Preview: Changes Coming at the Top?
November 6, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
There could be a few changes on the trophy stand at the end of Saturday’s Lower Peninsula Girls Cross Country Finals at Michigan International Speedway.
But maybe not.
Reigning champions Birmingham Seaholm in Division 1, Grand Rapids Christian in Division 2 and Beal City in Division 4 all graduated pack leaders this spring – but remain among the top-three ranked teams in their respective divisions.
In an opposite scenario, two of the top three contenders in Division 3 didn’t run as a team at the Finals a year ago.
See below for the stories behind the team and individual races for all four divisions, and click for a full list of qualifiers for each and information on Saturday’s event – which this fall includes 975 girls.
DIVISION 1
Reigning champion: Birmingham Seaholm
2014 runner-up: Traverse City Central
2015 top-ranked: 1. Birmingham Seaholm, 2. Northville, 3. Brighton.
Seaholm graduated its top three from the championship run including the top two individual finishers in the LP Division 1 race – but the next three runners last season all finished among the top eight at last week’s Regional, with junior Audrey Ladd second and senior Patty Girardot crossing third. Northville won LPD1 in 2013 and then finished third last season with only one senior among its seven runners; all seven Mustangs finished among the top 16 at last week's Regional, led by senior Lexa Barrott in second place. She was 15th at the 2014 Final, and junior Cayla Eckenroth was 11th. Brighton finished only ninth a year ago but with three freshmen, two sophomores and a junior making up the top six. All seven runners were among the top 19 at last week’s Regional, with senior Jenna Sica third.
Individuals: In addition to the Northville pair mentioned above, seven more are back from last year’s top 15. Macomb L’Anse Creuse sophomore Karenna Duffey, Port Huron senior Rachel Bonner and Traverse City Central sophomore Sielle Kearney took third, fourth and fifth, respectively. Ann Arbor Pioneer sophomore Anne Forsyth was seventh and Romeo senior Emma Wilson was 10th. Wilson finished nine seconds ahead of Bonner at their Regional last week, and Kearney and Forsyth also won Regional titles – as did Farmington’s Maddy Trevisan and Grandville’s Madison Troy, who finished 12th and 13th at the 2014 Final. Milford junior Mallory Barrett, 17th last year, finished ahead of the Seaholm runners last week, and Royal Oak junior Grace Cutler and Saline sophomore Jessi Larson also broke 18 minutes in winning Regional races.
DIVISION 2
Reigning champion: Grand Rapids Christian
2014 runner-up: Otsego
2015 top-ranked: 1. Otsego, 2. Grand Rapids Christian, 3. East Grand Rapids.
Otsego finished a distant second to Grand Rapids Christian a year ago, but with no seniors and six underclassmen. The Bulldogs took seven of the top 12 places at their Regional with junior Megan Aalberts finishing first – she’s a strong possibility to improve on her fourth place at last season’s Final. Christian has won two straight LPD2 titles and can’t be counted out, of course. The Eagles put all seven runners among the top 11 at their Regional with junior Megan Schenkel third and senior Claire Brouwer fourth; Brouwer was ninth individually at the 2014 Final. East Grand Rapids was fifth at the Final with five seniors, but placed four underclassmen among the top 11 finishers in dominating this season's Regional. Sophomore Kate O’Connell, the team’s fifth finisher at MIS last year, came in second at the Regional.
Individuals: Aalberts is the top returning finisher from a year ago and Brouwer was third-fastest among racers who will be back. Hamilton junior Erika Freyhof was seventh a year ago and Whitehall junior Maya Hector was 12th, and Freyhof outpaced Holland Christian junior Kayla Windemuller 18:46-18:52 in one of the fastest Regional finishes in the division. Flint Powers Catholic junior Julia Vanitvelt, St. Clair sophomore Gabrielle Morton, Gaylord senior Alexis Smith and Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills senior Madison Goen all broke 19 minutes to win Regionals; Goen ahead of the Grand Rapids Christian group and Smith ahead of Hector.
DIVISION 3
Reigning champion: Ithaca
2014 runner-up: Shepherd
2015 top-ranked: 1. Traverse City St. Francis, 2. Lansing Catholic, 3. Benzonia Benzie Central.
