Major Goal Accomplished as Three Rivers Racers Continue to Accelerate
By
Scott Hassinger
Special for MHSAA.com
October 8, 2024
THREE RIVERS – Sulley Zietlow and his teammates on the Three Rivers boys cross country team discussed their goals for the 2024 season prior to starting an early-evening workout back in June.
With several experienced returners, coach Jason Muckel and his Wildcats set the bar high for success this Fall.
One of Three Rivers' preseason goals was to end Otsego's lengthy Wolverine Conference dual-meet winning streak.
The Wildcats quickly circled Tuesday, Sept. 17, as an important date on this fall’s schedule.
"Before the season began, we knew we were going to be running Otsego on our home course. We built our training plan around that race and made sure that our kids were ready to go," Muckel said.
Competing on its hilly home course at Meyer-Broadway Park, Three Rivers edged Otsego 24-31 thus ending the Bulldogs' 68-meet winning streak dating back to 2014.
Otsego, the 2021 Lower Peninsula Division 2 champion, has long been a state power under longtime head coach Steve Long. The Bulldogs have produced several talented runners, including 2018 individual Finals champion Alex Comerford, who went on to run at Syracuse University.
"I give Otsego a lot of credit for what they've done. Steve has built an incredible program. I have a lot of respect for him and his runners,” Muckel said. “He's helped me a lot here and there over the last few years, and I've learned a great deal from him."
Three Rivers, Plainwell and Otsego are currently tied for first in the league at 4-1 with two league duals plus next week's Wolverine Conference Meet in Otsego remaining. The Wildcats will need to win the league meet to earn an outright league title.
Zietlow, a three-time Finals qualifier, holds down Three Rivers' No. 1 spot and is also the top runner in the conference. The Wildcats qualified for the Finals as a team at the end of his freshman and junior seasons. He also qualified his sophomore year as an individual. As a junior he placed 52nd in LPD2 with a time of 16:18.9.
"Sulley is the top runner in our league and is beating the field by 30 or 40 seconds. He's gritty, hardworking, does whatever I ask of him and is the most committed runner I've ever had. He crushes everything he does," Muckel said.
Zietlow, who plans to continue his education and running career at Cornerstone University, ran a lifetime personal-best time of 15:52.4 in late August at the Under the Lights Invitational at Grand Rapids South Christian. He bested the field in the home victories over Otsego and Edwardsburg with a time of 16:12, his fastest on Three Rivers' home course.
"That (Otsego) win was very exciting and memorable,” Zietlow said. “This is the best team we've had here in a while. Our depth is good, and we want our pack time to be within a minute by season's end. I think we could take Top 10 in the state if reach our potential. The commitment, drive and positivity of our team is improved over last year."
Winning a conference title and qualifying again for the Finals are both reachable goals for he and his teammates.
"I've ran for the last 493 days, and I've worked extremely hard to get where I am at this point. Our team is in good shape," Zietlow said.
Junior Charlie Brauer is Three Rivers' No. 2 runner.
"Charlie has made huge strides after fighting injuries the past couple years,” Muckel noted. “His CrossFit training and commitment to running a lot of miles over the summer have helped him make big gains. He's solidified himself as our number two runner and has a shot to finish among the top five or six in our conference."
Brauer clocked a personal-best of 16:35.03 at the Otsego Invitational, where Three Rivers took fourth.
"I'm kind of surprised to be our No. 2 runner,” Brauer said. “I do CrossFit training and that's helped me improve my kick along with my overall fitness. The last mile is the best part of my race."
Juniors Reece Howes (17:12) and Jonah Zietlow (17:18), Sulley's younger brother, have alternated as the Wildcats' Nos. 3 and 4 runners. Classmates Trey Hall (18:26) and Dontrel Taylor (18:26), along with freshman David Kore (17:48) round out Three Rivers' top seven.
"David is starting to race well against the older guys and can hold his own,” Muckel said. “If we're able to do some special things down the stretch here, a lot of that will depend on the performances of David, Reece and Jonah. Our sixth, seventh and eighth guys are working hard so they can step up if we incur an injury at some point."
Jonah Zietlow outlined his goals for the Wildcats the remainder of the season.
"It just depends what day it is and who steps up for us. We push one another to go faster,” he said. “If one of us isn't having the best race, we all work harder to make up for it.
“I'd like to solidify that No. 3 spot and get my time down under 17 minutes by the end of this season. I have a pretty strong kick, so that's a big key for me."
In the dual against Otsego, Zietlow played a key role by earning fourth overall while outpacing the Bulldogs' No. 2 and No. 3 runners after catching them with about 600 meters remaining.
He noted the team’s level of dedication is the highest he's seen since joining the program as a freshman. The top five runners for Three Rivers all logged more than 500 miles during the summer.
Muckel is pleased with the times his runners are posting, especially now since the Wildcats have started competing on some different kinds of courses and terrain.
"Up until the last week or two our times weren't quite as good on paper as we wanted them,” Muckel said. “That's because we were running some more difficult courses. Now as we get into running some flatter courses, our guys are excited to be able to show off their speed a little.
