Preview: Rankings Call for 1st-Time Championship Celebrations
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
November 5, 2021
If rankings hold true, Saturday could see at least a few first-time boys cross country celebrations at Michigan International Speedway.
Otsego in Division 2 and Johannesburg-Lewiston in Division 4 are the top-ranked teams heading into the day, and both are seeking their first Lower Peninsula Finals championships. Caledonia is the top-ranked team in Division 1 and seeking its first title in 1996. St. Louis is No. 1 and won last year – but surely the Sharks will be up for celebrating a repeat as well.
Individually, Hartland’s Riley Hough will finish a high school career that has seen him rank among the state’s best all-time, and Pinckney’s Caleb Jarema and Benzie Central’s Hunter Jones are mere steps away from joining him.
The day’s first races at Michigan International Speedway begin at 9:30 a.m., and all eight will be broadcast live on MHSAA.tv – click for full details.
DIVISION 1
Reigning champion: Romeo
2020 runner-up: Caledonia
2021 top-ranked: 1. Caledonia, 2. Brighton, 3. Grand Haven.
After finishing 32 points behind Romeo at last season’s Final, Caledonia is favored to win its first championship since claiming the Class B title in 1996. The Fighting Scots graduated their top runner from last season’s team but return their next four finishers led by senior Josh Oom, who placed 24th a year ago. Brighton also graduated its top runner from last season but brings back the next four from the Finals lineup. Sophomore Seth Norder and Grand Haven as a team didn’t reach the Finals a year ago, but he was a Regional champion last week and is backed by 2020 individual qualifier Nolan Clark, a junior. Romeo is ranked No. 4 and returns four of its top six from a year ago, led by senior Jack Kelke, who placed 10th individually.
Individuals: Hartland senior Riley Hough has been one of the headliners statewide this season, and his best time of the fall (14:37) is well ahead of the field after he also ran the second-fastest time in MHSAA 5K Finals history (14:49.62) in 2020. He’s one of three top-10 and five top-20 finishers returning to this race. Farmington senior Peter Baracco was fourth at the Finals last season, 19th as a sophomore and 17th as a freshman, and Traverse City Central senior Luke Venhuizen has the division’s second-fastest time this fall after finishing 18th in LPD1 last season. Third on this year’s list is Lapeer senior Jeremy Williams, who was second to Venhuizen at their Regional at Saginaw Heritage.
DIVISION 2
Reigning champion: Fremont
2020 runner-up: St. Johns
2021 top-ranked: 1. Otsego, 2. Grand Rapids Christian, 3. Pinckney.
After Fremont won the last two team titles and Chelsea won back-to-back the two seasons before those, it may be Otsego’s time to climb the podium after finishing runner-up in both 2015 and 2019 and third last season. The Bulldogs return three runners from the 2020 Finals lineup, with senior Nick Cockerel having finished 20th individually and now leading the way. Grand Rapids Christian is seeking its first championship since 2014 and brings back six runners from last season’s ninth-place team. Pinckney was fifth last season and brings back four of its top six finishers including senior Caleb Jarema, the individual runner-up a year ago. Senior Conor Somers was fifth individually last season, but Fremont graduated its other four scorers from that repeat champion.
Individuals: Jarema and Somers top a group of nine returning from last season’s individual top 20. Jarema has the division’s fastest time this fall at 14:57, and Spring Lake senior Ian Hill is second on that list and finished eighth a year ago. Dearborn Divine Child junior Michael Hegarty has the third-fastest time in Division 2 this fall and finished 10th at the 2020 Finals. Chelsea has a chance to make a push in the team competition, with sophomore Connell Alford leading the way after finishing 11th individually a year ago. Parchment junior William Winter is running in Division 2 and finished 10th in Division 3 in 2020.
Division 3
Reigning champion: St. Louis
2020 runner-up: Hart
2021 top-ranked: 1. St. Louis, 2. Traverse City St. Francis, 3. Hart.
After winning its first championship last season since 2005, St. Louis is favored to come out on top again. The Sharks return four of last season’s top six including three runners who placed among the individual top 23, led by senior Aaron Bowerman in ninth and senior Nate March in 17th. Hart was a close second last season, just 13 points back, and despite graduating its top two from that lineup returns the next four runners. Traverse City St. Francis was third a year ago and has three of its top six runners back. Ithaca is intriguing; the Yellowjackets graduated their top runner after finishing seventh, but return the other sixth including two from the individual top 20 in junior Parks Allen (12th) and senior Espen Lehnst (15th).
Individuals: Seven of the top eight from last season graduated, but champion Hunter Jones is back. The Benzie Central junior is seeking his third individual Finals championship in three tries, and his best time this fall (14:44) is 42 seconds faster than the field. Manton senior Noah Morrow has the second-fastest time this season and was the next-closest placer returning from last fall after coming in eighth. Kalkaska senior Tyler Guggemos is a two-time Regional champion, and he has posted the division’s third-fastest time.
