Downriver runners advance to state finals

Three high school cross country teams and 17 individual runners from the Downriver area qualified for the Michigan state finals this weekend. The athletes earned their spots by finishing in the top positions at Division 1, 2, and 4 regional races held across the state.

The regional races served as the first stage of the postseason competition. Schools that placed in the top three of their regional field secured team berths. Individual runners who placed in the top 15, but were not on a qualifying team, also advanced. The state finals will take place on Saturday, November 7, at the Michigan International Speedway complex in Brooklyn.

Brownstown Woodhaven girls finished second at the Lake Erie Metropark regional race with a score of 61 points. The Warriors will compete in the Division 1 state finals for the fourth consecutive year. Ann Arbor Pioneer won the regional title with a score of 35. Woodhaven had four of its top five runners place inside the top 15 overall.

Junior Charley McKay ran a time of 18:23 to finish sixth in the race. Her teammates Annabelle Chan, Alexis Kmiecik, and Jaelynn Green finished 10th, 11th, and 12th, respectively. Hope Noal finished 22nd to complete the team score.

Wyandotte Roosevelt boys secured the third and final team spot for the Downriver area in Division 1. The Bears scored 103 points, edging out Woodhaven boys who had 108 points. This is the first time the Roosevelt boys team has qualified for the state finals since 2013. Junior Zachary Greene finished ninth overall with a time of 16:00.

Other local athletes qualified individually for the state finals. In Division 1, Vincent Jones and Zawadi Mwathi from Woodhaven both finished in the top 15. Jones, a senior, will make his third straight trip to the state finals. Wyatt DelValle of Gibraltar Carlson and Jaden Hill of Allen Park also advanced in the boys division.

Five girls from the area qualified individually in Division 1. Joy Schuck of Southgate Anderson and Ava Brancheau finished 15th and 16th, respectively. Ada Cain and Giada Fioritto of Gibraltar Carlson finished 17th and 18th. Emma Puscas of Wyandotte Roosevelt finished 16th, marking the fifth consecutive year the Bears have sent a girl to the state finals.

New Boston Huron girls qualified as a team in Division 2, finishing second with 63 points. The Chiefs will compete in the state finals for the second straight year. Zoey Cheney led the team effort by finishing sixth in the race. Cameron Crane won the Division 2 regional race for boys and will make his third straight trip to the state finals.

Riverview Gabriel Richard boys qualified for the Division 4 state finals as a team. The Pioneers scored 81 points to take the third place spot at the Royal Oak High School regional. Jacob Ferdubinski won the individual race with a time of 16:31. Allen Park Cabrini will send three individual runners to the state finals, including Christian Brash, Emanuel Nava, and Deirdre O’Connell.

The Michigan high school cross country state finals are scheduled for Saturday, November 7. The races will be held at the Michigan International Speedway complex in Brooklyn.