Harding leads Rockford to narrow win

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Rockford repeated as the D1 boys team champion and did it by one of the narrowest margins in meet history. Rockford scored 99 points to Northville’s 101 at the Michigan Speedway.

Isaac Harding (photo, above, by Ron Harney) succeeded two-time Foot Locker champion Grant Fisher as the D1 individual champion and his Rockford teammate, sophomore, Cole Johnson, was third.

Harding’s time was one of the 10 fastest in state meet history, according to the Detroit Free Press. He ran 15:10.4 and won by three seconds. He also became the first state champion from Rockford since Jason Hartmann (1997-98) and Dathan Ritzenhein (1999-2000). Still, the team had to hang to win a nail-biter. Northville’s fifth guy was 54th overall, Rockford’s 84th.

Birmingham Seaholm won the girls D1 title with 90 points and Brighton was second (136).

Madison Troy of Grandville, a sophomore, won the girls race in 17:28.2 as sophomore took three of the top four places. Troy collided with another runner and fell after the mile. But she got up and beat a deep field full of potential winners and improved from 13th a year ago to first.

In Division 2, the Fremont boys and Otsego girls were the team champions. Erika Freyhof from Hamilton won the girls race in 18:00.7. Morgan Beadlescomb of Algonac won the boys race in 15:26.5.

In Division 3, Abe Visser from Grandville Calvin Christian won the boys race in 15:34.8. Traverse City St. Francis senior Holly Bullough had one of the fastest times of the day for the girls, running 17:41.8 and winning by almost 37 seconds. Her teammates finished fourth and fifth and the team won the title with 61 points.

In Division 4, Santana Scott from Evart ran to a convincing win with 16:05.7. Saugatuck packed its top four runners together and won the team title with 51 points. Tessa Fornari of Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes won the girls race in 18:14.5. Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart won the team title.

At the Upper Peninsula championships in Gladstone (Oct. 24), Lance Rambo from Marquette won the D1 boys race in 16:11 for a 23-second win. Negaunee won the team title with 43 points, thanks to a 2-7-9-11-13 finish. Marquette’s Lindsey Rudden ran 18:59.8 to win the girls race and led her team to the championship as well.

In D2, Ishpeming held sway and won both team titles. Khora Swanson led a group that went 1-3-6-9-12 on the way to the girls team championship. Sam Dean from Wakefield-Marenisco won the boys race.

Chassell swept the D3 team titles. Natalie Beaulieu of Newberry (19:24.5) and Brett Hannah of Munising (16:52.3) were the individual winners.