Preview: Taking The Final Step to 1st
November 4, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The 991 racers at Saturday’s MHSAA Lower Peninsula Boys Cross Country Finals include more than a few who have come close to claiming championships the last few seasons, but are seeking their first.
Corunna’s Noah Jacobs has won every race this season, but is hoping his final Cavaliers event ends with a first MHSAA title after he came in second in his race a year ago. Alpena’s Mitchell Day is in a similar situation, and Saugatuck’s Zach Pettinga will attempt to take the final step while moving to a bigger division. On the team side, Novi and Bear Lake/Onekama are hoping to leave Michigan International Speedway with first titles since the late 1990s and after recent years in the hunt.
See below for a glance at team and individual favorites in all four races. Click for all Finals qualifiers, a map of the course and links to buy tickets and watch the Finish Line camera on MHSAA.tv, and come back to Second Half later Saturday for coverage of all four meets. The first race begins at 10 a.m., with the final awards presentation slated to end at 4 p.m.
DIVISION 1
Reigning champion: Rockford
2015 runner-up: Northville
2016 top-ranked: 1. Novi, 2. Saline, 3. Northville.
Novi is seeking its first MHSAA title since 1999 and first top-two finish since coming in runner-up in 2006. The Wildcats have back five runners from last season’s third-place team and finished 33 points ahead of No. 3 Northville in winning last week’s Regional at Willow Metropark; junior Gabriel Mudel was second (15:54) and seniors Scott MacPherson (16:02) and John Landy (16:03) were sixth and seventh, respectively. Saline is seeking its first MHSAA title ever – and last finished in second in 2007 but came in sixth a year ago with four runners who will be back this weekend. All four finished among the top 10 at the Erie Metropark Regional that Saline won by nine points ahead of No. 6 Ann Arbor Pioneer; junior Anthony DeKraker (16:24) was third, senior Aidan Carichner (16:38) was fourth, senior Evan Koerschner (16:47) was sixth and senior Connor Meehan (16:52) was 10th. Northville was runner-up to Novi at their Regional despite its highest individual placer coming in 13th; senior Ben Cracraft was 14th at last year’s Final and followed sophomore Nicholas Couyoumjian at the Regional as they finished 14th and 13th, respectively, in 16:09 and 16:06. They are the only two back from last year’s Finals lineup that featured five seniors.
Individuals: Alpena senior Mitchell Day has improved from 94th to 14th to runner-up in this race the last three seasons and is a likely favorite as the top returning placer. He won his Regional at Bay City Western in 15:48. But Rockford junior Cole Johnson was less than two seconds behind finishing third last year (and won his Regional by 15 seconds last week in 15:58). Dearborn senior Riad Rababeh also is back after finishing eighth and winning his Regional last week in 15:52. Other Regional champions were Portage Central senior Gannon Foley (15:58), Okemos junior Saano Murembya (15:36), Oak Park senior Cameron Cooper (15:52), Fenton senior Andrew Bond (16:31), Fraser senior Steven Stine (15:46) and Rochester Adams senior Matt Schram (15:49).
DIVISION 2
Reigning champion: Fremont
2015 runner-up: Otsego
2016 top-ranked: 1. Fremont, 2. Grand Rapids Christian, 3. Corunna.
Fremont moved up from second in 2014 to win last year’s title without counting a senior’s time, and six of seven runners are back at MIS this weekend led by senior Matthew Zerfas, who placed fifth individually in 2015. He finished second at his Regional in 16:12 behind junior teammate Ben Schmidt (16:01) and with teammates Sam Kaastra (16:22), Sam Stitt (16:24) and Cole Hamilton (16:37) also among the top nine. Grand Rapids Christian beat Fremont for the title in 2014 and fell back to sixth last season but with no seniors in the lineup. Justin Varineau paced the Eagles last year coming in seventh individually, and he’s expected to move up this weekend after adding to a dominating season with a Regional win in 15:42, 19 seconds ahead of the field in Allendale. Sophomore teammate Victor Jura was fifth (16:10) and senior Aaron Brink (16:26) was ninth among the group that included No. 6 Fruitport and No. 9 Spring Lake. Corunna senior Noah Jacobs is considered the top runner in Michigan regardless of division, and he’s hoping a first individual title will help the Cavaliers to their first team win since 1997 and top-two finish since 1998. Jacobs finished 56th, fifth and then second at the last three Finals and ran a 15:05 at the Shiawassee County Invitational two weeks ago before running 15:54 to win his Regional at Delta College. He was one of four Cavs among the top nine at Delta, along with junior Dakota Hundley (16:32.31), sophomore Ben Jacobs (16:32.57) and sophomore Charlie Bruckman (16:47).
