Questions Answered for D1 Winner
November 2, 2013
By Bill Khan
Special to Second Half
BROOKLYN — It's been a year of "what-ifs" for Grand Blanc junior Grant Fisher.
What if the Bobcats' soccer team hadn't made the MHSAA Division 1 Final last season?
What if Fisher, a starting midfielder as a sophomore, hadn't chosen to play in the championship game instead of running in the MHSAA Cross Country Finals, which took place on the same day?
How would he have done against the best runners in the state?
"The soccer final didn't turn out the way we wanted," Fisher said. "We lost 1-0 to East Kentwood. There's always the thought that maybe I could've come here that day and not gone to the soccer game and maybe contended for state. I don't regret that decision, but it's definitely good to be back."
There will be no questions swirling in Fisher's head for the next year. He ran to the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 1 championship Saturday with a time of 15:13.7, beating Kensington Lakes Activities Association West rival and defending champion Brian Kettle of Milford by 18 seconds.
The soccer issue was settled when an unbeaten Grand Blanc team was upset 1-0 in the District Final by Clarkston on Oct. 19. Fisher had already determined that he would run in the cross country finals if the Bobcats reached the soccer final.
"We definitely had a good chance to make it in soccer," Fisher said. "We were ranked fourth going in. It was really too bad of a way to go out. It's allowed me to train for cross more and focus. It's definitely helped my cross country. I haven't won a state title in cross. That's something I really wanted to do."
Fisher already had an MHSAA championship on his resume, winning the 3,200-meter run in track and field last spring after taking second in the 1,600 by the narrowest of margins. In his only cross country final before Saturday, Fisher was 44th as a freshman in 16:14.3.
He had raced Kettle one other time this season, winning by 14.6 seconds in the KLAA Lakes Conference meet on Oct. 17. As was the case in that meet, Fisher and Kettle ran together through two miles before Fisher pulled away.
"I didn't want to leave it for too late, so I made my move at two miles," Fisher said. "Brian was with me for a good amount of time. He was right on my shoulder."
Fisher became the third Bobcat to win an MHSAA championship. Mark Mesler was the Class A team champion in 1977 and Chris Catton was the 2002 Division 1 winner.
Kettle didn't come away empty-handed, as he led Milford to a third straight team championship by placing in the top two for the third year in a row.
Milford edged KLAA Lakes rival Waterford Mott, 165-170, for the title. Mott had beaten Milford in both of the teams' meetings this year, winning 88-114 at the Oakland County Championships on Oct. 5 and 63-72 in the KLAA Lakes Conference meet on Oct. 17.
Milford put it together at the right time to win a fifth championship in the last 11 years.
The difference for the Mavericks was at the No. 4 spot, where senior Kevin Black had a 24-point advantage on Mott's No. 4 runner. Three positions were relatively even between the teams, while Mott had an 18-point advantage at No. 2.
Scoring for Milford were Kettle, senior Jeffery Field (28th in the team race, 16:24.0), junior Sean Noone (31st, 16:25.2), Black (34th, 16:26.6) and senior Clinton Caddell (70th, 16:48.5).
Mott had two runners in the top 10 in the team race, third-place Ryan Robinson (15:42.6) and 10th-place Sam Albaugh (15:55.5).
Traverse City Central also was in the title hunt, taking third with 180 points. The Trojans had three runners in the top 11 in the team race, but their No. 5 runner was 118th.
PHOTO: Grand Blanc's Grant Fisher (1023), Waterford Mott's Ryan Robinson (1175), Royal Oak's Ben Hill (1254) and Milford's Brian Kettle (1047) paced the field at Saturday's LP Division 1 Final. (Click to see more from RunMichigan.com.)
Preview: Forecast Calls for New Favorites
November 5, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
With apologies to Division 2 favorite Fremont, this weekend’s Lower Peninsula Boys Cross Country Finals at Michigan International Speedway could be in store for wholesale changes atop the team standings.
Fremont is the only reigning champion or 2019 runner-up ranked among the top three in its division heading into this weekend’s championship races.
A change in format also will switch things up a bit. To limit the number of participants in each race, the four divisions will be run over two days – Friday and Saturday – with each gender in each division spread over two races. Third-place teams and individual qualifiers from Regionals will run first, and first and second-place Regional finishers will run second.
