Perrine, other Jackson Teams Look For State Invite

Olivia Perrine.  Photos by Jeff Steers, JTV Sports.

By Jeff Steers | JTV Sports

Hanover-Horton High School runner Olivia Perrine is looking for her team to qualify for the state cross country finals on the first Saturday in November.

She qualified as an individual at the state meet two years ago, sat out a year in 2022, and is back looking for team success at this week’s regional meet.

Based on the Comets’ success this season they should have a good chance.

The Michigan High School Athletic Association regional cross country meets begin Friday at various events. The top three teams and top 15 qualifiers automatically qualify for the state meet.

Hanover-Horton will compete with numerous other Jackson County schools in the Division 3 regional at Ella Sharp Park Friday.

A Division 4 competition will also be held at the event.

Perrine looks for overall success for the Comets. Hanover-Horton finished second to Leslie in the Cascades Conference and winning several invitationals this season.

“Our goal is to get into the top three as a team,” Perrine said.

Perrine and her teammate Sophia Reynolds recently finished first and second respectively in the Cascades Conference final meet at Sharp Park. It was the first individual Cascades Conference championship for Perrine who switched from Jackson High School to Hanover-Horton last year.

“In my mind I want to go fast, faster, and fastest (in miles 1, 2, and 3) … but it doesn’t always work that way,” Perrine said. “I’ve had some good coaches along the way.”

She was not eligible to run cross country last year due to MHSAA regulations, so if the Comets make it to the state finals or she qualifies as an individual it will be second trip to MIS.

Perrine qualified as an individual in D-1 in 2021 and finished 64th in 19 minutes, 12 seconds.

The state finals are scheduled to be held at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday, Nov. 4

Here are the regional locations, times, and schedules:

Division 2 at Holly (Springfield Oaks County Park), Saturday Oct. 28

Teams: Ann Arbor Skyline, Brighton, Davison, Dexter, Fenton, Flushing, Grand Blanc, Hartland, Holly, Jackson, Lapeer, and Swartz Creek.

Schedule

D1 Girls 9 a.m.

D1 Boys 10 a.m.

Awards 11:30 a.m.

Division 2 at DeWitt High School, Friday Oct. 27

Teams: Charlotte, Corunna, DeWitt, Eaton Rapids, Fowlerville, Haslett, Lansing Eastern, Lansing Sexton, Lansing Waverly, Mason, Northwest, Olivet, Owosso, St. Johns, Western, and Williamston.

Schedule

D2 Girls 2 p.m.

D2 Boys 2:30 p.m.

Awards 3 p.m.

Division 3, 4 at Ella Sharp Park, Friday Oct. 27

Division 3 Teams: Adrian Madison, Bronson, Columbia-Central, Hanover-Horton, Hillsdale, Homer, Hudson, Jonesville, Lumen Christi, Michigan Center, Napoleon, Onsted, Quincy, Sand Creek, and Springport.

Division 4 Teams: Addison, Adrian Lenawee Christian, Britton-Deerfield, Camden-Frontier, East Jackson, Hillsdale Academy, Hillsdale Will-Carleton, Jackson Preparatory, Morenci, Petersburg-Summerfield, Pittsford, Reading, Vandercook Lake, and Waldron.

Schedule

D3 Girls 3 p.m.

D4 Girls 3:30 p.m.

D3 Boys 4 p.m.

D4 Boys 4:30 p.m.

Awards 5:15 p.m.

Division 3 at Willow Metropark, New Boston, Saturday Oct. 28

Teams: A.A. Greenhills, Blissfield, Canton Prep, Clinton, Dear Advanced Tech, Detroit Cristo Rey, Detroit Voyageur, Erie-Mason, Flat Rock, Grass Lake, Hope of Detroit, Ida, Manchester, Monroe St Mary, Ottawa Lake Whiteford, and Ypsilanti Arbor Prep.

Schedule

D3 Girls 10 a.m.

D3 Boys 10:45 a.m.

Awards, 12pm

Division 4 at Portage West Middle School, Friday, Oct. 27

Teams: Athens, Centreville, Climax-Scotts, Colon, Concord, Decatur, Eau Claire, Heritage Christian, Howardsville Christian, Kalamazoo Hackett, Marcellus, Mendon, New Buffalo, St. Philip, Tekonsha, Three Oaks River Valley, and White Pigeon.

Schedule

D4 Girls 3 p.m.

D4 Boys 4 p.m.

Awards 5:45 p.m.

Who qualified for the state meet at Michigan International Speedway, Saturday, Nov. 4.

State Qualifiers

· The top three teams advance to the MHSAA Finals.

· Any individual finishing in the top 15 qualifies for the MHSAA Finals. If less than seven individual qualifiers are in the top 15, then the next best individuals not on a qualifying team will fill the remaining seven individual qualifying spots.

· A fourth-place team can qualify if there are eight or more scoring teams, and if the fourth-place team has four or more finishers in the top 20 individuals. The maximum number of teams qualifying from a regional cannot exceed four.

Teams or individuals who qualify for the MHSAA finals, make sure to pick up state finals information at the regional meet as it will not be mailed. Finals information can be found on MHSAA.com.