Packers Send Runners to State Finals

Four capture All-Regional honors
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By Michael Paige
Photos by Cari Taylor

For the 9th straight year, the Fremont boy’s cross-country program will send a team to compete in the Division 2 State Finals. The school has won ten boys’ state championships, the most recent in 2020.To qualify for the state meet, the team must finish in the top three scoring at the regional meet. The regional meet was held Friday at Chippewa Hills. Three points separated the top three teams. Sparta finished first in the meet with 76 points, Fremont followed with 78 and Petoskey finished with 79 to also qualify.
 
For Fremont, Sean Pettis continued his fine season finishing 5th overall with a time of 16:30 setting a new personal record by about 17 seconds. Carter Sherman (16:55) finished 8th and Johnny Christensen finished 13th at 17:02, both new PRs. Chase Lowery (17:44) and Isaac Romero (17:54 PR) finished out the scoring for the Packers. Cole Lowery (18:34) and Henrick Quist (18:52) also ran for the Packers.
​Sophomore Blake Taylor (18:18) and senior Gary Springstead (18:44) also ran the Post Region Open Meet and turned in impressive performances finishing 3rd and 4th. Taylor's time was a 14 second PR, and while not a PR, in Springstead's last race as a Packer he sprinted out his last 400 meters in style. He will be missed by his teammates and coaches.

 
On the girls’ side, Fremont Freshman Linnea Paige ran a 14 second PR and finished 9th at 19:33, qualifying for the state finals. She took coach’s advice and got out a little faster, running most of the race in the 6th-10th spots. The Fremont girls ran well as a team and finished 7th out of 12 teams in the meet. Ariana Tanner finished 33rd, running a 13 second PR at 21:53. Joelle Patten came in 38th at 22:03, a huge 40 second PR. Rachel Maddox finished 61st (23:19 PR), Elise Pfeiffer, 66th (24:00) and Rocquel Richards, 73rd (24:59).
 
Pettis, Sherman, Christensen and Paige earned All-Region honors.
 
The boys and Linnea will run at the Division 2 Finals at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday November 5. The boys run at 1:30, girls at 2:50.