Jacob McDonald - CMUChippewas.com—Official Web Site of Central Michigan University Athletics
Jacob McDonald - CMUChippewas.comHigh School — Lettered four times in track and field and once in football … ran a leg on the fifth-place 4×400m relay team at the 2006 MHSAA Division 1 state meet … 4×400m relay team finished runner up at the 2007 state meet … also qualified for the state meet in the 300m hurdles … team was conference and regional champion in 2007.

Oakland Christian cross country star earns All-American honors - The Oakland Press Sports: The best place for news in and around Oakland County
Oakland Christian cross country star earns All-American honors

Published: Thursday, December 24, 2009
Mitchell Dale thought his high school cross country career would end last month at the state championships at Michigan International Speedway, where he finished sixth and earned Division 4 all-state honors for the second straight year.

But it actually ended a few weeks later at the United States Track and Field Association (USATF) Junior Olympics cross country championships in Reno, Nev.

That’s where Dale, a senior at Oakland Christian School, earned All-American honors after placing third in the Young Division in a time of 16:13 for the five-kilometer course at Rancho San Rafael Regional Park.

Dale was a part of the Project 8 club, a group of runners from Division 4 schools such as Hesperia, Saugatuck, Hillsdale and Pottersville. Project 8 won district and regional titles to advance to national competition.

ESPN Putting on the Ritz -ESPN Rise CROSSCOUNTRY
Putting on the Ritz

By Dave Devine & Steve Underwood
ESPN RISE

Updated: December 15, 2009, 10:09 AM ET

Dathan Ritzenhein | The Official Site

Rockford’s Dathan Ritzenhein honored as decade’s best high school cross country runner | Who’s the Bos? - MLive.com
Rockford’s Dathan Ritzenhein honored as decade’s best high school cross country runner
By Jane Bos | The Grand Rapids Press
December 17, 2009, 11:00AM
dathan-ritzenhein-mug.JPGDathan RitzenheinAs the decade draws to a close, many folks are compiling “best of” lists. This one — the DyeStat All-Decade Boys Cross Country Team — brings back some great memories.

In the story written by Dave Devine and Steve Underwood, Dathan Ritzenhein of Rockford High School was not only named to the team, but he was honored as the Athlete of the Decade.

Deservedly so, according to the authors.

It was written that while Ritzenhein’s first national cross country title came in 1999, it was his performances in 2000 and beyond that “cemented this honor for him.” These top-notch performances included large margin of victories against two of the other decade’s legends — Alan Webb and Ryan Hall — and put him beyond the others.

Friends of Coach Raffin Scholarship Fund Online
Friends of Coach Raffin Establish Scholarship Fund

Welcome to the Friends of Coach Raffin Website, a site dedicated to reconnecting friends and former atheletes of Duane Raffin, Holly High School track and cross country coach.

Runners ready for big indoor season | battlecreekenquirer.com | The Enquirer
Runners ready for big indoor season

The Michigan State indoor track and field’s intra-squad scrimmage certainly had a local feel this past Friday.

Several former area athletes participated in the meet, highlighted by an impressive showing from junior sprinter and Lakeview graduate Erica Mann.

Mann, the MHSAA Division 2 record-holder in the 100-meter dash, finished the 60-meter dash in a blazing time of 7.49 seconds.

“I am certainly pleased with her time tonight,” MSU Director of Track and Field Walt Drenth told msuspartans.com. “Erica is a competitor and we need her to do well. Her mark is certainly good this early in the season.”

Mann will be joined on the women’s squad this season by freshman sprinter Amelia Bannister (Albion), junior pole vaulter Ashley Smith (Marshall), redshirt senior distance runners and twin sisters Diane and Jennifer Hamilton (Lakeview) and freshman distance runner Paige Winne (Gull Lake).

North Oakland Sports.com - Simply the best…Rochester’s Goethals wins Foot Locker National Cross Country Championship

Rivals High - Goethals wins national XC title in photo finish
Goethals wins national XC title in photo finish

Imagine running 5,000 meters and then have the race decided by your ability to lean?

That’s what happened this weekend at the Footlocker Girls National Cross-Country championships in San Diego.

For the first time in the 31-year history of the premier high school race in the sport, the top two finishers had the same time.

Megan Gothals of Rochester (Mich.) High was declared the winner in a photo finish. Chelsey Sveinsson of Dallas (Texas) Greenhill School was second. Both girls were given a time of 17:07.

“The finish was amazing,” Gabriella Citrin of FootLocker said.

Prep stars should not be penalized for playing in All-Star events | freep.com | Detroit Free Press