Seaholm, Milford run to county cross country titles
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
MILFORD — With sometimes over 40 schools competing, the Oakland County Cross Country Championships seldom provides a narrow victory. Yet Saturday’s 52nd running was not just close, it couldn’t have been any closer.
In the end, Birmingham Seaholm’s girls team learned it had been crowned the team champion moments before the awards presentation. Originally, Oxford was told it has claimed its first title but a scoring glitch reversed it in Seaholm’s favor.
In the final team standings, Seaholm collected 134 points, just ahead of Oxford’s 135.
“I don’t even know what to think right now,” said veteran Seaholm coach Jeff Devantier. “We thought we were one point shy and it might as well have been 50 because we didn’t run our best. Oxford ran a great race. When we found out that we actually won, it was kind of (bittersweet).It’s an emotional rollercoaster.”
The original scoring had Seaholm listed with 136 points, one behind Oxford. But White Lake Lakeland did not have the required five finishers for a team score and the Eagles had two runners finish ahead of Seaholm’s No. 5 runner. Taking Lakeland’s runners out of the equation and Seaholm’s score dropped two total points, enough to give the Maples their first-ever county championship.
Three-time defending team champion Troy was third with 183 points, followed by Rochester Adams (224), Walled Lake Northern (245), Milford (264), Bloomfield Hills Lahser (269), Farmington (278), Rochester (286) and Clarkston (300) in the top 10.
Meanwhile, Milford’s boys zipped passed the field with its best outing to date this season. The Mavericks won their ninth overall boys team title and 18th including the girls since the meet debuted in 1960.
A total of 76 points was enough to give Milford enough cushion and the team title.
“We take a lot of pride in the fact that we’ve won more Oakland County championships than anybody,” said Milford coach Brian Saylers. “Today we came out and ran a great race. This is the right way to kind of start off the championship season. We have the league, the regional and hopefully the state meet in the next month. This is a nice confidence boost, winning a race of this caliber.”
Waterford Mott was second with 110 points, while White Lake Lakeland (110), defending champion Novi Detroit Catholic Central (161), Clarkston (217), Walled Lake Northern (238), Lake Orion (239), Farmington (291), Rochester Adams (317) and Rochester Stoney Creek (331) followed in the top 10.
Individually, with meet favorite Tom Giradot of Birmingham Brother Rice dropping from the race halfway through because of an illness, Milford’s Cody Snavely and Brian Kettle emerged from the pack by taking the top two spots. Snavely won with 16:11.1, just ahead of Kettle’s 16:11.5.
“I felt good the whole race and Brian and I were able to push each other,” said Snavely, a state qualifier in both cross country and track last year as a sophomore. “I just had enough to beat him in the end.”
West Bloomfield’s Erin Finn kept up her undefeated season by winning by a sizeable margin. The junior cruised to her second straight county title with a sizzling 17:41 clocking, only one second off tying the Kensington Metropark record of 17:40 turned in back in 2009 by national champion Megan Goethals of Rochester, who is now competing at the University of Washington.
“I was trying to get under 17:50 and thought that I might have a chance to get close to Megan Goethals’ record,” admitted Finn, who has not lost a cross country race since the Nike Nationals last December. “I felt like I ran a smart race. I was just a little short. I still have next year.”
Finn was 1:09 faster than the closest competitor, Oxford’s Brooke Kovacic, who clocked 18:50. Jamie Morrissey of Adams was third (19:01), while Seaholm’s Tess Wilberding (19:10) and Adams’ Gabrielle Thivierge (19:11) rounded out the top five.
In the boys race, Lakeland’s Garrett Zuk (16:16), Mott’s Nate Burnard (16:17) and Adams’ Stephen Biebelhausen (16:24) wrapped up the top five.
