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 13^th overall and seventh in the team standings with a time of 18:09.7. Adelyn Verhage was 26^th (15 in team scoring) at 18:30.9 and Addelyn Sabatke was 28^th (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 (21^st in the team standings), Taylee Fox (25^th ) and Addison Andress (27^th) 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.”

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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.)