Benzie Leader Adds to Family Legacy
November 4, 2015
By Dennis Chase
Special for Second Half
BENZONIA – Like father, like son.
Bill Huddleston’s impressive cross country achievements at Benzie Central during the mid-1980s could soon be matched or surpassed by his 17-year-old son Brayden.
"The parallels (are striking)," Benzie Central coach Asa Kelly said.
Bill was a four-time all-stater, ran on three MHSAA title teams, and posted a personal-best time of 15:32, which ranks fourth on the school's all-time career list.
Fast forward 30 years, and Brayden, already a two-time all-stater, is hovering over those marks.
On Saturday, Brayden and his Benzie Central teammates will seek a third consecutive MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 3 championship at Michigan International Speedway. The Huskies, who have won eight boys titles, captured three in a row once before – from 1984-86 when Bill was a standout on the team.
Benzie enters Saturday's Final ranked No. 2 in the coaches’ poll behind Lansing Catholic – the same scenario as last year.
"It would mean a lot to me and my teammates," Huddleston said of a potential three-peat. "That's definitely the goal – to bring back another title and make it 14 state championships (boys and girls) for the school."
The Huddlestons have had a personal stake in seven of those crowns. Brayden’s older brother, William, was on Benzie's 2009 championship team while older sister Makayla was on the girls’ title-winning 2011 squad. A cousin, Theresa Warsecke, was the lead runner on that 2011 team.
"There's a lot of talent in that family," Kelly said.
Brayden is the latest to step to the forefront. The junior won last Saturday's Regional by 40 seconds.
"I told him before the race I would like to see him run away with it," Kelly said. "I felt like he needed a good win heading into the state finals – to get that feeling of 'I'm ready.' That's exactly what he did.
"It was a good confidence booster. That's what you've got to have – 100 percent confidence if you're going to go in and have big goals."
Huddleston finished 27th (16:41.5) as a freshman and ninth (16:09) as a sophomore at his two previous MHSAA Finals. He ran a 15:40 earlier this season, and he's hoping to beat that Saturday. He's currently fifth on the school's all-time list, eight seconds behind his father, which, of course, has led to some good-natured fun between the two.
How often is it brought up?
"About every week," Bill said, laughing. "One of these meets he'll get it (15:32)."
“I’m working on it,” Brayden added. “It’s definitely a landmark I want to reach and surpass.”
Could it happen Saturday? That would be an opportune time since Benzie will be facing a talented field that includes Lansing Catholic, Hanover-Horton and Shepherd. Lansing Catholic beat Benzie in the Cougar Falcon and Portage Invites earlier this year.
But that was the case last year, too. Then Benzie won the MHSAA title by 54 points.
"Anything is possible," Kelly said.
The Huskies won the Regional at Michaywe Pines Golf Club in Gaylord last Saturday by 35 points over Charlevoix. Benzie put four runners in the top five – Huddleston, Jake Williams, Jeffery Crouch and Noah Robotham. The fifth runner, Hayden Bretzke, placed 16th.
"It will be a challenge, but I think the boys can do it," Bill Huddleston said. "They're really coming together as a team. They're all improving."
Kelly, who believes it could come down to the fifth runner, likes his team's experience.
"Our top guys are juniors and seniors," he said. "Four have run there (MIS) multiple times. I like it that I have that experience. I think the kids are confident and will be relaxed."
Williams can motor, too. He ran a 15:47 at Portage, edging Huddleston by four seconds. It was the first time Benzie put two runners under 16 since the 1980s. Williams finished 25th overall in last year's LPD3 Final, Robotham 34th.
Huddleston, though, is the leader.
"He's the kind of guy who thrives on competition in big meets," Kelly said. "A lot of people get nervous, but kids like Brayden get excited."
Huddleston enjoyed a strong track season in the spring, taking fourth in LPD3 in the 1,600 and sixth in the 3,200. He was also on the 3,200 relay team that came in fourth.
