The Hillsdale Academy and Jonesville boys cross country teams continue to climb state rankings after impressive invitational finishes.
HILLSDALE COUNTY — The cross country season is beginning to shape the picture of championship contenders across the state, and right in the middle of that picture are local cross country teams in Hillsdale County that continue to garner recognition for their impressive invitational performances.
While it's no surprise the back-to-back reigning Division 4 state champion Hillsdale Academy Colts are in the top of Division 4 boys rankings, it's still impressive considering the consistency the program has had under coach Michael Nikkila.
Colt stampede
Hillsdale Academy (Region 34) sits at third overall behind Hollan Calvary and Maple City Glen Lake. The Hillsdale Academy girls cross country team, a perennial top five team at the state finals the past couple of seasons, is ranked fifth overall.
The rankings came out after this past weekend's cross country invitational at the prestigious Portage Invite, where the Colts girls team took fourth by a very narrow margin of 129 points to Gobles' 127 points. Gobles is ranked just ahead of the Colts. The team was led by junior Evelyn Meyer, who ran to an 11th place finish. Freshman Heather Morris took 26th to lead the underclassmen. Senior Lizzy Caspar, junior Allie Miller, senior Mary Schlueter, freshman Eliza Roberts, and junior Maren Gehrke finished within 10 places of each other taking 37th, 40th, 43rd, 46th, and 47th respectively.
Maple City Glen Lake and Holland Christian will both compete with Hillsdale Academy boys cross country for a state title this year. Glen Lake won Portage scoring 70 points, with Holland CC right behind at 72 points. The Colts' 96 points was without one of their top runners, Timothy Gaebler. Senior Grayson Rorick continues his track to a top three podium finish at states with his third place finish at Portage. His time of 15:52.6 was a personal best. Three Colts runners nearly finished in consecutive fashion with Henery Lindley in 18th, Luke Molenkamp in 20th and sophomore Peter Winn in 22nd.
Comet power
The Jonesville varsity cross country teams competed at the same Portage Invite in the D3 race. The varsity boys team's fifth place finish out of 37 teams earned them eighth overall in the state rankings. They took down two other top 10 teams in the state to accomplish that task.
Four runners medaled in the top 50 out of 418. Caleb Blonde placed sixth (his second top 10 finish in two years at Portage) to pace the team, running 16:21. Nick Fowler was 28th (17:12), Collin Fucile 32nd (17:19), and Ashton Potwin was 39th (17:27). Jacob Gray finished 145th (19:20) to complete the scoring. Senior Ryder Cornett medaled in the J.V. race, placing 48th. He has medaled three of his four years in this race.
The girls team took 19th out of 34 teams in the D3 varsity girls race. Brynleigh Griffiths led the effort, placing 74th (21:59). Keira Knight was 80th (22:12), Joleane Gulledge 93rd (22:33), Sophia Morgan 138th (23:29), and Mia Langhann was 156th (23:54) to complete the Comets scoring out of 340 runners.
The Comets look to be on pace to repeat their regional success last season, where the boys earned a second straight regional title and both teams qualified for states together for the first time in more than two decades.
Up Next
Hillsdale Academy looks to remain the perennial SCAA champions as they head to Pittsford Saturday, Oct. 11 for the conference title meets. Jonesville boys cross country looks to continue climbing state rankings when they travel to the 41st Father Gabriel Richard Invitational on Saturday.
Rankings
LP Division 1 Boys1 Ann Arbor Pioneer - R52 Midland - R23 Northville - R74 Kalamazoo Central - R35 Lowell - R36 Grand Ledge - R47 Brighton - R48 Milford - R29 Jenison - R110 Ann Arbor Skyline - R411 Zeeland West - R312 Saline - R513 Clarkston - R814 Portage Central - R315 Traverse City West - R2HM Caledonia - R3
LP Division 1 Girls1 Ann Arbor Pioneer - R52 Brighton - R43 Romeo - R94 Holland West Ottawa - R35 Hudsonville - R16 Ann Arbor Skyline - R47 Traverse City West - R28 Northville - R79 Jenison - R110 Rockford - R111 Portage Central - R312 Okemos - R413 Saline - R514 Rochester - R815 Traverse City Central - R2HM Zeeland East - R3
LP Division 2 Boys1 Flint Powers Catholic - R152 East Grand Rapids - R123 Alma - R144 Holland Christian - R115 Parma Western - R146 Grand Rapids Christian - R127 Allendale - R118 Shepherd - R159 Otsego - R1310 Ada Forest Hills Eastern - R1211 Pinckney - R1612 Grand Rapids South Christian - R1213 Richland Gull Lake - R1314 Cedar Springs - R1015 Three Rivers - R13HM Fenton - R16
LP Division 2 Girls1 Otsego - R132 Holland Christian - R113 Grand Rapids Christian - R124 Grand Rapids South Christian - R125 Coopersville - R116 Goodrich - R157 Cadillac - R108 Pinckney - R169 Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard - R1810 St Joseph - R1311 Hudsonville Unity Christian - R1112 Spring Lake - R1013 Ada Forest Hills Eastern - R1214 East Grand Rapids - R1215 Linden - R16
LP Division 3 Boys1 Jackson Lumen Christi - R232 Saugatuck - R223 Charlevoix - R194 Lansing Catholic - R265 Central Montcalm - R246 Benzie Central - R207 Ithaca - R258 Jonesville - R239 Hanover-Horton - R2310 Buchanan - R2211 Holland Black River - R2112 Wyoming Potter's House Christian - R2113 Hart - R2014 Grand Rapids Covenant Christian - R2115 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian - R21
LP Division 3 Girls1 Lansing Catholic - R262 Pewamo-Westphalia - R243 Saugatuck - R224 Blissfield - R275 Grand Rapids Covenant Christian - R216 Jackson Lumen Christi - R237 Olivet - R238 Hart - R209 Traverse City St Francis - R1910 Grandville Calvin Christian - R2111 Benzie Central - R2012 Kent City - R2113 Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian - R2114 Remus Chippewa Hills - R2515 McBain - R20
LP Division 4 Boys1 Maple City Glen Lake - R292 Holland Calvary - R313 Hillsdale Academy - R344 Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart - R305 Petoskey St Michael - R286 Breckenridge - R307 Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep - R328 Whitmore Lake - R339 Leland - R2910 Royal Oak Shrine Catholic - R3611 Mesick - R2912 Three Oaks River Valley - R3213 Riverview Gabriel Richard - R3614 Grand Traverse Academy - R2915 Portland St Patrick - R31HM Fowler - R31
LP Division 4 Girls1 Whitmore Lake - R332 Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep - R323 Buckley - R294 Gobles - R315 Hillsdale Academy - R346 Grand Traverse Academy - R297 Maple City Glen Lake - R298 Ubly - R359 Concord - R3410 Martin - R3111 Kingston - R3512 Lansing Christian - R3313 Royal Oak Shrine Catholic - R3614 Onekama - R2915 Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary - R30HM Bear Lake - R29
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Jonesville, Hillsdale Academy cross country teams climb state rankings
Category: General Sports
