Rockford Finishes Extraordinary Repeat
November 7, 2015
By Bill Khan
Special for Second Half
BROOKLYN — It's not every high school cross country program that can lean upon the wisdom of an alumnus who is a three-time Olympian.
Rockford is no ordinary program, however.
Rockford cross country was put on the map by two runners who would become elite competitors in major races, Jason Hartmann and Dathan Ritzenhein. Ritzenhein is one of America's most recognizable runners, making the last three U.S. Olympic teams.
"Ritz" is living back in Michigan while training for next year's U.S. Olympic marathon trials, making him accessible to the current group of Rams, for whom he's a running idol.
Ritzenhein spoke with this year's team as it prepared to do something that not even the great teams led by he and Hartmann could do — win back-to-back MHSAA championships. Every little bit helped, as the Rams squeaked out a 99-101 victory over Northville in the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 1 meet Saturday at Michigan International Speedway.
Senior Isaac Harding won in 15:10.4, becoming Rockford's first individual champion since the four-year run of Hartmann (1997 and 1998) and Ritzenhein (1999 and 2000).
"It's kind of nice to sort of race through his footsteps a little bit," Harding said of Ritzenhein. "He supports the Rams. He talked to our team a little bit earlier this week. He reminds us to stay composed for the end of the season, supporting us and stuff like that."
Rockford had two MHSAA titles, in 2000 and 2002, before winning these back-to-back championships. The Rams, who have been to 21 straight MHSAA Finals, were runners-up three straight years from 1997-99.
"Winning the state meet last year was really exciting," Harding said. "We came back this year with four of our top five back. We had our fifth guy step up."
Harding, sophomore Cole Johnson, senior Grant Gabriel and senior Grayson Harding scored for Rockford each of the last two years. Johnson was third in 15:15.0, Gabriel 34th in 16:00.3 and Harding 39th in 16:04.4. Rounding out the scoring was senior Matthew MacGregor, who ran 16:24.9 in his first MHSAA Finals.
Northville had five runners cross among the top 33 among team runners, while Rockford's were in the top 54. Northville, however, couldn't overcome Rockford's strength at the top in Harding and Johnson.
In the individual race, Harding bided his time in windy conditions before breaking away from Alpena junior Mitchell Day in the final quarter mile. There were four runners in contention as the leaders entered the track.
"My goal was to make a move in the last 1,200 (meters) or 1K," Day said. "Four people did, then in the last 300, 400 meters is when the two of us made another move. He kind of took off."
Harding is the only member of the current Rockford team to run in the Finals for four years. He has improved every year in place and time, going from 70th (16:14.6) to 31st (16:06.8) to fourth (15:23.2) to champion.
"It's been kind of a really long road," Harding said. "Since my freshman year, I've been looking at results, trying to think if I can beat most of the people in my grade. Toward the end of my freshman year, I started thinking I could just try to work my way up the ladder and get to the top so my senior year I came through first."
It's the third straight year Northville has produced the best boys finish in school history. The Mustangs were fifth in 2013 and fourth last year. Prior to this run, the Mustangs' back-to-back ninth-place showings in 1977 and 1978 represented the high-water mark for the program.
Junior Ben Cracraft was 14th in 15:42.1, while senior Conor Naughton was 15th in 15:42.5 to lead Northville. Naughton has been part of all three top-five teams.
Novi was third with 176 points.
The MHSAA Cross Country Finals are sponsored by the Michigan National Guard.
PHOTOS: (Top) Rockford’s Isaac Harding pushes down the final stretch on the way to winning his first MHSAA title. (Middle) Rockford senior Grant Gabriel, 121, leads another pack toward the finish. (Click for more from RunMichigan.com.)
Brother Pairs Pace Kalkaska's Boys Cross Country Hopes
By
Tom Spencer
Special for MHSAA.com
September 10, 2021
Three sets of Kalkaska brothers will be running together again this weekend. And most likely Tyler Guggemos and Hayden Moore, both seniors, will be leading the Blazers.
This time, they’re running in the mud – the Charlevoix Mud Run.
