Michigan High School Sports – MLive.com
Area cross country teams off and running in first major meet of season

Mike Kohon | Citizen Patriot, September 10, 2009 12:09 a.m.
The first major local cross country meet of the season will draw a lot of attention across the state.

Hanover-Horton High School’s girls team soundly defeated Leslie in the teams’ first head-to-head meeting this season in the Division 2 race at the Springport Invitational on Wednesday.

The Comets had four finishers in the top five, including winner Lindsey Burdette, and scored 21 points to second-place Leslie’s 40.

Paul Lewis finished first while leading Albion to the top spot in the Division 2 boys race.

Concord swept the Division 3 team events as the Yellow Jackets’ Kyle Stacks won the boys race and Homer’s Nicole Wurster won the girls race. In Division 1, Northwest’s Mary Lehman won the girls race, and Napoleon’s Blake Garver won the boys race as Stockbridge won as a team.

Michigan High School Sports – MLive.com
Shorthanded Freeland finds a way to win the Sanford Meridian boys cross country invitational

The Saginaw News, September 09, 2009 11:40 p.m.

Harrison’s Blake Allison was the best runner, while Freeland was the best team at Wednesday’s Sanford Meridian boys cross country invitational.

Allison, last year’s Division 3 state runner-up, ran a first-place time of 16:26. The Falcons, who were missing the services of four of their top seven runners, showed how deep they are with Kyle Henderson’s second-place finish, Monte Scott’s third-place finish and freshman Brent Wegner’s eighth-place finish to contribute to the team score of 47.

Michigan High School Sports – MLive.com
Durand’s David Madrigal finishes five seconds off course record, but Chesaning finishes first

The Flint Journal, September 09, 2009 10:06 p.m.
OVID-ELSIE, Michigan — Chesaning ran to a first place finish in the Marauder Invitational with a final score of 52, but Durand’s David Madrigal III stole the show with a first-place finish that was five seconds off the course record set by three-time state champion Maverick Darling. The Railroaders finished second with 71.

Team scores: Chesaning 52, Durand 71, Lansing Catholic 75, Owosso 109, Byron 126, Lapeer East 172, Fowler 189, Bath 216, Ovid-Elsie 217, Lake Odessa Lakewood 217, DeWitt 270, Vermontville Maple Valley 297, Beal City 353

Individuals: 1. David Madrigal III, Durand, 16:09; 2. Trevor Denton, Chesaning, 16:48; 3. Austin Winter, Lansing Catholic, 17:32; 4. Kieran McClintock, Owosso, 17:42; 5. Zach Zingsvhim, Lansing Catholic, 17:53; 6. Travis Vaillancourt, Bath, 17:57; 7. Brandon Bishop, Chesaning, 17:58; 8. Justin Henderson, Lapeer East, 18:00; 9. Jimmy Hicks, Lansing Catholic, 18:01; 10. Tyler Jenkins, Durand, 18:03.

Michigan High School Sports – MLive.com
Rockford wins own invitational

Grant Lofdahl | Advance Newspapers, September 09, 2009 10:25 a.m.

The young Rams runners who competed in Saturday’s Rockford Invitational got a little extra boost from their most famous alumnus. Rockford native Dathan Ritzenhein became the fastest American ever to run 5,000 meters in the Weltklasse meet in Zurich, Switzerland on Friday, and his former team came out racing on Saturday morning.

Both the boys and girls won the meet, which features a unique format. Each team enters its top five freshmen and sophomores in one race, and its five best juniors and seniors in another. The top three placers in each race are added together to get team scores. The Rockford boys dominated, winning by 50 points with a total of just 23. Rockford’s girls had a bit more of a battle with a good Grand Ledge team, coming out on top with 31 points to Grand Ledge’s 40.

Michigan High School Sports – MLive.com
Alma boys dominate Jaws and Paws cross country event

The Saginaw News, September 09, 2009 7:35 p.m.

St. Louis runner Brayden Border took the top spot at the Jaws and Paws cross country meet on Wednesday with a time of 17:27, but Alma captured 12 of the top 15 positions to take first place ahead of the host Sharks and Breckenridge.

Derek Devine led the Panthers with a second-place finish at 17:53, and Josh Reiber paced the Huskies with a time of 19:39, placing ninth.

Michigan High School Sports – MLive.com
Flint Powers Catholic boys cross country team wins Big Nine Conference Jamboree

The Flint Journal, September 09, 2009 9:28 p.m.

