Dow's Garces Runs with Legends, Romeo Makes Run at Legendary Team Score

November 2, 2024

BROOKLYN — When the name of Dathan Ritzenhein is brought up around current Michigan high school cross country runners, it’s a legendary name from the past whose exploits at Rockford took place before they were born.

The female equivalent is Ann Arbor Pioneer’s Rachel Forsyth, who shattered the girls course record at Michigan International Speedway only last year.

To Midland Dow senior Victoria Garces, Forsyth is not just a legendary name, but a contemporary. Garces was in the same race last year — albeit from a distance, like everyone else — when Forsyth posted her epic time of 16 minutes, 28.5 seconds to lower the MIS girls record by a jaw-dropping 23.6 seconds.

Forsyth seemed like she was on a different planet to Garces and anyone else who attempted to challenge her last fall.

Fast forward one year and Garces established herself as one of the all-time greats in Michigan cross country history by winning the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 1 Final in 16:37.1.

Garces’ time is the second-fastest ever at MIS and still a healthy 15 seconds lower than the mark Forsyth broke last year.

Romeo’s Natalia Guaresimo (355) and Kalamazoo Central’s Annie Alkema surge toward the finish line. “Honestly, I’m in shock,” said Garces, who was fifth at both of the last two Division 1 Finals. “I’m just so grateful I’m here healthy. Last year states was a little bit of a challenge for me. I dealt with a little bit of an injury going in. Being here healthy, I just changed my outlook and I’m trying to focus on different things this season. I’m just so grateful to be anywhere near Rachel Forsyth’s time, because she’s just incredible.”

Garces knew she had a special race going when her and 2022 Division 1 champion Helen Sachs of Holland West Ottawa reached the mile mark in 5:24. At the two-mile mark, Sachs was first in 10:43.5, with Garces hot on her heels in 10:44.7.

“Helen started turning it on after the first mile,” Garces said. “I’m like, ‘I’ve never done this before,’ but I still felt pretty good, so I’m like, ‘All right, I’ll try it.’”

Garces broke away on a downhill before entering the stadium, hitting the three-mile mark in 16:04.1. She wound up lowering her personal record by 18.3 seconds.

“I was like, ‘Oh, wow, if I really bring this in, I can maybe get under 16:40,’” she said. “That was insane. I was not expecting to get a PR today, but it was super cool.”

Garces raced only six times all season, winning each time. She broke 17 minutes in all of her final three races.

Finishing third in 17:04.1 was Pioneer freshman Natasza Dudek, who shattered the MIS freshman record of 17:28.7 set by Romeo’s Annie Hrabovsky last year.

Romeo repeated as team champion with a dominant performance, putting six of its seven runners on the all-state podium with top-30 finishes.

The Bulldogs scored 61 points to best runner-up Saline by 82. Romeo had six runners across the line before Saline’s second runner finished.

Junior Natalia Guaresimo was sixth in 17:40.8, sophomore Annie Hrabovsky was 11th in 17:46.8, senior Lillian Deskins was 17th in 17:57.4, senior Violet Hrabovsky was 20th in 18:03.9 and senior Olivia Purdy was 22nd in 18:08.4 for Romeo. Even though her score didn’t count, junior Emmerson Clor made all-state by placing 30th in 18:21.1.

Click for full results.

PHOTOS (Top) Midland Dow’s Victoria Garces eyes the finish as she pushes for what ended up the second-fastest girls time in Finals history at MIS. (Middle) Romeo’s Natalia Guaresimo (355) and Kalamazoo Central’s Annie Alkema surge toward the finish line. (Click for more from Dave McCauley/RunMichigan.com.)

Kent City's Evers Selected for NFHS National 'Coach of the Year' Honor

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

January 11, 2023

Kent City cross country coach Jill Evers has been named the 2021-22 National Coach of the Year for girls cross country by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Coaches Association.

Evers was selected by a committee including representatives from all eight NFHS sections – Michigan is part of Section 4 with Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Wisconsin.

The following brief bio includes an excerpt from Evers’ coaching philosophy, which nominees were asked to submit after being identified as candidates for the awards.

Jill EversJill Evers joined the Kent City athletic staff as an assistant cross country coach in 1991 after previously coaching a season each at Allegan High School and Allegan Middle School. She took over Kent City’s girls and boys varsity cross country programs in 1993 and also has served as head girls track & field coach since 1993. She led Kent City’s girls cross country team to a Lower Peninsula Division 3 Final runner-up finish in 2021, the program’s second runner-up finish under her leadership, and she’s also guided Kent City’s girls program to 15 league and seven Regional titles and nine total top-eight Finals finishes. She previously was named an NFHS Section Coach of the Year for girls track & field in 2006 after leading Kent City’s girls track & field team to its first MHSAA Finals championship in that sport, and inducted into the Michigan Interscholastic Track Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2012. Evers also is a longtime science teacher at Kent City and advisor and mentor for a variety of school activities in addition to coaching.

“I know people say, ‘Athletics is an extension of the classroom,’ but I believe it's so much more than that. While participating in sports, young people can learn about themselves and others, challenge themselves and grow physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially. Athletics is where we learn life lessons, such as how to lose with grace, cheer for teammates and even opponents, win with humility, deal with adversity, empathize with others, respect all those involved, be grateful for healthy bodies and opportunities to compete and push ourselves beyond what was originally thought possible. Success is different for each person, but I believe cross country lends itself to individual success. Everyone can improve and learn lifelong healthy habits. Everyone can set and achieve goals. Those who aren't as fast often earn the respect of the more gifted runners because of their perseverance. It is my job as a coach to encourage, motivate, and challenge all students who want to participate, and then congratulate them for a job well done.”

Three more Michigan coaches earned honors in Section 4. Mark Posey was honored in boys golf after leading Big Rapids to a 10th-place finish in Lower Peninsula Division 3 in 2022 after four straight Finals runner-up finishes. (There was no LP boys golf season in 2020 due to COVID-19.) Lake Orion boys lacrosse coach Ronald Hebert was honored after guiding his team to the Division 1 Quarterfinals last spring after taking the Dragons to the Semifinals in 2021. Scott Werner was honored in girls track & field after leading Pewamo-Westphalia to a runner-up finish at the Lower Peninsula Division 3 Finals. P-W shared the LPD3 Finals championship in 2021 and has won titles four of the last nine seasons (not counting 2020).

The NFHS has been recognizing coaches through an awards program since 1982.