DIVISION 4
Reigning champion: Carson City-Crystal
2020 runner-up: Breckenridge
2021 top-ranked: 1. Johannesburg-Lewiston, 2. Concord, 3. Hillsdale Academy
Johannesburg-Lewiston is seeking its first Finals championship in this sport, with five of its top six back from last year’s team that finished 23rd. Concord is looking to return to the top after winning three of four Division 4 titles from 2009-12, and three of the team’s top five from last year’s third-place team are back led by senior Jonathan Mikovits (ninth individually). Breckenridge is ranked No. 4 and is an interesting possibility after also winning the 2019 championship. The Huskies have four runners back from last year’s runner-up team led by senior Mason Sumner, who placed third individually. Reigning champion Carson City-Crystal also has four runners back despite graduating individual champ Coleman Clark.
Individuals: Sumner is the highest-placing of 10 runners back from last season’s top 20, and he has the second-fastest time in the division this season. Petoskey St. Michael senior Samuel Paga is back after coming in fifth, and Webberville senior Nathan Lott is running after placing sixth in 2020. Wyoming Potter’s House junior Lezawe Osterink has cut nearly a minute from his best time from a year ago and is undefeated this season, with his 15:42 topping the list of Division 4’s fastest this fall.
PHOTO Davison’s Iain Forrest (28) and Dexter’s Brandon Anderson (45) are among runners returning in Division 1 this weekend at Michigan International Speedway. (Click for more from RunMichigan.com.)
Preview: Stage Set for Several Storylines Featuring Past Champs, New Stars
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 31, 2025
Three returning champions to Saturday’s Lower Peninsula Boys Cross Country Finals are hoping to add to title streaks that already have extended over multiple seasons.
But none of those three is considered the favorite in its respective race – and with only one 2024 individual winner back as well, title opportunities abound at one of the MHSAA’s largest championship events.
At least two contenders hope they’ll be celebrating like it’s the 1950s again – they’re seeking first championships in more than 70 years. Division 4 favorite Maple City Glen Lake is hoping to climb the MIS stage as a team champion for the first time.
See below for several team and individual contenders. The "season bests" list referred to frequently is a ranking list of every runner's best time this season, maintained by Athletic.net. The first boys race, in Division 4, begins at 10:50 a.m.; click here for the full schedule and ticket information.
Additionally, all eight races Saturday at MIS will be streamed live and viewable with subscription on the NFHS Network: Divisions 1 & 2 | Divisions 3 & 4.
Division 1
Reigning champion: Northville
2024 runner-up: Saline
2025 top-ranked: 1. Ann Arbor Pioneer, 2. Northville, 3. Kalamazoo Central.
Northville can become the sixth program in Lower Peninsula history to win a fourth-straight Finals championship – and the first since Dexter won the last of a five consecutive in 2006. Four runners return from last year’s lineup including ninth-place senior Ben Hartigan and 10th-place junior Brandon Cloud. But the rankings call for Pioneer to move up from 14th last season to claim a first team championship since 2017. Five Pioneers are back from last season’s lineup, including eighth-place senior Beckett Crooks – who has run the second-fastest top time (14:48.2) in the state regardless of peninsula or division – and junior Kamari Ronfeldt, who was fourth as a freshman in 2023, wasn’t able to finish last season’s race but enters this one with the top time statewide of 14:47.9. A Kalamazoo Central championship would make for incredible headlines; the Maroon Giants have a Lower Peninsula-record 11 Finals titles in this sport but with their most recent won in 1954. They finished fourth last season and return their top four racers from that lineup, with junior Samuel Baker back after finishing 14th individually and senior Andrew Wright posting the third-fastest top time in Division 1 this fall.
Individuals: A total of 12 of last season’s top 20 placers will return this weekend, led by Canton senior Aiden Pengelly, who finished runner-up a year ago and just 6½ seconds off the lead. Milford senior Kyle O’Rourke also returns after finishing third and just a second behind Pengelly. Joining those two and the others noted above from the 2024 top 20 are Grand Haven juniors Luka Hammond (fifth) and Aron Gal (19th), Howell junior Jack MacGregor (sixth), Kalamazoo Loy Norrix senior Jackson Lam (12th), Utica senior Harper Wesley (15th) and Saline junior Jacob Szalay (16th).
Division 2
Reigning champion: Allendale
2024 runner-up: Ada Forest Hills Eastern
2025 top-ranked: 1. Flint Powers Catholic, 2. Alma, 3. East Grand Rapids.