Two weeks after the MHSAA Finals, he set a school record in the two-mile by running a 9:19 in an elite race outside Chicago.
"It was crazy," Huddleston said. "Our first mile was a 4:30."
Huddleston didn't let up either. His brother, William, a senior majoring in engineering at Ohio Northern, took an internship in Traverse City over the summer so he was home to train with Brayden. One of William's cross country teammates at Ohio Northern came up to train as well. Ohio Northern won the Ohio Athletic Conference championship Saturday.
"Brayden looks up to his brother," Kelly said. "He learned a lot about discipline. He would see his brother go to his job all day, come home and then still put the miles in. It was great for him to see that because it's easy to be talented, but it's a lot tougher to be disciplined and take that talent and continually improve."
Huddleston started the season by locking horns with Traverse City Central standout Anthony Berry in an invitational at Benzie. The two were going almost stride for stride until Berry surged ahead in the final mile. Huddleston still finished with a personal best 15:40.
It’s that type of performance that’s helped Huddleston become a more confident runner, his father said.
"He knows he can run with just about anybody," Bill said. "He gets out there and goes for it. He doesn't shy away from (the competition)."
Kelly said competing against runners like Berry sets a bar for Huddleston to try and reach.
"I tell Brayden sometimes you're going to win, sometimes you’re going to lose, but the biggest thing you're going to get out of any race is what you take from it and how you learn from it to become a better runner in the future," he said.
Not only is Huddleston's confidence up, so is his foot speed, which has really helped him close out races.
"In the spring he dropped from a 4:40 to a 4:23 mile," Kelly said. "In the two mile, he never broke 10 (before last season). Then he runs a 9:19. That race (near Chicago) was a huge turning point for him. I think he realized that he could be really good at this."
Huddleston can certainly draw inspiration from his family. Bill Huddleston still holds the 8,000-meter record at Alma College. Brayden's mother Racquel played basketball and ran track at Benzie, and played basketball at Alma College. Like William, Makayla is running in the collegiate ranks, too. She's at Oakland University. Warsecke, meanwhile, runs at Toledo.
And there's more to come. Brayden's younger sister, Bella, and cousin, Angie Warsecke, are freshmen on the girls cross country team.
But right now all Brayden Huddleston is thinking about is Saturday. What would be a good day for him?
"Individually, I would be happy if I could be in the top three and run a 15:30 or so," he said. "Most of all, though, I want to do as well as I can for my team so hopefully we can three-peat."
That's what Kelly likes to hear.
"Let's be honest," he said. "Five years down the road, you're not going to remember those invitationals very much, but if you happen to pull something off at the end of the season you're going to remember that forever."
Dennis Chase worked 32 years as a sportswriter at the Traverse City Record-Eagle, including as sports editor from 2000-14. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Benzie Central's Brayden Huddleston drives toward the finish during a race (Middle) Huddleston raced against Traverse City Central standout Anthony Berry, left, earlier this season. (Below) Brayden stands with his parents Bill and Racquel, younger sister Bella and high school coach Asa Kelly, far left. (Photos courtesy of Benzie Central cross country.)
Northern Stars Seek Elusive D1 Title
November 3, 2016
By Dennis Chase
Special for Second Half
TRAVERSE CITY – After dominating the Big North Conference, and running away with Regional crowns, Alpena’s Mitchell Day and Traverse City Central’s Sielle Kearney are in position to set a new benchmark in northern Michigan.
They will run to become the first northern Michigan runner to win an MHSAA Division 1 Finals individual cross country championship.
Day, 17, and Kearney, 16, will take a shot at titles Saturday at Michigan International Speedway.
Day placed second in the boys race a year ago, finishing three seconds behind Rockford’s Isaac Harding. Kearney was fourth in the girls race.
