#22 - When Are We Going To Show These Kids The $$$$?

Inside This Issue

• Nike’s “pro” high school squad

• Why confine sportsmanship to cross country?

• Latest Pro Results

• Latest HS XC Results

• Legend: Burr Oak’s Little-Known Olympian

• Little Stuff

The Cash Can’t Be Far Behind

Maybe you saw the announcement: 40 of the best high school T&F athletes in the nation have been named to the Nike Elite Program, a collaboration between the shoe giant and the National Scholastic Athletics Foundation. (No Michigan athletes are on the list for this year.)

What do they get? Support & guidance from Nike pro athletes, Nike gear and equipment, and travel money to attend major high school and U20 events. It’s a sweet gravy train!

What does Nike get? A head start on buying athlete loyalty, which could prove advantageous in the future if the shoe company is negotiating with one of their NEP alumni for an NIL or pro contract. There have been reports over the years that Nike offers some of the harshest contracts in the business to runners. But if an athlete has always dreamed of running for Nike professionally, perhaps they’re willing to overlook some of those reductions that frequently pop up in contracts.

Note that the Nike Elite Program is not an NIL (name-image-likeness) deal as such. But such deals are already here in many states. In fact, Oregon super sprinter Mia Brahe-Pedersen, who leads the NEP roster, already has an NIL deal with Nike. Already, some 30 states have approved NIL opportunities for high school athletes. So far, it is banned in Michigan, but make no mistake, it’s coming. In the end, the courts and the legislatures aren’t going to say that student athletes can’t make money from their talents, while students with talents in other areas can.

Personally I don’t have a strong opinion on this; that would be like having a strong opinion on the weather. It’s happening whether we like it or not. I am, however, very curious about what the high school sporting world will look like in 10 years. Obviously, it will affect basketball and football much more than track and cross country, but what will it look like in our sport? I’d love to hear your feedback on this.

Tis The Season!

The season of helping tired runners from opposing teams across the line! Yes, it’s already started. It seemed kind of novel and interesting when the trend first started a few years ago. Now, it’s become an unstoppable force in high school cross country, as kids know they can get loads of social media attention for the good deed, bolstered by the local newspaper glorifying them for their “true moment of sportsmanship.”

Now, I’m not saying it’s good or bad. I’m just saying that if we’re going to be doing this every weekend in cross country, then we should be doing it in all of our high school sports. After all, if it’s true sportsmanship, shouldn’t we idolize football players who help their opponents cross the line with the ball? Shouldn’t wrestlers help their fallen opponents get up instead of trying to pin them to the ground? If this is a good thing, let’s see more of it, right?

Latest Pro Results

Diamond League, Weltklasse, Zurich, August 31—5000, 3. Grant Fisher 12:54.49 (7th fastest time in US history and No. 3 in Michigan/Fisher history). Fisher will be running the 3000 tonight (9/6) in Rovereto, Italy.

Diamond League, Xiamen, China, September 2—110H(0.0), 6. Freddie Crittenden 13.26.

ISTAF, Berlin, September 3—1500, 4. Hobbs Kessler 3:35.69 (No. 7 Michigan time ever, No. 3 Kessler time).

Latest HS Results

Highlights here. Just click on the title of the meet to get the full results.

Concord Invitational (8/30): 
Boys—1. Leslie 76; 2. Union City 92; 3. Eaton Rapids 100 (14 teams).
1. Michael Allen (East Jackson) 17:04
2. Mitchell Hiatt (Onsted) 17:07
3. Ben Gautsche (Union City) 17:37
Girls—1. Leslie 44; 2. Grass Lake 63; 3. Onsted 84 (10 teams).
1. Emmry Ross (O) 18:26
2. Haley Stimer (Concord) 21:27

Hillsdale Invitational (8/30):
Boys—1. Hillsdale Academy 54; 2. Hanover-Horton 65; 3. Jonesville 71 (8 teams).
1. Nolan Grant (Hillsdale) 16:53
2. Thomas Holm (HA) 16:54
Girls—1. Hanover-Horton 51; 2. Hillsdale Academy 55 (8 teams).
1. Brooke Smith (Pittsford) 20:34.

Ithaca Yellowjacket Invitational (8/30):
Boys—1. Alma 27; 2. Pewamo-Westphalia 36 (4 teams).
1. Collin Farmer (PW) 16:06
2. Thomas Larson (A) 16:42
Girls—1. Pewamo-Westphalia 33; 2. Alma 42 (3 teams)
1. Whitney Werner (PW) 19:27
2. Ezgi Kurt (A) 19:39

Kalamazoo Invite (8/30):
Boys—1. Kalamazoo Central 39; 2. Battle Creek Lakeview 99; 3. Holland West Ottawa 100; 4. Harper Creek 100 (10 teams)
1. Aiden Moore (BCL) 16:05
2. Jasper Cane (KC) 16:27
3. Dominic Lowrie (HC) 16:40
Girls—1. BC Lakeview 51; 2. Kalamazoo Central 80; 3. Portage Northern 89 (8 teams).
1. Annie Alkema (KC) 20:11
2. Emilee Rudlaff (KC) 20:27

