Hart’s girls cross country team will vie for a Michigan High School Athletic Association Lower Peninsula record on Saturday when the Pirates go for their sixth-straight Division 3 state championship at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.
Meanwhile, Hart’s boys squad will be seeking a first state title after finishing Division 3 state runner-up each of the last two seasons.
Hart’s girls and boys teams both captured regional championships last Friday at Remus Chippewa Hills.
The top three teams at each regional qualify for the state finals at MIS, plus any fourth-place regional squads provided four or more runners place in the top 20 and eight or more runners complete teams finish the race.
All individuals finishing in the top 15 at a regional also qualify for the state finals.
Led by senior Clayton Ackley’s second-place individual effort (16:17.17), Hart won the Division 3 regional title going away. The squad totaled 35 points, 40 fewer than regional runner-up Reed City. Hart’s Wyatt Dean (fourth place, 16:25.45), Seth Ackley (seventh, 16:57.68), Max Stitt (10th, 17:23.20) and Caleb Bitely (12th, 17:27.94) all finished in the top 15.
Manistee’s Jack O’Donnell (15th, 17:33.91) also finished in the top 15.
On the girls side, Hart sophomore Jessica Jazwinski won an individual regional title with a time of 17:39.33. The Pirates won the team title with 42 points, 23 fewer than runner-up Benzie Central. Hart’s Alyson Enns (second, 18:27.39), Lexie Beth Nienhuis (12th, 20:49.87), Savanna Owens (13th, 20:50.27) and Abby Pretty (14th, 20:50.59) also placed in the top 15, as did Manistee’s Cecilia Postma (fifth, 20:01.45) and Shelby’s Emma Soelberg (sixth, 20:18.91).
DIVISION 2
Ludington’s girls cross country team finished runner-up in last Friday’s Division 2 regional at Chippewa Hills. The Orioles finished with 74 points at the regional, only five behind champion Petoskey, and they will compete as a squad in Saturday’s state finals at MIS.
Also in the Division 2 regional at Chippewa Hills, Fremont’s boys team finished runner-up in a tightly contested race with 78 points, only two behind champion Sparta and one ahead of third-place Petoskey. Fremont’s boys squad again will compete in the state finals at MIS.
Top-15 individual regional finishers in the girls meet included Whitehall’s Ariana Treat (sixth, 19:24.87); Ludington’s Summer Brower (seventh, 19:29.24), Christina Theis (11th, 19:53.63) and Nadia Grierson (12th, 19:57.65); and Fremont’s Linnea Paige (ninth, 19:32.96).
Top-15 regional finishers in the boys meet included Whitehall’s Andre Richmond (third, 16:26.82) and Carter McIlroy (fourth, 16:27.23); Fremont’s Sean Pettis (fifth, 16:30.33), Carter Sherman (eighth, 16:55.60) and John Christensen (13th, 17:02.97); Oakridge’s Peyton Ruel (11th, 16:59.35), and Ludington’s Jose Flores (15th, 17:06.45).
MORE DIVISION 3
Top-15 individual regional finishers at the boys meet at Allendale included Montague’s Owen Fairchild (ninth, 17:12.51) and North Muskegon’s Jude Meldrum-Roy (11th, 17:14.62).
Top-15 regional finishers at Allendale on the girls side included North Muskegon’s Carolyn Bennett (14th, 20:37.66).
SATURDAY’S STATE FINALS SCHEDULE AT MIS
9:30 a.m.: Division 4 boys race
10:10 a.m.: Division 3 boys race
10:50 a.m.: Division 4 girls race
11:30 a.m.: Division 3 girls race
1:30 p.m.: Division 2 boys race
2:10 p.m.: Division 1 boys race
2:50 p.m.: Division 2 girls race
3:30 p.m.: Division 1 girls race
MORE DETAILS
Get more info on the MHSAA cross country state finals by clicking HERE.