“I just want to give it all I have,” Day said. “It’s my last year. I’m looking forward to competing, running fast, running strong, running smart, doing what I can. Ultimately, the goal is to win, and that’s been on my mind since the start of the season. I’m the fastest returner (from last year), but that doesn’t mean anything right now.”
Like Day, Kearney is focused on putting forth maximum effort – and letting the chips fall where they may.
“My goal is to do the best I can and know that when I finish I’ll have nothing left, that I’ve given everything, and raced my hardest,” she said.
Day, who has given a verbal commitment to Wake Forest, has won all but one race this fall, finishing second to Corunna’s Noah Jacobs in the Spartan Invitational. Rockford’s Cole Johnson, who was third in last year’s Division 1 meet, finished third at MSU.
Kearney has taken every race but two, finishing second to Battle Creek Lakeview’s Maggie Farrell at Michigan State and second to Ann Arbor Pioneer’s Anne Forsyth at the Portage Invitational. Kearney beat Forsyth at Michigan State and Farrell at Portage. Forsyth and Farrell won Regionals, too.
“How fortunate for (Sielle) that she has finished ahead of them in other meets this season, because that all goes on your check list when you’re at the start line,” Central coach Lisa Taylor said.
Day led Alpena to its first boys Regional title in school history last Saturday. The Wildcats, who are in the MHSAA Finals for the first time since 1999, swept the top three spots. Identical twins Aden and Josh Smith followed Day across the finish line.
Day, in fact, ran with Josh Smith, who was seeded fifth, early in the race. His intent was to set a pace for his teammate, and encourage him, knowing that Smith’s placing would be important in the team score.
Turns out, Smith’s third-place effort was needed as Alpena edged Bay City Western by three points.
“I told them you don’t know how powerful that was for the three of you to be running in front, talking to each other, while everybody else was struggling to keep up,” Alpena coach Joy Bullis said. “It was a perfectly executed plan.”
Day was more excited about his team’s victory than his personal accomplishment.
“It’s really cool in my senior year to have the whole team be there (MIS) with me,” he said. “That’s something I’ll always treasure.”
Isaac Cross (23rd) and Clay Donajkowski (44th) were the Wildcats’ fourth and fifth counters.
Kearney, meanwhile, sparked Traverse City Central to its 21st consecutive Finals appearance. The Trojans finished third in the Allendale Regional. Chloe Beyer came in 10th, Grace Failor 16th, Brooke Truszkowski 18th and Leah Socks 39th.
“I’m really happy with how our team has been doing,” Kearney, a junior, said. “I love how close we are and how well we work together.”
“We have some really hard-working runners on this team who have worked their way up to the top,” Taylor added “They’re doing well, but we’re so lucky to have a No. 1 (like Kearney).”
Kearney ran a 17:57 as a freshman and a 17:41 as a sophomore. This fall, however, she set a school record with a 17:14.2 at the Cougar Falcon Invitational. She also ran a 17:21.2 in Benzie Central’s Pete Moss Invitational and a 17:27 at Portage.
Taylor, who is now in her 23rd season as head coach, has led the Trojans to 18 top 10 finishes – and 13 finishes among the top four. Central has won one MHSAA Finals title and finished second three times during her tenure. Her teams traditionally peak at MIS. Still, Taylor said it’s still a challenge “to get all these kids to run the best they can on one day.”
“I feel like every year I learn so much more,” she said. “It’s never going to be a moment where I think, ‘I’ve got it all figured out now.’”
Taylor’s track record suggests she’s succeeded far more often than not.
“Most of the time when I look up at the (results) board (at MIS) it’s been, ‘Yes, we did it. This is exactly what we’ve been working for all season,’” she said. “There’s maybe been two times where I’ve looked at it, turned around, walked away, thinking, “Darn, we didn’t do it this time.’”
Kearney said her strategy Saturday will be simple.
“After the gun goes off, your main goal is staying up there, staying in the front pack, and focusing on passing as many people as you can,” she said.