St. Francis as a team will join reigning individual champion Holly Bullough at the Final this season after taking the top four places at its Regional with Bullough leading the way in an incredible 17:15.4 and freshman Katelyn Duffing and junior Emmalyne Tarsa both breaking 19 minutes. Lansing Catholic is expected to take a jump from sixth last season with its top three back and after taking the top three places at its Regional led by sophomore Olivia Theis, who broke 19 minutes and also was the top finisher for the team in 2014. Benzie Central also didn’t run as a team at last year’s Final; now-senior Stephanie Schaub was 23rd as an individual qualifier. The Huskies were the Regional runner-up to St. Francis placing all seven runners among the top 20 and five among the top 13.
Individuals: Bullough is the clear favorite and only three others from last year’s top 15 are back – Hart junior Sierra Albus (ninth), Clare junior Jasmine Harper (11th) and Ithaca junior Courtney Allen (12th). Watch for a trio of freshmen: St. Louis’ Brooklyn Filipiak, Hart’s Adelyn Ackley and Shepherd’s Amber Gall all broke 19 minutes at their Regionals, the latter two finishing ahead of Harper and Albus.
DIVISION 4
Reigning champion: Beal City
2014 runner-up: Kalamazoo Hackett
2015 top-ranked: 1. Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart, 2. Saugatuck, 3. Beal City.
Sacred Heart, third at the 2014 Final, has been a few steps ahead of two-time reigning champion Beal City this season and finished ahead of the Aggies again in winning their Regional. Irish junior Alexis McConnell finished individual runner-up a year ago and won the Regional in 18:53.9 as her team placed all seven runners among the top 11 and four of the top five. Beal City put five among the top 18 at the Regional, and senior Hannah Steffke leads the way after finishing sixth individually at MIS in 2014. Saugatuck was eighth at last year’s Final but paced by three underclassmen. Sophomore Paisley Sipes was the leader last year coming in 15th at the Final and won this year’s Regional followed by two more strong underclassmen – freshmen Thea Johnson and Rose O’Brien – as all seven runners came in among the top 12.
Individuals: Familiar faces will abound as 11 of last season’s top 15 will be back at MIS – including reigning champion Ava Strenge. The Battle Creek St. Philip junior dominated most of this season – but despite running an 18:50 at the Regional finished second by 10 seconds to Kalamazoo Hackett sophomore Mary Ankenbauer, who came in third individually at the 2014 Final. Waterford Our Lady senior Tessa Fornari, eighth last season, won in the fastest Regional time in the division at 18:27.3. Lutheran Westland senior Jenna Wisner, 10th last year, also won a Regional title, by nearly a minute.
The MHSAA Cross Country Finals are sponsored by the Michigan National Guard.
PHOTO: Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart’s Alexis McConnell (1848), Battle Creek St. Phillip’s Ava Strenge (1972) and Waterford Our Lady’s Tessa Fornari (1912) finished among the top eight in LP Division 4 last season and are among strong favorites this weekend. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Hancock, Munising Reign Again, While Marquette Wins Matchup of Rivals
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
October 22, 2022
FLAT ROCK — There was a feeling the race for the Upper Peninsula Division 1 girls championship would be a close one here Saturday.
That’s exactly how it played out as Marquette edged two-time reigning champion Houghton 35-37. Third-place Sault Ste. Marie scored 104 points.
“The girls did fantastic,” said Marquette coach Derek Marr. “I’m impressed with the way they came through. We were down slightly after two miles, then they really picked it up. I applaud the Houghton girls for their effort. They really went after it.”
Houghton freshman Tessa Rautiola won the 3.1-mile race in 20 minutes, 11 hundredths of a second. She was followed by Sault senior Cassandra Gallagher (20:07.7) and Marquette freshman Ella Fure (20:13.69).
“I just wanted to enjoy the last race of the season,” said Rautiola. “I’m happy with how everything went. We’re pretty happy with our performance. I think this will just make us work harder next year.”
Gallagher achieved a personal record by one second.
