Opportunities Abound for New Winners
October 23, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Saturday’s MHSAA Upper Peninsula Cross Country Finals at Beauchamp Grove in Gladstone, sponsored by Michigan National Guard, should provide the ideal scenarios to crown first-time champions.
While Chassell is the favorite in Division 3 after winning a year ago, neither Bessemer nor Wakefield-Marenisco has won an MHSAA boys cross country title – and together they are the favorite in Division 2. Negaunee is top-ranked in Division 1 and hasn’t won in more than 30 years. And only one of three individual champions is back to chase another title.
Here's a look at some of the teams and individuals expected to contend in all three races. Click for Saturday's race schedule and a list of all qualifiers.
DIVISION 1
Reigning champion: Marquette
2014 runner-up: Escanaba
2015 top three: 1. Negaunee, 2. Marquette, 3. Escanaba.
Negaunee’s last boys cross country championship came in 1983, but the Miners are favored to return to the top with all seven runners back from last season’s fifth-place team. Senior Grant Johnson and sophomore Colton Yesney were the top finishers in 2014, at 10th and 11th, respectively. Marquette returns only two runners from last season and has added three freshmen to four seniors – but those two returnees are senior Lance Rambo, last year’s runner-up, and senior Troy Sergey, who was 13th. Escanaba also returns only two runners from last season’s lineup, but junior Joey Wolfe was third individually and senior Jon Hook was 16th.
Individuals: The top three finishers from last year should pace the field again, with Rambo and Wolfe joined by reigning champion Nate Carey. The Kingsford senior finished third behind both at the Great Northern Conference final last week. Calumet junior Mitchell DeLong was 12th last season, and Kingsford senior Jorge Sanchez came in 14th.
DIVISION 2
Reigning champion: Ishpeming
2014 runner-up: Powers North Central
2015 top three: 1. Gogebic, 2. Ishpeming, 3. Powers North Central.
Neither Bessemer nor Wakefield-Marenisco had enough runners to compete in Division 3 as a team last season, but as a co-op in Division 2 they've combined to make favorite Gogebic. Senior Sam Dean was fifth last season in Division 3 and sophomore Tim Rowe finished 20th. Four of the top five Hematites finishers are back; senior Kazmine Langness was third last season, while senior Derek Mahoski was 11th, sophomore Kyle Pruett was 12th and junior Matthew Ferrett was 14th. Powers North Central finished only 14 points back of Ishpeming and returns six runners led by runner-up Bryce Holle, now a senior, seventh-place junior Seth Polfus, 16th-place sophomore Connor Robinson and 19th-place senior Jared Gerlach.
Individuals: Total, 10 of last season’s top 15 are back – although two-time champion Jared Joki of Ironwood graduated. Manistique sophomore Phillip Hagenson finished fourth in 2014, while Hancock junior Murphy Mallow is back after finishing seventh. Ironwood does return a pair of standouts – sophomore Andrew Niemi was ninth last season and senior Tim Lorenson was 11th.
DIVISION 3
Reigning champion: Chassell
2014 runner-up: Stephenson
2015 top three: 1. Chassell, 2. Munising, 3. Dollar Bay.
Chassell is a solid favorite returning all seven runners from last year’s team that won by six points. Four runners finished among the top 20 – now-freshman Abraham Gockenbach was fourth, junior Hunter Rautiola was ninth, senior Lars Daavettila was 14th and freshman Ben Tuomi was 16th. Munising was third last season and returns four of its top five including senior third-place finisher Brett Hannah. Senior Kyle LeClaire leads a Dollar Bay team returning five of seven from last year’s fourth-place team; LeClaire was sixth and sophomore Devin Schmitz finished 17th.
Individuals: Although the top two finishers from 2014 are not back, nine of the top 15 will run. In addition to those mentioned above, Stephenson sophomore Ethan Brown was seventh last season, Cedarville senior Patrick McMaken was 10th and junior Avry Freel was 15th, Big Bay de Noc sophomore Lucas Sundling was 13th and Eben Junction Superior Central junior Luke Leppanen was 14th.
PHOTO: Munising’s Brett Hannah ended third in the U.P. Division 3 race last season and returns as the highest finisher back from that field.
Plymouth Wins 1st Title, Foster Wins 2nd
November 3, 2018
Second Half reports
BROOKLYN — Carter Solomon doesn’t mind losing a cross country race.
For the Plymouth junior, it’s all about the competition.
He got plenty in the form of Ann Arbor Pioneer senior Nick Foster, but Solomon got the victory he really wanted by leading Plymouth to its first championship at the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 1 meet Saturday at Michigan International Speedway.
The Wildcats were runners-up by three points last year, but came through in another close meet to edge surprising Walled Lake Central, 122-127.
Walled Lake Central came into the meet ranked No. 11, but this meet didn’t necessarily go according to form, with the exception of Plymouth. The Wildcats were ranked No. 1, but none of the other teams ranked in the top three finished there when it mattered most.
“I’m so proud of those guys after last year being runner-up,” Plymouth coach Jon Mikosz said. “To have the pressure on them all year and to be able to come back and pull it off is amazing.”
Solomon led the way, finishing second in 15:18.1. He battled Foster, the reigning champion, step for step until the Pioneer senior pulled away with the finish line in sight to win in 15:13.0.
“Unfortunately, this is only the second time I’ve raced him this year,” Solomon said. “The previous year, we raced three or four times. I love racing against him. I love racing against competition. It makes the race that much more fun.
“I love going out to races like this and testing myself. In a few weeks, I’m going to the Foot Locker regional. I know that’s a really stacked race. I’m super excited for that. I knew Nick was going to be there the whole race. He closed a lot harder than I did.”
Foster and Solomon were part of a five-man lead pack at the two-mile mark. Foster said he believed he could prevail if it came down to a kick at the end.
“I was pretty confident,” he said. “I knew a couple of those guys can finish pretty strong. I knew it wouldn’t come easy. With 700 meters to go, I felt good. I knew Carter was on me. I just had to keep going right through the finish. It was tough, but this is my third year doing it, so I knew it was going to be tough. But, like last year, I realized I have more left than I think.”
Walled Lake Central ran with a tight pack, its five scoring runners separated by only 16.2 seconds. The Vikings couldn’t overcome Plymouth’s strength near the front.
Following Solomon for the Wildcats were sophomore Patrick Byrnes (15th, 15:56.2), senior Brandon Boyd (33rd, 16:13.8), senior Jarrett Warner (60th, 16:31.9) and junior Tyler Mussen (63rd, 16:34.8).
PHOTOS: (Top) Ann Arbor Pioneer’s Nick Foster (11), Plymouth’s Carter Solomon (111) and Brighton’s Zachary Stewart (36) lead the pack near the midway point of the Division 1 Final. (Middle) Plymouth’s Patrick Byrnes pushes down the final stretch. (Click for more from RunMichigan.com.)