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.)
Rockford Finishes Extraordinary Repeat
November 7, 2015
By Bill Khan
Special for Second Half
BROOKLYN — It's not every high school cross country program that can lean upon the wisdom of an alumnus who is a three-time Olympian.
Rockford is no ordinary program, however.
Rockford cross country was put on the map by two runners who would become elite competitors in major races, Jason Hartmann and Dathan Ritzenhein. Ritzenhein is one of America's most recognizable runners, making the last three U.S. Olympic teams.
"Ritz" is living back in Michigan while training for next year's U.S. Olympic marathon trials, making him accessible to the current group of Rams, for whom he's a running idol.
Ritzenhein spoke with this year's team as it prepared to do something that not even the great teams led by he and Hartmann could do — win back-to-back MHSAA championships. Every little bit helped, as the Rams squeaked out a 99-101 victory over Northville in the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 1 meet Saturday at Michigan International Speedway.
Senior Isaac Harding won in 15:10.4, becoming Rockford's first individual champion since the four-year run of Hartmann (1997 and 1998) and Ritzenhein (1999 and 2000).
"It's kind of nice to sort of race through his footsteps a little bit," Harding said of Ritzenhein. "He supports the Rams. He talked to our team a little bit earlier this week. He reminds us to stay composed for the end of the season, supporting us and stuff like that."
Rockford had two MHSAA titles, in 2000 and 2002, before winning these back-to-back championships. The Rams, who have been to 21 straight MHSAA Finals, were runners-up three straight years from 1997-99.
"Winning the state meet last year was really exciting," Harding said. "We came back this year with four of our top five back. We had our fifth guy step up."
Harding, sophomore Cole Johnson, senior Grant Gabriel and senior Grayson Harding scored for Rockford each of the last two years. Johnson was third in 15:15.0, Gabriel 34th in 16:00.3 and Harding 39th in 16:04.4. Rounding out the scoring was senior Matthew MacGregor, who ran 16:24.9 in his first MHSAA Finals.
Northville had five runners cross among the top 33 among team runners, while Rockford's were in the top 54. Northville, however, couldn't overcome Rockford's strength at the top in Harding and Johnson.
In the individual race, Harding bided his time in windy conditions before breaking away from Alpena junior Mitchell Day in the final quarter mile. There were four runners in contention as the leaders entered the track.
"My goal was to make a move in the last 1,200 (meters) or 1K," Day said. "Four people did, then in the last 300, 400 meters is when the two of us made another move. He kind of took off."
Harding is the only member of the current Rockford team to run in the Finals for four years. He has improved every year in place and time, going from 70th (16:14.6) to 31st (16:06.8) to fourth (15:23.2) to champion.
"It's been kind of a really long road," Harding said. "Since my freshman year, I've been looking at results, trying to think if I can beat most of the people in my grade. Toward the end of my freshman year, I started thinking I could just try to work my way up the ladder and get to the top so my senior year I came through first."
It's the third straight year Northville has produced the best boys finish in school history. The Mustangs were fifth in 2013 and fourth last year. Prior to this run, the Mustangs' back-to-back ninth-place showings in 1977 and 1978 represented the high-water mark for the program.
Junior Ben Cracraft was 14th in 15:42.1, while senior Conor Naughton was 15th in 15:42.5 to lead Northville. Naughton has been part of all three top-five teams.
Novi was third with 176 points.
The MHSAA Cross Country Finals are sponsored by the Michigan National Guard.
PHOTOS: (Top) Rockford’s Isaac Harding pushes down the final stretch on the way to winning his first MHSAA title. (Middle) Rockford senior Grant Gabriel, 121, leads another pack toward the finish. (Click for more from RunMichigan.com.)