DAVISON, Michigan — Flint Powers Catholic’s boys cross country team captured five of the top-10 times Wednesday to finish in first place in the Big Conference Jamboree at Richfield Park.

The Chargers went 3-0 in the meet, which was scored as dual meets instead of invitational style. Justin Waraniak finished in first place in 17:11 and teammate Matt Walllace took runner-up honors in 17:15 to lead the Chargers.

Big Nine Conference Jamboree

At Richfield Park

Team scores — Powers Catholic 16, Flushing 45; Powers Catholic 16, Carman-Ainsworth 45; Powers Catholic 17, Davison 40; Flushing 25, Carman-Ainsworth 33; Davison 26, Flushing 30; Davison 24, Carman-Ainsworth 31.

Michigan High School Sports – MLive.com
Fall sports outlooks: East Kentwood

The Grand Rapids Press, September 09, 2009 3:37 p.m.
Boys cross country

* Coach: Ray Antel, third year
* Conference: O-K Red
* 2008: Second in O-K Red, 17th in state finals
* Top returners: Seniors Isaac Cox (conference champ, regional champ, all-state), Mohamed Mohamed, Mahamud Sharif and Stephen Huizinga (all-state in track) and sophomore Connor Manion
* Newcomers: Senior Carter Del Roario and sophomore Connor Manion
* Outlook: The Falcons lost only two letter winners, but they were the team’s second and fourth runners.
* Coach’s comment: “I think we can breathe down Rockford’s neck; I think we’ll be chasing them.”
* Key date: Oct. 7 vs. Rockford

Girls cross country

* Coach: Ray Antel, third year
* Conference: O-K Red
* 2008: Fourth in O-K Red, regional champions, third at state finals
* Top returners: Junior Leah Shepherd (all-state as a freshman), senior Krista Parks (three-time all-conference), junior Alissa Williams (all-state) and senior captain Jessica Dippel
* Newcomer: Sophomore Casey Westveer
* Outlook: The Falcons did not lose any runners from last season, so they should contend in the conference and beyond.
* Coach’s comment: “It’s a neat group of kids who work well.”
* Key date: Sept. 12, Hill and Dale Invitational at Fremont

Michigan High School Sports – MLive.com
Flint Powers Catholic girls cross country team wins first Big Nine Conference Jambroee

The Flint Journal, September 09, 2009 9:23 p.m.

DAVISON, Michigan — Flint Powers Catholic’s girls cross country team opened the Big Nine Conference season Wednesday by taking first place in the Big Nine Jamboree at Richfield Park.Big Nine Conference Jamboree.

The Chargers went 3-0 to edge Flushing which went 2-1. Carman-Ainsworth’s Jessica Saunders was the top individual, finishing in first place in 21:16. Flushing’s Mehgan Ott came in second place in 21:19.

At Richfield Park

Team scores — Powers Catholic 21, Carman-Ainsworth 40; Powers Catholic 18, Davison 40; Carman-Ainsworth 24, Davison 33; Flushing 20, Davison 41; Powers Catholic 27, Flushing 29; Flushing 22, Carman-Ainsworth 38

Michigan High School Sports – MLive.com
St. Louis girls cross country team wins Jaws and Paws

The Saginaw News, September 09, 2009 7:51 p.m.

Freshman Raquel Serna led the St. Louis girls cross country team to a win over Alma in the Jaws and Paws Invitational in St. Louis on Wednesday with a time of 20:51.

Tori and Sami Humphrey, twin freshmen at Alma, finished second and third with identical times of 22:38.

“(Tori and Sami) knocked 45 seconds off their last race, and beat some people they didn’t the last time out,” St. Louis coach Dale Devine said.

Michigan High School Sports – MLive.com
JENISON — As we began our discussion about Courtney Mekkes, Jenison cross country coach Jason Schalk led off with words of high praise, “Courtney is the ideal student athlete.”

From that point Schalk went on to clarify why he would make a statement like that about her. Schalk is very impressed with Mekkes as an athlete who gets the most out of her abilities and as a person who is constantly striving to improve herself. Mekkes is probably not going to break any state records in her final season as a Wildcat, but her coach praised her for giving her all in practice and competition as well as being a great teammate.

Because so much of distance running takes place between the ears, Schalk really values Mekkes’ great attitude and the positive energy she brings with her everywhere she goes.