TRI-CITY AREA — From start to finish, these athletes could be counted on to produce quality performances each time out.
Here is a look at who gained selection to the 2022 edition of the Tri-City Times All-Area girls’ cross country lineup and the finishes they generated along the way:
Jenna Denver, Imlay City.
Best effort: Denver logged a Tri-City best time of 21:20 en route to a 12th at the Blue Water Area Conference League Meet hosted by Algonac on Tuesday, October 18.
Top finishes: The senior took first at the Dryden-based Fall Fest Invite; obtained a fifth at the Genesee Invitational; provided a 10th at a Blue Water Area Conference Jamboree Meet in Imlay City and a Blue Water Area Conference Jamboree Meet hosted by Cros-Lex; supplied an 11th at the Mariner Invitational; registered a 20th at the Thumb Championships in Caro; collected a 22nd at the Corunna Earlybird Invitational; pulled up 29th at a Goodells County Park-based Division 2 regional; plus added a 36th at the Duane Raffin Holly Festival of Races.
Charlotte O’Brien, Imlay City.
Best effort: O’Brien supplied a 21:24.4 clocking for 24th Saturday, October 29 at a Goodells County Park-based Division 2 regional.
Top finishes: The sophomore obtained a third at the Dryden-based Fall Fest Invitational; provided a fourth at the Genesee Invitational; furnished an 11th at a Blue Water Area Conference Jamboree Meet in Imlay City; generated a 14th at the Birch Run Invitational and Algonac-based Blue Water Area Conference League Meet; contributed a 15th at the Mariner Invitational; registered a 16th at a Blue Water Area Conference Jamboree Meet hosted by Cros-Lex; wound up 21st at the Caro-based Thumb Championships; placed 24th at a Goodells County Park-based Division 2 regional; notched a 29th at the Corunna Earlybird Invitational; plus tacked on a 42nd at the Duane Raffin Holly Festival of Races.
Laila Evola, Almont.
Best effort: Evola posted a 21:40.1 time en route to an 18th at a Dewitt-based Division 3 regional on Saturday, October 29.
Top finishes: The freshman obtained a sixth at the Fall Fest Invite in Dryden; provided an 11th at the Dryden-based Cardinal Invitational; furnished a 12th at the Green Devil Invitational in Brown City; generated an 18th at a Dewitt-based Division 3 regional; collected a 19th at the Cass City Invitational; supplied a 22nd at the Dewitt Invitational; placed 27th at a Blue Water Area Conference Jamboree Meet hosted by Cros-Lex; wound up 33rd at an Imlay City-based Blue Water Area Conference Jamboree Meet and the Blue Water Area Conference League Meet in Algonac; contributed a 47th at the Ubly Invitational; plus added a 170th at the Division 3 state meet hosted by Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.
Lily Finnigan, Dryden.
Best effort: Finnigan registered a 21:43.7 clocking for 19th Saturday, October 29 at a Division 4 regional.
Wagener County Park, in Harbor Beach, is where the meet was contested.
Top finishes: The junior placed fourth at the Fall Fest Invitational in Dryden; ranked seventh at the North Central Thumb League Meet in Kingston; pulled up eighth at the USA Invitational; managed a 10th at the Breckenridge Windmill Invitational; registered an 18th at the Dryden Invitational; obtained a 19th at a Wagener County Park-based Division 4 regional and the Races at SVSU Invitational; supplied a 42nd at the Wagener Park Invitational; furnished a 48th at the Autumn Classic Invitational; provided a 57th at the Mustang Invitational; and tacked on a 117th at the Division 4 state finals hosted by Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.
Audrey Napolitano, Dryden.
Best effort: Napolitano logged a 21:44.1 time en route to a 20th at a Division 4 regional on Saturday, October 29.
Wagener County Park, in Harbor Beach, is where the action unfolded.
Top finishes: The junior took fifth at the Dryden-based Fall Fest Invitational; claimed eighths at the Breckenridge Windmill Invitational and Kingston-based North Central Thumb League Meet; obtained 15ths at the USA Invitational and North Park Invitational; generated 17ths at the Races at SVSU and Dryden Invitational; placed 20th at a Harbor Beach-based Division 4 regional; provided a 34th at the Autumn Classic Invitational; managed a 43rd at the Wagener County Park Invitational; plus added a 75th at the Mustang Invitational.
Ang Ross, Imlay City.
Best effort: Ross managed a 21:54.9 clocking for 17th Tuesday, October 18 at the Algonac-based Blue Water Area Conference League Meet.
Top finishes: The sophomore collected a second at the Dryden-based Fall Fest Invitational; took sixth at the Genesee Invitational; supplied a 13th at the Mariner Invitational; obtained a 17th at the Algonac-based Blue Water Area Conference League Meet; pulled up 18th at a Blue Water Area Conference Jamboree Meet hosted by Cros-Lex; furnished a 23rd at the Corunna Early Bird Invitational; placed 25th at the Birch Run Invitational; registered a 34th at the Ubly Invitational; pulled up 51st at the Holly Duane Raffin Festival of Races; generated a 52nd at the Thumb Championships in Caro; plus tacked on a 58th at a Goodells County Park-based Division 2 regional.
Alice Johnson, Imlay City.
Best effort: Johnson furnished a 21:55.3 time en route to an 18th at the Algonac-based Blue Water Area Conference League Meet on Tuesday, October 18.
Top finishes: The junior took seventh at the Dryden-based Fall Fest Invitational; supplied an eighth at the Genesee Invitational; obtained an 18th at the Algonac-based Blue Water Area Conference League Meet; contributed 26ths at the Mariner Invitational and Caro-based Thumb Championships; collected a 27th at the Birch Run Invitational; placed 34th at a Blue Water Area Conference Jamboree Meet hosted by Cros-Lex; furnished a 38th at a Blue Water jamboree hosted by Imlay City; provided a 42nd at a Goodells County Park-based Division 2 regional; obtained a 45th at the Ubly Invitational; contributed a 54th at the Corunna Earlybird Invitational; plus added a 59th at the Holly Duane Raffin Festival of Races.
Isabella Aldrich, Capac.
Best effort: Aldrich registered a 22:26.4 clocking en route to a 28th at a Division 4 regional on Saturday, October 29.
Top finishes: The senior collected a 12th at the Kingston Invitational; pulled up 13th at the Dryden-based Fall Fest Invitational; generated a 15th at the Greater Thumb Conference East League Meet hosted by Ubly; contributed 28ths at a Division 4 regional in Harbor Beach and Reese Invitational; managed a 51st at the Brown City Invitational; claimed 57ths at the Wagener County Park Invitational and Caro-based Thumb Championships; placed 58th at the Marysville Invitational; wound up 69th at the Algonac Classic Run; plus added a 72nd at the Ubly Invitational.
Second team- Ayla Delaurier, Almont; Sarah Lauwers, Imlay City; Laela Bhatti, Imlay City; Hannah Hayes, Imlay City; Cara Prusakiewicz, Dryden; Lauryn Donahue, Imlay City; Savanna Siewert, Almont; and Haley Dempz, Almont.
Coach of the Year- For directing Imlay City to firsts at the Dryden-based Fall Fest Invitational and Genesee Invitational; thirds at the Mariner Invitational and Birch Run Invitational; plus fourths at a Blue Water Area Conference Jamboree Meet hosted by Cros-Lex and the Algonac-based Blue Water Area Conference League Meet, 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.