Lake St Clair Earlybird (8/30):
Boys—1. Utica 32; 2. Grosse Pointe South 97; 3. NB Anchor Bay 108 (16 teams)
1. Dylan Penberthy (L’Anse Creuse N) 16:32
2. Tyler Lenn (MC Mooney) 16:45
3. Harper Wesley (U) 16:45
Girls—1. Fraser 64; 2. RH Stoney Creek 69; 3. Utica 69 (14 teams)
1. Leah Corby (RHSC) 18:58
2. Hannah DeRoeck (Lake Orion) 19:07
3. Emma Brown (U) 20:14

Red Devil Invitational (8/30):
Boys/Big—1. TC St Francis 22; 2. Elk Rapids 72; 3. Charlevoix 76 (9 teams)
1. Gabe Litzner (Sault) 15:45
Boys/Small—1. Johannesburg-Lewiston 28; 2. Harbor Springs 44 (4 teams)
1. Malaki Gascho (JL) 16:15
Girls/Big—1. TC St Francis 30; 2. Elk Rapids 35 (7 teams)
1. Betsey Skendzel (TCSF) 18:46
2. Brynne Schulte (ER) 19:05
Girls/Small—1. Harbor Springs 44; 2. Johannesburg-Lewiston 51
1. Allie Nowak (JL) 18:27
2. Jane Manthei (Petoskey St Michael) 19:12
3. Miriam Murrell (Gaylord St Mary) 19:15

Saranac Invitational (8/30):
Boys 1-2—1. Byron Center 47; 2. East Lansing 88; 3. Shepherd 93 (11 teams)
1. Alex Doneth (Mason) 16:08
2. Nolan Longuski (S) 16:21
3. Mitchell Jeruzal (Byron Center) 16:24
Boys 3-4—1. Stanton Central Montcalm 45; 2. Bath 51; 3. GR Covenant Christian 53 (8 teams)
1. Gage Hoffman (SCM) 16:10
2. Graham Coston (SCM) 16:34
Girls 1-2—1. Byron Center 52; 2. Grand Ledge 95; 3. WM Aviation 99 (11 teams)
1. Meghan Ford (Mason) 18:51
2. Emma DeVries (WMA) 19:13
3. Sydney Law (BC) 19:38
Girls 3-4—1. GR Covenant Christian 43; 2. Stanton Central Montcalm 45 (8 teams)
1. Kyah Hffman (SCM) 18:14
2. Ashley Choponis (SCM) 19:33
3. Amber Koole (GRCC) 19:39

SW Michigan Rustbuster (8/30):
Boys—1. Jenison 43; 2. Otsego 50; 3. Plainwell 73 (14 teams)
1. Seth Conner (J) 15:53
2. Mason Lucas (J) 15:55
3. Sullivan Zietlow (Three Rivers) 16:07
Girls—1. Otsego 22; 2. Jenison 63; 3. Fennville 149 (13 teams)
1. Emma Hoffman (O) 18:32
2. Logan Brazee (O) 19:00
3. Maddie Vande Bunte (J) 19:23
4. Megan Germain (O) 19:24

Birch Run Early Invitational (8/31):
Boys—1. Midland Bullock Creek 41; 2. Lapeer 87 (17 teams)
1. Brayden Sweeney (MBC) 17:03
Girls—1. Whitmore Lake 29; 2. Kingston 54 (12 teams)
1. Kaylie Livingston (WL) 18:15
2. Carina Burchi (WL) 20:04

Cicciarelli/Adams Invitational (8/31):
Boys—1. Troy 21; 2. Royal Oak 26; 3, Troy Athens 49 (11 teams)
1. Vishvaa Ravishankar (T) 15:53
2. Sebastian Ramirez (RO) 15:59
Girls—1. Armada 28; 2. Pontiac Notre Dame 50; 3. Troy 53 (12 teams).
1. Audrey Hamilton (T) 19:27
2. Eliza Keith (Oakland Christian) 19:51

Downriver Watermelon Run (8/31):
Boys—1. Woodhaven 65; 2. Tecumseh 105; 3. Dearborn Divine Child 124 (14 teams)
1. Logan Ruffner (Riverview) 16:09
2. Colin Murray (DDC) 16:13
Girls—1. Techumseh 55; 2. Woodhaven 63 (10 teams)
1. Payton Scheffler (W) 19:27
2. Cournty Bovair (Carleton Airport) 19:43

Brighton Early Bird (8/31):
Boys—1. Adrian 43; 2. Plymouth 56; 3. AA Huron 86 (10 teams)
1. Connell Alford (Chelsea) 15:35
2. Braylon Petty (A) 16:00
3. Anirudh Krishnan (P) 16:07
Girls—1. Grand Blanc 56; 2. AA Skyline 60; 3. Chelsea 61 (8 teams)
1. Grace Tykocki (GB) 19:12
2. Sophy Skeels (Adrian) 19:13
3. Nataliea DeMea (C) 19:22

