Preview: New Contenders Emerge

October 21, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Saturday’s Upper Peninsula Boys Cross Country Finals are guaranteed to crown three first-time individual champions, and one of last season’s team title-winners is expected to be replaced as well at Beauchamp Cross Country Course.

Two-time reigning Division 3 champion Chassell comes into this weekend tied for only the No. 2 ranking in its division, with Brimley and behind favorite Stephenson, which is seeking its first championship since winning Division 2 in 2012.  

Races begin Saturday with the Division 1 boys at 11 a.m. and finish with the Division 3 girls at 2 p.m. Check back Saturday evening for coverage of all six Upper Peninsula Finals, and see below for more teams and individuals to watch. The MHSAA Cross Country Finals are sponsored by the Michigan National Guard.

DIVISION 1

Reigning champion: Negaunee
2015 runner-up: Sault Ste. Marie
2016 top three: 1. Negaunee, 2. Houghton, 3. Marquette.

Negaunee remains the favorite this weekend returning five of last season’s seven runners including four who finished among the top 14 – reigning runner-up and junior Colton Yesney, and seniors Ethan Wallner (seventh), Thomas Ziegler (ninth) and Mitchell La Belle (14th). Houghton is expected to move up from fourth last season also returning five of their seven runners – junior Seth Helman led the way coming in eighth individually a year ago. Marquette won in 2013 and 2014 but slipped to third last fall; the Redmen return only two from last fall’s line-up but won their fourth straight Great Northern Conference title on the strength of individual champion Luke Rambo, a junior, and junior runner-up Garrett Rudden.

Individuals: Total, nine of last season’s top 15 are back this weekend and looking to follow graduated Marquette champion Lance Rambo. In addition to those mentioned above, Calumet senior Mitchell Delong was 10th in 2015, and Sault Ste. Marie seniors Aaron Kinsella (12th), Andrew Farlow (13th) and Ryan Sanderson (15th) helped their team to a runner-up finish.

DIVISION 2

Reigning champion: Ishpeming
2015 runner-up: Gogebic
2016 top three: 1. Ishpeming, 2. Munising, 3. Newberry.

The Hematites return three from a lineup that placed all seven runners last season among the top 15 in Division 2. Sophomore Spencer Giroux came in second, seven seconds back, and was followed by now-junior Kyle Pruett (seventh) and Kadin Fox (13th). Munising was fourth in Division 3 last season and graduated that race’s individual champion, Brett Hannah, but brings back its next three finishers led by junior T.J. Wing (10th in Division 3 in 2015).  Newberry also ran in Division 3 a year ago, finishing sixth, but brings back four of its seven from that race including sixth-place now-senior Kindred Griffis.

Individuals: This could be the day’s best individual race, with Giroux working to fend off Ironwood sophomore Nick Niemi, who came in third last year, and four more non-teammates who are back from the top 15. Gogebic sophomores Cade Mazzon and Devon Byers were 12th and 15th last season, respectively, while Powers North Central junior Connor Robinson and senior Seth Polfus came in ninth and 13th.

DIVISION 3

Reigning champion: Chassell
2015 runner-up: Dollar Bay
2016 top three: 1. Stephenson, T-2. Brimley, T-2. Chassell.

Chassell has won the last two Division 3 titles but could be chasing Stephenson, which finished fifth in 2015 but has back five of last season’s six runners including junior Ethan Brown (eighth) and senior Mark Cappaert (11th). Chassell does bring back five of last season’s top seven, however, led by senior Hunter Rautiola (fifth) and sophomore Ben Tuomi (seventh). Brimley didn’t run at the Final as a team last season but returns one of four individuals who raced.

Individuals: The individual title could be wide open with the top three from last season not in this race. The highest returning placer is Dollar Bay sophomore Brendan LeClaire, who came in fourth – and only five total of the top 15 are back.  

PHOTO: Runners take off during the start of the 2014 Upper Peninsula Division 3 Final.

Potter's House's Osterink, Hillsdale Academy Earn 1st Finals Wins

November 6, 2021

BROOKLYN — Lezawe Osterink’s arrival among the state’s elite was deferred for a year.

He was ready to make a run at the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 4 cross country championship in 2020, but was unable to run at Regionals after breaking his collarbone on a training run.

Who says cross country isn’t a contact sport?

The junior from Wyoming Potter’s House showed up Saturday at Michigan International Speedway as a different runner than the one who had a respectable 55th place as a freshman in 2019.

Osterink completed an undefeated season by winning the Division 4 race in 15:50.60. He won by 23.76 seconds ahead of Concord senior Jonathan Mikovits.

Last year, Osterink was on track to get to MIS when he won the Pre-Regional meet.

“I broke my collarbone before Regionals, then I got COVID,” he said. “That was kind of a big disappointment. I couldn’t run at all. We were going to try to push it and try to win state that year.”

Hillsdale Academy cross countryOsterink won all 13 races in which he competed this fall, giving him a 14-race winning streak going back to last season.

After racing at MIS as a freshman, he began to dream about becoming a Finals champion.

“I didn’t know if it would become realistic,” Osterink said. “I put in a lot of work. Our coach knows what he’s doing. I had good teammates to train with. That’s what I would say got me here.”

Osterink reached the mile mark in 5:03.3, giving him a 4.6-second cushion over Mikovits. The lead increased to 7.6 seconds when Osterink hit a two-mile split of 10:10.1.

“I could feel myself running away,” he said. “I was surprised. They went out good. They stuck with me for a while. I was scared of the guy behind me. I didn’t look back, but people who were there said he was close, so I had to keep hammering the whole time.”

In the team competition, Hillsdale Academy grouped its second through fifth runners only 13 seconds apart to win with a score of 154 points.

Senior Emil Schlueter gave Hillsdale Academy a low stick with his eighth-place finish in 16:49.75, good for sixth among team runners. Two eighth-graders scored for the Colts: Cole Bates (64th, 17:56.70) and Grayson Rorick (72nd, 18:02.22). Also scoring were sophomore Thomas Holm (51st, 17:49.17) and freshman Vincent Reagle (69th, 17:59.71).

It was the first MHSAA team championship for the Colts, whose best finishes were 10th-place showings in 2010 and 2018.

Concord had three runners in the top 22, but had to count runners who were 75th and 159th overall.

Click for full results.

PHOTOS Potter’s House’s Lezawe Osterink approaches the finish of the Division 4 Final at Michigan International Speedway. (Middle) Hillsdale Academy’s Thomas Holm (844) and Adrian Lenawee Christian’s Grant Long (764) push down the final stretch. (Click for more from RunMichigan.com.)