MICHIGAN STATE MEET

Rachel Forsyth, Back And Better Than Ever, Crushes The Michigan All-Time Record For Girls At Michigan Speedway 

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Ann Arbor Pioneer senior Rachel Forsyth has endured some of the highest of highest and lowest of lows during her high school running career, but Saturday at the Michigan Lower Peninsula Division 1 Championship cross country meet it was all positive. 

Forsyth, who publicly talked about the hardship she went through with an eating disorder, ran 16:28.5 on Saturday to smash the state meet course record by more than 23 seconds. 

It is, perhaps, the best performance in the country by a female runner in high school this fall. 

Forsyth won the LP Division 1 race by an incredible 45 seconds. Selma Anderson of Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills was second in 17:13.6. 

The Romeo girls put three runners in the top 13 on the way to a team victory with 65 points. 

Seth Norder of Grand Haven, who was second at the state meet a year ago and finished 16th at the CHAMPS Sports national final, won the boys D1 race in 14:54.3. It was his fourth straight 5,000-meter race under 15 minutes. 

Thomas Westphal of New Baltimore Anchor Bay was a close second in 14:57.9. 

Northville retained the D1 boys team title with 128 points, edging Brighton by 13 points. 

In the D2 boys final, TJ Hansen of Freeland ran even faster than Norder, clocking 14:52.8 for the win.

FHE Ada Forest Hills Eastern won the boys team title with 134 points. 

Grand Rapids Christian took the girls D2 win with 112 points. 

Emily Tomes of Grand Rapids Catholic Central won the girls race in 17:31.4.

Another incredibly fast time came from Jessica Jazwinski of Hart in the D3 girls race as she won by 41 seconds in 17:08.8. 

In yet another team race filled with parity, Jackson Lumen Christi won the girls title with 140 points. 

The Traverse City St. Francis boys won the D3 title with 113 points. Collin Farmer of Pewamo-Westphalia won the race in 15:39.1. 

Team Champions - 

Upper Peninsula - Oct. 21

Division 1 - Marquette boys 22 points, Marquette girls 23 points - RESULTS

Division 2 - Painesdale-Jeffers boys 48 points, Hancock girls 38 points - RESULTS

Division 3 - Dollar Bay boys 54 points, Chassell girls 52 points - RESULTS

Lower Peninsula - Nov. 4 

Division 1 - Northville boys 128 points, Romeo girls 65 points - RESULTS

Division 2 - FHE Ada Forest Hills Eastern boys 134 points, Grand Rapids Christian girls 112 points - RESULTS

Division 3 - Traverse City St. Francis boys 113 points, Jackson Lumen Christi girls 140 points - RESULTS

Division 4 - Hillsdale Academy boys 129 points, Whitmore Lake girls 78 points - RESULTS