Preview: Chasing the Champions
October 17, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
It’s not rare to see a repeat MHSAA Finals individual champion in cross country. Over the last decade alone, five Upper Peninsula runners have won multiple boys titles.
But how likely are three repeat champions in one season?
Stephenson senior Connor Cappaert can become the 14th to win three individual championships after earning his first two in different divisions over the last two seasons. Marquette junior Lance Rambo will have a chance to join that elite group next year if he can repeat this weekend in Division 1, and Ironwood senior Jared Joki can add a fourth top-three finish and second straight title in Division 2.
Here’s a look at some of the competition standing in the way, plus favorites for the team titles. Click for Saturday's race schedule and a list of all qualifiers.
DIVISION 1
Reigning champion: Marquette
2013 runner-up: Escanaba
2014 top three: 1. Marquette, 2. Escanaba, 3. Negaunee.
Marquette has two runners back from its top five that won last season’s title team. Rambo was the individual champion and came only six seconds from breaking the top 10 times in U.P. Division 1 history, and junior Troy Sergey added a 17th-place finish. But Escanaba is imposing with five of its top six back including fifth-place Joey Wolfe and seventh-place Eric Cousineau, a sophomore and senior, respectively.
Individuals: The field is loaded. In addition to Rambo, Wolfe and Cousineau, four more from last season’s top 10 are back: Houghton seniors David Jazsczak (third) and Jacob Colling (sixth), Kingsford junior Nate Carey (fourth) and Menominee senior Gunther Dedamos (ninth). Calumet sophomore Mitchell Delong was 15th last season and could move up. Negaunee’s Grant Johnson finished only 30th but won the Mid-Peninsula Conference title this fall.
DIVISION 2
Reigning champion: St. Ignace
2013 runner-up: Hancock
2014 top three: 1. Ishpeming Westwood, 2. Powers North Central, 3. Ironwood.
Westwood is seeking its first title since 2004 and hasn’t finished among the top two since 2006. The Patriots run six seniors and a junior, and senior Ryan Hunt placed ninth at last season’s Final. Powers North Central is the reigning Division 3 champion and looks like a strong candidate despite the move in division – sophomore Seth Polfus finished third individually and junior Bryce Holle was fourth last season in Division 3, and total the team returns four of last season’s top seven. Ironwood also has four of its seven back after finishing fourth a year ago, led by reigning individual champion Joki. A senior, he also finished third as a freshman and second as a sophomore.
Individuals: Norway senior Justin Anderson is looking to contend again after finishing fourth last fall, 13th in 2012 and 14th in 2011. Ishpeming could impact the team standings as well with senior Mark Holmgren and juniors Kazmine Langness and Derek Mahoski; they finished 14th, sixth and 16th, respectively, in 2013.
DIVISION 3
Reigning champion: Powers North Central
2013 runner-up: Pickford
2014 top three: 1. (tie) Stephenson, 1. (tie) Munising, 3. Cedarville.
This field is relatively open with North Central moving into Division 2. All seven runners from last season’s seventh-place finish are back for Stephenson, led by Cappaert. He’ll run for his third MHSAA title after winning Division 3 last season and Division 2 in 2012 (and finishing sixth in Division 2 in 2011). Munising, tied for the top spot in the final coaches poll, ran only four in 2013 and hence didn’t earn a team score, but has three of those back including junior and 10th-place finisher Brett Hannah.
Individuals: While Cappaert is a heavy favorite, he’ll have plenty of familiar competition. Reigning runner-up Zak Mazurek of Bessemer, also a senior, is back hoping to close the 18-second gap. In addition to Hannah, five more of last season’s top 15 are back – Wakefield-Marenisco junior Sam Dean (11th), Painesdale-Jeffers’ junior Kevin Semmens (ninth) and senior Anthony Harris (15th) and Marquette North Star Academy senior John-Henry Kibit (13th).
PHOTO: Kingsford’s Nate Carey (219) and Houghton’s Jacob Colling (215) are among top finishers from 2013 looking to challenge reigning champions Saturday. (Photo courtesy of RunMichigan.com/Paul Gerard.)
Caro, Albrecht Celebrate D3 Sweep
November 3, 2018
Second Half reports
BROOKLYN — Caro senior Yami Albrecht has secured a special place in Michigan high school cross country history.
Albrecht won a kick to the finish with Jeremy Kloss of Harbor Springs for the second straight year to win his third MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 3 individual championship with a time of 15:40.8 on Saturday at Michigan International Speedway.
Albrecht tied a record by becoming only the seventh boy in MHSAA history to post the fastest time in a Finals meet three times.
The others are Vicksburg’s Stephan Bishop (1962-64, Class B), Cadillac’s Mark Smith (1978-80, Class B), Central Lake’s Ryan Shay (1994-96, Class D), Benzie Central’s Jake Flynn (1997-99, Class C), Ovid-Elsie’s Maverick Darling (2005-07, Division 3) and Concord’s Jesse Hersha (2012-14, Division 4). Shay won the 1993 Class D individual race as well, but didn’t have the fastest overall time of the meet when there were separate team and individual races.
“It definitely is an accomplishment to have three state titles in a row,” Albrecht said. “I’m definitely going to remember that for the rest of my life, for sure.”
All three championships required a strong finishing kick to overcome a tough challenger.
Albrecht won by three seconds over Brian Njuguna of Bridgman in 2016 and by 2.4 seconds over Kloss last year. Kloss was side by side with Albrecht coming down to the finish before coming up 4.6 seconds short this time.
“We were coming into the stadium, we were next to each other the whole way around,” Albrecht said. “At the three-mile mark, Jeremy stepped in the mud and he got stuck. I saw his leg got stuck in there. I went for it at that point.”
Albrecht wasn’t at all disappointed to see somewhat muddy conditions when he arrived at MIS.
“Honestly, the last two years before this was all sloppy and muddy, so I was kind of happy that’s how it was today, so I could run the same way I did the past two years,” Albrecht said.
A new experience for Albrecht was having the opportunity to celebrate two championships at MIS. Caro finally completed its four-year march to the top of Division 3 by winning its first MHSAA team title since 1980 by a 61-100 margin over Pewamo-Westphalia.
The Tigers were 14th in 2015, fifth in 2016 and second to Hanover-Horton last year.
Backing up Albrecht’s performance for Caro were senior Caleb Cotton (12th,16:38.3), sophomore Logan Brown (15th, 16:42.5), senior Bryden Miller (28th, 16:54.5) and senior Aaron Hulburt (33rd, 17:00.4). It was the fourth Finals meet for Albrecht, Cotton, Hulburt and Miller.
Pewamo-Westphalia was led by seventh-place Hayden Germain (16:21.3), 14th-place Ashton Walker (16:40.6) and 20th-place Mitch Nurenberg (16:45.9).
PHOTO: Caro’s Yami Albrecht stays a step ahead of Harbor Springs’ Jeremy Kloss at the 2-mile mark of Saturday’s Division 3 Final. (Middle) Bryden Miller (426) leads another pack on the way to helping the Tigers to the team title. (Click for more from RunMichigan.com.)