Watching this year’s Finals at MIS also will be different. Attendance is limited due to COVID-19 precautions, but opportunities to watch off-site are available again via MHSAA.tv. Coverage will be enhanced this year with an additional camera on the back of the course to better capture the first 800 meters, 1.5-mile and 2.25-mile marks of the race. The traditional Finish Line camera also will cover the action, with commentary from a crew of announcers.
Here’s the schedule, with links to broadcasts of each race:
Friday – Nov. 6
Division 1 Finals - Boys at 9:30 and 10 a.m. - Girls at 11 and 11:30 a.m.
Division 2 Finals - Boys at 1:30 and 2 p.m. - Girls at 3 and 3:30 p.m.
Saturday – Nov. 7
Division 3 Finals - Boys at 9:30 and 10 a.m. - Girls at 11 and 11:30 a.m.
Division 4 Finals - Boys at 1:30 and 2 p.m. - Girls at 3 and 3:30 p.m.
Come back both Friday and Saturday for coverage of all four meets on Second Half, and see below for teams and individuals who should be in the running. References to a list of fastest times per division this fall includes only the top time for each runner and can be found with the Finals program and much more information on or linked to MHSAA.com.
Division 1
Reigning champion: Brighton
2019 runner-up: Dexter
2020 top-ranked: 1. Romeo, 2. Caledonia, 3. Rockford
This season’s favorites are a mix of everything, with Romeo seeking its first championship, Caledonia its first since 1996 and Rockford a traditional power hoping to add a fifth championship with its most recent in 2014 and 2015. Romeo finished seventh last season and graduated four of its top seven, but the three runners back this weekend – seniors Zander Cobb and Joseph Rinke and junior Jack Kelke – are positioned to finished among the top 22 based on their fastest times this season. Caledonia is looking to jump from 10th last season returning its top four placers from that team and with senior Jamin Thompson and junior Josh Oom posting the 24th and 25th-fastest season bests in Division 1 this fall. Rockford did finish second to Caledonia in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red championship race but might have the fastest individual of this bunch in senior Jude Parks, whose 15:30.88 is the eighth-fastest time in the division.
Individuals: Hartland senior Riley Hough finished seventh a year ago and has won all but one of his races this fall, with a 14:48.40 personal record that is the fastest time in Division 1. That one loss came in August against Ann Arbor Skyline to senior Hobbs Kessler, who finished sixth last season, has the division’s second-fastest time of 14:53.30 and is undefeated this fall. Traverse City Central senior Drew Seabase and Plymouth senior Patrick Byrnes rank third and fourth, respectively, for fastest times this season after finishing 17th and fifth at the 2019 Final. Jenison senior Connor Vachon (12th), Milford senior Kazuma Bowring (14th) and Farmington senior Peter Baracco (19th) also are back from last year’s top 20, and Richland Gull Lake senior Koby Fraaza was fifth in Division 2. Salem senior Talha Syed and Utica senior Carson Nicoletti have been among the fastest this fall and should be in the mix.
Division 2
Reigning champion: Fremont
2019 runner-up: Otsego
2020 top-ranked: 1. Fremont, 2. St. Johns, 3. Pinckney
Fremont broke Chelsea’s two-year hold on the Division 2 championship last season by finishing significantly ahead of the field and with only one senior. A year later, senior Nathan Walker will attempt to move up from fourth individually and has the fastest season-best time in Division 2 (14:56.46) by more than 34 seconds. The second-fastest time belongs to junior teammate Conor Somers (15:30.62), who was eighth at the 2019 Final, while now-seniors Adam Ward and Ben Paige also finished among the top 20. St. Johns has five of its seven back from last season’s eighth-place team, and they form an impressive pack – all five have season-best times between 15:56 and 16:31. The Redwings are seeking their first title. Pinckney, seeking its first since 2007, qualified two individuals for last year’s Division 1 Final, and senior Gavin White could make a move after coming in 20th in that field. His season best ranks seventh in Division 2 and junior teammate Caleb Jerema’s (15:32.30) ranks fourth.
