By SteveU, DyeTrack.com | Photos by John Brabbs, runmichigan.com | More Portage Invite photos at runmichigan.com

With the coolest racing weather of the season and great competition, many of the top harriers at Saturday’s 15th annual Portage Invitational were chasing fast times and records.

Lauren Benstead actually wasn’t really chasing a record, but got it anyway as her duel in the D4 girls race produced the best Portage time ever in that division with a 17:52.6. The record Jeff Bajema wanted in the D1 boys race was a school record, held by a former teammate, and he blasted across the line in triumph at 15:15.8 for the fastest boys time of the day. Cedar Springs Connor Mora, trying to top his own lofty PR, didn’t quite get it but was nearly as fast as Bajema at 15:18.8.

But the biggest prize was being chased by defending D2 champ and meet record-holder Julia Bos. Yes, the Grand Rapids Christian senior had run 17:32.5 in 2011, putting her name in the Invite annuls. But she wanted more: the all-time course record at Portage West Middle School, set by Portage legend Sharon Van Tuyl with 17:31.0 in 1995.

Bos was one of those who was not crazy about the cool, moderately breezy and drizzly weather. She likes it warm. But no matter, with a tremendous drive in the second half of her girls D2 race, she left no doubt that she would become the best-ever here. She crossed in a PR 17:19.1, more than backing up her national #5 ranking and yet another example of Meet Director Dan Wytko’s annual bash being a magnet for some of the country’s finest runners and teams.

And speaking of teams, it wasn’t all an individual show. The team battles had a little bit of everything, whether it was the Saline girls putting everyone under 19:00 in a dominant D1 triumph, Ohio power Hilliard Davidson coming in and beating Michigan’s best in the D1 boys affair, or the variety of other victories by top powers combined with a handful of “upsets.” With more than half of the 80 ranked teams in attendance (from top 10 in each of four boys and girls classes in Michigan), it was another banner day for competition in the festive atmosphere at Portage.

D2: She’s the Bos … and best ever

Kalin Toedebusch. Alex Banfich. Gaby Anzalone. Waverly Neer. All are former Portage Invite champions that have also made the Foot Locker National Finals. In fact, 16 girls (mostly champions) during the 15-year history of Portage have gone on to San Diego, including Julia Bos last year. And, last year, Bos ran a time faster than any of them at this meet, 17:32.5, in winning the D2 race.

But the legend Bos was chasing Saturday never ran the Portage Invitational. She had graduated before Wytko and his crew started the meet. But Sharon Van Tuyl is the legend of legends here, and she got her mark on the course three years before the Invite started. She also went on to Foot Locker glory, placing fourth in the 1996 finals, the highest finish by any Michigan runner before Megan Goethals’ third and then first in 2008 and 2009.

Bos, the Grand Rapids Christian senior, loves the Portage Invitational and knew that Van Tuyl’s time was a tad better than her own meet record and that was her target Saturday.

In the first mile, it didn’t necessarily look like she was on target. She and Cedar Springs soph standout Kenzie Weiler rolled through a mile in 5:28 – a good time, but Bos didn’t appear to have that record-chasing urgency.

That changed in a hurry. She hammered the more difficult second mile and left Weiler far behind. Something under 11:10 was needed and she passed in 11:06 – and kept on hammering.

“My coaches told me to run the first mile a little more conservatively,” Bos admitted after the race. “(But) I had my mind set to run really fast today.”

She added that she really started pushing in the second mile and by the time she got to the deceptively difficult stretch in and out of the southwest corner of the course in the last half mile (some of that with a cold wind in her face), things got tough. “That was really hard. That was the hardest part of the race.”

But Bos, not a noted kicker, didn’t need a great kick – just the shift to a very slight downhill in the final 100 or so that allows a gassed runner to regain a bit of momentum. Bos had the record in the bag. “It was crazy,” she said. “But I just gotta give God all the credit. I really prayed before the race.”

