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August 12 is the official MHSAA start date for high school sports practices, but cross country athletes have been putting in miles for several months now, hoping to capitalize at the end of the fall on the work they’ve put in throughout the summer. The 2024 Cross Country Preview is a rundown of all local teams and athletes to watch, based on last year's performances and input from area coaches who responded with their thoughts on what the season holds.
While not as in-depth as this article, you can also listen to the Season Preview Podcast for a quick summary of each team and top runners.
Algonac
Since 1999, Algonac has gone to a YMCA camp near Jackson. Aside from running workouts, students can swim, canoe, ride horses, climb the high ropes, and meet each night at a campfire to talk about cross country and individual and team goals. Head coach Dan Shafer’s goals for this year are for the boys' team to try and improve on their second-place finish in the BWAC and qualify as a team for states. For the girls, it’s to increase team numbers and continue improving their performances. Top projected performers for the boys' team are juniors Julian Walker, Owen Beindit, and Zac Witherspoon. Julian and Owen were state finalists and Zac was first team BWAC along with Walker and Beindit. Junior Jasmine Walker and seniors Kate Bennett and Charlie Harms should lead the girls. Jasmine and Charlie are former state qualifiers while Kate was a state finalist in track last spring and is constantly improving. Algonac will host the 37th annual Muskrat Classic Run the weekend after Labor Day, with runners from 48 high schools and 20 middle schools competing. Algonac will also be hosting the Division II and III regionals at Columbus County Park in October.
Almont
Coach Jeremy Wade has his sights on several elements for the Raiders this season: improve every day, set goals, and work towards them together as a team. “It will be interesting how the newcomers will add to the team dynamic,” Wade stated. “I am quietly expecting some special outcomes by the end of the season. Lead runners from last season who are putting in the work this summer to have a great season are (sophomore) Colton Grzyb and (junior) Laila Evola.” Both runners qualified for the state finals in 2023.
Anchor Bay
After three decades of coaching, Jeff Payne retired and passed the baton to new head coach Eddie Komph, who recently took the Tars to cross country camp at Lost Valley in Gaylord. With the graduation of a large senior pack that had qualified for states as a team for the first time since 1977 (including state champion Thomas Westphal), Komph agreed that a primary goal for 2024 is to rebuild and improve the overall culture for both teams. “On the guys' side, we lost key people. That can make things difficult, but I believe in the guys we have now and how we can move forward as a program,” Komph affirmed. “Greg Vogt has been putting in the work and been consistent throughout the summer. I believe Greg can prove he belongs with the other top names. Aaron Osterman has surprised himself and me this summer. He has a type of focus that I wish all my athletes had. He continues to have a chip on his shoulder and it has proven dividends throughout his running career. I wouldn’t be surprised if you saw him in the Michigan Speed Ratings someday soon.”
“As a young team on the girls' side, it has been great seeing how much they are willing to work,” Coach Komph added. “(Sophomore) Maddie Leslie has continued to put in the work day in and day out. She has the determination to smash her goals and has a great supporting cast to help her. Still being young, she has matured like she has been doing it for years now. Mary Wright (sophomore) has a bright future in running. She might not know it from a surface standpoint but she has an engine that doesn’t stop when she runs. I am excited to see how Maddie and her work together this year! I am ready for everyone to see our team come this fall!” As American distance legend Steve Prefontaine famously said, “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.”
Armada
Armada runners head to the northwest side of the state for their cross country camp, hitting the hills, working on team building, and participating in fun activities around Traverse City. Their focus? “Improvement, always improvement,” coach Rob Blume emphasized. “We're trying to incorporate more strengthening and cross-training into summer running days, particularly in the form of games or gamification. This isn't because of Parker Valby's success with it, because she's still doing more mileage than our runners will do with her three days of actual running, but hopefully as a means to injury prevention. It's either that or the Norwegian mileage mountain, and this seems more fun.”
Blume has some predictions for which Tigers to keep an eye on this season. “For the girls, it should be Brooklyn Khon (she won a regional and BWAC title and qualified for state every year; ranked 7th in the region), Lanie Reiff, Addy Noteboom, Abby Denoyer, and Allison Mansfield. My main reason for this list is experience, and I have seen four of them for most of the summer, so I know they are working smartly. There could certainly be others, but we'll find out in the next few weeks. For the boys: Anthony Alvarez has speed and experience; Colin Maitland is a newbie for us, but he's had a good summer and is very coachable; Edward Marshall had a good middle school career, but because he's a freshman, he'll need some time; Josh Castillo finished strong last season, and Robby Carrigan has experience.”
