Ogemaw Heights senior Tim LeForce may be running his first year of cross country, but he proved he is one of the area's top distance runners Thursday with his 10th-place finish in the 153-runner Dwayne Rau Invitational on the Falcons' home course.
AuGres-Sims' first-year cross country program got a big boost from Stephanie Wright, who took fourth overall.
Standish-Sterling's Karina Pierce had a strong first high school race, finishing 12th overall and second among freshmen.
Tawas Area's Guy Cotter improved his time on the same course by nearly 1:30 over last year.
Hale's Danielle O'Dell attacks the hill behind the Ogemaw Heights football stadium.
Brent Baker
Brianna Lenore was the lone female runner for Oscoda.

OGEMAW HEIGHTS - Aug. 30, 2007 - Cross country season got off and running with the first big meet of the season Thursday at Ogemaw Heights as the Falcons hosted the annual Dwayne Rau Invitational. Nearly 300 harriers, including one brand new team and another with an almost entirely new look, spiced up a big that eventually was led by teams visiting from the northwestern corner of the state.

Traverse City Central's Jacob Secor won the boys race with an impressive performance that saw him lead almost from the start, finishing nearly a minute ahead of Elk Rapids' Jim Janisse with a time of 16:36. Secor finished 13th last year and improved his time by nearly two full minutes. Last year's champ, Beaverton's Garin Krahn, took sixth.

Elk Rapids' Amanda Hammer won her third straight Rau, cutting eight seconds off last year's time with a run of 19:53.

Team-wise, Traverse City Central was anything but a one-man show, with the third, fifth, ninth and 11th-place finishes giving the team just 29 points, easily beating second-place Elk Rapids (76). Ogemaw Heights finished third with 86 points. Other local teams' finishes included Fairview (10th, 311 points), Standish-Sterling (11th, 337), Roscommon (12th, 338) and Hale (13th, 345). Tawas Area and AuGres-Sims also competed but didn't have enough runners to qualify for team scoring.

For the girls, Elk Rapids (61 points) edged Cadillac (64) for the team title. Ogemaw (7th, 195), Tawas Area (8th, 197), Standish-Sterling (9th, 199), AuGres-Sims (11th, 299) and Roscommon (12th, 326) rounded out the local teams' scoring, with Fairview and Hale also competing.

The Falcon boys, with nearly everyone back and some impressive newcomers, saw some significant improvement over last year's 5th-place, 150-point showing. First-year senior Tim LeForce finished 10th in the 150-man field with a time of 17:54 in his first high school cross country race. Martin Nelkie finished 14th in 18:06, cutting more than two minutes off his 2006 time. Mike Lentz (20th, 18:44), Pete VanOosten (22nd, 18:48) and Brian Valley (23rd, 18:58), and Casey Taylor (24th, 19:00) providing the Falcons' top finishes.

"I have mixed feelings (about the Falcons' performance)," said boys coach Doug Grezeszak. "Yes we ran well. Yes we looked very good compared to the past. But we didn't look as good as we should have when you consider we have eight guys who ran a total of 5,000 summer miles."

Grezeszak said that he didn't think even under the best of cirumstances the Falcons could have caught Traverse City Central -- likely a top-two Division 1 team -- but that he wasn't happy about finishing behind Elk Rapids.

"That can't happen," he said. "We just weren't as intense as we needed to be. A few had good races, but overall it was just an OK day."

Former Falcon James Padden, now at Traverse City Central, finished ninth with a time of 17:51.

Ogemaw's girls, who graduated most of the team that has worn them four straight NEMC titles, got a top-10 finish from returning senior Heather Villarreal, who finished ninth in 22:39. First-time senior Colleen Wren (29th, 24:06), Jorie Diehl (50th, 25:50), Hannah LeForce (64th, 27:01) and Brianne Price (65th, 27:01) also scored.

"Placing seventh out of the 16 schools that attended the meet I felt was a good start," said Ogemaw girls coach Rick Frank. "Any invitational we can beat more schools than beat us I will be happy with.

"Seeing Standish and Tawas right behind us (within four points) makes it look like the girls league will be very interesting this year. Throw in John Glenn and Pinconning and who knows how things will look at the first jamboree in a couple of weeks?"

The top finish for any local girl -- for that matter, anyone from a school east of I-75 -- was AuGres-Sims' Stephanie Wright, who came in fourth place (21:47) in the Wolverines' first-ever cross country competition. Adrianne Swaffield (83rd, 28:53) was the next AGS finisher. A.J. Baker finished 19th for the Wolverine boys (18:42).

Fairview's boys were led by the 16th-place finish of Titus Brown (18:12), while Lydia Douglas was the lone Eagle to run (74th, 27:28).

Standish-Sterling's girls showed promise despite fielding a young team: the Panthers were led by two freshmen. Karina Pierce (12th, 22:56) and Ashley White (34th, 24:36). Kayla Hilyard (49th, 25:46), Courtney Pierce (54th, 26:29), Sarah Schwinck (68th, 27:07), Heather Hergott (70th, 27:16) and Alyssa Pruder (72nd, 27:25) also had solid first outings.