“She realizes every race is like a unique journey,” Taylor added. “You really can’t prepare for what’s going to happen. You have to adjust to whatever does happen. That’s one of her greatest strengths – to be able to enjoy it and adjust. She has that wonderful trait in that she loves to race; she loves the hurt, the pain in running hard. Some people might hear that and think that doesn’t seem healthy. But it’s just the nature of our sport. You have to endure pain for such a long period of time. In another sport, you might only have to do it for three seconds and it’s over. With distance running, you go in knowing that you’re in for 18 to 20 minutes of non-stop pain. Some never master it. She just came (into the program) with that.”
Kearney ran a time of 18:05.6 in the Regional in less than ideal conditions.
“It was a pretty muddy course,” she said.
Plus, she was not pushed, winning the race by 37 seconds.
Day ran his season’s best in late September, winning the Jackson Invitational in 15:13.1 – three tenths of a second faster than his MHSAA Finals time in 2015.
Everything was on an upward trajectory until he tripped and bruised a knee during a recruiting visit to Michigan State.
Day thought it was just a scrape. He didn’t feel any pain during a training run the following day, and at a Big North meet two days later. But on the cool down after the race, the bruise started bothering him.
He cut back on his training for a couple weeks – right when he should have been building up – but he said the knee is much improved now, thanks to daily treatments to speed up the recovery.
Bullis is not surprised. In fact, she’s impressed with Day’s attention to detail in staying as fit and healthy as possible.
“He’s very in tune with how he feels and what he puts in his body,” she said.
Day sticks to a healthy diet, one that focuses on what’s beneficial for his blood type.
“I’m very blessed that my mom is into all of that,” he said. “She’s given me a lot of information. We do it together. We have fun with it together. People always think eating healthy is hard, but it’s not, especially when you get used to it. You start enjoying it – spinach, kale, all that stuff.
“I have a list of foods that I follow. In my diet, there’s no chicken, no wheat. Now, sometimes you can have it, but usually we go for stuff that’s beneficial. The day before a big meet I’ll always go for lamb and broccoli. That’s my go-to meal. And some feta cheese – got to have that in there as well.”
With the graduation of Traverse City Central’s Anthony Berry (fifth in Division 1 last year) and Traverse City West’s Nick Hirschenberger (11th), Day did not face the same type of league competition this fall. That, however, enabled him to work with his teammates, much like he did in the Regional.
At the Regional, the Wildcats pulled a switch, trading in their traditional white tops and green shorts for all black attire.
The runners seemed inspired by the change.
“We were seeded fourth,” said Bullis, now in her fourth year as head coach. “I told them we couldn’t be in a better place. I like running there. Then, when we changed uniforms and ran in black, it was even better because nobody knew who we were.”
They probably knew Day. The one-time soccer player has come on strong since devoting himself full-time to cross country.
“He’s just now becoming an all-around runner,” Bullis said. “He didn’t start running full-time until August of 2015. He’s more race ready now with another year under his belt. Everything in his tool box is in place for this race.”
Day, who also hopes to compete at next month’s Foot Locker nationals, said he’s ready.
“It’s been a good season,” he said, “and I’m very excited to see where it’s going (Saturday).”
Dennis Chase worked 32 years as a sportswriter at the Traverse City Record-Eagle, including as sports editor from 2000-14. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Alpena's Mitchell Day competes Sept. 24 at the Jackson Invitational, and Traverse City Central's Sielle Kearney runs at a Big North Conference meet Oct. 4. (Middle) Kearney (4357) races with Battle Creek Lakeview's Maggie Farrell (center) and Ann Arbor Pioneer's Anne Forsyth during the Portage Invitational. (Below) Day leads his Regional last Saturday at Delta College. (Photos by Patrick Davey [top left], Mark MacAuliffe [top right], Maggie Dutmers [middle] and Kirk May [below].)