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19. Ann Arbor Pioneer (MI)

Analysis: While the Pioneers return just four starters from a squad that finished second at last year's MHSAA Division I Cross Country Championships, there are two things to consider: Ann Arbor is fast becoming one of the state's best developmental squads. Senior Zofia Dudek is only the latest star talent rising through the ranks, following the ranks of Anne Forsyth and Nick Foster. Dudek's coming off a spring where she earned a big confidence-boosting win in the girls mile at Brooks PR. Secondly, the Pioneers have been agonizingly close at the state championships over the last few years and have been inching closer and closer over the past five seasons. Last year's runner-up bid to Clarkston was the second time since 2016 the team finished as the runner-up and it was the third straight top five performance. From a national perspective, the squad's top five are very solid, averaging 18:30.08 based on 2018 times. Impressively, though, Dudek hasn't gapped the pack too much, either. The Pioneers are potentially in the 70-80 second compression range. The team's potential top five are Dudek, Sarah Forsyth, Anna Vogel, Charlotte Batra and Cookie Baugh. 

Biggest question: How good is Ann Arbor's secondary pack?

That will be the big question for this team in 2019. As Dudek's resume builds and her performances start to put her among the best in the country, how will the rest of the team close the gap? If the squad does in fact hold strong, this could be a very strong program not just in Michigan, but beyond. The team ran five members of last year's team at NXR Midwest, so we know the Pioneers are willing to go to regions.