Individuals: The Fremont crew makes up 40 percent of runners back from last season’s top 20, with Walker the highest-placing returnee and Somers second on the list. Otsego senior Colin Mulder was ninth last season and has the third-fastest time this fall (15:31.22), while St. Clair senior Jack Pennewell was 83rd a year ago but is unbeaten this season and has the fifth-fastest time (15:39.60). Ada Forest Hills Eastern senior Ben Clason (12th), Freeland sophomore Braydon Honsinger (13th), Holland Christian junior Parker Lambers (14th), Yale senior Matthew McClelland (15th) and Dearborn Divine Child sophomore Michael Hegarty (19th) also are back from the top 20.
Division 3
Reigning champion: Hanover-Horton
2019 runner-up: Grandville Calvin Christian
2020 top-ranked: 1. Hart, 2. St. Louis, 3. Traverse City St. Francis
The theme among the favorites is experienced lineups. Hart finished fifth last season with only one senior and is favored to claim its first championship Saturday. Senior Alex Enns finished sixth individually last season and has the seventh-fastest season-best time in Division 4. St. Louis is seeking its first championship since 2005 after finishing sixth in 2019 also with only one senior. Junior Nate March was 21st last season. St. Francis also is running for its first championship, coming off a fourth place in 2019 earned with only one senior. Junior Thomas Richards was 13th last season and has the team’s fastest time this fall.
Individuals: Benzie Central sophomore Hunter Jones won last year’s championship by nearly 29 seconds, and his fastest time this fall (14:56) is nearly 35 seconds faster than the field. New Lothrop senior Carson Hersch has the second-fastest 2020 season best (15:30.80) after finishing third last season. Ithaca senior Braxton Lamey is next this season (15:42.70) and the next-highest returning finisher after coming in seventh in 2019. Seven more who finished 10-20th last season will run again this weekend – Hanover-Horton senior Dean Reynolds (10th), Grandville Calvin Christian senior Luke Witvliet (14th), Homer senior Alec Shaw (16th), Parchment junior Garrett Winter (17th), Memphis senior Tyler Carlson (18th), Potterville senior Zach Wright (19th) and Bloomingdale senior Joe Furlan (20th). Dansville senior Jalen Nelson was 10th in Division 4 last season and Saranac senior Grayson Rasmus was 13th; both are running in Division 3 this weekend.
Division 4
Reigning champion: Breckenridge
2019 runner-up: Unionville-Sebewaing
2020 top-ranked: 1. Saugatuck, 2. Carson City-Crystal, 3. Webberville
Saugatuck frequently moves between Division 3 and 4 and last season was 10th in Divisions 3 with now-junior Max Sharnas coming in 27th and now-senior Nik Pettinga 29th. Pettinga was third and Sharnas 15th when Saugatuck won Division 4 in 2018. Carson City-Crystal is seeking its first title since 1994, and Webberville is running for its first ever. The Eagles bring back six runners from last year’s fourth-place finisher, with senior Coleman Clark hoping to take the next step after finishing second last year and junior Ashton Keiffer back after finishing 17th. Webberville returns four of its top five from last year’s 10th-place team, with Nathan Lott another individual contender coming back from a third-place finish. Pettinga has the fastest time in Division 4 this fall (15:52.03), Lott’s season best is third (15:53.48), Sharnas’ fourth (15:55.29) and Clark’s sixth (16:06.17).
Individuals: Breckenridge junior Mason Sumner is the reigning champion and has the second-fastest season best at 15:53.40. He’s one of 12 runners back from last year’s top 20 – six from the top eight and six more who placed 12-20th. Also back this weekend are Concord junior Jonathan Mikovits (4th in 2019), Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart senior Matthew Nowak (6th) Mayville senior Wyatt Emmons (8th), Breckenridge senior Colttion Vine (12th), Morrice senior Caleb Rivers (14th), Breckenridge junior Trent Carter (18th), Mendon senior Charlie Newburry (19th) and Sacred Heart junior Brock Lynch (20th).
PHOTO: Hartland’s Riley Hough (87) and Ann Arbor Pioneer’s Hobbs Kessler charge toward the finish line during last season’s Division 1 Final. (Click for more from RunMichigan.com.)