Pioneer's Ronfeldt Outpaces Fast Field Again, Jenison Claims Historic Win
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
November 7, 2026
BROOKLYN – Kamari Ronfeldt ran the second-fastest time in MHSAA Boys Cross Country Finals history Saturday to claim his second-straight Lower Peninsula Division 1 title.
The Ann Arbor Pioneer senior conquered the 5K course at Michigan International Speedway in 14 minutes, 45.9 seconds, winning a highly-competitive race that saw five runners finish under 15 minutes and best the previous year when four accomplished the impressive feat.
“I knew it was going to be like this,” Ronfeldt said. “Last year we had the most sub-15s ever in state history at this course. This year looked just as strong. Caden (Livermore of Grandville, who finished second) got me at Portage. He has an amazing kick, so I had to dig deep in that last 200.”
Livermore’s runner-up time of 14:48.6 was the fourth-fastest ever run at MIS, and Northville’s Brandon Cloud also made the top 10 in taking third at 14:51.2.
Kalamazoo Central’s Samuel Baker was fourth at 14:54, while Macomb L’Anse Creuse North’s Xavier Solgot was fifth at 14:59.4.
A massive pack ran at the front of the race through the first two miles, and it wasn’t until the final 200 meters that Ronfeldt took control.
“I know (Livermore) has a great kick,” Ronfeldt said. “I really didn’t think I had it in me until I started closing on him a little bit. He made a move early, like pretty much as soon as we entered (the final stretch in the stadium), so I knew I had to try to keep up with him.”
While history was being made at the front of the race, Jenison made some of its own, claiming the first team title in program history.
The Wildcats finished the day with 101 points, well ahead of second-place Ann Arbor Skyline at 168.
Both teams had strong packs, but Jenison’s was simply closer to the front, as Ethan Burks (15:30.9), Carter Cooke (15:31.5), Caleb Conner (15:32.2) and Chase Sherman (15:40.5) finished 19th, 20th, 21st and 30th overall, and 12th, 13th, 14th and 21st in the team standings.
“When I say we’re a family outside of this, we’re a family when we’re running,” said Burks, the lone senior in Jenison’s lineup. “We are always together in a group, and we are always working together. We are a team all through it. When I turned around and saw that we were all together, I was like, ‘What does this mean? What does this mean?’ We have been so consistent from the start. We have always been together.”
Hans Templeton finished 61st overall and 41st in the team standings to round out the scoring for Jenison with a time of 15:59.7.
The win for Wildcats also ended Northville’s dominance in the division, as the Mustangs had won the past four Division 1 Finals titles. Northville finished 13th.
PHOTOS (Top) Ann Arbor Pioneer’s Kamari Ronfeldt (6) and Grandville’s Caden Livermore sprint toward the finish line Saturday at MIS. (Middle) Jenison’s Ethan Burks (65), Carter Cooke (67) and Caleb Conner (far left) charge through the final stretch. (Click for more from Dave McCauley/RunMichigan.com.)
Preview: Set to Launch New Contenders
November 1, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Four individual cross country champions who had won a combined seven MHSAA Finals titles finished their high school careers at Michigan International Speedway last year.
That means there’s plenty of opportunities for the next wave of runners at this weekend’s Lower Peninsula boys cross country championship races, and plenty of candidates ready to take the lead both individually and in what looks on paper to be wide-open team competition in at least two divisions.
A total of 995 runners will take to the course at MIS on Saturday for the four boys races, which begin with Division 4 at 10:50 a.m. Below are some of the teams to watch and a glance at each of the individual fields. Click for all Finals qualifiers, a map of the course and links to buy tickets and watch the live broadcast on MHSAA.tv, and come back to Second Half later Saturday for coverage of all four meets.
Division 1
Reigning champion: Plymouth
2018 runner-up: Walled Lake Central
2019 top-ranked: 1. Brighton, 2. Dexter, 3. Rochester Hills Stoney Creek
Brighton is favored to win its first boys cross country championship since 1995 bringing back its top three finishers from last year’s 10th-place team. Senior Zacahry Stewart was fourth in 2018, senior Jack Spamer was 18th, and Spamer is an individual contender with the state’s second-fastest boys time (14:48.1) this season. Stewart’s 15:07.1 season-best ranks eighth statewide covering all divisions, and senior Scott Spaanstra also returns from last season and could make a run at the individual top 20. Dexter is led by senior Owen Huard, whose 15:04 season best ranks seventh statewide after he finished 16th at last year’s Final. He’s one of four Dexter runners back from the team that finished third last season, and senior Nathan Larson was another top individual coming in 22nd. Stoney Creek finished 16th as a team last year with only one senior in the lineup, its fifth finisher. The other six all are back, with senior Sam Tarling last year’s top individual placer at 52nd.
Individuals: Plymouth senior Carter Solomon has three top-18 finishes at past Finals and came in second, five seconds off the lead, a year ago. He’s undefeated this fall and at his Regional ran the state’s fastest time of the season, 14:42.7. Total, four of last season’s top eight Finals finishers are back. Stewart, Clarkston senior Brendan Favazza (fifth) and Fraser senior Joey Tavalieri (eighth) join Solomon, and nine more of the top 20 placers in 2018 also are back in the field. Hartland sophomore Riley Hough has been another of the top runners in Division 1 this fall after placing 27th a year ago.
