Preview: MIS Could Play Host to Champions 1st-Time, Repeat and 3-Peat
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
November 1, 2024
Two reigning team champions are anticipated to celebrate again at this weekend’s Lower Peninsula Boys Cross Country Finals at Michigan International Speedway – but joined as well by a potential first-timer and first-time-in-a-long-time winner.
Northville is running for a third-straight championship in Division 1, and Traverse City St. Francis a repeat in Division 3, and both are ranked No. 1 in their respective divisions this week. In Division 4, Mason County Eastern is No. 1 and seeking its first Finals team title. In Division 2, top-ranked Allendale will run for its first this century.
See below for more on several team and individual contenders Saturday. The "season bests" list referred to frequently is a ranking list of every runner's best time this season, maintained by Athletic.net. The first boys race, in Division 4, begins at 9:30 a.m.; click here for the full schedule and ticket information.
Additionally, all eight races Saturday at MIS will be streamed live and viewable with subscription on the NFHS Network: Divisions 1 & 2 | Divisions 3 & 4.
Division 1
Reigning champion: Northville
2023 runner-up: Brighton
2024 top-ranked: 1. Northville, 2. Jenison, 3. Brighton.
Northville is anticipated to run its championship streak to three with five runners from last season’s Finals lineup back and all among the top eight during their Regional championship run last weekend. But once again, the Kensington Lakes Activities Association party doesn’t stop there, as Brighton is looking to add to its recent titles in 2019 and 2021 and brings back four runners from last year’s third-place team; the Bulldogs placed five among the top 14 at their Regional win. Jenison won its Regional on a tie-breaker ahead of No. 4 Grand Haven and will push to move up from seventh last year, when the lineup will filled with all juniors and one sophomore. Six of those seven runners will be back this weekend.
Individuals: Only four of the top 15 individual placers last season didn’t graduate, and fourth-place Kamari Ronfeldt of Ann Arbor Pioneer is the top returning finisher and has the fastest top time in Division 1 this fall at 15:02.3, just more than a second ahead of Jenison’s Seth Conner who placed fifth at the 2023 Final. Milford junior Kyle O’Rourke was 10th last fall and Northville senior Ethan Powell 13th; O’Rourke is third on this season’s top times list and won his Regional last weekend. Also winning Regionals were Conner, Okemos junior Ian Morgan, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix junior Jackson Lam, Howell sophomore Jack MacGregor, Canton junior Aiden Pengelly, Oxford senior James Cusick, Utica junior Harper Wesley and Pioneer junior Beckett Crooks just more than two seconds ahead of Ronfeldt.
Division 2
Reigning champion: Ada Forest Hills Eastern
2023 runner-up: Pinckney
2024 top-ranked: 1. Allendale, 2. Grand Rapids Christian, 3. Holland Christian.
West Michigan dominates the top of the rankings in Division 2 with East Grand Rapids also No. 4 and Forest Hills Eastern No. 5 this week. Allendale is seeking its first championship since 1999 in Class C, Grand Rapids Christian its first since 2014 and Holland Christian its first ever to go with a runner-up finish in 1999 in Class B. Allendale did finish fourth at last year’s Final with only one senior and placed the top six from 2023 among the top 11 during last weekend’s Regional win, when Holland Christian ran second. Grand Rapids Christian also won its Regional by three points ahead of EGR and six in front of FHE. The Eagles placed sixth last season at the Final and have three runners back. Holland Christian is looking to move up from 18th a year ago, when it ran without a senior. The Maroons have five this time.
Individuals: T.J. Hansen’s winning 14:52.8 last season is tied for the seventh-fastest 5K time in Finals history, and the Freeland senior has the fastest time in the state this season at 14:41.5. The second-fastest top time also belongs to a Division 2 runner, as Marshall senior Jack Bidwell posted a 14:56 at a different course but on the same day as Hansen’s 14:41. Bidwell placed fourth at last season’s Final. Forest Hills Eastern senior Henry Dixon (sixth), Dearborn Divine Child senior Colin Murray (ninth) and Allendale junior Ronnie Silveira (14th) were the only other non-seniors in last year’s top 15. Dixon, Bidwell, Hansen and Murray won Regionals last weekend, joined by Gladwin senior Elijah Christensen, Allendale sophomore Mason Hill, Parma Western junior Edison Lopeman, Macomb Lutheran North sophomore Joshua Macri and New Boston Huron junior Moises Salazar.
Division 3
Reigning champion: Traverse City St. Francis
2023 runner-up: St. Louis
2024 top-ranked: 1. Traverse City St. Francis, 2. Jackson Lumen Christi, 3. Ithaca.
St. Francis’ championship last season came with just one senior in the lineup, and five of six juniors on that team were among the top eight as the Gladiators won their Regional last weekend ahead of No. 5 Charlevoix. Lumen Christi is seeking to move up from 12th last season and win its first Finals title since 2012, paced in part by senior Leo Swager, who finished 12th last season while running for St. Francis. An Ithaca championship would be its first since 1948 in Class D, and the Yellowjackets finished 11th last season without a senior and only two juniors. Six of those seven runners will be back at MIS this weekend.
