Preview: Be Prepared for Speedy Start
October 20, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Of 30 runners who finished among the top 10 in an Upper Peninsula Girls Cross Country Final last season, 18 will be returning for another championship opportunity Saturday at Pictured Rocks Golf Club in Munising.
And if that’s not sign enough that the competition will be high caliber, consider this – the two reigning champions returning will face off in the first race.
This year’s Finals kick off with the Division 3 girls, and it’s hard to imagine a better opener for reasons discussed more below – including what could be the day’s strongest individual and team competitions for either the girls or boys.
Races begin at 11 a.m. and finish with the Division 1 boys at 1:30 p.m. Check back Saturday evening for coverage of all six Upper Peninsula Finals, and see below for more teams and individuals to watch.
Division 1
Reigning champion: Sault Ste. Marie
2016 runner-up: Marquette
2017 top-ranked: 1. Sault Ste. Marie, 2. Marquette, 3. Negaunee.
This season’s Sault Ste. Marie team lines up much differently from the one that claimed the program’s first MHSAA title a year ago – when all six runners finished among the top 13. But sophomore Shelby Eavou is back after finishing ninth and sophomore Nicky Kucharczyk joins her after coming in 12th, and two freshmen have entered the mix with Haleigh Knowles topping the team with a seventh-place at the prestigious El Harger Invitational in September. Knowles and her teammates will have to fend off a Marquette team that returns only two of seven from last year’s Final but is led by sophomore Ericka Asmus, who finished 10th and won the Great Northern Conference meet last week. Negaunee is paced by its top three from last year’s team that finished sixth, including sophomore Emily Paupore and senior Clara Johnson – who came in third and fourth, respectively, among individual placers.
Other individuals: In addition to the five from last season’s top 10 who will return this weekend, Escanaba freshman Nicole Kamin could be one to watch Saturday and for the next three Finals after she finished second to Asmus at the GNC finale. Calumet freshman Clarity Gipp also should be in the mix over these next four Finals; she finished second at the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference meet and won one of the league jamborees this fall.
Division 2
Reigning champion: Ishpeming
2016 runner-up: Munising
2017 top-ranked: 1. St. Ignace, 2. Ishpeming, 3. Hancock.
St. Ignace is fresh of a sweep of Eastern Upper Peninsula Conference jamborees and is predicted to break Ishpeming’s three-year hold on the Division 2 title. The Saints finished fourth last season and return only two of five runners from that race, but they placed the top four runners at that final EUP jamboree as freshman Hallie Marshall led the way. The Hematites won last year in part on the strength of depth with all seven runners placing between ninth and 20th. Five of those seven are back, led by senior Kayla Kaukola and junior Brooke Johnson, who led the way in 2016 coming in ninth and 10th, respectively. Hancock returns its top five and six of its seven runners from last season’s third-place finish, with sophomore Mackenna Nuttall looking to break into the top 10 after coming in 11th a year ago.
Individuals: With Munising and its champion and runner-up from last year’s race moving to Division 3 this season, only four of the 2016 top 10 are back. Finishing ahead of Kaukola and Johnson last year were Ironwood’s Emily Carey in fifth and Iron River West Iron County’s Taylor Clark in seventh; both are juniors this season.
Division 3
Reigning champion: Cedarville
2016 runner-up: Chassell
2017 top-ranked: 1. Chassell, 2. Munising, 3. Engadine.
Cedarville ended Chassell’s two-year winning streak last season, edging the Panthers by 12 points. But Chassell has stormed back this fall and is led by five runners from last year’s lineup including reigning UPD3 champion Lela Rautiola, now a junior, and freshman Gwen Kangas, who came in ninth last year as an eighth-grader. Munising will certainly provide a challenge after finishing second in UPD2 last year. The Mustangs have five of last year’s seven runners in the lineup for this weekend, led by last season’s UPD2 individual champion, senior Alyssa Webber, and runner-up now-junior Madeleine Peramaki. Those two and Rautiola finished within six seconds of each other at the El Harger Invitational, Peramaki the fastest of the three. Cedarville does return three runners who placed among the top 10 and four of its seven total from last year, and could sneak into contention despite being an honorable mention in the latest UPD3 ranking.
Individuals: Webber’s 19:59 last year would’ve won the race by 13 seconds, and Peramaki would’ve placed fourth individually. Cedarville adds junior Caroline Freel, sophomore Lily Freel and freshman Cassidy Barr into the mix after they crossed sixth, eighth and 10th in UPD3, respectively, last season. Rock Mid-Peninsula sophomore Daisy Englund is back after finishing seventh, and Eben Junction Superior Central sophomore Danika Walters will look to move up after finishing fourth. And as mentioned, Rautiola is the reigning champ and Kangas was ninth – making it nine runners total competing in this race who were top-10 in one of the Finals last season.
