SAC Sound-off: It's not the Win, But the Race
February 8, 2012
All I ever wanted from my high school athletic career was to be an all-state runner in cross country.
My sophomore year, our cross country team won the MHSAA Division 3 title at Michigan International Speedway, but we didn’t have any all-state runners! I was so excited because our top five consisted of four seniors and me. I was our number three runner, and placed 44th overall. It seemed like just the start of big things.
Track season was a blast that year, even though I didn’t qualify for the MHSAA Finals in any events. But when I got back into cross country in fall 2010, I really wanted to be all-state. (The top 30 individuals in each race receive the honor.)
I trained really hard, but I couldn’t get any faster than when I was a sophomore. In fact, I was running slower than I did the year before. I ended up placing 47th in my division at the MHSAA Finals. I was extremely disappointed. But, the season was over. I decided it was time to focus on track.
I ran all winter and attended a few indoor meets. The training paid off when the season started. I was running as fast as I did the year before, and I was able to make our 3200-meter relay team. I qualified for the MHSAA Division 3 Final only with my relay team, but we placed third – and I finally was all-state.
But I wanted more. I wanted to earn the honor by myself.
I ran nearly 500 miles over the summer to prepare for the 2011 cross country season. I ran faster than I ever had before. I thought I had all-state in the bag this year.
And again, I fell short. Again, I placed 47th at MIS.
Yes, I was very disappointed in myself again. But I learned that getting the all-state medal is not what is important. Having fun is what really matters. And throughout my career, I’ve had plenty.
That doesn’t mean I’m not going to try to get all-state this spring. It just means that I am going to have more fun trying!
Travis Clous, Benzie Central senior
- Sports: Cross country, track and field, basketball
- Non-sports activities: Student section, pep band, marching band, concessions worker
- Favorite classes: Band and AP biology
- Must-see TV: "How I Met Your Mother"
- One shining moment: My sophomore year of cross country when we won the MHSAA Finals even though we did not have a single all-state runner.
- What’s next: I plan to attend either Hope College or Michigan State University to enter the pre-med field, but as of now. I am still undecided. I plan to run wherever I go, though.
- My favorite part of game day is: ... before the race, I listen to my Ipod. I usually listen to older music to get pumped. I also like to listen to Disney soundtracks; my favorite is the music from "Mulan." The songs usually get stuck in my head, and I end up singing them on the run. I feel like the music helps move me along.
PHOTO courtesy of Travis Clous (front), running at the MHSAA Division 3 Cross Country Final.
Preview: Team Title Races Could Highlight UP Boys Track & Field Finals
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
May 31, 2024
We’re guaranteed at least one new team champion at Saturday’s Upper Peninsula Boys Track & Field Finals, and that may be just the start of changes at the top of the podium to conclude this season.
All three team title races appear to have multiple strong contenders, and Division 2 especially will require frequent score updates as reigning champion Pickford is likely to receive a strong challenge from Munising, which won Division 3 a year ago but is competing in Division 2 this weekend.
We’re guaranteed at least one new team champion at Saturday’s Upper Peninsula Boys Track & Field Finals, and that may be just the start of changes at the top of the podium to conclude this season.
All three team title races appear to have multiple strong contenders, and Division 2 especially will require frequent score updates as reigning champion Pickford is likely to receive a strong challenge from Munising, which won Division 3 a year ago but is competing in Division 2 this weekend.
All three divisions will again be contested at Kingsford High School, with preliminaries leading off the day at 9 a.m. local (Central) time. Tickets cost $11 and are available digitally only via GoFan.
MHSAA.tv will live-stream the meets beginning at 9 a.m. (CDT)/10 a.m. (EDT), viewable with subscription. Check out the Boys Track & Field page for meet information and lists of all qualifiers. Those described as "seeded" below have received those seeds based on Regional performances.
Following is a glance at team contenders and individuals to watch in all three divisions:
Division 1
Team forecast: Marquette has won the last three championships and Kingsford has finished runner-up the last two seasons, last year separated by 20 points and Marquette prevailing by just one point in 2022. Sault Ste. Marie might be the strongest challenger for the Sentinels this time, able to mix contenders in sprints and challengers in the distance events where Marquette often stacks points.
Darrent Butler, Menominee sophomore: He gave Menominee its third-straight Division 1 high jump champion last season and could run the streak to four as the top seed with a jump (6-2) three inches higher than his winner last year.
Wyatt Demers, Manistique senior: He won the 100 in Division 2 last season and was on a relay champ as a sophomore, and will run the 100, 200 and on the top-seeded 1,600 relay (3:40.97) this weekend.