The Mud Run is held every year by the Charlevoix Rayders. It’s a favorite of most teams as they overcome obstacles and challenges while getting a little dirty in the process. With multiple knee-deep mud pits, logs and other obstacles strewn throughout the course, overcoming those are at least as important as racing opponents when it comes to achieving a good finish.
Many of the teams are Kalkaska’s opponents in Lake Michigan Conference races and possible obstacles for MHSAA Finals qualification. And East Jordan, a league opponent, also is hosting the Regional.
The Mud Run will help the Blazers along in meeting the season goals.
Guggemos and Moore hope to qualify for the Lower Peninsula Division 3 Finals at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn. They’ve set their sights on individual qualification but have high hopes the whole team will be there, including their younger brothers Gavin Guggemos and Camden Moore, and senior twins Jake Olds and Dave Olds.
“We would like to finish in the top half of the teams at the Lake Michigan Conference meet and take a shot at qualifying for the state finals,” said Kalkaska cross country coach Doug Brown, who has coached all the brothers since they started running middle school track. “We'd have to be in the top three finishers at Regionals to do that.
“We'd at least like to get two or more runners to the state finals.”
Hayden Moore would love to reach the Finals with his younger brother coming along.
“I really want to get sub-17 (minutes) for the 5K and get into states,” Hayden said. “I also really want to get our team to states.”
Tyler Guggemos, who has a shot this fall at breaking Kalkaska’s cross country school record, agreed.
“I would like to make it to the state cross country meet and be in the top five in the state,” he said. “It would be great if the team made it too!”
The Blazers are off to a good start competing in McBain, East Jordan and Benzie Invitational meets with Guggemos finishing first for Kalkaska and Moore second. Their younger brothers as sophomores round out the top four. The twin Olds brothers are also pushing them along.
There’s a little sibling rivalry helping the Blazers, the boys acknowledge, but none noted between the brothers. The six boys have been running for Kalkaska together for six years, starting on the middle school track.
“Dave and I have competed quite a lot over the years, as is natural for twins to do,” said Jake Olds. “I wouldn’t call it a rivalry because he and I have different interests and have different goals in running.
“Having a brother on the team is a gift and a curse because, well, we are brothers and it’s fun to spend time together, to an extent.”
Gavin Guggemos hopes to match his brother’s success.
“It's nice to have someone to try to chase,” he said. “It's not a rivalry because he makes me want to be better.
“It's fun to train together,” Gavin continued. “My goals this year are to run in the 17s and make it to states.”
The younger Moore views it similarly.
“It’s not really a competition, although it is fun to compare times and say that you’ll catch them,” Camden said. “When it comes to times it’s fun to try to beat his when he was in my grade.”
Hayden finds motivation in his brother’s running.
“I think that it's a rivalry in that my brother races to beat my PR (personal record) at the same age and I race so that he can't beat my PR when he gets to my age,” he said. “We also have a rivalry over summer miles.”
The Guggemos and Moore brothers teamed up to run the 3,200 relay as sixth and eighth graders and then qualified for the Track & Field Finals in the 3,200 last spring as freshmen and juniors.
Brown is looking for even more success for all three pairs, but he remembers fondly the start in middle school track, especially the 3,200 relay team.
“I was very happy for them, because we thought they were a good team in middle school, and it was great to see them live up to their potential a few years later,” he said. “They were thrilled to be able to make a trip to the state meet together.”
Looking ahead, Kalkaska will host an invitational Sept. 21 after going to Elk Rapids on Sept. 16.
At Elk Rapids, the brother pairs will compete against Coach Brown’s son Seth, a sophomore. The Elks also have a brother duo – junior Caleb Kerfoot and sophomore Christian Kerfoot.
Tom Spencer is a longtime MHSAA-registered basketball and soccer official, and former softball and baseball official, and he also has coached in the northern Lower Peninsula area. He previously has written for the Saginaw News, Bay County Sports Page and Midland Daily News. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) From left: Tyler Guggemos, Hayden Moore, Camden Moore and Gavin Guggemos make up two thirds of a Kalkaska distance running group with Cross Country Finals aspirations this fall. (Middle) Those four also filled relay spots together during middle school track. (Below) Hayden Moore (580) rounds a bend during a race. (Photos courtesy of the Kalkaska athletic department.)