Otsego Finishes Championship Climb, Holland Christian's Engbers Steps Into Top Spot
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
November 7, 2026
BROOKLYN – Otsego entered Saturday’s Lower Peninsula Division 2 Girls Cross Country Final ranked No. 2 behind favorite and reigning champion Holland Christian, and that’s just how the Bulldogs wanted it.
Led by three all-state finishes, Otsego reversed the top two from the 2025 Final, scoring 84 points to edge the Maroons, who had 106.
“I was so excited,” Bulldogs sophomore Alayna Verhage said. “Our team was the underdog this time, and it was great to finally see our name at No. 1.”
Otsego now has won four Finals titles, all coming since 2015, to go with three runner-up finishes. This was the team's first championship since 2022.
The Bulldogs were able to pull off the win despite Holland Christian being led by individual champion Avery Engbers, who won the race in 17 minutes, 29.6 seconds.
“Our plan was to not be too cocky,” Verhage said. “We knew that we could definitely win and beat Holland Christian. We like being the underdog this year. Our goal was just to remember our why and do it for each other this year.”
Verhage was the top runner for the Bulldogs, finishing 13th overall and seventh in the team standings with a time of 18:09.7. Adelyn Verhage was 26th (15 in team scoring) at 18:30.9 and Addelyn Sabatke was 28th (16) at 18:34.1 to round out the all-state finishers for the champs.
The team race was won, however, at Nos. 4, 5 and 6, as Skylar Mejeur (21st in the team standings), Taylee Fox (25th ) and Addison Andress (27th) all finished ahead of the fourth runner for Holland Christian.
Engbers gave the Maroons a chance with her personal-best time which was the seventh-fastest run in a Division 2 Final. It was the third straight top 10 finish for the junior, as she was sixth a year ago and fourth in 2024 as a freshman.
She was in a battle with Holly’s Julia Bambach, who finished second in 17:33.9, as they were shoulder to shoulder entering the final stretch at Michigan International Speedway.
“Initially in the season, this wasn’t ever a goal of mine at all, but I’m really excited about it,” Engbers said. “Back by the 2-mile I was like, I know I can do it, and I just kind of had to keep repeating that to myself.”
After finishing, Engbers found each of her teammates as they came across the line, walking through the mass of humanity that is a big race finish to make sure each was OK.
“My team is super strong this year, which has been really fun,” Engbers said. “We all get to do workouts together and just build each other up. It’s super fun to be part of a team that’s really strong.”
PHOTOS (Top) Alayna Verhage (721) leads a pack and her team’s title pursuit Saturday at MIS. (Middle) Holland Christian’s Avery Engbers powers through the final stretch on the way to her first-place finish. (Click for more from Dave McCauley/RunMichigan.com.)
Preview: Seniors to Shine 1 More Time
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 18, 2019
We always can count on high school sports to be cyclical in the way athletes move through their four seasons and are replaced by the next wave.
But some groups certainly are more memorable than others. And Saturday’s Upper Peninsula Girls Cross Country Finals will provide an opportunity to wave good-bye to an accomplished group of seniors who have combined to win five MHSAA individual cross country championships.
Races begin Saturday at Gentz’s Golf Course in Marquette with the Division 1 girls at 11 a.m. and finish with the Division 3 boys at 1:30 p.m. Check back Saturday evening for coverage, and see below for more teams and individuals to watch. (Click for race information and competitors.)
Division 1
Reigning champion: Sault Ste. Marie
2018 runner-up: Marquette
Top-ranked: 1. Marquette, 2. Sault Ste. Marie, 3. Houghton.
Marquette and Sault Ste. Marie have finished first or second together the last five seasons and alternated claiming the championship over the last four. The Blue Devils won last season despite their highest placer coming in eighth, and three of the top four from that lineup are back this weekend – junior Haleigh Knowles (eighth in 2018), sophomore Anna Hildebrand (10th) and senior Shelby Eavou (16th). Marquette senior Ericka Asmus has finished Division 1 runner-up the last two seasons after coming in 10th as a freshman, and she’s joined by three more of the team’s top five from the 2018 Final including senior Reegan Ketzenberger (13th).
Individuals: Negaunee senior Emily Paupore hopes to finish her high school cross country career with a third straight Division 1 championship and won last year’s Final by 32 seconds. She’s been surging not only against Upper Peninsula competition this fall but also against many of the best from downstate. Ishpeming Westwood senior Tessa Leece also should be in the mix again after finishing fourth last season coming off her Division 2 championship in 2017. Paupore teammate Talon Prusi also will run her final high school race after coming in seventh a year ago, and Houghton sophomore Ingrid Seagren could be on the way to becoming the favorite in 2020 after finishing sixth at her first Finals a year ago.
Division 2
Reigning champion: Hancock
2018 runner-up: St. Ignace
Top-ranked: 1. Ishpeming, 2. Ironwood, 3. Wakefield-Marenisco/Bessemer.
Ishpeming didn’t finish enough runners to place last season, but the Hematites are back to full strength. After winning three straight titles from 2014-16, they are expected to add another with their top three runners returning from last year’s Final: sophomore Abby Racine (fourth place), sophomore Taylor Longtine (seventh) and junior Chyanne Gardner (14th). Reigning champ Hancock isn’t ranked but is going to be in the mix. The Bulldogs had six of the top 12 finishers in winning that team title, and sophomores Jacie Anderson (eighth), Adia Keranen (11th) and Sierrah Driscoll (12th) all are back for a team that will run one senior and six underclassmen.
Individuals: The top three finishers from last season graduated, making Racine the highest-placing returnee. Joining her, Longtine and Anderson back from the top 10 is St. Ignace junior Hallie Marshall (10th), and West Iron County junior Avery Bociek (15th) also is a strong candidate to climb in the standings.
Division 3
Reigning champion: Chassell
2018 runner-up: Cedarville
Top-ranked: 1. Chassell, 2. Brimley, 3. Cedarville.
Chassell will be chasing its third straight championship and fifth in six seasons with four of last season’s top 20 individual placers leading the way. Sophomore Paige Sleeman (fifth), junior Gwen Kangas (seventh), sophomore Kamryn Sohlden (ninth) and freshman Trisha Pietila (20th) make the Panthers the team to beat again. Cedarville is an intriguing contender though with five of last year’s top seven back including freshman Lilianna Cason (eighth) sophomore Meredith Emigh (10th) and junior Cassidy Barr (14th). Rock Mid Peninsula isn’t ranked but brings back all six of last year’s runners who combined to finish third, led by senior Daisy Englund (second) and sophomore Landry Koski (fourth).
Individuals: Eben Junction Superior Central now-senior Danika Walters outpaced 2017 champion Englund by nearly 20 seconds to win last season’s title, and they should provide an excellent individual competition at the front. Total, eight of last year’s top 10 return – the others are mentioned above – and Pickford senior Natalie Miller (11th) and Ewen-Trout Creek junior Elise Besonen also bolster the returning field. Newberry sophomore Jorja Suriano finished 13th in Division 2 last season.
PHOTO: Eben Junction Superior Central’s Danika Walters broke away from the Division 3 field at last season’s Upper Peninsula Finals and will run for a repeat Saturday. (Photo by Cara Kamps.)