Qwinn Shorkey (67th, 21:06) and Cole Manning (74th, 21:19) led the SSC boys.

Sandy Brandt turned in the best run of the Tawas Area contingent, finishing eighth in 22:34. Emily Short (41st, 25:19), Abbie Hutchison (44th, 25:30) and Brittany Combs (45th, 25:31) also had strong runs, while Guy Cotter (26th, 19:11) led the boys, which didn't field a full team.

Ethan Parent (70th, 21:11 led Hale's boys, while the girls were topped by Ashley Malin (18th, 23:29).

David Wood (70th, 21:47 paced the Oscoda boys, while Brianna Lenore (117th, 35:03) was the lone Owl girl to run.

 

Local girls finishers:

Ogemaw Heights (7th, 195 points): Heather Villareal (9th, 22:39), Colleen Wren (29th, 24:06), Jorie Diehl (50th, 25:50), Hannah LeForce (64th, 27:01), Brianne Price (65th, 27:01), Morgan Stansberry (66th, 27:02), Trista Keezer (79th, 27:50), Amber Lovett (80th, 27:54), Ariel Miles (95th, 31:07), Kaitlyn Bertram (98th, 31:20), Ganae Zettle (108th, 32:38), Danielle Miller (113th, 33:13), Lauren Steinhurst (116th, 11:01).

Tawas Area (8th, 197): Sandy Brandt (8th, 22:34), Emily Short (41st, 25:19), Abbie Hutchison (44th, 25:30), Brittany Combs (45th, 25;31), Morgan Bolen (75th, 27:30), Bethany Britt (77th, 27:35), Shanna Britt (100th, 31:25).

Standish-Sterling (9th, 199): Karina Pierce (12th, 22:56), Ashley White (34th, 24:36), Kayla Hilyard (48th, 25:46), Courtney Pierce (54th, 26:28), Sarah Schwinck (68th, 27:07), Heather Hergott (70th, 27:16), Alyssa Pruder (72nd, 27:25), Samantha Poirier (86th, 29:12), Megan Jurek (112th, 33:13), Cheri Scheall (115th, 33:53), Becky Poirier (118th, 35:41).

AuGres-Sims (11th, 299): Stephanie Wright (4th, 21:47), Adrianne Swaffield (84th, 28:53), Melissa Miller (96th, 31:11), Kadie Kachmaryk (97th, 31:20), Andrea Swartz (120th, 42:24).

Hale: Ashley Malin (18th, 23:29), Danielle O'Dell (106th, 32:36), Staci Saurer (107th, 32:37), Shelby Fransee (109th, 32:45)

Fairview: Lydia Douglas (74th, 27:28)

Oscoda: Brianna Lenore (117th, 35:03)

 

Local boys finishers:

Ogemaw Heights (3rd, 86): Tim LeForce (10th, 17:54), Martin Nelkie (14th, 18:06), Mike Lentz (20th, 18:44), Pete VanOosten (22nd, 18:48), Brian Valley (23rd, 18:58), Casey Taylor (24th, 19:00), George Farmer (30th, 19:20), Erik VanOosten (32nd, 19:29), Mike Morris (35th, 19:35), Bobby Brent (41st, 19:59), Reuben Nelkie (49th, 20:26), Steven Wysocki (53rd, 20:36), Garret Benjamin (77th, 21:38), Allen Good (99th, 22:48), Alex Jones (123rd, 24:58), Pat Eagan (139th, 27:50), Ian McKindles (150th, 31:15).

Fairview (10th, 311): Titus Brown (16th, 18:12), Quinn Parsons (94th, 22:18), Norman Berry (98th, 22:46), Aaron Haskin (112th, 23:56), Jerry Easlick (126th, 25:31)

Standish-Sterling (11th, 337): Qwinn Shorkey (67th, 21:06), Cole Manning (74th, 21:19), Frank Michalke (96th, 22:34), Eric Carr (97th, 22:43), Keith Doremus (133rd, 26:21), Aaron Colamarino (143rd, 29:10)

Hale (13th, 345): Ethan Parent (70th, 21:11), Nathan Turland (95th, 22:32), Ryan Herzog (100th, 23:10), Zach Putnam (105th, 23:22), Larry Thayer (119th, 24:45), Tyler Braun (121st, 24:49), Lennard Thayer (132nd, 26:20), Wesley Rhein (148th, 30:18)

AuGres-Sims: A.J. Baker (19th, 18:42), Kevin Fitzgerald (152nd, 36:32)

Oscoda: David Wood (83rd, 21:47), Jeremiah Johnston (106th, 23:25), Kenneth Parent (141st, 28:24), Daniel Vandruska (146th, 29:19),

Tawas Area: Guy Cotter (26th, 19:11), Matt Hughes (82nd, 21:45), Ryan Bolen (128th, 25:46), Brandon McMahon (153rd, 37:08).

Full Results