The weather was perfect for racing, the competition was great, and the Eagles cross country team ran one of their best races of the season to finish in 5th place in the Division 2 State Finals at the Michigan International Speedway (MIS) on Saturday.

The plan was clear: stay cool and collected early. This patient approach saw the Eagles positioned in 11th place at the 1-mile mark. But unlike many teams that fade during the race, the Eagles only grew stronger. They charged into the second half of the race, moving up to 8th place by the 2-mile split. The final 1.1 miles were legendary. The boys continued their surge, digging deep to pick off three additional teams, culminating in a phenomenal 5th-place team finish.

The team’s success was fueled by Ashton’s and Sean’s sensational performances at the front of the pack, both of which earned coveted All-State honors (awarded to the top 30 finishers). Sophomore Ashton Fink finished 15th in 15:50, and senior Sean Ryan finished 18th in 15:53. The rest of the scoring five proved that a tight pack is the key to success. After battling sickness for weeks, senior Micah Small finally looked like his old self, finishing strong in 16:44 (101st place) and successfully outrunning the lingering germs. Rounding out the crucial fourth and fifth spots, junior Elias DeJong (16:53.0, 122nd) and senior Isaiah Lindstrom (16:53.4, 124th) battled side-by-side, working together during the critical last mile and fighting for every single point. Completing the impressive squad were freshman Seth Sytsma (17:03, 154th) and sophomore James Scholten-Holcomb (17:11, 171st).

MIS is known as a fair course, but not necessarily the fastest course. Despite this, the Eagles proved their fitness. Isaiah managed to run under 17 minutes for the first time and earn a Personal Record (PR) on the day! Ashton missed his PR by only one second, and Elias was just three seconds off his personal best.

Eagles, thank you for a truly great season. You gave it your all, honored God, and loved each other as teammates. Well done!