2025 Runners-Up Become 2026 Champions in Girls Division 4 Final
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
November 7, 2026
BROOKLYN – Runner-up redemption was the theme of the Lower Peninsula Division 4 Girls Cross Country Final.
Hillsdale Academy and Gobles senior Libby Smith, who finished as runners-up in the team and individual standings a year ago, got over the hump Saturday at Michigan International Speedway to bring home the first titles in their program’s histories.
Smith was dominant in the individual race, leading throughout on her way to a winning margin of nearly 18 seconds. She finished in 18 minutes, 18.9 seconds, with Martin’s Veyda Conley finishing second at 18:36.8. Two-time defending champion Kaylie Livingston was third at 18:53.2.
“I felt really ready,” Smith said. “Sometimes I feel really nervous, and I was nervous, but it’s good to have nerves going into a race. I felt really confident. I knew that I just had to believe in myself and I did, and it showed.”
Smith was just six seconds behind Livingston a year ago, and had finished third as a sophomore and seventh as a freshman.
Having been so close in past years served as motivation this time, but her biggest regret from a year ago was missing some of her teammates finish while giving an interview. This year, she made sure to see every Gobles runner cross the line, including Ava DeYoung and Lauren Shaffer who finished seventh and 10th.
“Oh my gosh, we kept talking about it, that we’re all seniors and we can all go top 10,” Smith said. “I was so happy when I saw Lauren and Ava. I knew they could do it – they just had to know it, too, and they did.”
Hillsdale Academy won the team race with 117 points, well ahead of Onekama and three-time defending champion Whitmore Lake who each scored 169. (Onekama finished second based on the sixth-runner tie-breaker.)
The Colts clinched despite having just one runner, Evelyn Meyer, finish among the top 30 individuals and earn all-state.
“The mile and a half, I was confident – I felt good about where we were at,” Hillsdale Academy coach Michael Nikkila said. “I felt good about where we were, the girls all looked good and they were moving forward. At the 2-mile, everything had just gotten better. At that point, it was just, if we finish we’re going to get in. At that point, it was just can we get anyone else in the top 30. We’re not that team, we’re between 38 and 50. We weren’t a bunch of all-staters today, but we were a state championship team.”
Meyer finished eighth overall (sixth among competitors in the team race) with a time of 19:25. The next four Colts all finished within six places of one another.
Eliza Roberts was 38th (25th among team racers) at 20:33.2, Moira Beier was 40th (27th) at 20:35.2, Norah Tracy was 42nd (29th) at 20:34.4 and Heather Morris rounded out the scoring in 44th (30th) at 20:58.7.
Runners six and seven didn’t score but weren’t far behind, as Maren Gehrke was 51st in 20:58.7, and Lorelei Stemme was 78th in 21:20.6.
PHOTOS (Top) Gobles Libby Smith pushes toward the finish of the Division 4 girls race Saturday at MIS. (Middle) Hillsdale Academy’s Evelyn Meyer (1420) races through the final stretch. (Click for more from Dave McCauley/RunMichigan.com.)
UP Champs Repeat as Rudden Takes 1st
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
October 24, 2015
FLAT ROCK — Marquette High School’s Lindsey Rudden has excelled in track and cross country throughout her prep career.
The senior harrier has earned her share of Upper Peninsula Division 1 titles in track, but hadn’t won at the U.P. Cross Country Finals prior to Saturday.
That all changed on a cloudy, rainy and breezy day at Beauchamp’s Grove as she captured her first MHSAA cross country championship, covering the 3.1-mile course in 18 minutes, 59.8 seconds.
She was followed by Negaunee sophomore Clara Johnson (19:05.8), Westwood senior Katie Etelamaki (19:09.6), Sault Ste. Marie sophomore Mackenzie Kalchik (19:21.6) and Marquette senior Holly Blowers (19:27.4).
“It’s overdue,” said Rudden, who plans to run at Michigan State University next fall. “The second mile was real fast. We were pushing each other. It’s pretty humid, which made it hard to breathe. The course was pretty muddy in the first mile; otherwise it was pretty solid.”
The Marquette girls the team title won for the third consecutive year, edging Sault Ste. Marie 40-49. Negaunee placed third with 97 points, followed by Calumet 115 and Houghton 131.
