Added on November 4, 2024 Sara Swanson

MHS Cross-Country had a season to be proud of!

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Manchester High School Cross-Country Team at Michigan International Speedway. Photo courtesy of Krista Scharpenberg.

submitted by Krista Scharpenberg, Cross-Country Coach, Manchester High School

As the season wraps up, the Manchester High School cross-country teams have much to be proud of. From impressive finishes at meets to shattered personal records, this year’s athletes displayed hard work and determination every “stride” of the way.

We started the season with a 4-day camp at Sleepy Hollow State Park. Between workouts, a scavenger hunt, and a challenging 10-mile run — some even ended up running 12! — the team laid a strong foundation for the season ahead. Our captains were announced as Senior Lilly Smith and Juniors Grant Johnson and Justin Gale.

The season kicked off in late August at the Lamplighter Invitational, a new meet for us, where the team ran under the bright lights of Ford Field in Livonia. We welcomed some new runners this year: Harper Doyle, Jesse Sangster, Ethan Hittle, and Lila Harvey. Our returning boys were Alec Dodak, Michael Navitskis, Justin Gale, and Grant Johnson. For the girls, we had Caroline Mason and Lilly Smith returning. The team really enjoyed running under the lights and shaking off some of the rust to get their season started. Grant Johnson finished 9th out of 239 runners, and the boys’ team placed 13th out of 31.

At the Springport Invitational, the boys’ team took 2nd out of 10 schools, with Grant Johnson earning a 2nd-place finish. Caroline Mason stood out on the girls’ team, achieving the season’s first personal record for a returning runner. We also welcomed our fourth girl runner, Brooke Nord, to the team. In high school cross-country, you need at least five runners to form a team. Your sixth and seventh runners do not score, but they do help contribute to the overall team score. The lowest score wins.

The Al Constable Invite, another new meet on our schedule, saw the boys’ team finish just four points shy of first place, while several runners set new personal records. We finally added a fifth girl runner, Teagan Clarke, who had an amazing first season with the team. Vince Budd also joined our team at this point in the season as a dual-sport athlete with football. It was great to work with him and watch how his time improved throughout the season. Closer to the end of the season, Brennan Woods joined the team, also dual-sporting with football. He ran a phenomenal first race, and we wish we could have had him for more of the season.

As the season progressed, the Cascades Conference Championship highlighted the team’s growth. The boys finished 4th overall in the Cascades and 2nd in the East Division, falling to Leslie. Grant Johnson took 3rd and earned All-Conference honors. Jesse Sangster placed 21st, followed by Alec Dodak in 22nd and Harper Doyle in 26th. All three earned All-Conference Honorable Mention. The girls took 7th place in the Cascades and 4th in our division, with Mason leading the charge, finishing 28th and earning All-Conference Honorable Mention.

Regionals was the last race for some of our athletes. Our boys’ team finished 2nd in the region, qualifying as a team to move on to States. On the girls’ side, Caroline Mason qualified as an individual. Grant Johnson finished 6th, also qualifying as an individual; in cross-country, the individuals and teams run at the same time.

Our final meet was at the D4 State Meet at MIS, where the boys fought hard against tough competition. Johnson led the way with an admirable finish, just eight spots away from All-State, while Hittle ended the season with an amazing new PR on a daunting course. Mason also showcased her growth over this season and last. The boys’ team placed 21st in the state for D4 boys. Hopefully, next year we can break into the top 10. These athletes are willing to put in the work, and I am sure they will continue to improve. We also hope to see a few more athletes join us next year!

As our season comes to a close, we celebrate not only the medals and records but also the hard work and friendships that truly exemplify what cross-country is all about. It took each and every runner and what they bring to the team to make the season a success and I truly enjoyed working with each of them. A huge thank you to Stephanie Johnson, who ran our team’s Instagram page and helped coach all season long; to Liam Riley, who also helped coach and fired up the boys before their races; and to past athlete Addie Gale for working with the middle school team all season long. Additionally, thanks to the parents and supporters who contributed in so many different ways and made this season memorable. Here’s to an even brighter future for the Manchester cross-country teams!

Go, Dutch!