Meanwhile, Weiler – second to Bos both at Portage and D2 state in 2011 – was in no-man’s land for the second half of the race, but held on for a 17:47.3, the second-best time of the entire meet. Grand Rapids South Christian soph Alexis Miller was third and Weiler’s senior sister, Katie, was fourth.

D2 boys champion Connor Mora. Photo by John Brabbs, runmichigan.com.

The girls D2 team battle was expected to be the usual tussle between #1-ranked (michigancrosscountry.com D2 poll) East Grand Rapids and Bos’s #2-ranked GRC. After all, the two state powerhouses have claimed seven of the past nine titles here. Forest Hills Eastern had a good 1-2 punch with senior Clara Cullen in fifth and junior Mary Kostielney in 13th, then put its 3-4-5 runners in a two-second span from 24th through 28th. That was good enough to score 97. Similarly, #5 Spring Lake started 7-8 with Brittany Beeler and Caryln Arteaga and also had solid depth to get second with 123. GR Christian (155 pts in third) lost ground with its 4-5 runners and EGR was not strong enough up front (177 pts in fourth).

The D2 boys individual race was also a runaway, as Cedar Springs sr Connor Mora. Oh, he had a little company at the mile (4:48), but by two miles (9:51) he was 11 seconds in the clear and won by nearly 22 seconds in 15:18.8, the biggest margin of the day by anyone not named Bos.

Though Mora was second here last year and third at D2 state, he’s a little more thought of as a miler, thanks to a state-leading 4:10.72 full mile he clocked at the Midwest Distance Festival last June – after his D2 state 800-1600 double. But the senior says he wants to “get to California (Foot Locker)” this fall. “I want to represent Michigan.”

Mora put in a lot of miles over the summer and said Saturday he wanted to push himself as hard as he could, despite light competition. “I was trying to get as close as I could to my PR” – which was a 15:06 in a league jamboree earlier in the week on a flat course in more hospitable conditions. He didn’t quite get a new standard, but his time was the best in D2 here since Dan Roberts ran 15:05 back in 2004.

Ludington sr Luke Johnson was second in 15:40.4. Team-wise, #9 Linden jumped out early with it’s 4-5 combo of seniors Graham Elliott and Roger Phillips, but #2 St. Clair – led by 9th-place Brennan Shafer and the top freshman in the meet, Buddy Broskey in 20th – got a 34-second 1-5 spread and topped #1 St. Joseph (106 in second). Linden wound up third and Mora’s team, Cedar Springs, was fourth.

D1 Boys: Bajema of honor; Hilliard Davidson invasion

D1 boys champion Jeff Bajema. Photo by John Brabbs, runmichigan.com

It would hard to find anyone more thrilled at the end of his race than Jeff Bajema. With one of the top final sprints of the day, he blazed through the finish line, full of triumph, stopping the clock at 15:15.8. As it turned out, it wasn’t so much the time in and of itself, or the victory over a good D1 field.

“I broke Reed’s (Kamyszek) record,” Bajema said shortly after he finished. “That was the biggest accomplishment for me, breaking the school record.”

Breaking a Kamyszek record is no small feat. The 2010 Kenowa Hills grad, whose mark was 15:22, was as high as third at Portage and won the D1 state title as a junior before a disappointing ninth as a senior. In track, he was even more successful: a 2-time state 3,200 champ in D1. His finest moment, though, may have been his massive breakthrough 9:05.59 PR in the MITS state 3,200 as a senior. However you look at it, it’s easy to see why Bajema was chasing Kamyszek’s standards. “(Reed) was a senior when I was a freshman,” he said. “He’s been a great role model.”

Bajema was out fast (4:45) at the mile with Ann Arbor Pioneer jr Costa Willets and Hartland sr Sean Pengelly. At two miles, Pengelly had the edge as they went through at about 9:50. But coming out of the woods the last time, Bajema made his move, held it, then poured it on the last 100-plus to make sure he reached his goal.