“All the girls ran well in tough conditions,” said Marquette coach Dale Phillips. “I’m happy for Lindsey. This definitely takes a weight off her shoulders. This is a nice addition to her resume. Holly ran a nice race and I think Becci (McNamee) had a personal best. Our fifth and sixth girls (Chloe Henning and Samantha Borzick) also ran their personal bests, which was a big help.”
Johnson’s strategy was to stay with Rudden as long as she could.
“She (Rudden) is really good,” said Johnson. “I hung with her for nearly two miles. I didn’t have enough to stay with her all the way, but I thought it was worth a try. I thought Katie (Etelamaki) also ran real well. I’m glad I got to race with her all year. She was really closing the gap in the end.”
Kalchik ran a personal-best time, helping her move up a place from last year’s Finals.
“I didn’t want to go out too fast,” said Kalchik, who got sick after two miles. “I felt pretty rough, but just pushed through it. The girl from Marquette (Blowers) was coming up on me. It was hard. I felt good coming in here, knowing the competition. I had a better idea what to expect.”
This also marked a personal best for Blowers, who had hoped to break 19 minutes.
“This is not what I was hoping for, but we were working as a team,” she said. “I wanted to do it for the team. We have great girls on our team and great competition. I’m going to miss this so much.”
Sault Ste. Marie’s Megan Arbic placed sixth (19:32.2) and teammate Courtney Arbic took eighth (19:45.9).
“It went great,” said Sault coach Jim Martin. “Our top five girls ran lifetime bests by 20-30 seconds. They just went out and ran like they wanted to be on the podium. I’m real happy for them.”
Gladstone junior Leigha Woelffer, who was crowned champion a year ago, took 10th this time (20:19.8). Etelamaki also was seeking her second individual title after winning the Division 2 race in 2014.
Division 2
Ishpeming was a repeat champion with 31 points. The Hematites were followed by Hancock at 49, Gogebic at 83, St. Ignace at 89 and Norway with 118 points.
“I’m pleased to see our boys and girls both win,” said Ishpeming coach P.J. Pruett. “This is only the fourth time the Ishpeming girls were U.P. champions. It happened in 1979 and ‘80 and now last year and this year, and our boys were pretty dominant.”
Ishpeming junior Khora Swanson earned top individual honors at 20:56.2, followed by Hancock’s Taylor Pertile (21:15.2), teammate Mariah Bertucci (21:44), Gogebic’s Melissa Wanink (21:45.4) and Hancock’s Madisyn Wright (21:46.4).
“I’m pleased with my time,” said Swanson. “I just worked hard today. We had to get our points by catching people in front of us. I’m just happy we won as a team.”
Division 3
Chassell edged Munising 67-69 for its second straight Division crown, followed by Cedarville at 92, Dollar Bay at 105 and Brimley at 114.
“Sticking to the basics and believing in themselves were the keys to our victory,” said Chassell coach Marco Guidotti. “They were up to the challenge. They really like competing in the West-PAC (West Peninsula Athletic Conference). Competition in our conference is strong year in and year out.”
Newberry senior Natalie Beaulieu won the Final for the second straight time in a school-record 19:24.5. She was followed by Chassell senior Shitaye Sam (19:46.6), Munising sophomore Alyssa Webber (19:57.4), Cedarville’s Emma Bohn (20:55.7) and Brimley’s Lauren Halvorsen (21:30).
“I made my move at the mile mark and started to get some separation,” said Beaulieu, who ran the first mile in 5:51. “I was a little concerned at first because I thought I may have gone out too fast. But I knew where I needed to go, and the hills were then my only concern. I just tried to stay in my pace.”
The MHSAA Cross Country Finals are sponsored by the Michigan National Guard.
PHOTOS: (Top) Marquette’s Lindsey Rudden (left) runs stride for stride with Negaunee’s Clara Johnson before breaking away for the Division 1 championship. (Middle) Ishpeming’s Khora Swanson sprints the stretch in first place in leading the Hematites to their second straight title. (Below) Newberry’s Natalie Beaulieu won her second straight individual title in Division 3, while Chassell’s Shitaye Sam led her team to its second straight team championship. (Photos by Cara Kamps.)