Individuals: Although last year’s winner graduated, Reed City senior August Rohde finished second and has the third-fastest top time in all divisions this fall at 14:58.7. Onsted senior Mitchell Hiatt was sixth last season, Central Montcalm junior Gage Hoffman eighth, and St. Louis senior Landon Pestrue 10th. Rohde, Hiatt and Hoffman are coming off Regional championships, as are St. Francis senior Josh Slocum, Muskegon Western Michigan Christian senior Matthias Morse, Watervliet senior Daniel Mandujano, Ithaca junior Landen Styka, Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest freshman Nole Lorenzen and Flat Rock junior Jacob Stanislawski.
Division 4
Reigning champion: Hillsdale Academy
2023 runner-up: Holland Calvary
2024 top-ranked: 1. Mason County Eastern, 2. Hillsdale Academy, 3. Holland Calvary.
Hillsdale Academy’s championship last season was its second in three seasons, and Calvary’s runner-up finish was its highest in program history – and both are expected to be in the mix again. But Mason County Eastern – eighth a year ago – may be the team to chase this time. MCE is seeking its first top-two Finals finish and won last weekend’s Regional on a tie-breaker ahead of No. 5 Maple City Glen Lake, but with four of the top 14 finishers including three who were among the Cardinals’ top five a year ago. Hillsdale Academy placed the top five and seven of the top eight in its Regional win, and five of those runners were in the lineup a year ago, and Holland Calvary won its Regional with all seven runners among the top 17 including six who competed at last year’s Final as freshmen.
Individuals: Royal Oak Shrine Catholic junior Abenezer Cerone is the highest-returning placer from a year ago after finishing third, and he’s tied for the third-fastest top time in this division this fall. Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep junior Marek Butkiewicz has the fastest by nearly 26 seconds at 15:11.8 after finishing sixth in 2023. Hillsdale Academy senior Reece Poole also is back after his fifth-place Finals finish last season, while Mesick sophomore Kyle Redman was seventh and Glen Lake senior Colebrook Sutherland ninth – and Dansville senior Theodore Davis ninth in Division 3. Butkiewicz, Davis and Cerone won Regionals last week, joined by Harbor Beach junior Brody Karg, Hillsdale Academy junior Grayson Rorick, White Cloud senior Coleson Cruzan, Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart sophomore Wesley Chaffee, Mason County Eastern senior Alex Tyndall and Petoskey St. Michael freshman Cody Bradley. Tyndall has the second-fastest top time in Division 4 this season at 15:37.2.
PHOTO Several runners, including Grand Rapids Christian’s Simon Triezenberg (514), run the Division 2 race Sept. 28 at the Otsego Invitational. (Photo by Gary Shook.)
Preview: Time to Take Next Steps
November 6, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Runners-up from 2014 are poised to make moves at Saturday’s MHSAA Boys Cross Country Finals at Michigan International Speedway.
Fremont, Lansing Catholic and Saugatuck all finished second in their respective races last season – but were ranked No. 1 in the state coaches poll this week.
An individual runner-up from a year ago also will run this weekend to move up one more spot.
Below are some of the teams and individuals to keep an eye on in all four divisions, and click for a full list of qualifiers for each and information on Saturday’s event – which this fall includes 988 boys.
DIVISION 1
Reigning champion: Rockford
2014 runner-up: White Lake Lakeland
2015 top-ranked: 1. Rockford, 2. Northville, 3. Novi.
Rockford edged Lakeland by a mere six points last season, but not surprisingly is the favorite again with four of the top five back from last season including fourth-place finisher Isaac Harding, now a senior. All seven Rams finished among the top 20 at last week’s Regional; sophomore Cole Johnson was runner-up to Harding and finished 16th at his first Final. Northville finished fourth last season with four seniors, but put all seven runners among the top 24 last week despite finishing second to Novi. The Wildcats were 15th at MIS a year ago led by then-junior Joost Plaetinck in 13th place; he finished first as all five Novi runners placed among the top 18 in that Regional win.
Individuals: Total, six of the top 15 from last season will run again this weekend. Finishing two seconds ahead of Harding in third place in 2014 was Traverse City Central now-senior Anthony Berry, who followed Harding and Johnson at the Regional where all three crossed within two seconds of each other. Salem senior Chaz Jeffress was ninth at the 2014 Final and finished only a tenth of a second behind Plaetinck at the Regional. Alpena junior Mitchell Day was 14th last season and won his Regional nine seconds ahead of Fenton senior Jacob Lee, another contender. East Lansing senior Jacob Stanton ran the fastest Regional time in the division, 15:27.4, and Rochester junior Kyle Johnson edged a strong Regional field that included Lake Orion senior Andrew Lorant, who finished 10th at the Final last year.
DIVISION 2
Reigning champion: Grand Rapids Christian
2014 runner-up: Fremont
2015 top-ranked: 1. Fremont, 2. Grand Rapids Christian, 3. Corunna.
