Milford takes 1st in XC finals; Zuk, Finn both claim crowns

An article by Michael Shelton    No Comments

West Oakland’s cross country teams shined at the 2011 Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) state finals, with Huron Valley Milford claiming the Division 1 boys’ title, Huron Valley Lakeland’s Garrett Zuk winning the Division 1 boys’ individual crown, and West Bloomfield’s Erin Finn taking the Division 1 girls’ individual title.

Huron Valley Milford claimed the Division 1 boys’ state title at the Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich., with a team total time of 79:48 (128 points). The Mavericks’ runners included Brian Kettle (15:24.3), Cody Snavely (15:37.1), Paul Ausum (15:51.3), Chris Housel (16:27.2), Matt Graves (16:28.9), Steven Sloboda (16:47.3) and Shawn Welch (17:14.8).

Milford finished ahead of Hartland (172 points), Waterford Mott (177 points), Saline (186 points) and Huron Valley Lakeland (188 points).

However, it was Lakeland’s Zuk who took the Division 1 individual crown with a time of 15:21.2, with Milford’s Kettle, a sophomore, taking the runner-up slot and Snavely coming in fifth-place.

Ausum came in 13th while freshman Sam Albaugh of Waterford Mott finished 25th with a time of 15:58.3.

On the girls’ side, Finn, a West Bloomfield junior, claimed the Division 1 title with a time of 17:22.6, finishing ahead of Rockford’s Taylor Mennett (17:24).

Walled Lake Western senior Julia Valencia finished 13th with a time of 18:25.1, while Milford sophomore Rachel Barrett claimed 15th with a time of 18:30.8 and Lakeland’s Morgan Bridgewater finished 26th with a time of 18:45.

Waterford Mott was the lakes area’s highest-finishing girls’ team, as they came in 25th-place.