All seven schools in St. Joseph county with boys and girls cross country programs compete at their respective divisional regional meets this Friday. All but Sturgis will be at the massive gathering at Portage West Middle School. The Trojans race at Sharp Park in Jackson.
The top-three teams and any runner in the top 15 not on a qualifying team advance to the state finals. Parking is at a premium at Portage West, so get there early or be prepared to walk a ways.
Here’s what you need to know:
Division 2
Where: Sharp Park, Jackson
When: Girls 1 p.m.; Boys 1:40 p.m.
Teams: Adrian, Harper Creek, Pennfield, Charlotte, Chelsea, Coldwater, Eaton Rapids, Fowlerville, Jackson Northwest, Marshall, Mason, Parma Western, Richland Gull Lake, Sturgis, Tecumseh.
Notes: The Sturgis boys team is ranked No. 10 in Division 2 according to michigancrosscountry.com’s latest poll. Gull Lake finished seventh at the state meet last season, four spots ahead of the Trojans. Sturgis, with five runners under 17 minutes, is chasing its first regional championship since 1989. The Trojans girls aren’t expected to advance as a team, but senior Peyton Boughton was 13th at last season’s state finals and looks to make another appearance at Michigan International Speedway.
Where: Portage West Middle School
When: Girls 12:45 p.m.; Boys 1:20 p.m.
Teams: Allegan, Byron Center, Dowagiac, Edwardsburg, Grand Rapids South Christian, Niles, Otsego, Paw Paw Plainwell, South Haven, St. Joseph, Stevensville Lakeshore, Three Rivers, Vicksburg, Wayland.
Notes: This is a talent-packed field for both the boys and the girls and will probably be the end of the line for Three Rivers.
Division 3
Where: Portage West Middle School
When: Girls 10 a.m.; Boys 10:35 a.m.
Teams: Bangor, Berrien Springs, Bridgman, Buchanan, Cassopolis-Ross Beatty, Coloma, Constantine, Delton-Kellogg, Galesburg-Augusta, Hartford, Hopkins, Comstock, Hackett, Lawton, Niles Brandywine, Parchment, Schoolcraft, Watervliet.
Notes: Constantine’s Dave Jones and Isaac Hartley have both posted sub-18-minute times this year and hope to keep running all the way to MIS.
Division 4
Where: Portage West Middle School
When: Girls 11:15 a.m.; Boys 11:50 a.m.
Teams: Centreville, Climax-Scotts, Colon, Decatur, Eau Claire, Kalamazoo Christian, Kalamazoo Heritage Christian, Lawrence, Marcellus, Marcellus Howardsville Christian, Mendon, New Buffalo, St. Joseph Michigan Catholic, Three Oaks River Valley, White Pigeon.
Notes: Mendon freshman Mary Leighton will try to qualify for the state championship in her first attempt. If the varsity rookie can get close to 20 minutes or less, she could be in contention for a regional crown based on last year’s top-15 finishers, of which only three were seniors. The Mendon boys team, currently ranked No. 8 in the state, is looking for another trip to the finals after finishing second to Concord last season. Michael Campbell and Zach Darmofal placed seventh and eighth, respectively, at regional as juniors in 2012.