Pengelly took second in 15:23.9, with teammate Jareb Duggan coming on for fourth in 15:35.8. Willets was third in 15:30.1.

The D1 boys team battle featured the 4-5-6-8-9-10 teams in the latest rankings, but it was an Ohio crew that stole the show. Hilliard Davidson, ranked fourth in the latest Ohio D1 coaches poll, was led by soph Colin Burdette in sixth – one of two HD runners in the top 10 – and was strong at every spot, spreading 38 seconds for 1-5 and scoring 106 points. D1 #5 Saline’s first three were very strong and they notched second with 129, followed by #4 Rockford at 160 and #6 Grand Blanc at 174.

Coach Pat Schlecht joked that he felt the pressure of following up on Ohio State’s football victory over Michigan State the previous week as he brought his squad across the boarder. But more seriously, he said, “This is a really strong group, though we’re quite youthful (only two seniors in top seven) and should get even better. Our guys ran pretty close together with a decent pack. We were strong, one through seven.”

D1 Girls: Saline rolls; Evenson finally on top

An out of state team may have stopped Saline from getting a D1 team sweep, but it would have been hard for anyone to deny their girls team from repeating as champions here. The US#14/D1 #3 Lady Hornets displayed their formidable depth as well as ever, putting all seven of its girls under 19:00 (18:52, actually). It’s not too often fans can watch the end of a big invitational and, before the totals are announced, know for sure who the winning team was. But when Saline sprinted in 3-4-6-13-15, for a miniscule 41 points – the best winning total here in the D1 race since 2002 – it was obvious.

Saline coach Mike Smith knew his girls hadn’t really been pressed, not like they’ll be at state, but was pleased with the way they ran together. He also noted his typical 4-5 runner who emerged as #1 on this day, sophomore Lauren Green, who paced that 3-4-6 finish with her 18:22.0. She was followed by junior Elianna Shwayder (18:30.6) and freshman Gillian Walter (18:35.0).

#5 Rockford claimed the runner-up spot with 141 points, followed by unranked (but always strong) Traverse City Central with 145, #6 Brighton with 157 and #7 Grandville with 159.

Individually, there wasn’t an overwhelming favorite like Bos was in D2, but there was a girl whose time at the top had finally come. Hartland senior Avery Evenson was second in 2009 as a freshman to Saline’s Alex Leptich. She was third behind Foot Locker finalist Gaby Anzalone and Grand Haven’s Claire Borchers in 2010. Then last year, she was second behind yet another Foot Locker finalist in Rockford’s Taylor Manett.

In 2012, no one would keep Evenson from the top of the podium. Running the best time (18:03.0) of any of her four races here, the senior broke it open in the last 1200 and won by 13.7 seconds over Jenison’s Ellie Leonard.

“I trained a lot harder in the off-season this year,” said Evenson, noting she was up to 40-50 miles per week, more than double what she’d typically done in the past. She wasn’t particularly pleased how she ran at the Spartan Invite (32nd), but she was ready today. “This is one of my red letter races.”

D3: Marlette reaches historic peak

When you think of traditional powers around the state, Marlette High School does not typically come to mind. The school is in the “thumb” of Michigan, northeast of Flint and near the intersection of M-46 and M-53. “We were 11th at state last year,” said Coach Chris Titus. “I think seventh is the best we’ve ever done …

D3 boys champion Alex Bowman. Photo by John Brabbs, runmichigan.com

Titus, who ran for Marlette himself back in the 70s, took over the program six years ago. He had three runners. Now he has 25 and, Saturday, his D3 #2 squad scored the biggest victory in school history. In a field that had seven of the state’s top 10 D3 teams, Marlette ruled with 143 points, seven more than #8 Freeland. #9 Jackson Lumen Christi (151) and #6 Stockbridge (157) followed. In just fifth – with the front-running power but not the depth – was #1 and defending state champ Grandville Calvin Christian, with 161.