Individuals: Seven of the top 11 from last season are back this weekend. After Jacobs, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep senior Brendan Fraser was third last year and won his Regional in 16:27. Coldwater junior Shuaib Aljabaly has won all of his races this season except one, finishing second to Jacobs at the Portage Invitational. He won his Regional in 15:56 after taking eighth at the Final last year. Comstock Park junior Reid Parsons was ninth last year and finished Regional runner-up to Varineau this time in 16:03, and St. Johns junior Dillan Haviland missed the top 10 in 2015 by a tenth of a second but should make the mix this time coming off a Regional title in 16:11. Adrian senior Jack Schafer (15:55), St. Clair junior Brendan Parr (16:21) and Otsego sophomore Alex Comerford (16:05) also are Regional champs this fall.
DIVISION 3
Reigning champion: Lansing Catholic
2015 runner-up: Benzonia Benzie Central
2016 top-ranked: 1. Saugatuck, 2. Lansing Catholic, 3. Caro.
Lansing Catholic’s championship was scored on five runners who are all back this weekend – but the Cougars enter ranked No. 2 because reigning Division 4 champion Saugatuck is up a division this fall. The Indians’ top five, and six of seven, also are back this weekend. Senior Zachary Pettinga, the Division 4 runner-up individually a year ago, finished second at last week’s Regional in 16:20 as Saugatuck placed three of the top four (also sophomore Corey Gorgas and senior Nick Butch) and six of the top 10 at Buchanan. Lansing Catholic took places three, four, five, seven and 11 at its Regional, led by junior Ryan Schroeder (17:01). Caro could become the story of the weekend if it moves up from 14th last season to win its first MHSAA title since 1980. Four freshmen on the 2015 team are a year older, led by Yami Albrecht, who was eighth individually with now-senior Zakaria Davis coming in 16th. They finished first and third, respectively at their Delta College Regional in 15:49 and 16:54 as Caro took four of the top 11 spots.
Individuals: The graduation of a strong senior class division-wide and the addition of Saugatuck are just a few factors that could make this the most wide open individual race of the weekend. Three more top-10 finishers join Albrecht in returning – Benzie Central senior Brayden Huddleston (third), St. Louis senior Evan Goodell (sixth) and Kent City junior Fraser Wilson (ninth). Huddleston won his Regional by 43 seconds in 15:32, and Wilson won his by 25 seconds in 16:06. Goodell finished between the top Caro runners in 15:56. Bridgman senior Brian Njuguna was 13th last season but won his Regional ahead of the Saugatuck pack in 16:10. Other Regional champions were Clare senior Ben Haupt (16:28), Hanover-Horton junior Landon Melling (16:42), Stockbridge senior Jake Chapman (16:42), Sandusky senior Brandon Hughes (17:32) and Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central senior Dominic Paoletti (16:19).
DIVISION 4
Reigning champion: Saugatuck
2015 runner-up: Bear Lake/Onekama
2016 top-ranked: 1. Pewamo-Westphalia, 2. Harbor Springs, 3. Bear Lake/Onekama.
