YouTube – USFSaints’s Channel
Frank the Franciscan in “Runner for a Day!” November 02, 2009Frank documents his attempt to become a runner and join USF’s cross country team.

Pirates are quietly upbeat about their hopes in Div. 1 | livingstondaily.com | Livingston Daily
Pirates are quietly upbeat about their hopes in Div. 1

By Tim Robinson
DAILY PRESS & ARGUS
• November 6, 2009
Pinckney coach Tom Carney works on getting his team ready for the Division 1 state meet all season long.

“We treat (Michigan International Speedway as our home course,” he said Wednesday. “We make sure the kids are educated as to what’s going on when they get there. And they’re getting there.”

The Pirates swept the regional at Brighton last week and have been ranked No. 2 in the state in both genders for much of the season.

Asked about the rankings, and the answers are telling.

“I think the rankings really push us,” said senior Kayla Boyes, making her fourth trip to MIS. “It gives us confidence. If others think we can do it, then we can do it. So I’m excited that we’re ranked that high, because it gives us a good goal to look forward to.”

Marcus Rogers, the boys captain, is a little more reserved.

“I try to tune it out,” he said. “But it is a motivator, I guess, to prove everyone wrong. Or right.”

Facebook | Michigan International Speedway – NASCAR: MIS set to host MHSAA Lower Peninsula Cross Country Finals
MIS set to host MHSAA Lower Peninsula Cross Country Finals
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Saturday’s event marks 14th year of Irish Hills track hosting final meet of the season

BROOKLYN, Mich. (Nov. 6, 2009) ¬— The greatest racing events in the state annually take place at Michigan International Speedway. These events don’t just include auto racing.

The Michigan High School Athletic Association’s Lower Peninsula Cross Country Finals will be held at MIS on Saturday, with hundreds of the state’s top high school boys and girls cross country runners hitting the track for the 14th straight year. With thousands of competitors, fans and their families converging on MIS, the MHSAA Cross Country Finals has grown into another major racing event for the Irish Hills track.

“We’re always excited to work with the Michigan High School Athletic Association to host the cross country finals every year,” speedway President Roger Curtis said. “Even though MIS is known for NASCAR racing events, this cross country meet is very similar in that it brings racings best to the Irish Hills, but just in another form. It’s always a fun day for everyone involved and great for our local businesses.”

Although the competitors don’t race on the actual two-mile MIS oval, the 3.1-mile course (5K) begins in the infield, continues throughout the back woods, campgrounds and parking lots just east of the track and finishes in the tri-oval near the actual start/finish line used for NASCAR races.

“We always enjoy the relationship we have with MIS in making this event so successful,” MHSAA Assistant Director Mark Uyl said. “Over the past 14 years, this event has grown tremendously and we appreciate all the support from MIS and everyone else involved in making it happen. MIS serves as a great neutral site for this championship event that the runners and their families really enjoy coming to every year.”

Gates for the finals open at 7:30 a.m. with the first race beginning at 10 a.m. Tickets are $7 per person. A full schedule of events and other meet information can be found at MHSAA.com.

Nestled in the lush Irish Hills of Southeastern Michigan, Michigan International Speedway is the Great Escape, a venerable NASCAR national park where fans can get away and enjoy the very best in racing and camaraderie. It’s the love of racing and the thrill of a great time for race fans and drivers alike.

Cross country: Hard work paying off for young Tigers | thetimesherald.com | The Times Herald
Cross country: Hard work paying off for young Tigers
C-PS runners ready for state finals

By PAUL COSTANZO
Times Herald
• November 6, 2009
The most surprising thing about the Carsonville-Port Sanilac boys cross country team qualifying for the Division 4 state finals might be that none of the Tigers are surprised.

Four freshmen, four sophomores and one junior — most of whom are first-year runners and a handful who also play football — are led by a first-year coach with no prior cross country experience. Yet the Tigers have had great success, and Saturday, they are looking to be a top-15 team in the state.

“We all worked hard over the summer as a whole team,” sophomore Mike Nickens said. “We had a lot of workouts, and the hard work is paying off.”

Petoskey News-Review – Ex-Petoskey coach Dickmann to receive prestigious Kermit Ambrose Award
Ex-Petoskey coach Dickmann to receive prestigious Kermit Ambrose Award

Posted: Friday, November 6, 2009

BIG RAPIDS – One good thing can often lead to another.

Such will be the case for recently retired Petoskey cross country coach Don Dickmann.

Dickmann, who retired after 31 years of coaching both the Petoskey boys’ and girls’ cross country teams two years ago, will be recognized by the Michigan Interscholastic Coaches Association as the recipient of the annual Kermit Ambrose Award.

The Ambrose Award is named in honor of the 98-year-old Kermit Ambrose, a highly respected track and field and cross country official in Michigan for more than 30 years following a noteworthy coaching tenure at Birmingham Seaholm High School.

The award is in recognition of the recipient’s outstanding service to the sport of cross country, their school, the association and the recipient’s community. It’s also given to someone who epitomizes the definition of “Coach.”

“It’s the highest award you can get in the state as far as cross country,” Dickmann said. “It came as a total surprise. I was shocked and very happy.”

Also, in conjunction with the Ambrose Award, Dickmann will be automatically inducted into the MITCA Hall of Fame.