Division 2
Reigning champion: Chelsea
2018 runner-up: Fremont
2019 top-ranked: 1. Fremont, 2. Otsego, 3. Haslett.
Chelsea has won the last two Division 2 championships and is ranked No. 4 this week, having graduated its top two from last year’s team but returning its other five runners including senior Will Scott (14th individually in 2018). Last season’s team runner-up Fremont posted nearly a perfect score at its Regional last weekend and returns its top six runners from last year’s Final, led by juniors Nathan Walker (fifth) and Ben Paige (25th); Walker’s 14:52.8 at the Regional is the state’s third-fastest boys time this season regardless of division. Otsego graduated last year’s individual champion from the team that finished fifth, but returns five runners led by senior Hunter Zartman (21st in 2018). Haslett placed now-seniors Joseph Ecklund and Danny Ezzo 38th and 40th last season, respectively, in finishing eighth as a team, and total its top six runners are back this weekend.
Individuals: With four of the top six, six of the top 10, and 9 of the top 19 back from the 2018 Final, this also should be a fast race to the finish. East Grand Rapids senior Evan Bishop was the runner-up a year ago and he’s won every race this fall but one, finishing second to a runner from Ohio at the Spartan Invitational Elite Race at Michigan State. Bishop’s personal record (PR) of 14:56.4 from last weekend’s Regional was the fourth-fastest time in the state this fall. Dearborn Divine Child senior twins Anthony and Michael Hancock have the fifth and sixth-fastest times in the state this fall at 14:59.1 and 14:59.4, respectively, and they came in fourth and sixth at last year’s Final. Linden senior Tyler Buchanan (ninth) and Zeeland West senior Ethan Senti (10th) also are back from the top 10.
Division 3
Reigning champion: Caro
2018 runner-up: Pewamo-Westphalia
2019 top-ranked: 1. Hanover-Horton, 2 Charlevoix, 3. Hart.
Hanover-Horton was the team champion in 2017 and finished fourth a year ago. Four runners from the 2018 team will be back this weekend, with senior Garrett Melling (49th) the top returning finisher. Charlevoix brings back its top two and six of its seven runners from the team that finished 10th a year ago, with Blaise Snabes (64th) the top individual placer from that bunch. Hart was sixth last year and brings back four runners including junior Alex Enns, who came in 11th individually. He and his teammates are bolstered by a trio of freshmen who all finished among the top 19 as Hart edged No. 7 Benzie Central for last week’s Regional title. Saugatuck, last season’s Division 4 champion, is running in Division 3 this weekend and ranked No. 6.
Individuals: Benzie freshman Hunter Jones has been the talk of northern Michigan as one of the state and nation’s fastest in his grade, and his PR of 15:24.8 is nearly 22 seconds better than anyone else’s best in Division 3 this season. Saugatuck junior Nik Pettinga also joins the pack after finishing third in Division 4 last fall. There’s room for new contenders as the top six placers at last season’s Final all were seniors. Pewamo-Westphalia senior Hayden Germain (seventh) is the highest returning finisher, and he was edged by senior teammate Ashton Walker (14th) at last week’s Regional. Jonesville senior Carson Laney (eighth) and Morley Stanwood senior Aiden McLaughlin (ninth) also are back from the 2018 top 10, and New Lothrop junior Carson Hersch could make a big jump. He came in 44th at last year’s Final but has the second-fastest time in Division 3 this fall at 15:46.4.
Division 4
Reigning champion: Saugatuck
2018 runner-up: Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart
2019 top-ranked: 1. Breckenridge, 2. East Jordan, 3. Unionville-Sebewaing.
With Saugatuck in Division 3, there will be a new champion – and Breckenridge is seeking its first title since 1976. The Huskies were fourth last season without a senior in the lineup. All seven runners are back, with sophomore Mason Sumner coming off a sixth-place individual finish and posting the fastest time (15:43.4) in Division 4 this season. East Jordan was third last year with just one senior, and five of the top seven are back including seniors Ethan Nachazel (18th) and Ben Hardy (19th). USA was fifth last season with only one senior, and junior Bentley Alderson (12th) leads six returnees back at MIS.
Individuals: Although Carson City-Crystal junior Coleman Clark is the top returning placer after coming in fifth a year ago, half the top 10 and 11 of the top 20 will race again this weekend. Walkerville senior Shane Achterhof (seventh), Johannesburg-Lewiston junior Carlos Gascho (eighth) and White Cloud senior Reginald Richmond (10th) all are back from the first group. Webberville sophomore Nathan Lott ran the fourth-fastest time (16:20) in Division 4 this fall in winning his Regional after coming in 27th at last year’s Final.
PHOTO: Breckenridge’s Mason Sumner pushes the pace during the Shepherd John Bruder Classic earlier this fall. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)