Grand Rapids Christian and Fremont were opposites last season, Christian with five seniors and Fremont with five sophomores. Fremont would appear to have a leg up this time after placing four among the top seven at its Regional led by junior Matthew Zerfas, who won in 15:55.42 and finished fourth at last year’s Final. Junior Sam Kaastra, ninth last season, also is back. Junior Justin Varineau was the Eagles’ second-fastest runner at that Final, finished 13th overall, and won last week’s Regional with four more of his teammates placing among the top 11 (and none of the team's seven runners is a senior). Corunna should make a move from eighth last season after graduating only one of its top five and with fifth-place now-junior Noah Jacobs again leading the way. He paced five Cavaliers runners who finished among the top six at their Regional last week.
Individuals: The race for the individual title is loaded, led by reigning champion Morgan Beadlescomb, now a senior at Algonac. He won his Regional last week in 15:14, more than 16 seconds faster than his MHSAA championship time from 2014. Sturgis senior Daniel Steele finished only fifth at his Regional but was third last season at the Final; teammate Shawn Bell was 14th and finished two spots ahead of him at the Regional. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep senior Nathan Mylenek, seventh last season, was second at his Regional to teammate Brendan Fraser. St. Clair senior Jack Keais finished 33 seconds back of Beadlescomb at the Regional despite running a 15:47. A number of others ran Regionals in the 16:15-16:25 range, with Coldwater sophomore Shuaib Aljabaly notable finishing ahead of the Sturgis pair.
DIVISION 3
Reigning champion: Benzonia Benzie Central
2014 runner-up: Lansing Catholic
2015 top-ranked: 1. Lansing Catholic, Benzie Central, 3. Hanover-Horton.
The Cougars graduated the reigning individual champion and three of its top four finishers from last season’s runner-up effort, but is expected to take another step up after also running a sophomore and three freshmen in 2014. Junior Ethan Markey won their Regional last week and sophomore Ryan Schroeder was second, with another sophomore and two freshmen also finishing among the top 13. Two-time reigning champion Benzie Central had only one senior among its top six last season. Four of those top five will run this weekend led by junior Brayden Huddleston, ninth individually in 2014. Hanover-Horton is seeking its first top-two finish after finishing third last year with only one senior among its top five. The other four and a new starter finished among the top eight at their Regional.
Individuals: The top spot is open after graduated Lansing Catholic standout Keenan Rebera won the last two championships. Grandville Calvin Christian senior Abe Visser, Cass City senior Bransen Stimpfel and Grand Rapids West Catholic senior Bobby Haskin finished third, fourth and sixth in 2014, respectively. Visser won his Regional in 15:23.8 ahead of two others who broke 16 minutes, Holland Black River senior James McCann and Grant senior Jesse Saxton. Stimpfel won his Regional by two tenths of a second ahead of St. Louis junior Evan Goodell, who was 15th at the 2014 Final, and eight seconds ahead of Hemlock senior Ryan Hilbrandt, 12th last year. Also watch for Caro freshman Yami Albrecht, who broke 16 minutes at that Regional, and Shepherd senior Walker Priest, who won his Regional just ahead of Hesperia senior Arik LaFave, 11th at last season’s Final.
DIVISION 4
Reigning champion: Beal City
2014 runner-up: Saugatuck
2015 top-ranked: 1. Saugatuck, 2. Bear Lake, 3. Mendon.
Saugatuck finished second last season with five sophomores and a senior and comes back to MIS with five juniors, a sophomore and a freshman – with all seven having placed among the top nine at their Regional. Junior Zachary Pettinga was the top Finals finisher last year, at 15th, and he won the Regional title. Bear Lake placed five among the top 12 at its Regional after finishing third at the Final a year ago. Senior Jordan Anderson and sophomore Gary McBride finished 14th and 18th, respectively, last season, and second and first, respectively, last week. Mendon ran only one senior last year in finishing sixth and won its Regional with five among the top 11 and senior Dylan Plummer fastest coming in fourth. He also was fastest for the team at MIS in 2014, coming in 42nd as one of four who crossed among the top 75.
Individuals: In addition to Anderson and Pettinga, four more from last season’s top 10 are back led by Evart senior Santana Scott, the reigning runner-up. He won a Regional by 15 seconds that also included Beal City senior Ethan Schafer, seventh at last year’s Final. Sand Creek senior Aaron Peters, ninth last season, was a Regional champion this year, and Buckley sophomore Denver Cade will run again after coming in 12th in 2014. The Saugatuck runners paced the fastest Regional in the division, and Holton junior Jacob Tanner was runner-up in that group. Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart senior Logan Moyle finished between Scott and Schafer at their Regional, and Ubly sophomore Alex Grifka also was impressive breaking 17 minutes and winning his Regional by 32 seconds.
The MHSAA Cross Country Finals are sponsored by the Michigan National Guard.
PHOTO: St. Joseph’s Skyler Arthur (433), Cedar Springs’ Austin Sargent (463) and eventual champion Morgan Beadlescomb of Algonac (456) were fastest off the start in LPD2 in 2014; Beadlescomb returns this weekend. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)