Hopkins cross-country coach Brooke Brenner said Friday evening that the Allegan County meet might be tougher than a regional. She might be right.
The annual meet took place at the Martin Motor Sports Park Friday afternoon when the Saugatuck boys blew everybody else away with just 19 points and the Otsego girls ran away from their competitors with just 31.
The Wayland girls had a quality outing, finishing fourth among the seven schools in the field with 111 points, and Hopkins had to settle for fifth, one point back at 112. Hopkins boys had 114 for fourth in the boys’ meet and the Wayland guys, with their young and inexperienced squad, checked in sixth.
Erika Freyhof of Hamilton, last year’s Division 2 individual state champion, was county champ with a blistering time of 18:44.11. Plainwell freshman Makenna Veen also broke 19 minutes and was followed in third and fourth by Otsego harriers Megan Aalberts and Sophia Hirzel.
Hopkins sophomore Laura Velderman placed fifth by crossing the finish line in 19:40.67. Teammate and fellow sophomore Jasmine Fisher was 12th in 20:52.17. Emma Helder, another sophomore, took 27th, Madison Snoeyink was 32nd and freshman Grace Beckwith was 60th.
Wayland senior Emily Gray paced the Lady Wildcats in 17th place at 21:18.23, a surging sophomore Zoe Antel was 21st in 21:36.49, freshman Ryle Cronkright was 26th, Kaityln Paul was 28th, Emily Isenhoff 37th and Maggie Whitney, the team’s top runner until she got hurt last month, returned to the lineup and finished 39th.
Sophomore Dan Rausch led the Hopkins guys in 16th place with a time of 18:04.25, Ethan Nagel followed him in 18th place at 18:10.61, freshman Todd Henley 26th in 18:42.79, freshman Zack Nutter 36th in 19:14.17 and sophomore Jake Pastoor, 48th in 19:52.54.
Wayland senior Co-captain Jonathan Zuiderveen finished 12th in 17:53.86, freshman Mitchell Hooker was 21st in 18:28.97, Ethan Phillips 34th in 19:08.13, Gabe Attrula 45th and Jaron Geerligs. All of Wayland’s top five finished in under 20 minutes for the 5,000-meter race.
