Jazwinski Caps Career as D2's All-Time Fastest Champ, EGR Claims Close Team Race
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
November 7, 2026
BROOKLYN – Robert Jazwinski was racing down a record Saturday in the Lower Peninsula Division 2 Boys Cross Country Final.
While he didn’t reach the ultimate one, Dathan Ritzenhein’s all-Finals Michigan International Speedway course record set back in 2000, the Whitehall senior did set the Division 2 meet record Saturday with a time of 14 minutes, 49.3 seconds to claim his second-straight championship.
“TJ Hansen (who set the previous mark at 14:50.5 for Freeland in 2024) is insane, he’s a sub-4 miler, second at NXN, and that’s a great name to be in partnership with,” Jazwinski said. “But today, I’m not going to lie, my goals were a lot bigger than that. I’m happy with how I finished strong, even though I wasn’t feeling my best.”
Ritzenhein’s remarkable 14:10.4 has not been threatened in the quarter century since the future Olympian from Rockford set it. But Jazwinski, who has run 14:23 this season and is committed to Brigham Young University, seemed to have as good of a shot as anyone in that timeframe.
His time is the fifth-fastest ever run at MIS.
“I don’t know if today was my best day, but I went for it, and said I was going to go for it,” Jazwinski said. “I went through the mile right around that pace. I kind of slowed down right around the end, got a bit tired. But yeah, I’m pretty happy with it today.”
Alma’s Ezekial Baltierra was second to Jazwinski, running 15:20.4,with Lennox Naswell of Flint Powers Catholic in third at 15:22.2, Grand Rapids Catholic Central’s Mitchell Dunlap fourth at 15:23.1 and East Grand Rapids’ Micah Becker in fifth at 15:25.4.
Becker was able to celebrate a Finals title as well, as he led EGR to a first-place team finish. The Pioneers finished with 152 team points, barely holding off Holland Christian in second at 159 and Pinckney in third at 160.
“I think it’s pretty incredible,” Becker said. “You can say that cross country is about how every single person runs by themselves, but ultimately it is a team sport. You can’t win a state championship with one runner. It takes an incredible group of guys that work their tails off to achieve something like that.”
Becker and teammate Thomas Fisher both finished ahead of the top placer from Holland Christian, Grant Lampen, who himself had an all-state finish (30th). Fisher was 24th overall and 16th in the team scoring with a time of 15:55.8.
Beckett Kneisel was 48th (30th in team points) at 16:14.8, Lucas Aardema was 61st (39) at 16:22.4 and Sean Wilson-Ross was 101st (64) at 16:41.4 for the Pioneers.
PHOTOS (Top) Whitehall’s Robert Jazwinski charges through the final stretch of his record-setting run Saturday. (Middle) East Grand Rapids’ Micah Becker has the finish line in sight. (Click for more from Dave McCauley/RunMichigan.com.)
Litzner Completes Career Finals Sweep to Set Pace at UP Boys XC Finals
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
October 18, 2025
MUNISING — It’s not often a cross country runner gets to end his or her high school career as a four-time Upper Peninsula Finals champion.
Sault Ste. Marie senior Gabe Litzner wasn’t going to be denied on this sunny and warm Saturday, however, completing the sweep by covering the Pictured Rocks Golf Course 3.1-mile course in 15:58.3.
He was followed by Marquette seniors Rorik Holmquist at 16:15.8 and Peter Argeropoulos (16:24.5) and junior Lucas Ballard (16:40), and Sault Ste. Marie senior Shea Armstrong (16:54.9).
“It’s awesome to look back at all the memories and friends I made,” Litzner said. “It feels like the conditions were a lot better last year. It warmed up quickly, and I think it caught everybody off guard. We’ve had quite a few colder races. The temperature had been in the 50s nearly every day.
“The Marquette guys were definitely pushing me throughout the race. I used a lot of the same strategy as last year. I followed a conservative approach in the first mile, then took off.”
Marquette captured its seventh-straight Division 1 title with 34 points. Sault was runner-up for the seventh consecutive time at 43, and Houghton placed third with 84.
Litzner became the first boys runner since 2019 to take a fourth U.P. championship, following Brimley’s Austin Plotkin, who earned top honors four times in a row in Division 3.
“Gabe and Shea did what they do,” Sault coach Jim Martin said. “We had some kids step up. One of our freshmen (Drew Burtt) really stepped up. We had five guys run good races. They found a way to get it done.”
Division 2
Painesdale Jeffers made it five team titles in a row, placing seven racers among the top 14 and scoring 23 points. The Jets were followed by Rudyard with 51 and Munising with 117.
“On the first day of practice we talked about it, and the biggest accomplishment is all seven boys and both girls medaled,” Jeffers coach Sam Kilpela said. “It ended up being a great day.
"This speaks volumes for our program. Overall, we stayed healthy, and on the last day we finished the job. This is the first time in our school history we won it five years in a row.”
Jeffers senior Cameron Anderson won an individual Finals championship for the first time, in 16:41.1, followed by classmate Landon Larson (17:33.4), Rudyard senior Steven Kirschner (17:51), Jeffers sophomore Branson Anderson (18:07) and Pickford junior Jacob Mitchell (18:11.6).
Division 3
Crystal Falls Forest Park clinched its first Division 3 championship with 58 points, followed by St. Ignace with 71 and 2024 champ Engadine at 91.
“This is a very special day,” Forest Park coach D.J. Rasner said. “I couldn’t be more proud of the boys. They worked so hard all year. Having a full team put us in a better situation. We got our fifth runner halfway through the season, and it gave us a lot of momentum. I think we’re also gaining some momentum in our school. More kids want to be a part of this.”
Cedarville/DeTour junior Ethan Snyder gained the top individual honor at 17:32, becoming the first from his school to take a U.P. title since 2004 when Cedarville’s Chad Schlosser was crowned champion.
Ishpeming junior Kemper Gearhart was runner-up at 17:51.7. He was followed by Rock Mid Peninsula freshman Ashdeyn Gerow in a personal-best 17:55, Engadine sophomore Nate Stielstra (18:13.4) and St. Ignace senior Dalton Champion (18:30.9).
PHOTOS (top) Sault Ste. Marie's Gabe Litzner is the first to cross the finish line in the UP Division 1 Boys Final on Saturday in Munising. (Middle) At the beginning of the Division 2 Final, Painesdale-Jeffers' Cameron Anderson (280), Wakefield-Marenisco/Bessemer's Sean Lake, Pickford's Jacob Mitchell (293), and Rudyard's Eli Folkersma (331), Seth Templeton (336) and Oliver Dankert (330) lead the field. (Below) Cedarville/DeTour's Ethan Snyder takes over the lead in the Division 3 race. (Photos by Cara Kamps.)