Austin Catholic
Seniors Nico DiPonio and Olivia Kaltz return as the highest finishers for the Crusaders in the Catholic Intersectional League Conference. DiPonio qualified for the boys’ D4 state finals last year, finishing 12th at regionals. Michela Crivella, Shelby Theut, and Abigail Glynn were top scorers on the girls’ side last year, along with Andrew Rosso for the boys’ team.
Capac
Sophomore Donovan Glasgow and Nathan Hiller return as the sole two participants from last season for the Chiefs. Glasgow was second-team all-league in the GTC in 2023.
Cros-Lex
“We have a big target on our backs being the defending league and regional champs,” Coach Lisa Shaw said. “We are going to have a relatively young and small team this season. The focus will be on getting better than the week before, but we are led by one of the best area runners.”
Eva Thompson is the defending BWAC and Thumb Area champion, has won a regional championship once already, and has a personal best of 18:29. Last year she was undefeated in league and invitational races in regular season competition within the Blue Water Area. She's ranked first in the region by Michigan XC Speed Ratings. Thompson is coming off a phenomenal track season (all-state 1600/3200) and is the school record holder in the 5K, 3200m, 1600m, and 3200m relay, along with setting several BWAC track records. With her consistency and performance history, she has a great shot at her first all-state medal. She is joined by teammate Brynn Hurley, who was all-league and fifth at last year’s regional and ranked sixth in the region. Incoming freshman Hailey Morrison was in the top three places at every meet she ran last year as an eighth grader, so she could contribute out of the gate for the Pioneers - Michigan XC Speed Ratings already has her second in the region behind Thompson.
On the boys' side, the varsity team was very young last year, and juniors Jack Kerrigan and Thomas Jensen, senior Devin Chisholm, and sophomores Peyton Taylor and Jon Hurlburt return as scoring members of the Pioneers’ squad.
Dryden
The Dryden boys' team was second at regionals last fall, securing a team berth to the D4 state meet. The Cardinals return Noah Hall and Logan Romain from the top 20 in their region.
The girls have Cara Prusakiewicz (top-10 regional finisher) and Caila Fitchett as the returning top runners to lead the 2024 season. Incoming freshman Levi Fitchett had a successful middle school track season and was one of the top 8th-grade runners in the area in 2023, so it’s likely we will see him as a top-5 scorer for Dryden, as they are a small D4 school. The same holds true on the girls’ side for freshman Claire Wright.
Imlay City
Charlotte O’Brien saw steady improvement throughout her 2023 cross country campaign, dropping several minutes off her best. Teammate Lauryn Donahue did the same and both return as seniors this year, along with Kendal Donahue (sophomore) in their top three.
Like Cros-Lex, the Imlay City boys’ team was young last year. Sophomore Mason Russell, senior Ezekiel Kustowski, and juniors Wade Murray, James Johnson, and Logan Russell return for the Spartans. Incoming freshman Hudson Everhart placed in the top three in all his meets throughout eighth grade the previous year and could be a factor for the team.
Kimball Landmark Academy
Sophomore Caden Dustan returns as the only runner to compete at the D4 regional for the Lakers; the same for senior Lucilia Cordle on the girls' side.
Kimball New Life Christian
Senior Julia Rogers was sixth at last year’s D4 regional and 74th in the state, leading her team all season. While the boys’ team graduated top runner Ben Gura, returning runners James Nelson and Jacob Campbell made up a large portion of the Knights’ pack last year, so they look to move up in time and placement.
Macomb Lutheran North
The Mustangs were team state qualifiers in the boys' race last year, taking third behind Yale and St. Clair. Despite losing regional champ Brewer Snay (and his twin brother Jamison as their number two runner), they return a pretty young but experienced squad with sophomore Joshua Macri, juniors Xavier Roman and Oliver Alef, and senior Grayson Sutherland. Macri and Roman are ranked second and third by Michigan XC Speed Ratings for regionals.
While the girls' team was fifth, their top three were all freshmen running under 22:40, so things look pretty good for the future. Samantha Whitlam paced the Mustangs last year by finishing ninth at regionals, while Evelyn Buckley and Avery Stallmann were 19th and 23rd, respectively. The team was also fifth among all the big schools at the Macomb County Championships. They are ranked third this year as a team for Region 17 by Michigan XC Speed Ratings and Whitlam is ranked fifth individually.
Marine City
The Marine City girls will be led by new head coach Elisabeth Westrick. “Our team goals this season are to have fun and build the program. With our team having varying levels of experience, each of the girls must learn from and push one another,” Westrick emphasized. “I expect Aubrey Pilon and Emma Terhune to be my top runners this season. Of my returning runners, they were consistently the fastest last season. I look forward to seeing their progress this fall!”