“I’m very happy with that,” she said. “I’m also happy with how our team did. I didn’t want to go out too hard today. I was in 10th place at the mile mark. This was my last high school cross country race and I really wanted to give it my all. I tried to catch Tessa, but she ran a real good race. We had nice weather. There were a lot of hills out there, but I liked the course.”
Fure said this was a learning experience for her.
“I learned to work with our team and trust in myself,” she added. “I tried to spread out my energy, which takes a lot of practice. My pacing didn’t go as well in the past. We had been running on flatter courses the last couple weeks to save it for the Finals. We had a few hills out there today, and I had to get used to that all over again. I appreciate all the support I received from our team and coaches.”
Marquette placed the third, fourth, seventh, 10th and 13th placers to edge Houghton, which had finishers in first, fifth, eighth, 11th and 14th. Sophomore Monet Argeropoulos followed Fure in fourth, with junior Abby Harma crossing the line seventh for Marquette. Sophomore Lily Ross was fifth for Houghton, and junior Ayla Miller was eighth.
Division 2
Hancock repeated as Division 2 champion with 23 points, followed by Ishpeming with 40 and Powers North Central at 68.
Ishpeming junior Lola Korpi retained her individual title in 20:18.81, followed by Manistique freshman Maya Carlson (21:26.38) and Bessemer (Gogebic) senior Natalie Stone (21:31.6).
“That’s awesome,” said Korpi, who had been battling a chest cold. “I was going for time. I’m still battling a chest cold and struggled a little with my breathing.
“We had a full team for the first time this year. I’m so happy the girls decided to run. Hancock was tough to beat. There was a little more pressure trying to defend my title, but it’s really nice to bring something back to our school.”
Carlson was also happy with the way everything fell into place.
“We had only four runners today, but still did good as a team,” she said. “I thought I had a chance to win it, but then I just wanted to stay in second place and finish with her (Stone). I think this was my best race of the year. I got stronger as the race went on. I did some races during the summer, and that helped a lot.”
Hancock surged on the strength of four top-10 individual placers – sophomore Ella Keranen in fifth, senior Maylie Kilpela in sixth, sophomore Rayna Towles in seventh and senior Liana Berg in ninth.
Division 3
Munising captured its third consecutive title with 26 points, followed by Eben Junction Superior Central at 71 and Stephenson with 97.
“We knew what we wanted to do this season and came out of here with a huge win,” said Munising coach Mark Kinnunen. “This just shows what hard work and leadership can do for you, and our senior leadership was as strong as it ever was.
“Competing with Superior Central is awesome. It’s fun having the two schools do so well. We went from having just one runner to earning three straight U.P. titles. I ran for Fran (former coach DesArmo) and learned a lot from him. It’s an exciting time to be coaching this team.”
Newberry freshman Samantha Taylor earned the top individual honor in 20:06.34, and junior teammate and 2021 champion Kaylen Clark was runner-up in a season-best 20:18.09.
“I’m obviously disappointed I didn’t win, but happy for Sam. She had an amazing season,” said Clark. I’m happy with the progress I made this year. We should be able to compete as a team next year, which will make it more fun. I gave it everything I had. I plan on training real hard. This just makes me hungrier for it.”
Munising senior Monique Brisson placed third (21:36.09), followed by classmate Hattie Cota (21:54.33).
“I think it’s pretty cool the two Alger County schools finished on top,” Brisson said. “We know each other pretty well. I’m proud of our team and definitely happy for them. It’s a pretty hard course, but I’m obviously capable of better. I’m happy for Hattie. She finished strong.”
PHOTOS (Top) Houghton's freshman Tessa Rautiola (47) and sophomore teammate Lily Ross (48), and Marquette freshman Ella Fure (83) and sophomore Monet Argeropoulos (81) run together during the Division 1 race. (2) Ishpeming's Lola Korpi smiles after she finishes the Division 2 Final. (3) Hancock's Ella Keranen (138), Rayna Towles (143), and Maylie Kilpela (140) run together during the Division 2 Final. (4) Competitors break away from the start during the Division 3 Final. (Photos by Cara Kamps.)