Perhaps it’s just a coincidence. Or maybe it’s not.
But it sure seems like high schools along the US 127 freeway in mid-Michigan have been enjoying success in track and cross country, boys and girls, for many years and also have been occasionally winning state championships.
Schools like Ithaca, St. Johns, Shepherd, Breckenridge, Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart, Alma, St. Louis and Beal City have all been involved in some type of track and cross country success.
It goes from St. Johns winning the girls state title last year to several other track and field and cross country titles.
Neil Feldpausch coaches the St. Johns 2015 state girls track title team. His school’s boys track and field team has also been a regional runner-up. He had CAAC Red boys and girls titles in 2014 and 2015, with the boys expected to extend that for another year and the girls in close contention.
“Student athlete leadership and good athletes,” Feldpausch said, has been the key for that success.
Dale Devine is the Alma boys cross country coach, and has had that position since 1993. He also worked as the assistant coach two seasons prior to becoming the head coach. He was girls head coach for track 1995 to 2013 and was an assistant 1991-94
In girls track and field, Devine has witnessed 102 career dual meet wins as head coach, 17 consecutive winning seasons (1997-2013), three undefeated seasons, six conference titles, three regional crowns, 100 state qualifiers, 37 all-state athletes and seven teams invited to the MITCA state meet.
His boys cross country teams have won four conference titles and were 2010 regional champs. They had five Division 2 MHSAA state qualifying teams and were back-to-back Division 2 all-state academic team champions in 2009 and 2010, and have had multiple individual state qualifiers. His girls cross country squads have had two league titles and were a 2015 Division 2 MHSAA state qualifying team and have had many multiple individual state qualifiers.
“Some ingredients (for this success) include an obvious passion for the sport, a very competitive nature, consistency, longevity of the coaching staffs, and getting athletes to buy into each program,” Devine said. “For me, it took ‘hooking’ one or two athletes into believing in the training program I established. Once others saw the success of those who ‘bought into’ the program, it spread to others.
“In track and field, it’s also important to direct athletes to the events in which they will maximize their potential,” he continued. “One of my most common dialogues, well, actually a monologue because I had already made up my mind as the coach, with decent sprinters would be something like, ‘hey, why don’t you try training with the middle distance kids for a week or so and jump in a race or two?’ When those kids went from average performances in the sprints to scoring consistent points for the team every meet, it created a new mindset for them, and their teammates.”
Griffin Bohannon coaches track and cross country at Breckenridge and points out that in cross country, the boys were regional champions in 2011, TVC West champions in 2011, and ninth in Division 4 in 2011; regional runner-up in 2012, TVC West runner-up in 2012, fifth in Division 4 in 2012, 13th in Division 4 in 2014 and TVC West runner up in 2015.
Meanwhile, the girls were regional champions in 2011, seventh in Division 4 in 2011, regional runner-up in 2012, 10th in Division 4 in 2012, regional champions in 2013, second in Division 4 in 2013 and seventh in Division 4 in 2014.
Breckenridge also boasted a four-time state champ in Kirsten Olling and Footlocker Nationals Qualifier in 2013.
“The key behind our team success is a core group of athletes who bought into our training system back in the early 2010s when Royce Humm, Kris James and Grant Woodman were coaching,” Bohannon said. “The primary groups responsible for this were the girls class of 2014 and the boys class of 2013. Additionally, we have a long history of throwing success. Our current throwing coaches, Kyle Wheeler and AJ Smith, are right at the center of that. In recent years, we have been known almost exclusively for cross country, distance running and throwing. The success of these groups has been contagious and has started to carry over into other areas such as sprints and hurdles.”
Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart cross country coach Mark Zitzelsberger’s school has won state titles in girls cross in 1999 and 2015, plus many regional titles. The boys have been runners-up in the state finals two of the last five years.
“We have kids willing to put in the off-season hard work,” Zitzelsberger said.
