kessler pulling away in the final half mile for the victory.
Hough’s coaches let him know the time he had to beat while he was completing his warmup.
“That’s definitely weird having the state meet sound like a time trial,” said Hough, who was 27th as a freshman and seventh as a sophomore.
Hough’s coach, Matt Gutteridge, believes his runner can go down as one of the all-time best in a state that has produced great cross country talent.
“The sky is absolutely the limit,” Gutteridge said. “If he works hard and does all the right things and listens to myself and his dad, he can do whatever he wants.
“The thing that always comes back to MIS is what does the course look like? Hopefully he’s strong enough to run through any of the conditions that are out there. This is the girls’ side, but I remember Megan Goethals (of Rochester) running extraordinary on a really bad day. I think that’s something Riley’s going to be able to do next year. It doesn’t matter what the weather’s going to be, he’s strong enough to run away with it hopefully.”
Hough ran through two miles in 9:32.9, compared to 9:38.3 for Kessler. Kessler had a faster third mile, reaching that mark in 14:24.1 compared to 14:24.7 for Hough.
Hough focused on the clock as he sprinted toward the finish line.
“That last straightaway, my coaches were yelling at me to go,” Hough said. “I was telling me to go. I was basically dead, but I knew I had to push it beyond my limit. It worked out in the long run.”
Romeo, ranked No. 1 all season, backed it up on the course by winning the team championship with 124 points. Caledonia was second with 156.
Zander Cobb was second among team runners in 15:32.33, Jack Kelke seventh in 15:41.94, Joseph Rinke 22nd in 16:12.56, Owen Sharnas 25th in 16:18.55 and Jack Wallace 38th in 16:29.24 to lead Romeo.
PHOTOS: (Top) Hartland’s Riley Hough charges toward the finish at MIS on Friday on the way to the second-fastest time of an MHSAA Finals at the track. (Middle) Romeo’s Jack Wallace (148) leads another group down the stretch in helping his team to the championship. (Click for more from RunMichigan.com.)
Two-Sporter Chavez Enjoys Double Success
February 8, 2021
By Doug Donnelly
Special for Second Half
CLINTON – Nathan Chavez took a job at a farm because he wanted to learn more about biology and chemistry. He developed a green thumb.
He joined the Clinton soccer team and helped it to the program’s first District title.
And Chavez was on the cross country team that this fall finished 10th at the MHSAA Finals.
Whatever Chavez touches, he seems to turn to gold.
“I don’t think I have a competitive nature,” Chavez said. “I just enjoy it.”
As calm and collected as Chavez is, he seems to excel at everything he does. In the classroom he takes mainly AP classes and had an adjusted GPA of 4.3 as the first semester of his senior year concluded
He takes everything in stride. But don’t let that fool you, says his father, Clinton varsity boys basketball coach Jeremy Chavez.
“He’s got a lot going on and works really hard,” Jeremy Chavez said. “I’m very proud of him.”
Chavez lives in Tecumseh but started attending Clinton in the second grade. He started running cross country in high school and has been a steady performer for the team, which has been on the cusp of a big Finals finish the last couple of seasons.
He placed just outside the top 10 at the Lenawee County Athletic Association meet and 17th at the Lenawee County meet. At Michigan International Speedway, Chavez finished 117th overall with a time of 17:39.14, which helped Clinton place in the top 10 in Lower Peninsula Division 3.
“Our team has been developing for four years,” he said. “It was great to see it all come together.”
Chavez never could decide which sport he liked better – cross country or soccer. Instead of choosing between the two, he decided to be a dual-sport athlete in the fall. The soccer team lost several seniors from a year ago, and Chavez was unsure what to expect. Clinton, however, won 10 matches and turned some heads with that first District championship.
The District Final was tied 2-2 at the end of regulation and two overtimes, but Clinton won it in a dramatic shootout, sending the team to the Regional for the first time.
“It definitely went better than I expected from last year,” Chavez said. “We did really well this year, all season. We lost a ton of seniors, so I really didn’t know how it was going to go.”
Chavez is grateful his parents – Jeremy and Leslie – allowed him to compete in both sports.
“I have a great support system at home,” he said. “They are very supportive of me in whatever I do.”
Dual-sport athletes typically have to choose which will have priority in the event of a conflict. Chavez said that was never an issue.
“When it came to the more important events, it seems like I could always do both,” he said. “Every year that I did it, it went smoothly.”
He’s glad he didn’t have to choose between the two.
“I started out by running cross country, but over the years I ended up playing soccer. I don’t really have a favorite,” he said. “I just like both sports equally. I feel like I was able to show my talents at both.”
Besides helping those two fall teams bring home hardware, Chavez was celebrated a bit on his own by earning academic all-state honors in both sports, which is no small fete. Not only was he practicing or participating in two sports every night and just about every Saturday, he also had to maintain his high GPA.
“During the season it always seems more hectic,” he said. “I always try to get as much homework done in my free time at school. I always studied on the bus, and there were a few all-nighters too. … My teachers are all very understanding, especially during the season that I dual-sport. They understand.
“When I’m in the moment, I don’t notice how much I really put into it.”
While he won’t be playing a winter sport, Chavez is already gearing up for track season, which is just around the corner. He’ll try to help earn more hardware for a school district that has seen a ton of sports success in recent years.
Chavez was recently accepted into the University of Michigan, something that has been a goal of his for some time. He’s pretty sure he wants to go into chemistry or biology, which is one of the reasons he began working at a Britton farm a few years ago.
“I just enjoy everything,” he said.
Doug Donnelly has served as a sports and news reporter and city editor over 25 years, writing for the Daily Chief-Union in Upper Sandusky, Ohio from 1992-1995, the Monroe Evening News from 1995-2012 and the Adrian Daily Telegram since 2013. He's also written a book on high school basketball in Monroe County and compiles record books for various schools in southeast Michigan. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Jackson, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Clinton’s Nathan Chavez charges through a stretch in a cross country race. (Middle) Chavez (5) runs down the ball during a soccer match this fall. (Photos courtesy of the Chavez family.