Milford Invitational (8/31):
Boys—1. Clarkston 81; 2. Livonia Churchill 95; 3. Oxford 113 (21 teams)
1. Evan Loughridge (Pinckney) 16:07
2. Kyle O’Rourke (Milford) 16:30
3. Noah Selvaraj (BC Western) 16:39
Girls—1. Davison 119; 2. Rochester 124; 3. Dexter 150 (16 teams)
1. Lucy Cook (R) 19:29
2. Morgan Brown (Livonia Churchill) 19:42
3. Isabelle Becker (BCW) 20:04

Oiler Invite (9/1):
Boys Large—1. TC Central 34; 2. Sparta 56 (6 teams)
1. Gregory Janesak (S) 15:47
2. Owen Metzger (S) 15:47
Boys Small—1. Reed City 21 (5 teams)
1. August Rohde (RC) 16:24
Girls Large—1. TC Central 30; 2. Midland Dow 48 (6 teams)
1. Victoria Garces (MD) 17:46
2. Ella Kirkwood (TCC) 18:52
3. Katie Watkins (MD) 19:04
Girls Small—1. Belding 33
1. Miranda McNeil (Morley Stanwood) 18:54

OK Green at Reeths-Puffer (9/5):
Boys—1. Zeeland West 32; 2. Reeths-Puffer 61; 3. Zeeland East 68 (8 teams)
1. Noah Lambers 16:40
Girls—1. Zeeland East 24; 2. Zeeland West 57 (7 teams)
1. Emma Drnek (ZE) 19:36
2. Johanna Mulder (Holland) 19:42

Legend: Frank Belote, Burr Oak’s Little-Known Olympian

Not much is known about one of our earliest Olympians. Frank Belote was born in raised in Burr Oak, St. Joseph County, just a few miles northeast of Sturgis. It is assumed he went to Burr Oak schools, and would have graduated around 1902. Later, it seems, he attended the University of Chicago.

It hasn’t been determined yet whether he started sprinting in Burr Oak or if it’s a sport he took up in Chicago, but by 1912, he was considered a top Olympic prospect, competing for the Chicago Athletic Association and later the Irish American Athletic Association. In a March 1912 article, he was described like so: “Frank Belote is effective in both the sprints and the high jump. He has done 10 seconds consistently for the century and 6 and ¼ inch in the jump. The latter performance will not get him on even the first reserve, and it is likely that it will take a very fast 10 seconds to gain a place on the Finland.”

Another report said, “Frank Belote, the flier of the Chicago Athletic Association, is going to make a strong bid for a place on the team. Belote has run 100 yards under ten seconds and last summer in the distance in even time every time he raced. During the winter he has been running stronger and gets away faster from the start. He is not as good in the furlong [200].”

At the Stockholm Olympics, Belote placed 5^th in the 100 meters. He also ran second leg on the ill-fated U.S. 4 x 100 squad that placed first in the heats with a 43.7, but was disqualified in the semis. On the field, he competed in the standing high jump, where he failed to place. He was also entered in the standing long jump, but he did not compete.

He was still competing in 1914, when he was listed as an entry in the 50-yard dash at the MAC Athletic Carnival in St Louis, Missouri, in March.

In 1917, he was a guest of honor at the 4^th of July celebration in Newberry.

An accountant in later life, he died on October 12, 1928 in Detroit at the age of 45 from tuberculosis.

Little Stuff At The End

“Dominating win!” Yeah, not really. In the world of D1 college sports, there is perhaps no sport that’s more guilty of ducking real competition than cross country. We’re lucky to see the best schools field anything resembling their full-strength team before the conference meet at the end of October. If we’re lucky, they’ll run hard at Pre-Nats, conference, regionals, and if they qualify, Nationals. But early September? Nope. That’s why it pains me to see their sports information directors celebrating “dominating wins” in their home rust-buster meet, where the third-string team takes on an assortment of tiny schools and unattached runners.

Chorny at Georgia: You might remember the name from when he won Class B XC state titles for Fruitport in 1993-1994, but Tom Chorny is better known these days for his coaching accomplishments. After 8 years as director of the program at Miami/Ohio (and several MAC coach of the year awards), he has gone to Georgia as XC coach and assistant distance coach in track.

Wilk Moving On: Jeremy Wilk, who’s done a terrific job coaching distance a Northwood University over the last 7 years, has accepted a new coaching position. The former Grand Valley All-American is expected to be named to the Miami/Florida staff.

Chelsea Changes: An era has ended, as head coach Eric Swager has retired. The WMU alum has guided the Bulldog boys to state titles in track and XC and leaves the program in very good shape. Taking over will be the very able Loren Thorburn.

Back Issues of the Michtrack Newsletter: Just go here.

A little late today: Thanks for your patience. Dang day job gets in the way sometimes!