Chad Zitzelsberger coached three all-state runners for Sacred Heart Academy’s cross country team this season. Just as impressively, he also skippered a team that finished second in the state in Division 4 in the Lower Peninsula meet Nov. 2 at Michigan International Speedway.
Cooper Terry was third in 16:39.4 for the Irish, while Jim English was ninth in 16:58.1, Logan Moyle 10th in 16:59.3, Tony Perez 41st in 17:5.2, Sam Meyer 57th in 18:07.4, Nate Thering 162nd in 20:52.6, and John Obeid 168th in 21:25.6.
Terry and English are seniors, while the other five are sophomores and will return for the next two seasons.
Saugatuck won the championship with 113 points, while Sacred Heart had 121. Saugatuck had places two, seven, 26, 38, and 40 for team scoring. Concord was third at 134.
“We thought it was gong to be a four-team race,” Zitzelsberger said. “Pretty much all season, we’ve been battling with Concord and Saugatuck and Pewamo. We’ve raced all three of those teams. Every time we’ve raced them, it’s been close.”
“I think I could have done a lot better,” Terry said. “But we’re second place as a team. It’s been a very memorable season. We’re doing what I thought we’d do. We came out here and we did our best as a team.”
Sacred Heart was also runner-up in 2011. “We came so close that year,” Zitzelsberger said. “Our goal was to get back as soon as possible and do it again. We were close to accomplishing that. I’m proud of the guys. They ran very well.”
Zitzelsberger was happy with the effort of his two seniors. “I’ve coached them four years, and they were a key part of that team in 2011,” Zitzelsberger said. He indicated that the muddy conditions probably didn’t make a difference in the final results. “We talked all week that it might be a wet day and muddy. We were prepared for it. I told them the toughest team will come down on top. They didn’t let it slow them down too much.”
“Other than the mud, it was perfect,” Terry said. But it did slow my time down.”
Pewamo-Westphalia was sixth, led by Tanner Droste, who finished fourth in 16:43.4. Beal City was seventh, led by Nick Pung, eighth in 16:56.6.