Two Nationally-Ranked Runners Go Down At MSU Spartan Invitational
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Cross country races never give you what you exactly expect, only versions of it.
On Saturday in Michigan, that couldn't be more true.
While two preseason top 25 boys runners were in the Spartan Elite field at the MSU Spartan Invitational, there were no guarantees. Both performed reasonably well, but both got beat.
In September, you'll get results like that.
Upper Arlington's Thomas McMahon took the tape in 15:05.6, while Dublin Jerome's Samuel Ricchiuiti was second in 15:06.0.
Returning Foot Locker Nationals qualifier Connell Alford was third in 15:09.1, while fellow Foot Locker qualifier Seth Norder was fourth in 15:24.1. Alford was No. 21 to start the year on the MileSplit50, while Norder was No. 13.
Brighton and Northville battled over the field, and in the end it came down to the sixth runner, with Brighton needing displacement to beat Northville on 93 points.
Mens 5,000 Meters Spartan Elite (Top 10 at 22 States) Team Scores
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Pl Team Points
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1 Brighton 93
2 Northville 93
3 Grand Haven 126
4 Dublin Jerome 139
5 Bay City Western 215 There was less drama in the girls race, with Ann Arbor Pioneer coasting through the line with an easy win and senior Rachel Forsyth taking the win in 16:59.3.
Forsyth has now opened her year with three straight wins, the last two coming under 17 minutes for 5K.
Her squad followed in 1t0h, 12th, 28th and 32nd to round out the scoring. Ten girls broke 19 minutes on the course.
Womens 5,000 Meters Spartan Elite (Top 10 at 22 States) Results
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Pl Athlete Yr Team Time
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1 Rachel Forsyth 12 Ann Arbor Pioneer 16:59.3
2 Madison Osterberg 12 Jackson Lumen Christi 17:44.6
3 Lucy Cook 11 Rochester 18:10.7
4 Natalie Fouts 10 Dublin Jerome 18:22.3
5 Cassie Garcia 11 Northville 18:27.9
6 Emma Drnek 11 Zeeland East 18:44.1
7 Ella Christensen 12 Northville 18:46.8
8 Valerie Beeck 11 Grand Haven 18:49.2
9 Kamryn Lauinger 11 Goodrich 18:53.9
10 Natalie Mello 12 Ann Arbor Pioneer 18:56.2 
THE SCOOP:
Page 1: Top 10 Marks From The Weekend
Page 2: Belen Jesuit's Boys Run Away With The Title At The Southern Showcase
Page 3: Addison Moore, Will Conway Have Career Days At Trinity/Valkyrie
Page 4: Ty Steorts Was Out To Prove A Point At adidas XC Challenge
Page 5: The Bentonville Boys Are Making Waves After Big Win At Lucas Lovejoy
Page 6: The Manny-Putz-Is-Back Tour Continues, While Wayzata Rolls At Rochester Mayo
Page 7: Two Nationally-Ranked Runners Go Down At MSU Spartan Invitational