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CROSS COUNTRY: Shrine, Oakland Christian, WOLL gain cross country state finals passes

Dan Stickradt | October 31, 2011 | Comments (1)

BY DAN STICKRADT

SENIOR EDITOR

dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com

GOODELS — Winning regional titles is always a fine benchmark for any program. Using it as motivation is also a great tool.

Royal Oak Shrine Catholic used the repeat talk as motivation at Saturday’s Lower Peninsula Division 4 regional at Goodells County Park west of Port Huron.

The Knights rose to the pack to defend their regional championships.

The top three teams, plus the top 15 individuals, advance to the state finals Nov. 5 at Michigan Speedway near Brooklyn, Mich.

“We won the regional last season and I think that this year’s group didn’t want to be the group that didn’t win it again,” said longtime Shrine coach Wright Wilson. “I thought (looking at the stats) that we would have a good shot at it. I was happy with the boys, because our No. 4, No. 5, No. 6 and No. 7 runners all stepped up and beat people from a lot (from the other top teams). The girls team I thought had a great chance to repeat and they raced well.”

Shrine’s girls collected just 24 points, with its top five girls all running in the top 10. Auburn Hills Oakland Christian was second with 72 points and Grosse Pointe Woods University-Liggett claimed third (83).

Madelyne Luddy (20:55) and Caitlin Snyder (20:59) took the top two slots for Shrine, while Morgan Button (fourth), Gabby Schmidt (ninth) and Maddie Mehall (10^th) also contributed to the Knights’ winning effort.

Oakland Christian had four finishers in the top 20, led by Alexis Nelson (fifth), Angelia Allegro (11^th), Rachel Termarsch (11^th) and Courtney Yee (20^th).

Birmingham Roeper was fifth (22^nd), Southfield Christian sixth (151) and Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest seventh (163). Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes-Clarkston Everest Collegiate Unified did not have the mandatory five finishers for a team score.

Lauren Church was 13trh for Northwest to qualify as an individual. Taylor Siegle (seventh) qualified for Waterford Our Lady.

Shrine’s boys registered only 52 points. Oakland Christian was second with 68 points and Our Lady of the Lakes- Everest was third (71).

Roeper was the first team on the outside looking in, scoring 100 points. Lutheran Northwest was sixth and Southfield Christian did not have a team score.

Southfield Christian’s Evan Carter was the individual winner, breaking the tape in 16:58. Teammate Jeremy Culver also qualified 14^th.

Oakland Christian qualified for the second straight year. Josh Peterson (fifth), Adam Exelby (ninth) and Chris Krieg (15^th) paced the Lancers.

“We’ve lost some good kids the past couple of years and even had a runner move to china, but we worked hard and were able to make it this season,” said Oakland Christian coach Bryan Crump.”Our girls team has a nice run going. I think this is three straight and four of the last five years we’ve taken the whole team to the state meet.”

WOLL-Everest qualified for the first time in program history and did so with only five runners. Justin Finkel (10^th) and Aaron Appel (13th) both earned all-region honors for the Lakers.

“We’ve been struggling with numbers during (our first five) years, so this is the first time our boys have made it,” offered Our Lady of the Lakes coach Scott Lewis. “Wehave worked hard to get to this point. We’ll keep trying to build interest and I’m sure this will help.”

DIVISION 3: Almont, Macomb Lutheran North and Bryon took the top three slots in the boys race and Lutheran North, Durand, and Almont swept the top three qualifying berths at Saturday’s Division 3 regional at Goodells County Park.

In the girls meet, Lutheran North had five of the top nine finishers overall, led by freshman Gina Patterson, who was the individual champ in 18:57. Hannah Schilling (second), Jenna Briney (fourth), Jenna Cundy (eighth) and Carrie Freeman (ninth) led the Mustangs, who scored an impressive 24 points.

Durand was a distant second with 65 points and Almont third with 97 points.

Madison Heights Bishop Foley was eighth (148) points to lead Oakland County schools, while Clawson, Southfield Bradford Academy and Ferndale University Academy did not have the necessary five runners to compile a team score.

Almont rang up 39 points, three ahead of runner-up Capac’s 42, to win the boys D-3 regional. Byron finished with 101 points to grab the third and final qualifying spot.

Almont’s David Burkland clocked 16:534 to win the boys race, edging Lutheran North’s David Whaley (16:55).

Burkland led six Almont runners in the top 20. Josh Klebba (fourth), Kyle Robinson (seventh), Jack Miles (16^th) and Trevor Edie (16^th) aided the Tigers’ winning effort.

Bishop Foley was eighth (188) and Clawson ninth (230), while Bradford Academy and Ferndale Academy did not post a team score.

Ryan Bailey of Clawson was Oakland County’s lone state qualifier, as he claimed eighth overall.

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Tags: Auburn Hills Oakland Christian Cross Country, Cross Country, High School Cross Country, Prep Cross Country, Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest, rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest Cross Country, Royao Oak Shrine Catholic Cross Country, Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes Cross Country