Utica senior is county champ
Romeo repeats and senior is Utica’s first county champ in meet with new format
Romeo continued a trend and Carson Nicol etti might have started another with a historic finish at the Macomb County boys cross country championship meet at FreedomHill County Park on Friday.
Nicoletti became the first Utica runner to win the event, and Jack Kelke and Zander Cobb turned in top-three finishes to lead Romeo to its fourth consecutive team championship on a warm and sunny day that featured three heats of runners to accommodate COVID-19 protocols.
“It feels amazing. I’m just so happy for our program,” Nicoletti saidafter he ranthe 3.1-mile course in 15:55.8. “Itmeans theworld tome.
“Having the opportunity to run here despite all the circumstances with COVID, it’s amazing,” Nicoletti continued. “These guys are the hardest-working human beings in the world. I’m blessed to be able to be a part of it.”
Nicoletti had a look of wonderment as he crossed the finish line.
“The first thing I thought about was my team, because these guys motivate me every single day,” he said. “I would not be where I’m at without these guys. I’m so incredibly blessed to have these people in my life.”
Kelke’s time was 16:01.9 and Cobb’s 16:05.0. Joe Rinke, Owen Sharnas and Jack Wallace also scoredwith top-nine finishes as Romeo, the state’s No. 1-ranked Division1 teambyMichiganCrossCountry.com, had 27 points.
“It was great,” Rinke said of the Bulldogs’ race. “We had some expectations, butwedidn’twant toget too far ahead of ourselves. We’ve had a good performance in this meet the last few years, and it feels great to pick it up again.
“I love this team. I love everything about it. Our team camara
derie really helps us out with sticking together. Itwas great racing with some other guys. It was a great performance from everyone today, and I’m very impressed.”
Romeo finished second in 2015 and2016before starting its championship streak.
“I think kids are just buying in,” coach Mike Buslepp said. “They’re training yeararound
and putting in good, quality work. They look out for each other in the process.
“We just wanted to run clean today. That’s the biggest thing. We’ve still got four weeks, and four weeks (fromnow, at the state finals) is what we’re trying to peak our season for.”
Utica finished second to Romeo with 83 points. Dakota, De La Salle Collegiate and Cousino completed the top five.
Megan Berry, the Utica coach, called Nicoletti’s
championship “huge” and said shewas especially happy for himafter what she called a “tough, bumpy” season in 2019.
“It’s a sweet feeling of redemption today,” Berry said. “We knew he was going to be near the front, we had a raceplan, but youneverknow quite how the race is going to unfold.”
Berry saidNicoletti’s strategy was to break from the pack at the top of a hill that’s behind the park’s amphitheater.
“Iwas standing there,” she said. “He was there with the twoRomeo guys, Zander and Jack, and he surged there.
“To be the champ is really exciting. He’s been so focused. We’re so proud of him. We’re going to enjoy this victory.”
Runners with the top 21 times across the three heats were named All-Macomb County.
Runners 1-7 were named First Team, 8-14 Second and 15-21 Third.
Adam Thomas of Anchor Bay, Dominic Suliman of
Cousino, Rinke and Sharnas finished fourth through seventh.
Tyler Carlson of Memphis, Wallace, Jacob Harberts of Dakota, Preston Earl of De La Salle, Connor Mackenzie of Armada, Elijah DiCerbo of Fraser and Trent McFarland of Utica finished eighth through 14th.
Times 15-21 belonged to CarsonDych of Cousino, Matthew Singer of Dakota, Connor Clor of Romeo, Nicholas Bryant of Dakota, Joshua Cundy of Lutheran North,
Ethan Setera of Utica and Noah Miller of Utica.
Ben Puzzuoli of L’Anse Creuse won the first heat in 18:11.10. Cundy won the second in 17:37.2.
This was the first time separate heats were run. Thatwas so nomore than 70 runners would compete in a given race, a mandate from the Michigan High School Athletic Association to encourage social distancing.
Girls races are Saturday on the samecourse. Romeo is the defending champion.