Downriver runners secure state finals spots

Brownstown Woodhaven secured its fourth consecutive berth in the Division 1 state finals on Saturday after finishing second at the Lake Erie Metropark regional. The Warriors posted a team score of 61 points, trailing only Ann Arbor Pioneer, which recorded 35 points for the regional title.

Junior Charley McKay anchored the Woodhaven effort with a time of 18:23, placing sixth among more than 100 competitors. Her teammates Annabelle Chan, Alexis Kmiecik, and Jaelynn Green finished 10th, 11th, and 12th respectively, while Hope Noal rounded out the scoring five in 22nd place.

Wyandotte Roosevelt claimed the final team qualification spot in the boys' race with a score of 103, edging out Woodhaven's boys' team, which finished with 108 points. This marks the first team appearance for the Roosevelt Bears since 2013. Zachary Greene led the group with a ninth-place finish in 16:00, contributing to a roster that includes Noah Amori, Allen Decaminada, Maxwell Gray, and Connor Ball.

Beyond the team qualifiers, nine local runners earned individual berths in the Division 1 finals. Woodhaven's Vincent Jones and Zawadi Mwathi both finished in the top 15, extending their streaks of state finals appearances. Jones, a senior, will compete for the third straight year.

Gibraltar Carlson's Wyatt DelValle finished fourth, while Allen Park's Jaden Hill placed seventh. On the girls' side, five local runners finished consecutively between 15th and 19th. Southgate Anderson's Joy Schuck and Ava Brancheau, Ada Cain and Giada Fioritto from Carlson, and Emma Puscas from Roosevelt all advanced.

In Division 2, New Boston Huron's girls' team qualified for the second straight year with a score of 63. The school also sent senior Cameron Crane, who won his individual race, and Grosse Ile's Nicholas Ranka to the finals. Trenton's Jackson Satterfield and Jamie Glatfelter also qualified individually.

Riverview Gabriel Richard's boys' team earned a spot in the Division 4 finals at a separate regional in Royal Oak. The team scored 81 points, led by Jacob Ferdubinski, who won the individual title. Allen Park Cabrini will send three runners to the Division 4 finals, including Christian Brash and Emanuel Nava on the boys' side and Deirdre O'Connell on the girls' side.