The Imlay City girls’ cross country team breaks from the starting-line at the BWAC League Meet. The Spartans lead our All-Area team with five first team picks.
TRI-CITY AREA — Week in and week out these competitors delivered solid outings on the course.
Here is a look at who made the 2019 edition of the Tri-City Times All-Area girls’ cross country squad and the credentials they generated along the way:
Jessica Denver, Imlay City.
Denver registered a Tri-City best clocking of 19:37.2 for sixth Saturday, October 26 at a Goodells County Park-based Division 2 regional.
The junior claimed firsts at the Genesee Invitational and Autumn Classic; obtained fourths at the North Branch-based Lapeer County Press Invitational; Thumb Area Cross Country Championship in Caro; Blue Water Area Conference Jamboree Meets in North Branch and Goodells plus the Blue Water Area Conference League Meet in Lum; provided a fifth at the Frankenmuth Invitational; furnished a sixth at a Goodells County Park-based Division 2 regional; wound up eighth at the Oxford Invitational; took 10th at the Corunna Earlybird Invitational; contributed an 11th at the Wagener Park Invitational; and added a 189th-place showing during the Division 2 state finals at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.
Elizabeth Sliman, Imlay City.
Sliman posted a 20:20.5 time en route to a 17th during a Division 2 regional at Goodells County Park on Saturday, October 26.
The sophomore provided a ninth at the Caro-based Thumb Area Cross Country Championship; placed 11th at a Blue Water Area Conference Jamboree Meet in North Branch; generated 12ths at a Goodells County Park-based Blue Water Area Conference Jamboree Meet, the Blue Water Area Conference League Meet in Lum and at the Wagener Park Invitational; supplied a 17th at a Goodells County Park-based Division 2 regional; collected a 22nd at the Corunna Earlybird Invitational; plus furnished a 27th at the Oxford Invitational.
McKinzie Winget, Imlay City.
Winget logged a 20:21.1 clocking for 18th Saturday, October 26 at a Goodells County Park-based Division 2 regional.
The senior obtained a second at the Genesee Invitational; furnished sixths at the Lum-based Blue Water Area Conference League Meet, Lapeer County Press Invitational in North Branch and Caro-based Thumb Area Cross Country Championship; registered a seventh at a Goodells County Park-based Blue Water Area Conference Jamboree Meet; wound up eighth at a Blue Water Area Conference Jamboree Meet in North Branch; placed 13th at the Frankenmuth Invitational; collected a 15th at the Wagener Park Invitational; generated 16ths at the Corunna Earlybird Invitational and Autumn Classic; notched an 18th during a Goodells County Park-based Division 2 regional; plus added a 19th at the Oxford Invitational.
Ella Kage, Dryden.
Kage posted a 21:01.3 time en route to a 10th during a Division 4 regional contested at Wagener Park on Saturday, October 26.
The junior collected a ninth at the Holly/Duane Raffin Festival of Races; registered a 10th during a Division 4 regional contested at Wagener Park; obtained a 13th at the Linden Classic; provided a 24th at the Hanson’s Invitational; supplied a 25th at the Running Fit Detroit Mercy Titans Invitational; wound up 26th at the Mustang Invitational in Northville; furnished a 28th at the Caro-based Thumb Area Cross Country Championship; placed 39th at the Oxford Invitational; plus added a 106th during the Division 4 state finals contested at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.
Sydney Kapushinski, Imlay City.
Kapushinski notched a 21:23.4 time en route to 16th at the Lum-based Blue Water Area Conference League Meet on Tuesday, October 15.
The junior placed fifth at the Genesee Invitational; generated an 11th at the Lapeer County Press Invitational in North Branch; took 14th during a Blue Water Area Conference Jamboree Meet contested at Goodells County Park; pulled up 16th at the Blue Water Conference League Meet in Lum; registered a 21st at a North Branch-based Blue Water Area Conference League Meet; provided a 23rd at the Frankemuth Invitational; obtained a 36th at the Wagener Park Invitational; supplied a 42nd at the Corunna Earlybird Invitational; plus added a 51st at the Autumn Classic.