Saugatuck might be gone to Division 3, but Pewamo-Westphalia moved into the favorite spot in this race after finishing 18th in Division 3 a year ago with five runners who will race this weekend. The Pirates placed all seven of their runners among the top 15 at their Regional at Sharp Park in Jackson, with senior Bryce Thelen the runner-up in 17:05. Harbor Springs was third last season with only one senior in the lineup and could take its first title since 2004 (won in Division 3) with five also back from last fall including seventh-place Jeremy Kloss. Now a sophomore, Kloss won his Regional by 39 seconds in 16:19 as teammates Max Sydow (17:22) and Zach Hunt (17:23) finished second and third, respectively. Bear Lake/Onekama is another team frequently in the mix, although seeking its first win at this meet since sharing in Class D in 1998. Four of the top six from last season’s runner-up team are back, with junior Kaiden Hejl the team's top returning placer after finishing ninth. He was third at his Regional in 16:46, with junior teammate Gary McBride (16:43) second, sophomore Trey Gilbert fourth (17:10) and senior Dyllon McLouth and junior Lane Lee also among the top 11.
Individuals: The top four from last season’s Final either graduated or are running in Division 3, leaving Kloss and Hejl to be joined by 2015 top-10 finishers Daniel Holder of Hudson (fifth) and Jacob Tanner of Holton (sixth). Tanner, a senior, won his Regional in 16:49, while Holder, a junior, ran 16:44 to finish second to Hillsdale Academy senior Noah Heckenlively (16:37) at Hudson. Cass City junior CarLee Stimpfel also broke 16 minutes in winning his Regional, in 15:52, and other Regional winners were Manton junior Jacob Cergnul (16:34), Saginaw Nouvel senior Matt Bartels (16:59), Marcellus Howardsville Christian sophomore Dylan Jergens (16:53), Portland St. Patrick freshman Ashton Walker (17:02) and Plymouth Christian sophomore Aaron Vicars (17:32).
The MHSAA Cross Country Finals are sponsored by the Michigan National Guard.
PHOTO: Corunna’s Noah Jacobs, here running a 15:05 at the Shiawassee County Invitational on Oct. 22, is undefeated this season and has won all but three races over the last two. (Click to see more from Varsity Monthly.)
Performance: Brimley's Austin Plotkin
October 25, 2019
Austin Plotkin
Brimley senior – Cross Country
Plotkin finished an accomplishment Saturday that has been achieved in Michigan high school boys cross country only once before. By winning the Upper Peninsula Division 3 Final championship for the fourth time, Plotkin joined Central Lake legend Ryan Shay as the only other four-time boys champion (LP Class D 1993-96), earning the MHSAA “Performance of the Week.”
Plotkin’s time of 17:20.7 was nearly 11 seconds ahead of the field at Gentz’s Golf Course in Marquette and capped an undefeated season that included for the first time a championship as well at the Mackinaw City Invitational on Sept. 26. Plotkin entered this fall with a personal record (PR) of 16:50 and lowered it to 16:32. This season’s Finals winning time actually was just the third-fastest of his four, further backing up Brimley athletic director Hugh Clarke, who called Plotkin arguably the school’s most dominant athlete over the course of a four-year high school career. Plotkin also owns an Upper Peninsula Division 3 Finals track championship in the 3,200 from 2017 and will run that race plus the 800 and 1,600 in the spring. He holds all of his school’s cross country records and is part of two record-holding track relays. Plotkin also plans to play basketball this winter for the first time since freshman year.
Also worth applauding: After an admittedly disappointing freshman year academically, Plotkin has raised his grade-point average a full point over the last two years and is considering a number of options athletically and academically at the college level. He’s planning to study business administration and finance.
Coach Wilson Hester said: “When I first saw him as an eighth grader, I could tell right away he had ability, but he didn’t know pacing or how to run. He would just go out and run fast or slow with not a lot of pacing involved. Once we got him doing proper training and technique work, and he was learning how to pace, he flourished. … He’s brought lots of recognition to the school. He’s been leading the track and cross country teams for the past four years, and everybody in the region and Upper Peninsula knows who he is. … He’s just scratching the surface of what he can do. He has some tremendous potential. I think at the next level, with more mileage, more of a training season – our seasons are so short up here, it’s difficult to get them to where their absolute potential can be – I have no doubt (he’ll continue to improve).”