The Marine City boys’ team continues under coach Tricia Wiley, who is looking to build the program, have fun, and make it to the state meet. Wiley is looking to Ryan Jackins and Earl Beattie to lead the Mariners as she states they have been training and are consistent on their times. “The boys are a small team of new runners but they are willing to put in the work. It will be fun to see how the season goes!” Wiley stated.
Marine City Cardinal Mooney
The Cardinals attend an annual running camp in Allendale (home of Grand Valley State University). Their focus for this year is for each runner to reach their personal goals and set personal bests at least once in the season. The ultimate goal is to make it to the state finals, according to Coach Matthew Zammit. With the loss of their top seniors, including D4 state champion Tyler Lenn, Zammit expects Liam Knuth and Evan Jacobs to lead the Cardinals. “Liam is an incoming freshman with a PR of 4:50 in the 8th grade and Evan Jacobs is returning as a senior with a lot of base mileage and a very successful track season,” said Zammit. Cardinal Mooney’s team standard is to be a hard-working and disciplined team that gives 100 percent. “Carpe Diem!”
Marysville
Through captain-led summer conditioning, the Vikings are focused on helping each runner make progress in reaching their personal goals during the 2024 season within a welcoming and fun environment, according to coach Sarah St. Coeur. “We are looking forward to welcoming and supporting our new team members this season as we have a large incoming freshman group! There are lots of returners on both the boys' and girls’ teams who have been putting in time this summer to prepare for the upcoming season.” St. Coeur mentioned some returning runners who look to lead in their racing: Lillian Rutallie (2023 regional runner-up) is returning for her senior season as team captain for the Lady Vikings. She has been a state qualifier each year and defended her MAC Blue MVP status again last season. Jeremy Johnson is returning for his sophomore season for the boys’ side. He made huge strides during his freshman season and I am looking forward to seeing him step up as a top runner on the team.”
Memphis
The Jackets’ top runner, sophomore Kai Fisher, is looking to qualify for his first state meet: he was only one place from making the finals last fall. Drew Shy (senior) and Cole Huber (sophomore) are the next fastest returning runners. For the girls, Ella Starnes and Morgan Brown consistently ran a few seconds apart from each other last season and will be seniors this fall.
Michigan Athletic Club for Homeschoolers
The Michigan Athletic Club for Homeschoolers is a homeschooled, family-oriented team for kids who want to run cross country for competition or just for fun. While the M.A.C.H. cross country runners don’t have an official team camp, they do have a spring strength and conditioning program in Troy from April to June to help prepare their athletes for summer running on their own. Their top goals, according to coaches Maureen Horvath and Tom Phelps, are to promote team unity and good sportsmanship through friendly competition, help each runner stay healthy, and achieve personal best times during the season.
“On the boys' side, we are counting on Ian Potts (11th grade) to lead the way with both his great work ethic and his speed,” Horvath predicted. “He will be pushed by Joshua Snyder (10th), Nathan Perez (11th), Peyton Suchland (12th), Austin Fischer(12th), and a group of 9th graders including his brother Garrett. For the girls, we have two hardworking sisters, Faith (10th) and Alannah (9th) Wessel to lead the way. They are joyful runners who are great teammates who will give the rest of the team times to chase throughout the year. Lauren Robinson(10th), Cecilia Grice(10th), and Amber Watta(12th) are three looking to contribute fast times in the meets.”
New Haven
Sophomores Emma Reimer and Sophia Szabo return as the top female runners for the Rockets, while the senior-heavy boys’ team from 2023 has only one returning underclassman in Max Durham.
Port Huron
Coach Dan Patton is hoping the Red Hawks can gain more interested runners to field a complete team for the 2024 season. He predicts Senior Johnathon Heim, a four-year cross country veteran, will lead the team. Patton did mention Port Huron High will have a couple of new boys that could likely pace with him.
Port Huron Northern
Another team rebounding from a heavy senior loss, the Huskies return Carson Prone and Oliver Howie from their boys’ top five scorers in 2023 and face tough D1 conference/regional competition that includes Fraser, Utica, and Romeo. The girls’ side should be a bit more experienced with a solid future for growth, as Samantha Langolf, Miley Caughel, Isabella Nestle, and Jane Mossett return from last year’s top five: all are juniors this year other than Mossett, a sophomore.
