Runners-up Become Champions in D4
November 7, 2015
By Bill Khan
Special for Second Half
BROOKLYN — Zachary Pettinga of Saugatuck lost the race, but didn't lose his sense of humor.
Explaining the decisive move made by Evart's Santana Scott, Pettinga said, "The top of his head blinded me. I lost my footing and everything."
Scott was rocking a look that made him look more like a senior citizen than a high school senior, with the top of his head shaved completely while keeping the hair on the sides and back.
The things high school kids will do in the name of team bonding.
"It's a team thing," Scott said. "We do it every year. I was a senior, so I got to decide, me and a couple other seniors. We thought this would look cool."
Despite the crazy look, Scott was all business when the gun went off.
He separated himself from Pettinga in the second mile to win in 16:05.7 in the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 4 championship race Saturday at Michigan International Speedway. Pettinga's second-place finish in 16:22.2 led Saugatuck to the team championship by a 51-92 margin over Bear Lake/Onekama. Harbor Springs was third with 179 points.
Scott became only the second MHSAA cross country champion for Evart, the first coming in 1952 when Gaylord Denslow was the Class C-D champion with a two-mile time of 11:02.1. Scott has talked with Denslow, who still lives in Evart.
"He's pretty cool," Scott said. "He gives me lots of running advice. He says just be one with your team and run for your team, not for yourself. That made a big impact this year."
Scott moved up the ranks each year at the MHSAA Finals, placing 36th (16:54.1) in 2012, 20th (17:02.2) in 2013 and second (15:54.7) last year. He was ecstatic with his second-place finish last season, realizing that nobody was going to catch three-time champion Jesse Hersha of Concord.
"Last year I just ran my heart out," Scott said. "Today it was to win. I didn't get the time I wanted, but races happen. I think it's actually windier than last year."
Saugatuck will probably be favored to repeat after winning Division 4 for the second time in three years. The Indians had five juniors, a sophomore and a freshman in a lineup that put five runners in the top 15. Pettinga and fellow juniors Nick Butch and Orlando Carrion were on Saugatuck's 2013 championship team and 2014 runner-up squad.
The addition of freshman Corey Gorgas helped put Saugatuck back on top. He was the Indians' No. 2 runner, placing 11th in 16:41.4. The rest of Saugatuck's pack included Butch (13th, 16:46.1), Carrion (14th, 16:49.7) and sophomore Keegan Seifert (15th, 16:51.8).
Bear Lake/Onekama had three runners across before Saugatuck, but didn't have the Indians' strength at the No. 4 and No. 5 spots. Bear Lake/Onekama has been creeping closer to the top, placing ninth in 2012, fourth in 2013, third in 2014 and second in 2015.
The MHSAA Cross Country Finals are sponsored by the Michigan National Guard.
PHOTOS: (Top) Saugatuck’s Orlando Carrion (919) pushes toward the finish with teammate Keegan Seifert following close behind; they finished 14th and 15th for the team champion. (Middle) Evart’s Santana Scott improved from runner-up in 2014 to claim the individual title. (Click for more from RunMichigan.com.)
Pioneer Closes Finals with D1 Sweep
November 4, 2017
Second Half reports
BROOKLYN — On top of the normal pressure of racing in the MHSAA Cross Country Finals, runners in the boys Division 1 meet Saturday had to wait through two weather delays before taking the course at Michigan International Speedway.
Every team and every runner had different ways of coping with the extra dose of stress.
What did Ann Arbor Pioneer do?
Sing.
“We just act like it never happened,” Pioneer junior Nick Foster said. “Our team stayed loose and tried to act like it was a normal race, a normal start. We actually did start singing Bob Marley’s ‘Don’t Worry About a Thing’ to stay loose. It’s fun. We knew this was a good opportunity for our team. We wanted to execute.”
The Pioneers brushed aside the one-hour, 10-minute delay and swept the team and individual championships in Division 1.
Pioneer edged Plymouth by a slim 107-110 margin, while Foster unleashed a fierce kick to win a three-man battle for the individual title.
Rockford senior Cole Johnson was leading with the finish line in sight, but Foster stormed from behind to take the lead with about 20 yards remaining. Foster crossed the line in 15:16.1, Johnson was second in 15:18.2 and White Lake Lakeland junior Harrison Grzymkowski was third in 15:18.4.
“I realized it was coming down to the end,” Foster said. “I saw he was fading, so I tried to catch him. There was also someone right behind me. I just gave it everything I had at the end, just to see what happened. Cole’s such a good runner. I didn’t think it was possible.”
It was the sixth team championship for Pioneer, which last won in 2008.
“That’s more important to me than winning individually,” Foster said. “I just know if I get first, that’s the best I can do for the team. We have such a strong team this season with a lot of seniors. I wanted to do it for them.”
After Foster, the Pioneers’ next four runners finished within 16.8 seconds of each other. Senior Aldo Pando-Girard was 20th among team runners in 15:59.1, junior John Florence was 25th in 16:11.5, senior Jack Wallace was 26th in 16:12.0 and senior Philip Valtadoros was 35th in 16:15.9.
By coming in second, Plymouth had the best finish in school history, eclipsing third-place finishes in Class B in 1944 and 1947. The Wildcats hadn’t finished in the top 10 since taking 10th in Class A in 1961.
Led by sophomore Carter Solomon’s fifth-place overall finish in 15:24.2 and with only one senior in the top six, Plymouth might improve upon that showing next year.
Defending champion Lakeland took third with 130 points.
PHOTOS: (Top) Ann Arbor Pioneer’s Nick Foster crosses the finish line at Saturday’s Division 1 Final. (Middle) Pioneer’s Aldo Pando-Girard (5) and New Baltimore Anchor Bay’s Michael Zedan (888) race through a stretch. (Click for more from RunMichigan.com.)