Michael Floriano, Kingsford senior: He won the 200 as a sophomore and the 100 last spring while also finishing second in the 200 and running on the championship 800 relay and runner-up 400 relay. He’s seeded second in the 200 (23.90), third in the 100 (11.59) and will run again on two relays.
Noah Johnson, Kingsford senior: The reigning discus champion and shot put runner-up is seeded first in both throws at 165-9 and 49-5½, respectively, and also will compete in long jump.
Gabe Litzner, Sault St. Marie sophomore: Already a two-time UPD1 cross country champion, Litzner was second in the 3,200 and third in the 1,600 at his first Track Finals and is seeded first in both this weekend at 9:45.65 and 4:33, respectively.
Rayce Rizzo, Sault Ste. Marie senior: The reigning pole vault champion enters Saturday as the top seed (13-6) and also will compete in long jump.
Ryver Ryckeghem, Sault Ste. Marie senior: He’s surged as a senior and enters the weekend as the top seed in the 100 (11.47) and 200 (23.77) and running on the 800 relay.
Garrett Veale, Kingsford senior: He won the shot put as a junior and is the second seed to teammate Johnson in that throw (45-11) and also among contenders in discus.
Division 2
Team forecast: Pickford won Division 3 in 2022 and then moved into Division 2 last year and claimed a second-straight team title by a commanding margin. Last year’s runner-up Manistique is in Division 1 this season, but 2023 Division 3 champ Munising is in Division 2 this time and could be the strongest challenger to a Pickford lineup that still has contenders across several events.
Matthew Colavecchi, Iron Mountain senior: After winning the 100 and 200 dashes and running on two championship relays in Division 2 as a sophomore, he finished third in the 100 in Division 1 last spring. He returns to Division 2 as the top seed in the 100 (11.51), 200 (23.87) and long jump (18-9½) and running on the top-seeded 400 relay (45.87).
Dan Goss, Munising junior: He could make a big jump after finishing third in the 3,200 and sixth in the 1,600 in Division 3 last year, entering this weekend seeded first in Division 2 in the 800 (2:08.24), 1,600 (4:43.65) and 3,200 (10:58.55).
Hayden Hagen, Pickford senior: Last season’s champ in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200, and part of the runner-up in the 3,200 relay, Hagen is seeded third in the 400, second to Goss in the 800 (2:09.67) and 1,600 (4:47.88), and fifth in the 3,200.
Joe Kelley, Munising senior: He ran both hurdles races and on a fourth-place relay in Division 3 last season, but this time he’s the Division 2 top seed in the 110 (16.25) and 300 hurdles (41.92) and will run on the top-seeded 1,600 relay (3:46.98) and second-seeded 400 relay (46.90).
Brayden Martin, Ishpeming senior: The reigning discus champion and fourth-place finisher in the shot put, Martin is the second seed in the shot put (40-8) and third in the discus (111-8).
Division 3
Team forecast: The last two Division 3 team champions are competing in Division 2 this season, but 2023 runner-up Newberry was only 22.5 points off Munising’s pace last year and might be the favorite this time. St. Ignace also is back in Division 3 after finishing fourth in Division 2 last season and has a couple of potential high scorers in the mix.
Chris Hopson, Newberry senior: He won the 300 hurdles as a junior and will run that race and as part of the 1,600 relay.
Jonny Ingalls, St. Ignace senior: The Saints’ basketball star is the top seed this weekend in the 110 hurdles (16.85) and 300 hurdles (43.74) and running on the top-seeded 1,600 relay (3:48.07) and second-seeded 400 relay (46.30).
Matthew Jokela, Lake Linden-Hubbell senior: He’s expected to contribute significantly coming off fourth places last season in the 200 and 400 and this time seeded first in both at 23.85 and 52.17 seconds, respectively, plus third in the 100 and running on the second-seeded 800 relay.
Kalvin Kytta, Chassell junior: Last year’s 3,200 champ and 1,600 third-place finisher is seeded first in the 800 (2:08.80), 1,600 (4:45.47) and 3,200 (11:00.34).
Owen Lester, St. Ignace senior: He won the pole vault in Division 2 last season and is tied for the top seed in that event (11-6) and will run on three top-three relays including the favored 1,600 with Ingalls.
Matthew Rahilly, Newberry junior: He won long jump, was runner-up in high jump and ran on the winning 800 and runner-up 400 relays as a sophomore. He enters this time top-seeded in the long jump (19-4), tied for the top seed in the high jump (5-10) and running on the top-seeded 800 relay (1:37.81) and third-seeded 400 relay.
PHOTO Kingsford's Michael Floriano, center, edges Marquette's Jacob MacPhee in the 100 dash May 10 in Negaunee. (Photo by Cara Kamps.)