Sacred Heart won the Division 4 girls state cross country title last season after Dave King’s Beal City Aggies did the trick in 2013 and 2014. Beal City boys won it in 2014.
Gene LeBron coached Ithaca to a girls state title in 2014, to nudge out runner-up Shepherd, which won it in 2013.
Lansing area schools have enjoyed track and field success including DeWitt’s girls with a runner-up finish in 2009. Mason took the Division 2 boys cross title in 2011.
Jay Puffpaff coaches a St. Louis girls cross team that has won conference and regional titles in cross country and has also had title winning success in track.
“For both the track and cross country teams, a lot of the success we had is due to consistency,” he said. “Holding running clubs throughout the offseason keeps a lot of athletes committed and prepares them for the upcoming season, wherever it may be.”
What’s the reason for the success of US 127 schools?
“There’s definitely a running culture that’s been established in this area,” Devine said. “You have to consider the seeds planted in the early 70’s by coaches like Rudy Godefroidt (former Breckenridge coach) and Rob Johnson (long-time Clare coach). Of course, there are other long-time success stories as well, Jerry Mayer and Kathy Hutfiltz both of St. Louis, my alma mater. Passionate coaches breed other passionate coaches. My current student teacher and the two teachers in classroom adjacent to mine are former athletes who are currently coaching in the area.”
“I believe that the biggest reason for this success is the type of kids that are being raised in this area,” Bohannon said. “The majority of kids in mid-Michigan come from good, hard-working backgrounds and do not shy away from a challenge. Additionally, the area is full of very passionate and capable coaches who are getting kids to buy into their programs. Some of the best high school coaches in the entire state are right here in the middle of the mitten.”
“Kids in this area are willing to do what it takes to excel in this sport,” Zitzelsberger said. “There has also been good, consistent long-term coaching.”
“I really don’t believe there is one particular reason,” Puffpaff said. “I believe the sport is much more understood than in the past and coaches are using that information to make gains in every aspect of their program.”
What’s the future for US 127 schools in these sports?
“Since Jamie Puffpaff took over the (Alma) girls’ track and field program, they extended their streak to 20 consecutive winning seasons,” Devine said. “The Alma girls’ XC team is very solid right now. We finished second at our regional meet in 2015 and our top two finished 49th and 51st in the Division 2 state meet. We are expecting eight of our top 10 athletes to return for the fall season.
“The Tri Valley Conference Central Division has traditionally been strong, especially on the boys’ side in cross country. A few years ago, our division had a situation where any one of six teams, of the eight total, could have legitimately won the league. The same six schools all had great showings at the state meet (all in the top 13). Alma won the league that season, by the way.”
“The future is very bright for Breckenridge cross-country and track,” Bohannon said. “We have 40 middle school athletes participating in track this spring. Our middle school cross country teams had two of the most successful seasons in school history this past fall. We have three to four girls coming up who will make an immediate impact at the varsity level and a couple of boys who could do the same if they put in the work. The TVC West is very strong in both cross country and track. My first year coaching cross country was in 2014. My girls finished third in the conference (out of eight schools) and went on to land seventh place at the state championships. Track is the same story. The boys side is much the same. My boys have been a top 10 contender for awhile now and still find themselves fighting for a top three finish in the league each year.”
“Cross country looks strong for our girls over the next three years and they should be contending for state championships,” Zitzelsberger said. “The boys team has potential for top 10 finishes.”
If a school’s cross country program is strong, does that translate into track and vice-versa?
“At Alma, there’s always been a consistent relationship between the two sports,” Devine said. “A strong cross country team translates to a strong middle distance and distance team.”
“Our two programs certainly feed off of each other,” Bohannon said. “Most of my XC athletes also participate in track.”
“Distance kids have consistent coaching,” Zitzelsberger said.
“Having the same coach for both seasons also plays a large role in that success because of the coaching style,” Puffpaff said.