PETOSKEY – November 3, 2022 – St. Michael High School (SMHS), Northern Michigan’s only Classical Catholic high school, announced today that its Boys Cross Country (XC) team placed second at last Saturday’s Regional at East Jordan, falling to Johannesburg-Lewiston, 28-37. Harbor Springs placed third with 66 points. All three teams advance to this Saturday’s Division-4 State Finals at Michigan International Speedway near Brooklyn.
The SMHS Girls XC team placed third in its Regional race, securing a return trip to the State Finals. Harbor Springs edged Johannesburg-Lewiston, 32-33, to claim the title. The Guardians were a distant third with 102 points, slipping past Gaylord St. Mary with 108, and Inland Lakes with 113.
The SMHS Gents ran the fastest race in school history, but it was not enough to match an even more impressive performance from Johannesburg-Lewiston.
“Our hats are off to our friends at Jo’burg,” stated Guardians coach Larry Rudnicki. “We ran fantastic and yet, from first man through sixth, the Cardinals beat us by a point or two at every position. We’ve regrouped this week and are ready for one final surge at the Finals, where we hope to ascend the podium and claim our first-ever State trophy!” The two teams swapped places in the final coaches poll, with the Cardinals now ranked second heading into the Finals, and the Guardians ranked third.
The Guardians were led by Mac Moore (3rd in 16:39), Zach Maendel (4th in 16:51), and Lynus Cadarette (6th in 16:56), all of whom ran personal-bests. Freshman Cody Bradley was fourth man, finishing tenth with a stunning 38-second personal-best at 17:24. Levi Benzing and Russell Vandermus placed 15th & 17th in 17:45 and 17:50, respectively – with both notching 22-second personal-bests. Dominic Fantozzi also competed for SMHS.
In the Ladies race, Jane Manthei led the way, finishing fifth in a personal-best time of 20:28. Veronica Paga (15th in 21:25) and Sydney Feagan (20th in 21:49) also ran personal-bests, as did fourth lady Hannah Ledy, who sliced more than two minutes off her previous best time. Siobhan Weed and Catherine Hayes also competed for St. Michael.
“We knew it was a tight race for that third qualifying spot and our ladies competed for it!” noted Coach Rudnicki. “Jane, Veronica, and Sydney slipped past several girls they hadn’t previously beaten and that was the difference.”
“As our teams conclude their seasons this weekend, we ask for your prayers for our safe travels and our success!”
St. Michael High School is High School with a Higher Purpose and a proud member of the Chesterton Schools Network, the largest and fastest-growing network of its kind in the country. Established in 2013, the St. Michael mission is to nurture and elevate a new generation of joyful leaders educated in the Classical tradition and truth of the Catholic faith. For information on SMHS, visit the school website at www.stmichaelchesterton.org.