Tekonsha XC sends three to State Finals; Athens boasts one qualifier
PORTAGE, MI. — The Tekonsha Indians and the Athens Indians Cross Country programs traveled to Portage West Middle School on Friday to compete in the MHSAA Division Four Region 32 competition. When all was said and done three Tekonsha runners and one Athens runner earned the right to run for their respective school at next Saturday’s MHSAA Cross Country State Finals thanks to their efforts at the regional level.
In the women’s portion of the competition the field was paced by the team from Kalamazoo Hackett who finished in first place with 36 points, followed by Concord in second place with 67 points and Mendon in third place with 71 points. The Athens Indians finished in eighth place as a team with 171 points.
While Tekonsha fell one runner short of qualifying for the team standings, the Lady Indians did have two individual runners punch their ticket to the MHSAA State Finals with their regional effort.
Leading the Tekonsha effort and booking her return trip to the state finals is Marshall Academy co-op senior Dani VanLente who finished in seventh place overall in a time of 22 minutes, 4.10 seconds. Joining VanLente at Michigan International Speedway next week will be junior Carissa Shedd who earned a qualifying nod in fourteenth place, crossing the line in a time of 23 minutes, 13.03 seconds.
Rounding out the Tekonsha effort was Leah Newbre in fortieth place in a time of 27 minutes, 8.81 seconds and Isabella Voltattorni in fifty-first place in a time of 33 minutes, 37.47 seconds.
Athens did not have a runner qualify for the state finals however all five runners put together solid efforts on the day. Leading the way for Athens was Chloe Badger in twenty-fifth place in a time of 24 minutes, 31.51 seconds; Maria Bronsink in thirty-sixth place in a time of 26 minutes, 34.05 seconds; Alexis Slater in forty-fourth place in a time of 28 minutes, 56.82 seconds; Somyr Nye in forty-fifth place in a time of 29 minutes, 1.31 seconds; and Charley Williams in forty-seventh place in a time of 29 minutes, 46.13 seconds.
Bringing home the individual regional championship was Mendon sophomore Presley Allen who finished in first place in a time of 19 minutes, 51.06 seconds. Not far behind was a familiar face in Mendon’s Rowan Allen who finished with runner-up honors in a time of 20 minutes, 17.32 seconds.
In the men’s portion of the Division Four Regional it was the team from Concord taking home the win with a score of 36 points. Kalamazoo Hackett finished in second place with 49 points followed by St. Phil in third place with 52 points.
Tekonsha sent one runner to the regional meet and he made the best of the trip as sophomore Bo VeenKant finished in eighteenth place overall in a time of 19 minutes, 48.87 seconds. With that effort VeenKant booked his trip to the MHSAA Individual State Finals next Saturday.
The Athens Indians fell one runner shy of qualifying for the team score, however they did see one of their runners qualify for the state finals as Addison Stanton finished in nineteenth place overall in a time of 19 minutes, 57.28 seconds, a place good enough for a trip to the state finals. Also running well for Athens was Ethan O’Conner in twenty-ninth place in a time of 20 minutes, 49.01 seconds; Dru Slater in thirty-fifth place in a time of 21 minutes, 57.10 seconds; and Devin Stadel in forty-third place in a time of 23 minutes, 0.78 seconds.
Individual regional championship honors went to Concord senior Adair Artis who finished in first place in a time of 16 minutes, 55.23 seconds while St. Phil junior Max Shugars finished in second place in a time of 17 minutes, 23.64 seconds.
Those qualifying for the MHSAA State Finals will now travel to Michigan International Speedway (MIS) in Brooklyn, Mi. next Saturday. All running competitions are slated to begin at 10 a.m., with Division Four toeing the line first.
This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Tekonsha and Athens compete at D4 Cross Country Regionals
