Varsity highlights

While Morty tested but didn't push his sore knee and Takashi had to drop out due to difficulties dealing with a lingering illness, Jeff Hubbard (16:08) remained his strong and dependable self, finishing 4th overall in a race that featured many of the top teams and runners in the state. Unfortunately, Jeff couldn't carry the team by himself - though the A team did well enough, finishing 5th among 20 teams as Morty cruised home in 17th at 16:54, Johannes Widmalm ran his usual near sub-17 minute race in 24th place, and Lang Burkhardt (17:42), Hiro Totsuka (17:43), and Craig Marlatt (17:49) - running in his first Varsity race - finished in a pack in 43rd, 45th, and 51st place, respectively.

While none of the Varsity A team members ran PR times, three B teamers negotiated the familiar Hudson Mills course faster than they ever had before. Eric Anderson was first across the line in 17:42 (a six second PR), Paul Corbett (18:20) bettered his previous best by 5 ticks of the clock, and Jeff Nao ran a 16 second PR, finishing fifth and scoring points in his first Varsity race for the Pioneer B team in 18:27.

Varsity team results

Team                     Points
1.  Dexter                  59
2.  Saline                  80
3.  Milford (B)             84
4.  Pinckney               101
5.  Pioneer (A)            133
6.  Plymouth Salem         199
7.  South Lyon             257
8.  U of D Jesuit          281
9.  Saline (B)             284
10. Livonia Churchill      298
11. Grand Blanc            314
12. Davison                329
13. Berkley                348
14. Pioneer (B)            364
Total of 20 teams

Pioneer varsity runners

Pioneer A
Name                           Place   Time
Hubbard, Jeff                     4    16:08
Stensones-Fornaess, Morty        17    16:54
Delphonse-Widmalm, Johannes      24    17:09                          
Burghardt, Lang                  43    17:42
Totsuka, Hiro                    45    17:43
Marlatt, Craig                   51    17:49

Pioneer B
Anderson, Eric                   44    17:42 PR! (-6)
Corbett, Paul                    76    18:20 PR! (-5)
Bross, Ben                       80    18:25
Milgrom, Sam                     81    18:26
Nao, Jeff                        83    18:27 PR! (-16)
Taylor, Austin                   88    18:35
Mohan, Sathish                   93    18:42  
Weather: 70s, sunny

Junior varsity highlights

Perhaps the most impressive race of the day was run by freshman Nick Ochal, who got out ahead of the pack early and hung on to run a 27 second PR, finishing 6th in the race in 18:27. He now joins Ben Bross (who ran an 18:25 as a Varsity B-teamer) near the top of the freshman class, along with Austin Taylor (Varsity B-team, 18:35), Tyler Vane (19:05), and Jon Voiles (19:25). This Freshman Top Five are all promising and improving runners in perhaps the deepest - if not the strongest - freshman class in recent memory.

Other notable performances included PRs by Dale White (19:22), Adam Fisher (19:31), and Wes Weaver (19:31).

Last Name     First     Time
Ochal         Nick      18:27 PR! (-27)
Vane          Tyler     19:05
White         Dale      19:22 PR! (-4)
Voiles        Jon       19:25
Fisher        Adam      19:31 PR! (-5)
Weaver        Wes       19:31 PR! (-19)
Boonin        John      20:14
Fogel         Jamie     20:32
Zwaanburg     Lars      20:32
Johnson       Greg      20:34
Holmes        Jake      20:40 
Atwell        Miles     20:44
Stapleton     Joe       20:46
Hanss         David     21:33
Strader       Jon       21:49
Levinsohn     Jon       21:57
Mullin        Dan       22:45
Del Zoppo     David	23:12
Held          Tommy     23:58
Chamiauski    Yan       24:39

Final notes

Next up is the final and decisive SEC Jamboree #3 this Thursday, October 16 - followed by the Regional Meet on Saturday, October 25, at Buhr Park. Still up for grabs: SEC Red Division supremacy, perhaps a Varsity spot or two at the Regional Meet, and the title of Fastest Freshman (will one of them smash the 18 minute barrier?) Good luck to all!

PR! - new personal record, refers to all-time PR, not just the best time of the season