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.)
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.”
***
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.)