BROOKLYN, Mich. — There’s a history of soccer players turning into great cross country runners in the state of Michigan, most notably Grand Blanc’s Grant Fisher.

Fisher played soccer his first two years at Grand Blanc, even missing the MHSAA Cross Country Finals his sophomore year because the Bobcats reached the Division 1 championship game in soccer. He went on to become a two-time MHSAA Finals champion and win two bronze medals in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep senior Marek Butkiewicz is the latest in a line of former soccer players who have become champion runners.

He didn’t even run cross country until his freshman year of high school, but has developed into a two-time MHSAA Division 4 Finals champion.

Butkiewicz won his second title Saturday at Michigan International Speedway with a time of 15:27.0. He won by 10.6 seconds ahead of Harbor Beach senior Brody Karg.

“I knew I wanted to be great,” Butkiewicz said. “I knew I wanted to go out and do something special. Actually putting it into action, you can’t think about what it feels like before you actually do it. It’s just so amazing to be able to say, ‘Wow, I actually did that.’”

Butkiewicz gave up soccer in ninth grade and threw himself into his new sport. He was 52nd at the Division 4 Final as a freshman in 17:42.2 before moving all the way up to sixth as a sophomore in 16:12.2.

On the track, he was the Division 4 Finals champion in the 3,200-meter run and second in the 1,600 as a sophomore. He swept those events as a junior.

As a junior in cross country, he set the Division 4 Final record by winning in 15:09.7.

“My middle school didn’t have cross country or track, so I was just running on my own,” said Butkiewicz, who will run at Michigan State University. “Going into high school and having actual structure was super beneficial. I’m super thankful to everyone at Hackett who has gotten me to where I am. It’s not just a one-way street. There’s a lot of things that go into it behind the scenes.”

Butkiewicz was aiming for a sub-15 time Saturday, but chilly conditions resulted in slower times for most of the contenders in the morning races.

“It was kind of cold,” he said. “Last year was like the perfect temp. This year I couldn’t feel my nose. I’d try to breathe out of my nose and there would be like slot bubbling. It was a good day overall. I’m not displeased with it by any means.”

In the team race, second-ranked Holland Calvary scored 110 points to outpace top-ranked Maple City Glen Lake by 21. The Crusaders were Division 4 runners-up the last two years.

Christian Getz was eighth in 16:13.9, Noah Schipper 18th in 16:29.5, Gibson White 27th in 16:46.4, Brody VanTuinen 43rd in 17:05.2 and Regan Downing 70th in 17:29.5 for Holland Calvary.

Hillsdale Academy was also in the mix, placing third with 158 points.

Click for full results.

PHOTOS (Top) Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep’s Marek Butkiewicz races toward the finish line and a repeat championship Saturday at MIS. (Middle) Holland Calvary’s Christian Getz (1372) pulls nearly even with Hackett’s Sean Siems (1382). (Click for more from RunMichigan.com.)