Former Hartland star Riley Hough wins Fantasy of Lights 5K
When Riley Hough showed up at the start line, some really fast runners knew they were racing for second place in the Fantasy of Lights five-kilometer run in Howell.
Hough is coming off his freshman season of cross country at Michigan State University, where he earned second-team All-Big Ten with a 14th-place finish in the league meet. A year ago, he became a national champion at the Eastbay Cross Country Championships.
Considering he broke 15 minutes for 5K 10 times during his high school career at Hartland, winning the Fantasy of Lights race in 15:24 was a jog in the park for Hough.
The runners immediately behind Hough had impressive credentials of their own.
Howell’s David Mitter, who was second in 15:51, was a two-time NCAA Division II national qualifier in cross country who finished fifth Oct. 16 in the Detroit Free Press Marathon.
Third-place Tyler Partridge was on Brighton’s all-state 3,200-meter relay team that set a school record in 2012. Fourth-place Nolan Pinion was 24th in the state Division 2 cross country meet for Lake Fenton on Nov. 5, earning all-state. Fifth-place Clay Woll of Howell won the Melon Run 5K on Aug. 12.
The top six runners ran 16:00 or faster.
Tess Piper of Brighton was the women’s winner in 19:31, winning by 33 seconds over Hartland Ore Creek Middle School eighth-grader Ava Goodman.
Fantasy of Lights 5K results
Overall: 1. Riley Hough (Fenton) 15:24; 2. David Mitter (Howell) 15:51; 3. Tyler Partridge (West Bloomfield) 15:52.
Female overall: 1. Tess Piper (Brighton) 19:31; 2. Ava Goodman (Brighton) 20:04; 3. Alexis Miller (Brighton) 20:13.
Male masters: William McDermott (New York) 16:00
Female masters: Jaime Cottle (Clayton, N.C.) 20:23
Male grandmasters: Richard Bigham (Howell) 17:33
Female grandmasters: Deb Deren (White Lake) 23:56
Male 10-under: Adam Gregory (Howell) 23:16
Female 10-under: Sylvia Vaughn (Brighton) 27:53
Male 11-12: Rem Piper (Brighton) 18:58
Female 11-12: Brinley Neuer (Brighton) 28:43
Male 13-14: Jack MacGregor (Howell) 17:58
Female 13-14: Ava Goodman 20:04
Male 15-16: Nolan Pinion (Fenton) 15:54
Female 15-16: Laurie Pennala (Howell) 30:08
Male 17-19: Riley Hough (Fenton) 15:24
Female 17-19: Mackenzie Allan (Howell) 21:03
Male 20-24: David MItter (Howell) 15:51
Female 20-24: Alexis Miller (Brighton) 20:13
Men 25-29: Tyler Partridge (West Bloomfield) 15:52
Female 25-29: Bridget Wilkin (Brighton) 22:05
Men 30-34: Clay Woll (Howell) 16:00
Female 30-34: Samantha Brish (Milford) 22:25
Men 35-39: Phil Perry (Howell) 22:00
Female 35-39: Emily Schrock (Howell) 23:32
Men 40-44: Eric Cottle (Clayton, N.C.) 22:02
Female 40-44: Elli Osborn (Howell) 28:54
Men 45-49: Brian Goodman (Brighton) 19:08
Female 45-49: Carol House (Brighton) 21:16
Men 50-54: Craig Schang (Brighton) 22:24
Female 50-54: Tamara Mobley (Rigby, Idaho) 24:47
Men 55-59: Bob Tarasewicz (Howell) 23:11
Female 55-59: Krys Brish (Milford) 24:24
Men 60-64: Bill Wilkin (Brighton) 23:13
Female 60-64: Debbie Knoll (Howell) 26:34
Men 65-69: Bill Burger (Howell) 28:52
Female 65-69: Janice Spodarek (Okemos) 27:31
Men 70-74: Edward Schrock (Howell) 29:25
Female 70-74: Sue Hansen (Pinckney) 43:21
Men 75-79: Keith Kremer (Fenton) 55:11
Female 75-79: Judy Geer (Howell) 47:39
Contact Bill Khan at wkhan@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillKhan.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Former Hartland star Riley Hough wins Fantasy of Lights 5K
