Preview: Last Run for Senior Standouts
October 29, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Cross Country frequently sees the same top programs show best when championships are decided at the annual MHSAA Finals at Michigan International Speedway.
But the return of all four individual champions from a previous season is certainly rare – and could make Saturday’s races as a set among the most noteworthy in some time as all four run for the final time at the high school level.
Click for a full list of competitors plus additional information on Saturday’s event, which will see 1,002 boys at the start line. Read on for more of the run-up to the team and individual competitions in all four races.
DIVISION 1
Reigning champion: Milford
2013 runner-up: Waterford Mott
2014 top-ranked: 1. Waterford Mott, 2. Northville, 3. Rockford.
Milford’s three-season run atop Division 1 will end after the team graduated five of its top six – only one runner qualified for this weekend. Mott, the runner-up the last two seasons, would be happy to take the next step. The Corsairs return their top three and four of their top six from last season’s runner-up team, including fourth-place senior Ryan Robinson and 14th-place senior Sam Albaugh. Northville will look to jump from fifth returning four of its top five from 2013 including 21st-place senior Nick Noles, and Rockford should make a nice move after coming in 12th last year while running five underclassmen – the Rams’ top five are back, and freshman Cole Johnson was their second-fastest and sixth overall at the Regional win last week.
Individuals: In addition to Robinson and Albaugh, eight more of last season’s top 10 are back – but they’ll have their work cut out trying to catch reigning champion Grant Fisher of Grand Blanc. He won last season’s race by 18 seconds in 15:13.7, the 10th-fastest time in LP Division 1 Finals history. Warren DeLaSalle senior Mickey Davey finished ninth last season and joined Fisher, Robinson and Portage Central senior Connor Wuori (12th in 2013) among top-20 Finals placers from last fall who won Regionals last weekend.
DIVISION 2
Reigning champion: St. Clair
2013 runner-up: St. Joseph
2014 top-ranked: 1. Grand Rapids Christian, 2. Fremont, 3. St. Joseph.
Grand Rapids Christian just missed its first top-two Finals finish last season since 1978, and is favored to claim its first title with six of seven runners from 2013 back including ninth-place senior Benny Briseno. Fremont’s tradition is more storied – the Packers’ seven MHSAA titles are tied for fourth-most by Lower Peninsula programs – and despite not making the Finals as a team in 2013 are returning after placing four among the top eight in winning their Regional. St. Joseph has finished runner-up two of the last three seasons and brings back four of its top six from last fall including its top two finishers, seniors Erik Edwards (15th) and Nick Jewell (28th). Two-time reigning champion St. Clair made the Final again despite no seniors in the lineup after graduating its top six from last season’s victorious team.
Individuals: There should be some turnover among the lead packs, with 11 of last season’s top 20 graduated. But five of the top 10 return, beginning with reigning champion and Cedar Springs senior Austin Sargent. Third-place junior Blake Watson from Corunna is back to make another push, joining St. Johns senior Codey Cook (seventh), Briseno and Chelsea senior David Trimas (10th) among the top returning finishers. Sargent had the fastest Regional time last week in Division 2, 15:46.2, followed by Briseno (15:48) and Corunna sophomore Noah Jacobs (15:59.2), who beat teammate Watson by 25 seconds and finished 56th at last season’s Final.
DIVISION 3
Reigning champion: Benzonia Benzie Central
2013 runner-up: Stockbridge
2014 top-ranked: 1. Lansing Catholic, 2. Benzie Central, 3. Hanover-Horton.
Reigning individual champion and senior Keenan Rebera leads the favored Cougars, who bring back four of their top five from last season’s third-place team. But reigning champion Benzie Central is far from being out of the conversation – the Huskies have four of their top six back from 2013 including top-30 finishers senior Kyle Bailey (23rd) and sophomore Brayden Huddleston (27th). Hanover-Horton finished sixth last season with three sophomores and a freshman topping the lineup – four of the top five are back, and the team’s top five this season all finished among the first 13 at their Regional.
Individuals: Rebera won last season’s race by just under 30 seconds, in 15:31, and won his Regional last week by 33. But Michigan Center senior Ben Utz also was a Regional champ, by 29 seconds, after finishing third at the 2013 Final. Mason County Central junior Zac Benham (fifth) and Comstock senior Zack Richards (ninth) also are back from last season’s top 10. Grandville Calvin Christian senior Abe Visser (15th in 2013), Hesperia senior Damien Halverson (18th) and Calvin Christian senior Logan Jurgens (13th) all cleared 15:51 on Saturday in taking the top three places, respectively, at the fastest Regional in this division.
DIVISION 4
Reigning champion: Saugatuck
2013 runner-up: Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart
2014 top-ranked: 1. Saugatuck, 2. Concord, 3. Bear Lake/Onekama.