“This is awesome,” said Coach Titus. “We’re one of the smallest schools in D3 … Being the best in the state, that was our goal at summer camp.”

Individually, it was Marlette seniors Alex and Jacob Bowman (two of a family of triplets) and GCC’s Zac Nowicki and Andrew Rylaarsdam among those battling for top honors. Alex Bowman outkicked Nowicki for the win, 15:30.7 to 15:31.7, followed by Hanover-Horton sr Bryce Strode (15:37.3), Rylaarsdam (15:41.9). Jacob Bowman (16:14.7) wound up sixth, behind Northpointe Christian jr Nate Silvey (16:13.7).

Only twice in meet history has the D3 winner run faster, and never have two broken 15:40 in the D3 race, let alone three.

The winning Bowman, with a new PR, thought first of his team. “For us to win, we all had to do our part,” he said. “I’ve been running since sixth grade. Coach Titus is a good motivator. This summer, we focused on what we had to do to have a chance to be the best this fall.”

The girls D3 race saw Manistee soph Annie Fuller take the field in 18:10.1, with Holland Black River soph Allison Vroon next in 18:18.6. Fuller was third last year behind a pair of seniors, including her own outstanding teammate, Kelly Schubert.

And while the their top-ranked boys may not have been victorious, Grandville Calvin Christian’s top-ranked girls were. They got a tough battle from #2 and defending champ Benzie Central, with the schools even through four runners. But GCC’s fifth, freshman Jenna Meyers, finished 40th to gain the winning 8-point margin, 122-130. Jackson Lumen Christi was third with 166.

D4: Benstead wins showdown, sets record

D4 girls champion Lauren Benstead. Photo by John Brabbs, runmichigan.com

The first girls race of the day was arguably the best, from a competitive standpoint. In one corner, you had 2011 D4 state champ Kirsten Olling, the Breckenridge junior. In the other, you had Lauren Benstead, a senior at Charyl Stockwell Academy, a school competing outside the MHSAA. The two raced last year at the Nike Holly Invite, but Benstead has improved dramatically since then, with three sub-18:00s to her credit coming in.

Olling knew she had her hands full, especially on the inclines. “We don’t have many hills in Breckenridge,” she said. “So (Lauren) pulled away from me on the uphills and I would try to catch her coming down.”

Olling also isn’t a sprinter, so she knew she had to try and overcome Benstead before the final stretch. It wasn’t happening. Benstead claimed the victory in 17:52.6, taking down the 2006 Portage D4 record set by Foot Locker finalist Marisa Treece. Olling, in fact was just 0.2 seconds off that standard herself in finishing seven seconds back.

“If we had a track team, I’d probably be a sprinter,” Benstead admitted.

In the team fight, D4 #9 Harbor Springs triumphed in its D4 debut, nipping #3 Bear Lake, 103-104. Harbor was fourth in the D3 race last year and fifth at state. Betsy Simons, Claire Fleming, and Autumn Kihnke, Harbor’s 3-4-5 scorers, finished within two seconds of each other in 25th through 27th to secure the win. #1 North Muskegon was third at 143 and two-time defending champ Hesperia was 6th.

The boys D4 battle, the first race of the day, saw #1 Concord continue its great Portage tradition. Concord sophomore Jesse Hersha ran 15:43.3 to cross the line first, followed by Fremont Providence senior Nick Vanderkooi (15:54.0) and Saugatuck senior Sean Kelly (15:59.1). With four of the top 11, including frosh Josiah Ottolini backing up Hersha with his 7th in 16:30.0, Concord easily took its third team title in four years with 59 points. The school has had three of the last four individual champs, too, including 2-time champ Kyle Stacks.

The state’s next three ranked teams duked it out for second, with #4 Breckenridge (113) outscoring #2 Pewamo-Westphalia (114) and #3 Saugatuck (120).