PHOTOS: (Top) Negaunee’s Clara Johnson (691) and Emily Paupore (692) lead Marquette’s Ericka Asmus during the Aug. 31 Dale Phillips Invitational at Marquette. Asmus would end up winning the race, with Johnson second and Paupore third. (Middle) Munising’s Madeleine Peramaki (686) and Alyssa Webber (688) came in fourth and fifth, respectively, at the Phillips Invitational. (Photos by Cara Kamps.)
Preview: Past Champions Setting Up as Storylines Again in Finals Returns
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
November 1, 2024
Two reigning champions ranked to repeat and a past individual champion setting the statewide pace are among those anticipated to make headlines across four Lower Peninsula Girls Cross Country Finals on Saturday at Michigan International Speedway.
Romeo in Division 1 and Whitmore Lake in Division 4 will enter their championship races top-ranked after finishing first in their respective divisions a year ago. Holland West Ottawa senior Helen Sachs is looking to close her high school career with a second individual championship after placing first in Division 1 in 2022.
See below for more on several team and individual contenders Saturday. The "season bests" list referred to frequently is a ranking list of every runner's best time this season, maintained by Athletic.net. The first girls race, in Division 4, begins at 10:50 a.m.; click here for the full schedule and ticket information.
Additionally, all eight races Saturday at MIS will be streamed live and viewable with subscription on the NFHS Network: Divisions 1 & 2 | Divisions 3 & 4.
Division 1
Reigning champion: Romeo
2023 runner-up: Ann Arbor Pioneer
2024 top-ranked: 1. Romeo, 2. Holland West Ottawa, 3. Saline.
We’ve seen two repeat Division 1 girls champions over the last decade (technically three as Pioneer won three straight titles from 2019-21), and Romeo is favored to accomplish that feat as well. The Bulldogs placed the first seven individuals at their Regional, with six of those runners their top six from last season’s Final when they finished with 65 points – 61 fewer than the runner-up Pioneers. Sophomore Annie Hrabovsky (fourth), juniors Natalia Guaresimo (seventh) and Emmerson Clor (13th), and senior Lillian Deskins (22nd) all medaled last year. Holland West Ottawa finished third last season, and 2022 Finals individual champion Helen Sachs led West Ottawa to a dominating Regional win this time with four individuals among the top nine. Saline was fifth at the 2023 Final and won its Regional last weekend just ahead of Pioneer 28-41 with six individuals among the top 10.
Individuals: Two-time champion Rachel Forsyth of Pioneer graduated in the spring, but this field still returns a past winner in Sachs, whose 16:52.8 at the Otsego Invitational on Sept. 28 is the fastest time this season among runners competing this weekend in any division. She placed 11th in LPD1 a year ago. Rochester senior Lucy Cook has finished third the last two seasons and has the fourth-fastest top 5K time in any division this fall, and Midland Dow senior Victoria Garces has the third-fastest top time this season and is coming off a fifth-place Finals finish in 2023. Grand Blanc senior Gracy Tykocki was 10th at last year’s Final and finished runner-up at her Regional last weekend. Sachs, Garces, Cook and Annie Hrabovsky were Regional champions, joined by Kalamazoo Central senior Annie Alkema, Brighton junior Lydia LaMarra, Pioneer freshman Natasza Dudek, Canton junior Aiden Pengelly and Novi sophomore Katelynn Egli. Dudek has the fourth-fastest top time in Division 1 this fall.
Division 2
Reigning champion: Grand Rapids Christian
2023 runner-up: Otsego
2024 top-ranked: 1. Goodrich, 2. Zeeland East, 3. Grand Rapids Christian.
Grand Rapids Christian topped 2022 champion Otsego 112-131 a year ago with Goodrich just behind them in third at 139, and some combination could dominate the top of the standings again. The Martians didn’t have a senior in last year’s lineup, and six of those runners from 2023 were among the seven Goodrich competitors who finished among the top 15 at their Regional last weekend. Zeeland East is seeking its first top-two Finals finish and placed fifth last season with only one senior, and Grand Rapids Christian brings back three from last year’s championship lineup and placed five among the top 17 in its Regional victory.