The induction ceremony will be Friday, Nov. 13, at the Holiday Inn in Big Rapids. Dinner is scheduled for 6 p.m., with the ceremonies to follow.

“Traditionally, the people that got the Ambrose were the same people that made it to the Hall of Fame,” Dickmann said. “Just recently the MHSAA and MITCA got together and decided getting the (Ambrose) award automatically gets you in the Hall of Fame.”
Dickmann joins the likes of Pete Spieles of Charlevoix, Pete Moss of Benzie Central and first-time award winner Tom Gauerke of Grosse Pointe North to receive the Ambrose Award.

State finals on tap for 7 local teams – The Morning Sun Sports > Preps: Serving Clare, Gratiot and Isabella counties
State finals on tap for 7 local teams

Published: Friday, November 6, 2009 6:42 AM EST

By JIM LAHDE
Sun Sports Editor

Seven local cross country teams finished in the top three in regionals last weekend thus securing a spot in this weekend’s state finals at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.

For some this weekend’s finale offers a chance to win a championship while to others it’s an opportunity to take the next step towards being a champion.

Whatever the case might be here’s a closer look at the specifics for each local team.

Local runners in finals | lansingstatejournal.com | Lansing State Journal
Local runners in finals

By SEAN MERRIMAN • smerriman@lsj.com • November 6, 2009 • From Towne Courier
CARSON CITY – The individual battle for first place at the Division 2 Cross Country regional finals sure looked a lot like the one in the Greater Lansing Cross Country Championships.

Haslett’s Ian Hancke remained undefeated on the year with another narrow win over St. Johns’ Morsi Rayyan.

East Lansing lost out on the third and final team berth for the state finals by a single point to No. 4-ranked Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern.

The Trojans’ Matt Hoshal (third) and Robbie Glew (15th) did qualify as individual state meet qualifiers.

Honorable mention Haslett was just four points behind East Lansing and five points out of third place and a team berth.

So Hancke, Ryan Beyea (11th) and Alex VanCamp (12th) qualified to compete in the indivudal portion of the event.

The East Lansing girls had no trouble topping No. 7 Ada Forest Hills Eastern and securing their seventh straight state meet appearance as a team.

Atchoo making a run at state title in cross-country | freep.com | Detroit Free Press
Posted: Nov. 6, 2009
Atchoo making a run at state title in cross-country

BY MICK McCABE
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER
Don’t even try being creative because you can’t.

He has heard them all before.

“Someone will sneeze and say: ‘Oh, I was just calling your name,’ ” said Mike Atchoo. “I can’t really say there’s a best joke. I’ve heard them all. Nothing’s original now.”

But there is something original — and refreshing — about Atchoo, a senior at Troy who just might be the best distance runner in the state and is the favorite in Saturday’s Division 1 cross-country state championship meet at Michigan International Speedway.

Atchoo had a breakout year as a junior when he placed second in the cross-country finals, then broke Dathan Ritzenhein’s state record in winning the 1,600 meters in 4:07.71 at the track finals.

This fall he is unbeaten in every race, but ask him about how the season has gone and he forgets cross-country is as much of an individual sport as swimming.

“I’m really excited about how the team is doing this year because we didn’t qualify as a team last year,” Atchoo said. “Our team is a lot stronger than it’s ever been, so I’m really excited to see how we do as a team.”

Region sending 84 to state cross country meet – MonroeNews.com
Region sending 84 to state cross country meet
by Jeff Meade , last modified November 06. 2009 11:44AM
The Monroe County Region had an amazing 10 teams and 84 runners qualify for Saturday’s state cross country finals at Michigan International Speedway.

The Region has produced an individual or team champion four of the past five years. But Milan senior and defending state champion Jordan Tomecek suffered a late-season injury that prevented her from qualifying for state and defending her Division 2 title.

Monroe’s Austin Whitelaw ran 15:48 in winning his Regional and should be in the running for a Division 1 state title. Other Regional champions were Jefferson’s John Webb, Dundee’s Brittany Slinker and Lutheran South’s Winonah Krug.

Ida’s girls and Erie Mason’s boys were team Regional champions. Monroe and Bedford qualified both their girls and boys teams for state. The other team qualifiers are the St. Mary Catholic Central, Airport and Whiteford boys.

Saturday’s schedule is Division 4 girls at 10 a.m., Division 3 girls at 10:30, Division 4 boys at 11, Division 3 boys at 11:30, Division 2 girls at 1:30 p.m., Division 1 girls at 2, Division 2 boys at 2:30 and Division 1 boys at 3.

Bedford and Monroe compete in Division 1; Airport, Milan, Jefferson, Gibraltar Carlson and New Boston Huron in Division 2; Ida, Erie Mason, Dundee and SMCC in Division 3, and Whiteford and Lutheran South in Division 4.

Midland Daily News > Sports > Dow, Midland High teams shoot for top 20 finish in cross country state finals > Tri-Cities > Michigan
Dow, Midland High teams shoot for top 20 finish in cross country state finals
By John Kennett
jkennett@mdn.net
Published: Friday, November 6, 2009 11:26 AM EST
Both Dow High coach Jed Hopfensperger and Midland High coach Marty Hollenbeck have the same goal for their teams at this Saturday’s Division 1 cross country state finals: a top-20 finish.

“We hope to get ourselves in the top-20, maybe as high as 15 or 17,” said Hopfensperger.