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Boys Cross Country
52nd ANNUAL
OAKLAND COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIPS
(Oct. 8 at Kensington Metropark)
TEAM SCORES — 1. Milford, 76; 2. Waterford Mott, 110; 3. White Lake Lakeland, 110; 4. Novi Detroit Catholic Central, 161; 5. Clarkston, 217; 6. Walled Lake Northern, 238; 7. Lake Orion, 239; 8. Farmington, 291; 9. Rochester Adams, 317; 10. Rochester Stoney Creek, 331; 11. Oxford, 343; 12. Birmingham Brother Rice, 346; 13. Troy, 373; 14. Royal Oak, 374; 15. Novi, 472; 16. Birmingham Seaholm, 491; 17. West Bloomfield, 512; 18. Rochester, 549; 19. Bloomfield Hills Lahser, 558; 20. South Lyon, 566; 21. Walled Lake Central, 617; 22. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, 629; 23. Waterford Kettering, 650; 24. Birmingham Detroit Country Day, 719; 25. Auburn Hills Avondale, 746; 26. Bloomfield Hills Andover, 748; 27. Berkley, 774; 28. Troy Athens, 776; 29. Holly, 816; 30. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, 818; 31. South Lyon East, 855; 32. Auburn Hills Oakland Christian, 923; 33. Birmingham Groves, 929; 34. North Farmington, 945; 35. Walled Lake Western, 975; 36. Birmingham Roeper, 1062; 37. Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes-Clarkston Everest Collegiate, 1111; 38. Southfield Christian, NTS; Hazel Park, NTS; 40. (tie) Madison Heights Lamphere, DNC; Madison Heights Bishop Foley, DNC; Ortonville Brandon, DNC; Ferndale, DNC; Ferndale University Academy, DNC; Royal Oak Shrine Catholic, DNC; Clawson, DNC; Southfield, DNC; Southfield Lathrup, DNC; Pontiac, DNC; Clawson, DNC; Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest, DNC; Novi Franklin Road Christian, DNC; Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingsood, DNC; West Bloomfield Jewish Academy, DNC; Southfield Bradford Academy, DNC; Troy Christian Leadership Academy, DNC.
TOP 30 INDIVIDUALS — 1. Cody Snavely (Milford) 16:11; 2. Brian Kettle (Milford) 16:11; 3. Garrett Zuk (White Lake Lakeland) 16:16; 4. Nate Burnard (Waterford Mott) 16:17; 5. Stephen Biebelhausen (Rochester Adams) 16:24; 6. Paul Arnum (Milford) 16:25; 8. TJ Carey (Lake Orion) 16:31; 9. Brandon Carson (Waterford Mott) 16:34; 10. Dallas Shields (Hazel Park) 16:42; 11. John Pennington (Birmingham Brother Rice) 16:43; 12. Blake Pozolo (Rochester) 16:47; 13. Sam Tanielian (Clarkston) 16:55; 14. Scott Neff (White Lake Lakeland) 16:56; 15. Jared Brately (Bloomfield Hills Andover) 16:58; 16. Grayson Thomas (White Lake Lakeland) 16:58; 17. Alex Glasson (Walled Lake Northern) 16:58; 18. Drew Lindman (Farmington) 17:01; 19. Ryan Robinson (Waterford Mott) 17:04; 20. Devin Kumberlin (Walled Lake Northern) 17:05; 21. Michael Gawlik (Bloomfield Hills Lahser) 17:06; 22. Max Benoit (Royal Oak) 17:06; 23. Zack Demko (Birmingham Seaholm) 17:07; 24. Stephen Zorg (Orchard Lake St. Mary’s) 17:09; 25. Craig Dudley (White Lake Lakeland) 17:10; 26. David Diaz (Lake Orion) 17:10; 27. Ryan Gillespie (Oxford) 17:10; 28. Ryan Boyd (Novi Detroit Catholic Central) 17:13; 29. Thomas Fron (Novi Detroit Catholic Central) 17:14; 30. Dylan Oppenheiser (Rochester Adams) 17:17.