"In practice we do a workout called core sections, which is designed to split our course into sections and attack one of them at a time. We've done some very intentional workouts to prepare for races like our home course. I always talk to our kids about getting a good mileage base in the summer. Then we enter racing mode as the season starts. Now we're in championship gear, where we try to perfect our craft."
Three Rivers won its own Hill Climb Invitational followed by runner-up finishes at the Under The Lights and Battle Creek Lakeview invitationals, a third place at the Southwest Michigan Robuster Invite and a fourth-place finish at the Otsego Invite.
"My philosophy as a coach is to take our team to those difficult meets. We might take our licks early in the season, but it prepares us for the races that matter the most later on and builds character," Muckel said.
Three Rivers frequently splits its boys practices up into two sessions.
"Each of our kids are committed,” said Muckel, who is in his third season coaching both the boys and girls Three Rivers teams. “As a coach I don't like to do an eight or nine-mile workout. Instead, we have our boys come in for a morning run and return in the afternoon for a five or six-mile practice. By breaking up those workouts, it’s easier on the body and keeps us healthier throughout the season.
"When I took over the program, there were some bad habits we had to break out of that first year. I basically have the boys run seven days a week now, which is something they weren't willing to do in the beginning.”
An individual goal-setting strategy has become a fun motivator.
“I ordered little mini records, and each kid is required to set goal-times and write them down. When they break that time during the season they get to break that record in half,” Muckel said. “These kinds of things have really helped the kids buy into our program and take ownership of it.”
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After graduating nine seniors last year, Muckel is rebuilding his girls squad. His top two runners Brynn Copenhaver and Lillie Kerr are only sophomores.
"We have a young core of runners in our top of the pack who are learning to race. It's a talented group, and I believe we'll see a lot of cool things out of them in the next few seasons," Muckel said.
He noted several activities his boys and girls teams enjoy together as part of building a memorable all-around experience in the sport. Among those is the program’s summer camp involving both teams, which included four days this past offseason at Warner Camp in South Haven.
“Bringing our boys and girls teams together has also been really beneficial,” Muckel said. “While we are (at camp) we participate in a high ropes course, water ball and other activities and we get our workouts in as well. We use that time to solidify the team culture and do team-building tasks.”
Scott Hassinger is a contributing sportswriter for Leader Publications and previously served as the sports editor for the Three Rivers Commercial-News from 1994-2022. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph and Branch counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Three Rivers and Vicksburg runners take off at the start of the boys race last week at Indian Lake Nazarene Camp. (Middle) Pictured from left are Three Rivers juniors Jonah Zietlow and Charlie Brauer, senior Sulley Zietlow and Three Rivers head cross country coach Jason Muckel. (Below) Lillie Kerr, right, and teammate Gabby Kilbourn lead Three Rivers in the girls race against Vicksburg last week. (Photos by Scott Hassinger.)
Speedy & Skilled, Krueger Again Boosting Niles' Cross Country, Tennis Teams
By
Scott Hassinger
Special for MHSAA.com
October 3, 2023
NILES – On any autumn weekday afternoon, Aiden Krueger can be found using his legs to carry him across the campus of Niles High School.
After cross country practice, the Vikings' senior literally runs over to the tennis courts to work out with the boys tennis team.
The fall dual-sport athlete has managed to make a significant impact on both programs during his career at Niles.
In cross country, Krueger is a two-time Lower Peninsula Division 2 Finals qualifier and recently broke a long-standing school record in the 5,000-meter (3.1 mile) race.
In Saturday's Berrien County Meet held at Lake Township Park in Bridgman, Krueger's first-place time of 15:55.5 broke Jeff Ort's 33-year record of 16:05 set in 1992.
Breaking the school record was one of two main goals that Krueger, the Vikings' No. 1 runner, and his head coach Tony Todd and assistant coach Jason Todd set prior to the start of the 2023 season.
"It felt great to take down a school record that's been there for so long. On the day of the Berrien County Meet, my coaches and I talked about how I felt that day. They could tell I was feeling really good, so we went for it," Krueger said. "I felt great the entire race, and my body responded very well. My coaches were at the one and two-mile mark to let me know where I was at. I was able to squeeze out a record time, and the feeling of being able to share that moment with my family, coaches and teammates was unmatched. It's a day that I'll cherish for a very long time."
While Krueger always has shown a natural ability for running, he soon realized he needed to increase his offseason training in order to reach his career goals.
"Aiden is naturally gifted. He broke the eighth-grade two-mile record in cross country, so we knew he was going to be a special runner. What we didn't know at that time was how strong of a runner he was in terms of his mental preparedness. He was a quick study coming into the program as a freshman, but natural ability will only take you so far. There is a lot more that goes into becoming an elite distance runner," Tony Todd said.
Despite running very little over the summer prior to the start of his freshman season, Krueger still managed to post some respectable times in the 17:20s, but he narrowly missed qualifying for the Finals.
Following a couple of years of running track & field for Niles, and with running higher mileage the last three summers, Krueger feels he has prepared himself well enough to attain his ultimate goal of earning all-state (Top 30) at this year's Finals on Saturday, Nov. 4, at Michigan International Speedway.
