SunAndNews_101224

http://www.sunandnews.com Saturday, October 12, 2024 17

Caledonia sisters Adysen Daman

(left) and Akaela Daman work their

way up hill together during the

Division 1 girls’ race Saturday at the

annual Portage Invitational. Photo by

Brett Bremer

Brett Bremer
Sports Editor
And it’s quite the history.
Caledonia senior Kort Thompson
ran the second fastest time in the
history of Caledonia varsity boys’
cross country at the annual Portage
Invitational Saturday at Portage West
Middle School. Thompson placed 12th
in the Division 1 boys’ race with a time
of 15 minutes 43.4 seconds.
Only Tim Ross has ever been faster
for the Fighting Scots with his time of
15:03.60 that made him the MHSAA
Lower Peninsula Division 2 State
Champion in 2001.
Thompson beat his pervious PR,
which he set the previous Saturday at
the Otsego Invitational, by about 12
seconds. He jumped four guys on the
list of the fastest Fighting Scots ever
with his run in Portage.
Thompson was one of two Caledonia
medalists on the day. Junior teammate
Noah Johnston placed 46th in 16:24.4,
which is a new PR for him too.
The Caledonia boys were 12th as a
team and head coach Ben Thompson
noted that they were third among the
teams they’ll see in Portage later this
month at the MHSAA L.P. Division 1
Cross Country Regional.
Northville won the D1 boys’ title
Saturday with 83 points ahead of
Jenison 106, Brighton 164, Grand
Haven 179, Saline 257, Kalamazoo
Central 268, Traverse City Central
313, Yorkville 323, Ann Arbor Pioneer
348 and Forest Hills Central 405 in the
top ten. Grandville was 11th with 406
points and the Scots 12th with 432,
just ahead of the hosts from Portage
Central who finished with 442 points.
Pioneer sophomore Kamari Ronfeldt
won the boys’ race in 15:02.3, a new
PR for him, while Jenison senior Seth
Conner raced to a runner-up time of
15:05.8 which is a season best for him.
The Scots also had senior Ethan
Buer 116th in 17:15.3, senior Aidan
Edgar 125th in 17:20.2 and junior Eli
Velting 138th in 17:26.9 among its top
five on the day.
Senior Hannah Dupuis led the Scots
in the D1 girls’ race with a time of
20:21.8 that put her in 90th place

Thompson now second fastest Scot harrier ever

Caledonia juniors Eli Velting (left) and Noah Johnston (right) make their way

along with the crowd during the Division 1 boys’ race Saturday, Oct. 5, at the

Portage Invitational. Photo by Brett Bremer

overall. Senior Keira Bommarito

improved her personal record to

20:33.2 to place 103rd for the CHS

girls.

The top five for the Caledonia ladies

also included sophomore Akaela

Damn 134th in 21:02.2, senior Adysen

Daman 146th in 21:08.5 and senior

Kiley Bommarito 159th in 21:18.4.

The Caledonia girls were 24th

in a field of 39 scoring girls’ teams

Saturday. Romeo outran everyone to

the D1 girls’ team title with a score

of 46 points. Saline was second with

154 points ahead of Ann Arbor Pioneer

159, West Ottawa 164, Brighton 180,

Yorkville 266, Rockford 277, Portage

Central 300, White Lake Lakeland 304

and Grand Haven 316 in the top ten.

West Ottawa senior Helen Sachs

won the girls’ race in 17:04.6 with

Pioneer freshman Natasza Dudek the

runner-up in 17:46.6. Romeo senior

Natalia Guaresimo was third in a PR

of 17:54.2.