Individuals: St. Johns sophomore Ava Schafer is the top returning placer from last year’s Final after finishing fourth, and she’s undefeated this season with the third-fastest top time in Division 2 at 17:32.4. Zeeland East senior Emma Drnek is right behind her on that list at 17:44.4 and finished seventh at last year’s Final, and Goodrich’s Kamryn Lauinger was ninth at last year’s Final. The fastest top times in Division 2 this season belong to Otsego junior Emma Hoffman – who also is undefeated – and Gaylord junior Katie Berkshire, who placed 17th and 73rd, respectively, in 2023. Berkshire ran a personal record 17:31.05 to win her Regional last weekend and was joined among Regional champs by Drnek, Hoffman, Schafer, East Grand Rapids sophomore Adeline Armstrong, Freeland sophomore Clara Kaczor, Linden sophomore Addison Josephson, Croswell-Lexington senior Eva Thompson and Carleton Airport senior Courtney Bovair.
Division 3
Reigning champion: Jackson Lumen Christi
2023 runner-up: Traverse City St. Francis
2024 top-ranked: 1. Lansing Catholic, 2. Traverse City St. Francis, 3. Central Montcalm.
Lansing Catholic is pursuing a second Finals championship after previously winning Division 2 in 2017 and finishing seventh in Division 3 last fall with just one senior. Four of last season’s Finals runners were among the seven who finished among the top 20 in last weekend’s Regional victory, with freshman Josie Bishop second individually. St. Francis won the championship in 2022 before finishing second last year to Lumen 140-177, and the Gladiators placed six among the top 14 in winning their Regional including the top two in senior Betsy Skendzel and sophomore Molly Kate Hollandsworth. Central Montcalm finished eighth last season with no seniors and is seeking its first top-two Finals finish, coming off falling one point behind No. 4 Pewamo-Westphalia but placing the top two individuals at their Regional.
Individuals: Central Montcalm’s Kyah Hoffman was that Regional champion noted above and finished third at last year’s Final; she’s run the fastest top time in the Division 3 field at 17:25.3. Skendzel is next on the top times list at 17:46.8 and finished fourth last season, and Emmry Ross (17:47.3) follows on the top times list after placing fifth at the 2023 Final. Lakeview sophomore Kamryn Salladay, Ypsilanti Arbor Prep senior Eliza Bush and Kent City senior Lila Volkers finished eighth, ninth and 10th, respectively, in last year’s championship race, and Muskegon Western Michigan Christian senior Grace VanderKooi was third in Division 4 and won her Division 3 Regional last week just ahead of Volkers. Also winning Regionals were Bush, Hoffman, Ross, Skendzel, Salladay, Fennville sophomore Isabelle Sliter, Millington junior Abigail Ross and Leslie junior Hailey Creisher.
Division 4
Reigning champion: Whitmore Lake
2023 runner-up: Johannesburg-Lewiston
2024 top-ranked: 1. Whitmore Lake, 2. Hillsdale Academy, 3. Harbor Springs.
Whitmore Lake’s championship last season was its first since 1996, and four of those title-winning runners return this weekend including 2023 individual runner-up Kaylie Livingston – who outpaced the field at her Regional last weekend by 1 minute, 44 seconds, at 17:51.9. Hillsdale Academy is hoping to make a jump from fourth last season as it pursues its first championship; the Colts didn’t have a senior last year and finished Division 4 runners-up in 2022, and placed all seven runners among the top 17 in a Regional title win. Harbor Springs won back-to-back titles in 2008 and 2009 and finished runner-up in 2015 as it too seeks to move up from a year ago, when it finished fifth also without a senior. The Rams placed six among the top 12 in winning their Regional.
Individuals: Livingston’s top time of 17:46.2 tops the Division 4 list by 14 seconds, and she is followed by Johannesburg-Lewiston senior Allie Nowak, who placed fourth in 2023. Whitmore Lake junior Carina Burchi was sixth at last year’s Final and sits fourth on this year’s top times list, and Gobles sophomore Libby Smith finished one spot behind her at last fall’s Final but is one spot ahead with the third-fastest top time in the division. Adrian Lenawee Christian senior Izzy Brooks is back after placing eighth last year, and Petoskey St. Michael senior Jane Manthei returns after placing 10th. Nowak was first and Manthei second at their Regional, and joining Nowak and Livingston among Regional winners were Brooks, Smith, Bear Lake/Onekama freshman Callie Sinke, Vestaburg senior Abigail Davis, Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep junior Emma Riker, Dryden junior Cara Prusakiewicz and Auburn Hills Oakland Christian senior Eliza Keith.
PHOTO Otsego’s Emma Hoffman (2411) leads on the way to winning Division 2 race Sept. 28 at the Otsego Invitational. (Photo by Gary Shook.)