North Branch
The North Branch coach, Jason Castle, has set his team's sights on success within the Blue Water Area Conference (BWAC). “Our primary goals for the 2024 Season are to go out and finish in the top half of the BWAC,” Castle stated. “This is a great group of athletes who work hard and put in the miles.” Castle expects seniors Rowan Conley, Tracy Ludescher, and Isabelle Hunt to be the Broncos’ top girls’ runners. All three were All-BWAC in 2023. For the boys, All-Conference runner Wyatt Opperman looks to lead North Branch in his final high school season, along with underclassmen Cooper Hoyt and Hudson Budreau.
Richmond
Senior Sawyer Rosberg just missed qualifying for the state meet and got close to breaking the 18-minute barrier by the end of the season, so he should lead the team. Mason Pietrykowski won two out of three middle school BWAC jamborees last season and never finished lower than fourth, which was at the highly competitive Algonac Invitational: he's ranked eighth as an incoming freshman in the region by Michigan XC Speed Ratings. Justin Pendry won the Marysville Invitational and was third at Algonac; he went first, second, or third at every meet and these teammates traded spots off and on throughout the fall of 2023. If Richmond can bring in these two eighth graders to find success at the 5K high school distance, they will be a real force in the BWAC.
For the Lady Blue Devils, junior Pauline Chapman and senior Sidney James return as the most experienced, with Chapman running her season PR to place in the top ten at regionals and earn a trip to MIS for the state finals.
St. Clair
The Saints changed up some of their camping traditions this year, heading to Timberwolf Camp in Lake City after several years at P.J. Hoffmaster State Park. Boys’ coach Paul Schneider has his eye on athletes achieving Academic All-State, winning a regional title, and being competitive as a D2 school in a loaded all-D1 MAC red division. “We have a strong core of runners with some of our top guys including but not limited to Ethan Kreger, Brayden Prieskorn, Jerry Westrick, and Korbyn Thornton,” Schneider commented. “All of them are coming off solid track seasons and hanging together during our summer conditioning runs. I’m expecting big things from those four and nice improvements from last year.” These four runners are also all ranked in the top ten for the region by Michigan XC Speed Ratings. The Saints will look to continue their state record for the longest team state finals qualifying streak (every year since 2000). “I think we will see some surprises from guys you haven’t heard of yet as they are putting in the summer work,” Schneider predicted. “We have a strong schedule with a lot of tough competition and are looking forward to seeing how the team responds to running against some of the best in the state every week.”
Girls’ coach Amy McNabb has a team goal of qualifying for the state meet. “We have had a great turnout of veteran runners conditioning over the summer along with some younger freshmen and sophomores who are showing great potential. We are excited to see what the fall brings following this dedicated summer training!” Last fall, the Saints stunned Warren Regina at regionals by taking the second spot as a team by one point, taking 12th, 13th, 14th, 18th, and 24th places, and didn’t graduate any of their top five (two of whom are only sophomores). They are projected to win the regional this year by Michigan XC Speed Ratings. Ella Thornton, Allie and Gabriella Komarowski, Molly McNabb, and Aubrey Sargent were consistent scoring runners for the Saints last year.
Yale
The Yale Bulldogs have a camp in the first week of the season in Northern Michigan, which they use for training and team building. “We've been going to the same place for the last three years and the guys really enjoy it!” coach Jared Shutko said. “There are lots of good trails to train on and various activities” A perennial BWAC and regional power, Yale graduated their top three runners, so seniors Ted Rutkofske and Wyatt Murtos look to lead the team this year. Boys' coach Jared Shutko is working towards repeating as team BWAC league champions, along with the goal of a regional team championship. “We lost a pretty big group of seniors that were very talented, but I still expect us to be very competitive and to improve each race! It's looking like we should have a good-sized team again this year and you never know which underclassmen will rise to the occasion,” Shutko predicted.
Six Yale runners finished in the top 10 in the 2023 BWAC championships and four of the top seven return. “I think we might have a few guys that might surprise some people. Our seniors will for sure be the backbone of our team this year, led by Wyatt Murtos, Teddy Rutkofske, Kale Kovach, Braden Carless, and Jack Nicol. I'm expecting a big season out of Wyatt Murtos this year. He's coming off a great track season where he was able to gain a lot of confidence in his ability as a runner. Teddy Rutkofske should be another one to look for as well: he too had a great track season and has been really working hard this summer.” Shutko confirmed. *You can listen to Rutkofske and Murtos on episode 17 of The Blue Water Running Podcast.