"Aiden isn't afraid of hard work. He ran 55 miles per week this summer, and up to this point we haven't backed him off from that number very much," said Niles' head coach. "We've been concentrating on consistency, and once the state meet is about a month away we'll start him on more speedwork."
Krueger, a three-time all-Wolverine Conference and all-Regional runner as well, has the opportunity to graduate as one of Niles' most decorated athletes ever with 14 varsity letters.
Well-respected by his teammates, Krueger was selected as one of the Vikings' team captains this fall.
"Aiden is a very positive person and is always encouraging his teammates," said Niles' head coach.
Entering Tuesday's Wolverine Conference tri-meet in Sturgis with the host Trojans and Otsego, Krueger hadn't lost a league race yet and finished first individually in five of Niles' first eight meets. He ran 16:40 or better in five of those meets as well.
As the season progresses and Krueger prepares for this weekend's prestigious Portage Invitational, he knows what he has to do to reach those goals.
"Right now it's real important for me to get out fast and get into a good position so I can figure out when exactly I need to sit back and when I need to move up," Krueger said.
"As we reach the bigger meets like conference and Regionals, there are a lot of good runners. My coaches help me familiarize myself with who is at those races and who I need to go out and run with. I thank God who gave me the ability to run, along with the support of my coaches and family."
Krueger plans to end his competitive running career once he has finished high school. His parents, Robert and Korrie Krueger, own Milano's Pizza in Niles, and his future plans are to help out with the family business or attend trade school.
Krueger didn't play tennis as a freshman, but made an immediate impact as a doubles player the last two years on the varsity. Since cross country is Krueger's priority sport, Niles head boys tennis coach Jill Weber felt it would be more beneficial for the team if he played singles this fall.
"Aiden was real receptive to the change. As coaches, we just thought it would be easier to replace him in singles rather than have a doubles partner be forced to play with someone they weren't familiar with," said Weber, who has coached the Niles boys team the last 18 seasons and the girls squad for 20 years.
Krueger was sporting a record of 13-2 and was undefeated in the Wolverine at No. 2 singles at the end of last week. His only losses came in nonleague matches to Coldwater and Kalamazoo Christian.
"Aiden has an extraordinary work ethic. He works really hard, but at the same time he enjoys it and has fun. He usually only needs two or three games to figure out what he needs to do to win a match," Weber said. "I have so much confidence in him to get the job done."
Weber is amazed at how Krueger juggles his time off the court with school and cross country.
She used Saturday, Sept. 9, as an example of his commitment to both sports.
Krueger started that day competing with the cross country team at the Kalamazoo Loy-Norrix Mini-Meet, a race he won in a then personal-best time of 16:31.4. He then jumped in the car with his parents, who drove him to Mattawan where the Vikings' tennis team was competing in a tournament.
"Mattawan was gracious enough to put Aiden on one of the later courts so he could play all three of his matches once he was finished with his cross country meet," Weber explained.
Krueger won all three of his tennis matches.
"That was a pretty exciting day for Aiden. He just takes it all in stride and isn't a showboat on the court. When he's on the court he has a way of making friends with his opponents and makes good calls and shows good sportsmanship. A lot of people have nothing but good things to say about him," Weber said.
"As far as his ability on the court, Aiden is a very tricky player to figure out and has a lot of weapons. He has a good dropshot, can lob the ball, hit an angle shot or hit an approach shot and draw you out of position."
Krueger is well-respected by his tennis teammates as well.
"Everyone loves Aiden. He likes to joke around, but he truly enjoys every one of his teammates and respects them all equally. He's a good student and had the team over to his house for a team dinner recently," Weber said.
Knowing how important Krueger's senior season of running was to him, Weber spoke with Tony Todd before the year began about his role with the tennis and cross country teams.
"I understood how important running is to Aiden this year. The last thing I want to do is stress a kid out. He's done a nice job for us in tennis, but we're not expecting a great deal out of him. I want him to be able to concentrate on his cross country goals," Weber said.
Krueger's older brother Andrew Krueger played tennis for Niles a few years ago, and that sparked Aiden's interest in the game.
"I participated in some summer tennis camps back when I was in seventh grade. I liked my experience playing doubles the last couple years, but singles is a challenge because you have only yourself to rely on and the court is smaller," Krueger said.
Krueger describes himself as confident on the court, and he considers himself more of baseline player.
"I'm really comfortable on the baseline, and my tennis goals are to just try and finish the year with the best record I can in the conference and help my team do as well as we possibly can," Krueger said.
Scott Hassinger is a contributing sportswriter for Leader Publications and previously served as the sports editor for the Three Rivers Commercial-News from 1994-2022. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph and Branch counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Niles’ Aiden Krueger crosses the finish line after winning his race during a home meet this season against Edwardsburg. (Middle) Krueger follows through on a forehand shot during a Wolverine Conference match earlier this season. (Top photo by Scott Novak/Leader Publications. Middle photo by Kelly Sweeney/Leader Publications.)