Girls Cross Country
52nd ANNUAL
OAKLAND COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIPS
(Oct. 8 at Kensington Metropark)
TEAM SCORES — 1. Birmingham Seaholm, 134; 2. Oxford, 135; 3. Troy, 183; 4. Rochester Adams, 224; 5. Walled Lake Northern, 245; 6. Milford, 264; 7. Bloomfield hills Lahser, 269; 8. Farmington, 278; 9. Rochester, 286; 10. Clarkston, 300; 11. Waterford Mott, 302; 12. Lake Orion, 305; 13. North Farmington, 316; 14. Farmington Hills Mercy, 351; 15. Novi, 361; 16. Rochester Stoney Creek, 389; 17. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, 396; 18. Walled Lake Western, 460; 19. Bloomfield Hills Andover, 468; 20. Birmingham Groves, 530; 21. Troy Athens, 573; 22. Walled Lake Central, 583; 23. Berkley, 654; 24. West Bloomfield, 663; 25. Waterford Kettering, 689; 26. RoyalOak, 724; 27. Auburn Hills Avondale, 769; 28. Birmingham Detroit Country Day, 833; 29. Birmingham Marian, 843; 30. Auburn Hills Oakland Christian, 845; 31. Birmingham Roeper, 938; 32. (tie) White Lake Lakeland, NTS: Southfield Christian, NTS; South Lyon Easter, NTS; 35. (tie) Holly, DNC; Hazel Park, DNC; Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes-Clarkston Everest Collegiate Unified, DNC; Madison Heights Lamphere, DNC; Madison Heights Bishop Foley, DNC; Ortonville Brandon, DNC; Ferndale, DNC; Ferndale University Academy, DNC; Royal Oak Shrine Catholic, DNC; Clawson, DNC; Southfield, DNC; Southfield Lathrup, DNC; Pontiac, DNC; Clawson, DNC; Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest, DNC; Novi Franklin Road Christian, DNC; Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingsood, DNC; West Bloomfield Jewish Academy, DNC; Southfield Bradford Academy, DNC; Troy Christian Leadership Academy, DNC.
TOP 30 INDIVIDUALS — 1. Erin Finn (West Bloomfield) 17:41 (second-fastest time in county meet history); 2. Brooke Kovacic (Oxford) 18:50; 3. Jamie Morrissey (Rochester Adams) 19:01; 4. Tess Wilberding (Birmingham Seaholm) 19:10; 5. Gabrielle Thivierge (Rochester Adams) 19:11; 6. Julia Valencia (Walled Lake Western) 19:24; 7. Gabby DeFlorio (Farmington) 19:25; 8. Aubrey Wilberding) 19:30; 9. Jackie Mullins (Novi) 19:31; 10. Audrey Delf (Birmingham Seaholm) 19:37; 11. Elana Miler (Bloomfield Hills Lahser) 19:39; 12. Jackie Feist (Birmingham Groves) 19:39; 13. Sara Barron (Pontiac Notre Dame Prep) 19:40; 14. Sarah Johnson (Rochester Adams) 19:44; 15. Tori Irwin (North Farmington) 19:48; 16. Rachel Barrett (Milford) 19:50; 17. Heather Smith (Farmington Hills Mercy) 19:53; 18. Dayna Wagh (Waterford Mott) 20:22; 19 .Brittany Johnson (Oxford) 20:04; 20. Katelyn Cliff (Walled Lake Northern) 20:02; 21. Natalie Smith (Clarkston) 20:07; 22. Nicole Kowalchick (Rochester Stoney Creek) 20:08; 23. Chelsea Johnson (Oxford) 20:10; 24. Alana O’Mara (Bloomfield Hills Lahser) 20:12; 25. Rebecca Quaintance (Walled Lake Northern) 20:15; 26. Lauren Miler (Troy) 20:16; 27. Jessica Goethals (Rochester) 20:21; 28. Kerri McMahan (Novi) 20:21; 29. Maria Lepore (Rochester) 20:23; 30. Cassie Hoffman (Rochester Stoney Creek) 20:24.
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