West Michigan teams have claimed this division three years in a row, and 2022 champ East Grand Rapids is among those expected to be in the mix again. Flint Powers is seeking its first team title since 1999, which would be an incredible story as well as the Chargers sent only two individual qualifiers to the Finals a year ago. Senior Bryce Gross (20th) and sophomore Lennox Naswell (32nd) are both headed back this weekend, and Naswell has run the fourth-fastest top time in the division. Alma is seeking to make a jump from fifth last fall to win what would be a first team title since 1952. Five of the Panthers’ top six from last season will run again, including 14th-place senior Thomas Larson, whose fastest time this fall ranks sixth just behind that of junior teammate Ezekiel Baltierra. East Grand Rapids finished third last year without a senior and the entire lineup is back, paced by fifth-place senior Jonah Workman. Parma Western, ranked No. 5, has a pair of top-20 placers from last year back in senior Edison Lopeman (eighth) and junior Ryan Good (17th), and reigning champion Allendale is ranked No. 13 but also has two top finishers back in junior Mason Hill (ninth) and senior Ronnie Silveira (15th).
Individuals: Workman was the only finisher among the top seven last season who didn’t graduate, and he’ll be considered among favorites along with Whitehall junior Robert Jazwinski III, who has won all of his races this fall, has the fastest time in the Division 2 (14:56.6, with Workman second on the top time list at 14:58.8), and placed third in Division 3 for Hart in 2023. In addition to Workman and the others mentioned above, also back from last year’s top 20 are Adrian senior Moises Salazar Jr. (11th) and Ada Forest Hills Eastern junior Steven Zawacki (18th).
Division 3
Reigning champion: Traverse City St. Francis
2024 runner-up: Saugatuck
2025 top-ranked: 1. Jackson Lumen Christi, 2. Charlevoix, 3. Lansing Catholic.
St. Francis graduated six of its seven runners from last season and will enter this weekend unranked as it races for a third-straight Finals team title. Lumen Christi graduated its top two from last year’s fourth-place team but returns the other five runners as it seeks a first championship since 2012. Charlevoix is running for its first Finals win since finishing a streak of five straight in 1991, and after finishing 14th a year ago with only one senior. Five of the Rayders’ top six runners from that lineup are back, led by ninth-place junior Hunter Eaton – who has the fastest time in Division 3 this season at 15:22.4. Lansing Catholic’s most recent title came in 2015, and the Cougars placed ninth a year ago also with only one senior. They bring back their top three from that lineup and five racers total.
Individuals: Central Montcalm senior Gage Hoffman was the only non-senior among last year’s top four, finishing third, and he has the third-fastest top time in Division 3 this season. Joining him and Eaton back from last year’s top 10 are Jonesville junior Caleb Blonde (fifth), Ithaca senior Landen Styka (sixth) and Flat Rock senior Jacob Stanislawski (eighth). Junior William Ready (11th) is the only St. Francis runner returning. Manton senior Robert Dykhouse (12th), Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central sophomore Christian Craanen (14th), Flat Rock senior Lucas Taraszkiewicz (18th) and Caro junior Luke Herron (20th) also placed among the top 20 last fall, and Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest sophomore Nole Lorenzen was 21st and has the second-fastest top time (15:24.5) in the division this season.
Division 4
Reigning champion: Hillsdale Academy
2024 runner-up: Holland Calvary
2025 top-ranked: 1. Maple City Glen Lake, 2. Holland Calvary, 3. Hillsdale Academy.
Hillsdale Academy has finished first and Holland Calvary second the last two seasons, and they’re expected to be in the mix again. But Glen Lake is the favorite this time as it pursues a first Finals championship. The Lakers finished third last year and return their second through fifth runners, led by 18th-place junior Abraham Feeney, plus have one of the top freshmen in Spencer McNitt. Holland Calvary ran all sophomores in 2024 to its second-straight runner-up finish, and five are back including Noah Schipper (23rd) and Christian Getz (29th). Hillsdale Academy graduated just two runners after last season and has four runners back including fourth-place senior Grayson Rorick.
Individuals: This field is loaded, with 13 of last year’s top 20 back including the top four placers. Now-senior Marek Butkiewicz is the reigning champion after clinching last year’s race 15 seconds ahead of the field. Royal Oak Shrine Catholic senior Abenezar Cerone is the reigning runner-up, while Three Oaks River Valley senior Landon Rogers was third and Hillsdale Academy’s Rorick fourth. Petoskey St. Michael senior Cody Bradley (seventh), Whitmore Lake senior Landen Livingston (10th), Mesick juniors Kyle Redman (13th) and Ty Redman (20th), Hackett senior Sean Siems (14th), Riverview Gabriel Richard junior Jacob Ferdubinski (15th), Harbor Beach senior Brody Karg (16th), Glen Lake’s Feeney (18th) and Brown City senior Carson Burgess (19th) also are back from the top 20. Butkiewicz (14:59.4) and Cerone (15:25.0) rank first and second, respectively, on the Division 4 top times list.
PHOTO Central Montcalm’s Gage Hoffman crosses the finish line first Saturday at his Division 3 Regional at Bath. (Photo by John Johnson.)