Teagan Norman, Dryden.
Norman provided a 21:28 time en route to a 15th during a Division 4 regional contested at Wagener Park on Saturday, October 26.
The junior supplied a 14th at the Linden Classic; wound up 15th during a Division 4 regional contested at Wagener Park; generated a 20th at the Holly/Duane Raffin Festival of Races; claimed a 29th at the Caro-based Thumb Area Cross Country Championship; obtained a 32nd at the Mustang Invitational in Northville; and wound up 43rd at the Running Fit Detroit Mercy Titans Invitational.
Mary Kaminski, Imlay City.
Kaminski furnished a 21:51.66 clocking for 33rd Saturday, October 26 at a Goodells County Park-based Division 2 regional.
The sophomore took 12th at the Genesee Invitational; registered a 19th at the Blue Water Area Conference League Meet in Lum; placed 27th at the North Branch-based Lapeer County Press Invitational; obtained a 30th during a Blue Water Area Conference Jamboree Meet at Goodells County Park; notched 33rds at a Blue Water Area Conference Jamboree Meet in North Branch and during a Division 2 regional contested at Goodells County Park; registered 34ths at the Frankenmuth Invitational and Thumb Area Cross Country Championship in Caro; garnered a 46th at the Wagener Park Invitational; pulled up 60th at the Oxford Invitational; supplied a 68th at the Corunna Earlybird Invitational; plus added a 92nd at the Autumn Classic.
Lilly Rodriguez, Capac.
Rodriguez provided a 21:43.1 time en route to a 23rd during a Division 3 regional contested at Goodells County Park on Saturday, October 26.
The senior claimed a seventh during the Greater Thumb Conference East League Meet hosted by Laker High School; notched a ninth at the North Branch-based Lapeer County Press Invitational; furnished an 18th at the Marysville Invitational; took 23rd during a Division 3 regional contested at Goodells County Park; placed 26th at the Brown City Invitational; registered a 29th at the Algonac Muskrat Classic; pulled up 33rd at the Ubly Invitational; obtained a 43rd at the Wagener Park Invitational; managed a 50th at the Holly/Duane Raffin Festival of Races; plus added a 57th at the Thumb Area Cross Country Championship in Caro.
Katrina Kline, Almont.
Kline registered a 21:54 time for 35th Saturday, October 26 during a Division 2 regional contested at Goodells County Park.
The senior took 12th at the North Branch-based Lapeer County Press Invitational; placed 16th at the Dave Patterson Challenge Invitational; collected a 17th at the Lum-based Blue Water Area Conference League Meet; furnished a 19th during a Blue Water Area Conference Jamboree Meet contested at Goodells County Park; provided a 20th at a North Branch-based Blue Water Area Conference Jamboree Meet; generated 32nds at the Corunna Earlybird Invitational and Marysville Invitational; obtained 35ths at the Algonac Muskrat Classic and during a Division 2 regional contested at Goodells County Park; plus provided a 35th at the Thumb Area Cross Country Championship in Caro.
Second team- Emily Kwierant, Almont; Vicki McTaggart, Imlay City; Kaylee Kaminski, Imlay City; Molly Kline, Almont; Kylie DeVlaminck, Dryden; and Heather Fitchett, Almont.
Honorable mention- Natalie Douglas, Imlay City; Maria Ryan, Dryden; Alyssa Serra, Almont; and Isabella Aldrich, Capac.
Coach of the Year- For directing Imlay City to a first at the Blue Water Area Conference League Meet and a fourth at a Division 2 regional, Sara O’Brien earns Tri-City Times All-Area Coach of the Year accolades.
Kevin Kissane has been covering high school sports for the Tri-City Times since 1985. When not standing on a field or court with his camera and notepad, he enjoys golf, travel and family. Kevin is a 1980 graduate of Capac High School, and is also a grad of St. Clair Community College and earned a degree in journalism from Central Michigan University.