The Yale girls will participate in team camp in mid-August. Coach Erin Kovach mentioned that the team looks forward to the bonding experiences and memories that will be made. Many runners name team camp as their favorite part of the season. “Our primary goal is to be a contender in the BWAC,” Kovach commented. “We are looking forward to continued improvement in both times and places from last year. We have a couple of runners who could see some very fast times this year. It's always a goal to keep them healthy, injury-free, and having fun.”
When asked who she foresaw as top team runners, Kovach said, “The front spots are fair game, but I predict that our top runners will probably be Lillian Bender, Saige Cole (incoming freshman; ranked ninth in the region by MI XC Speed Ratings), Ava Childers, and Izzy Goulding. There will be some good competition for spots 5-7, and I believe Grace Moody, Micayla McClelland, Lauren Fowler, Zyana Wadsworth, Sophie Mongelli, Lydia Hallay, and Padame Wadsworth will be contenders for a varsity spot. That said, anything is possible, and you just never know who the surprise performances will come from. Coach Carless and I are looking forward to a great season. It's a terrific group of girls, and they have a lot of potential.” It sounds like the Lady Bulldogs are ready to live by their team motto: “She believed she could, so she did.”
COLLEGIATE TEAMS
SC4 - St. Clair County Community College
The SC4 Skippers start their season preparation at coach Andrea Rheaume’s house, where they get hilly miles in, have a variety of team-building activities, and work on goal setting, one of which is top finishes in their region. “For the men this year, our goal is to be top three in the region and head to nationals as a team,” Rheaume stated. “For the women, we are working to uphold our regional title and place in the top 10 at nationals.”
Last season’s team was very successful and saw two school records set: the men’s by Glen Davis, a 2023 graduate of Port Huron Northern, and the women’s by Jessica Denver, a 2021 Imlay City grad. Davis transferred to Spring Arbor University and begins his first season this fall for the Cougars, while Denver moves on to Wayne State University to compete for the Warriors. For 2024, Rheaume had a few names in mind to keep an eye on but said it wasn’t as easy to pinpoint who would be the Skippers’ top runners. “On the men's team, we should expect to see Ethan McCombs (Cros-Lex) and Acer Campbell (Yale) leading the team. Grace Wessel (MACH) and Lily Lemanski (D4 All-State at Marlette last fall) are aiming to be at the front of the women's team. I like that it's difficult to pick just one top runner. This shows the talent and potential both the men's and women's teams have this season.”
This year, the men's team is looking strong with nine runners. “This gives us a great opportunity to have a strong seven for scoring,” Rheaume confirmed. “We have four men returning and five freshmen. All nine men have what it takes to outperform other runners in our region and head to nationals. On the women's team, what we lack in numbers, we make up for in talent and hard work. We have five girls who are ready to get the work done and are eager to race on the big stage at nationals.”
The Skippers open their season over Labor Day weekend with the Skippers' Cross Country Showcase at Goodells Park, where you can also catch many local Blue Water Area cross country teams in the high school race.
MCC - Macomb Community College
The Macomb Community College mascot was rebranded with a fresh look this fall and it’s also looking like a new era is dawning for the cross country team. “We are excited to see what happens this season, as we continue to return Macomb Community College to a national caliber program. I think the goal for the men's team this year is to have a top 10 team in the nation,” stated coach Matthew Fecht. “We have a large group of talented freshmen this season and it will depend on how they develop with higher mileage and harder workouts. Also, with the longer race distance (high school 5K to collegiate 8K), you are never quite sure how some runners will translate that extra two miles of racing.”
For the men’s team, Fecht expects the top seven spots to continually rotate among his athletes. “I think we have a lot of really talented guys: I think that our order is going to be different every week,” he predicted. “Jack DeWaele (Chippewa Valley), Dylan & Brandon Penberthy (Lanse Creuse North), and Gabe Rusch (Anchor Bay) are all going to be very important to us being successful this year.”
While focused on high-achieving goals, Fecht knows there is still work to be done. “On the women's side, we just don't have the depth that our guys do. We are still talented but lacking that depth you need when you are talking about placing at nationals. We will be looking to secure a top-25 spot in the nation this season. We are returning 2023 All-American Ava LaMilza (Macomb Dakota), who is without a doubt the top girl in the program. She has some big-time goals for the season and is chasing down a podium spot at nationals.”
You can watch the Monarchs race at the Skipper XC Showcase (mentioned above) and the Macomb Invitational on September 20th at Stoney Creek Metropark, which they host.
The 2024 cross country season kicks off for many Blue Water Area teams on Thursday, August 22 at the Mike Jackson Invitational in Cros-Lex, and Friday, August 23 at the Mariner Invitational at Columbus Park.
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