Performance Point: “In the last probably quarter mile of the race, I definitely thought back to what everyone had said to me when I won freshman year,” Plotkin recalled of Saturday. “They said, 'Oh my goodness, you have so much potential. You could probably do this four years.' And I remember I was scoffing, thinking no, there will be another up-and-comer, somebody who can beat me. And looking back I remember Mr. Clarke told me if I win four years in a row, as soon as possible I'll be in the Brimley Hall of Fame. And just one of the things that came to me in that quarter mile, I was just thinking, one, how wrong I was – I thought that I couldn't do it, and here I was doing it. And plus, also, I was just super-excited to have done it, because it was such a feat – only one other person has done it.”
No shot at putting: “Eighth grade track was my first time running. I actually wanted to do shot put because my summer job the summer before was moving split wood for my grandpa. And then my coach Justin Carrick asked me, he said ‘Hey, we've got nobody doing (the 3,200). You're scrawny. You can do it. We just need someone to run the 2-mile. I don't care what you get – you've just got to run it.’ In middle school it's the first event, and I won it. I ran like an 11:20 that day, which is really bad for eighth grade. He took me out of shot put and put me in the mile and 800, and I went undefeated all the way until the last two meets, which coincidentally were the only two meets we got medals for and Jimmy Storey from Pickford beat me in the 800 both of those meets. So I lost two races and by the end of the season I was down to 10:55 for my 2-mile time. … I fell in love with winning. Once I had a little bit of something to do it for really; now that I had a shoebox of medals, I was like yeah, I can do this. And then I got a text from my friend over the (eighth-grade summer) that was like, ‘Hey, why don’t you come do cross country? It’s like track in the woods.’”
Just getting started: “Coming into it as a freshman, I didn't know that I would have the potential to win. My coach told me first race, do top 20. And I won. From that point, there weren't too many races that I lost. And the ones I did, basically the meet that I lost consistently every year was the Mack(inaw) City Invitational where we ran against Harbor Springs, Petoskey and Gaylord St. Mary. And even at those meets I got second or third. And this year was my first year that I won it. … It came to me naturally as a freshman, and as the years went on I realized I had to do a lot more offseason work and I had to do a lot more in-season work not only to keep my speed, but to go faster. This was my first summer that I actually ran consistently all summer, so this season I came out and broke my PR first meet and then consistently stayed within the mid 16:30s.”
Bays on a run: “When I came in as a freshman, our cross country program was a club. Cross country was out of the picture for a lot of students, and a lot of people didn't want to participate. And track, the year that I was in eighth grade, high school track I think had 11 participants. So it's amazing to see not only how I, but how the entire cross country team has progressed. This season we had about 15 consistent runners for cross country, and last track season … I think by the end we had 25 participants, which is pretty impressive considering we had just 11 four years ago.”
Numbers games: “I think I want to run a business, or, I really like numbers; I’m in accounting right now, and I love balancing journals. So one thing I could do is be a financial officer at a bank, which is a pretty cool deal. … I definitely love in physics, when we have equations, just trying to figure out the mystery behind it and when you can’t make something add up.”
– Geoff Kimmerly, Second Half editor
Past honorees
Oct. 17: Jack Spamer, Brighton cross country - Report
Oct. 10: Kaylee Maat, Hudsonville volleyball - Report
Oct. 3: Emily Paupore, Negaunee cross country - Report
Sept. 26: Josh Mason, South Lyon soccer - Report
Sept. 19: Ariel Chang, Utica Eisenhower golf - Report
Sept. 12: Jordyn Shipps, DeWitt swimming - Report
PHOTOS: (Top) Brimley's Austin Plotkin pushes toward the finish at Saturday's Upper Peninsula Division 3 Final. (Middle) Plotkin runs with a pack earlier in the race. (Photos by Cara Kamps.)