Highly Ranked Runners Dominate At Michigan Speedway

By Mary Albl of DyeStat

It was a day of dominance for many nationally ranked runners at the Michigan State Cross Country Championships at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday.

Rockland senior Ericka VanderLende, No. 5 in the latest DyeStat rankings, repeated as the Division 1 champion, covering the 5,000-meter course in 17 minutes, 8.4 seconds. She won the race by nearly a minute, as runner-up honors went to Kyla Christopher-Moody of West Bloomfield in 17:58.6.

VanderLende's time is comparable to Erin Finn's 17:07 run in 2012. Olivia Theis of Lansing Catholic broke the state meet record of 16:52 last year in the Division 2 final. 

 In D1 the team race, Clarkston won the girls team title with 134 points.

In the D1 boys race, Ann Arbor Pioneer senior Nick Foster, ranked No. 5 nationally, defended his title in 15:13, and Plymouth edged out Walled Lake Central, 122-127, for the team crown.

The girls Division 2 title was won by an Lansing Catholic runner for the second year in a row. Jaden Theis, ranked No. 24, won the race in 18:01.9, improving on her sixth place finish a year ago. East Grand Rapids placed five runners in the top 21 to win the team title. 

In the boys race, Otesgo senior Alex Comerford, ranked No. 26, won D2 title by more than 10 seconds,  crossing the line in 15:23.6. Chelsea scored 121 points to claim the team crown again.

In D 3 action it was all Hart once again. Led by senior Adelyn Ackley, ranked No. 19, Hart scored 43 points to defend its title. Ackley crossed the line in 17:42.8, her third straight state title. Hart placed all five runners in the top 14. 

Caro senior Yami Albrecht crossed the line first (15:40.8), guiding his team to a D 3 title with 61 points.

In Division 4, the Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart girls placed three runners in the top 10 to score 69 points and win the program’s fourth straight state title. Muskegon Western Michigan freshman Abby VanderKooi, ranked No. 13, won the individual title in 17:47.3 to remain undefeated in 14 races. She won by 75 seconds. 

In the boys race, senior Corey Gorgas led Saugatuck to a D 4 team title as he won in 15:33.8. Saugatuck placed three runners in the top 15 to score 62 points.

Team Champions - Lower Peninsula

Boys Division 1 - Plymouth 122 points - RESULTS

Girls Division 1 - Clarkston 134 points - RESULTS

Boys Division 2 - Chelsea 121 points - RESULTS

Girls Division 2  - East Grand Rapid 51 points - RESULTS

Boys Division 3 - Caro 61 points - RESULTS

Girls Division 3 - Hart 43 points - RESULTS

Boys Division 4 - Saugatuck 62 points - RESULTS

Girls Division 4 -  Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart 69 points - RESULTS

Upper Peninsula - Oct. 20 

Boys Division 1 - Sault Ste. Marie 42 points - RESULTS

Girls Division 2 - Sault Ste. Marie 56 points - RESULTS

Boys Division 2 - Ishpeming 32 points - RESULTS

Girls Division 2 - Hancock 26 points - RESULTS

Boys Division 3 - Chassell 41 points - RESULTS

Girls Division 3 - Chassell 25 points - RESULTS