Michigan High School Sports – MLive.com
East GR girls win crossover meet

Don VanderVeen | Advance Newspapers, September 09, 2009 10:23 a.m.
Northview’s Sam Carlberg competes in last Wednesday’s O-K Black/O-K White Crossover cross country meet at Gracewil Golf Course. – (ADVANCE photo by TOM FIRME)

WALKER – The returning state champions who were showcased at Wednesday’s O-K Black vs. O-K White cross country crossover at Gracewil Golf Club are looking like they’re poised for a repeat performance this fall.

The course was fast and the front-runners took full advantage of it.

Both East Grand Rapids senior Lauren Grunewald and Kenowa Hills senior Reed Kamyszek set personal records and coasted to victories in their respective races, which featured the top runners of the O-K White Conference competing against their counterparts from the O-K Black.

Michigan High School Sports – MLive.com
Lansing Catholic takes first in girl’s cross country at Maurader Invitational

The Flint Journal, September 09, 2009 9:38 p.m.
OVID-ELSIE, Michigan — Lansing Catholic’s Megan Heeder paced the field and led the Cougars to a first place finish at the Maurader Invitational with a score of 47. Lapeer East was the first runner-up with a 95 finish.

Team Scores: Lansing Catholic 47, Lapeer East 95, Owosso 103, DeWitt 108, Beal City 134, Fowler 157, Chesaning 159, Bath 184, Durand 217, Byron 263, Lakewood 282, Maple Valley 330, Ovid-Elsie Inc.

Michigan High School Sports – MLive.com
Fall sports outlooks: Byron Center

The Grand Rapids Press, September 09, 2009 4:07 p.m.
Boys cross country

* Coach: Todd Foster, seventh year
* 2008: 7-0 O-K Green, conference champions, second at regional, 16th in state in Division 2
* Key returners: Juniors Jeff Sattler (16:19 best time, 37th at state meet), Daniel VandeBunte, Kyle Clifton and Colin Ludema
* Newcomer: Junior Jason Parnell
* Outlook: Byron Center lost three of its top four from a team that had one of the best seasons in school history, but Sattler’s return will help cushion some of the blow.
* Coach’s comment: “We hope to be able to compete for a conference title again this season, and if we can improve enough over the course of the season, maybe we’ll make it back to state again.”
* Key dates: Sept. 19 at Sparta Invitational; Sept. 26 at Lowell Invitational; Oct. 10 at Portage Invitational

Girls cross country

* Coach: Todd Foster, seventh year
* 2008: 6-1 O-K Green, second in O-K Green fifth at regionals
* Key returners: Senior Alex Bigelow, juniors Cassie Peterson (16th at state, 18:52), Julie Oosterhouse and Mary Nickels and sophomore Megan Lee
* Outlook: The team’s top seven runners return, so a state-finals appearance should be in the cards barring slower times or injury.
* Coach’s comment: “We have all of our top seven returning and we are looking to improve as a team and hopefully make it back to the state meet.”
* Key dates: Sept. 19 at Sparta Invitational; Sept. 26 at Lowell Invitational; Oct. 10 at Portage Invitational

Michigan High School Sports – MLive.com
Mason County Central cross country runners pushing each other for success

Troy Ruel, September 09, 2009 10:04 p.m.

Mason County Central senior Jared Lauber lost his first race of the season earlier this week.

Lauber, however, was the first to offer congratulations to his teammate, junior Dan Deller, at the West Michigan Conference jamboree in Shelby Tuesday afternoon.

“That’s the kind of competitor Jared is,” said head coach Ed Sanders. “Jared’s the Steve Yzerman-type of captain – he leads by example. He works hard and goes all-out, but he realizes that Dan has been on his heals since last year.”

“We go at it everyday in practice,” added Lauber, who earned medalist honors at both the Hesperia and Mason Country Eastern invitationals already this season. “It’s a friendly rivalry. In the long run, that competition is going to help both of us improve.”

Michigan High School Sports – MLive.com
Kent City wins inaugural relay meet

Advance Newspapers, September 09, 2009 10:17 a.m.

KENT CITY — Kent City hosted its inaugural coed cross- country invitational at Long Lake Park last Wednesday. It was a new meet run in relay style; girls ran the 5K course and tagged their boy partner. When the boys completed their 5K, the teams were scored as normal. The first five girl-boy partners across the finish line were added together and the lowest score won.

Seven schools competed in the new invitational, vying for a nice eagle trophy. When the Kent City Eagles saw the eagle trophy, they knew what they wanted for their showcase back in the school hallway.

The Kent City girls ran so well that they were the first four girls to the exchange zone to tag their male partners. Then the boys took over and ran strong.

Michigan High School Sports – MLive.com
Allendale runner Devan John attempts to join elite cross country three-peat group

Jeff Chaney | The Grand Rapids Press, September 08, 2009 3:42 p.m.
Devan John is hopin to win her third consecutive state championship. – (Adam Bird | The Grand Rapids Press)

Devan John could run her way into making cross country history this season.

The Allendale senior is attempting to win her third consecutive state championship.

If John extends her title streak, she will join three other girls who have won three consecutive Lower Peninsula state championships: Kelloggsville’s Nicole Bush in Division 3 (2000-02) and Rochester Adams’ Katie Boyles (1997-99) and Sterling Heights Stevenson’s Cristy Goodison (1991-93) in Division 1.

“I haven’t thought about that,” John said. “That is big company. I try not think about three-peating. It won’t hit me until the end of cross country season that state is coming up and I start getting butterflies.”

If John gets butterflies, she has not shown it much since breaking on to the state cross country scene as a freshman and taking seventh place at the state meet.

Michigan High School Sports – MLive.com
Boys Cross County: Vassar takes 3rd in Mayville

The Bay City Times, September 08, 2009 9:47 p.m.

Vassar’s boys cross country team had a rough time at a meet in Mayville, placing third in a three-team meet.

The hosting Mayville won the event with a score of 35. Otisville LakeVille Memorial took second with a 41 while Vassar had to settle for third with a score of 48.

Vassar’s top performer was Tony Pecoraro who finished second with a time of 19:38.

Richie Moreau was fifth for the Vulcans with a time of 20:25.

Andrew Oprea also finished in the top-10, placing eighth with a time of 21:46.

“The encouraging thing is those top-three finishers are two sophomores and a freshman,” said Vassar coach Dan Johnson. “We have high hopes for them in the future.”

The race’s winner was Mayville’s Hayden Garlick. According to Johnson, Garlick won by a large margin.

Michigan High School Sports – MLive.com
Girls Cross County: Vassar gets 1-2 for second place in Mayville

The Bay City Times, September 08, 2009 9:46 p.m.

The Vassar girls cross country had a strong day in Mayville against the hosts and Otisville LakeVille Memorial, taking a 1-2 finish in route to second-place finish in the meet. Jamie Palmer won the race for the Vulcans.

“Jamie ran very well, she’s off to a great start,” said Vassar coach Dan Johnson. Palmer won the race with a time of 22:01. She led start to finish. She performance was one of several strong ones for Vassar.

“I’m quite pleased with our performance. We had a few troubles because of the heat but we are not dissatisfied.”

Brittany Noblin completed a 1-2 finish for the Vulcans by taking second place with a time of 22:56, finishing less than a minute behind Palmer.

Vassar had a third runner finish in the top-10, Jill Moreau. Moreau was eighth with a time of 24:16.

Mayville won the event with a score of 31 to Vassar’s 34. Otisville LakeVille Memorial brought up the rear with a score of 59.