After breaking Concord’s two-year hold on Division 4 last season, Saugatuck is expected to extend its streak to two on the strength of four of its top six from 2013. Joe Brown is the only senior; the Indians’ other six runners are sophomores. But Concord will try to take the title back with its top six from 2013 including two-time individual champion Jesse Hersha and last season’s sixth place Jacob Hall, both seniors. Bear Lake/Onekama graduated three of its top four from last season’s fourth-place team, but junior Jordan Anderson was the team’s second-fastest runner at last season’s Final, finishing 19th overall. Freshmen Gary McBride and Kaiden Hejl finished behind Anderson and among the top five at their Regional as the team won with 27 points.
Individuals: Half of last season’s top 20 will run this race Saturday, but Hersha will be tough to chase down. He won last season’s title by 44 seconds, and his 15:32.3 winning time in 2012 is the sixth-fastest in LP Division 4 Finals history. Ellsworth senior Winter Romeyn (ninth) and Beal City senior Nick Pung (10th) join the Concord pair among returning top-10 finishers. Harbor Beach senior Luke Anderson, 13th last season, joined Hersha (15:46) in breaking 16 minutes at last week’s Regional, winning by a minute over Ubly senior Adam Grifka (17th in 2013) in 15:52.
PHOTO: Grand Blanc’s Grant Fisher, running the final stretch during last season’s LP Division 1 Final, will look to repeat as champion. (Click to see more this weekend from RunMichigan.com.)
Houghton Cross Country Teams Support Coach's Cancer Fight with Surprise Uniforms
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
October 28, 2025
MUNISING — Houghton’s cross country teams ran one for their coach while placing third in both girls and boys races at the Upper Peninsula Division 1 Finals on Oct. 18.
Under assistant coach Erik Johnson’s direction, the Gremlins unveiled new pink-toned uniforms at the Pictured Rocks Golf Course in honor of Cancer Awareness Month and their head coach Traci Welch, who has led the program since 1998 and recently was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“I had no idea they were doing the new uniforms,” she said. “They really surprised me. The prognosis is good right now. I felt I dealt with chemo better than most people. I’m about to start radiation, but I’d rather be with them. This helps me get through it.”
Welch has led the girls team to Upper Peninsula Division 1 Finals championships twice, in 2020 and 2021, and the boys team to a Finals title in 2017.
Johnson says Welch is a real competitor. “Traci has always been an inspiration,” he added.
The Marquette girls capped this season by winning the Division 1 meet for the fourth straight time with 39 points. They were followed by Sault with 52 and Houghton with 63.
“This is much better than being at home,” Welch said. “The more I’m with them, the better. They persevered all year. They came every day, worked hard and had fun. The team camaraderie is just fantastic.”
The Gremlins girls were led by sophomores Holly Cooke in fourth (20:39.4) and Sela Niska fifth (20:41.1).
“We’re all very happy we can support (our coach),” Cooke said. “She would go to a doctor’s appointment, then come to practice for us.”
Niska believes she and Cooke share a common bond.
“She’s my best friend,” Niska says. “It’s very fun. Holly didn’t run last year. I’m glad she came out. We were right next to each other and paced off each other. We told ourselves to go out and run one for our coach.”
The Marquette boys won for the seventh consecutive year with 34 points, followed by Sault Ste. Marie with 43 and Houghton with 84.
Senior Ben Hemmer led the Gremlins with a seventh-place finish, covering the 3.1-mile course in 17:27.8. Sophomore Brandon Van Karsen took ninth at 17:40.7.
“We were running for our coach. She’s the best coach we ever had,” Hemmer said. “She comes to practice every day.
“I’m just grateful for cross country.”
Senior Jovie Williams took 16th (21:57.6) and Tessa Rautiola, who was crowned U.P. Division 1 champion a year ago, missed most of this season due to a stress fracture but was able to place 18th this time (22:05.8).
“We lost Norah (Woodruff) due to appendicitis,” Welch said. “Although, we’re glad Tessa was able to run. Tessa ran well considering she hadn’t run in about six weeks, and she was very appreciative.”
John Vrancic has covered high school sports in the Upper Peninsula since joining the Escanaba Daily Press staff in 1985. He is known most prominently across the peninsula for his extensive coverage of cross country and track & field that frequently appears in newspapers from the Wisconsin border to Lake Huron. He received the James Trethewey Award for Distinguished Service in 2015 from the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.
PHOTOS: From left, standing for a photo, are Houghton's Lilli Gast (150), Cecilia McDonald (152), Romi Mattson (151), Sela Niska (153), Holly Cooke (149), Jovie Williams (154), and Tessa Rautiola (155). (Middle) Cooke (149) and Niska (153) run together during the UP Division 1 Cross Country Finals at Pictured Rocks in Munising. (Photos by Cara Kamps.)