News

By Ryan Schlehuber

Abby Davis has earned her way into the Montcalm Community College athletics record books as she became the first individual regional champion in cross country for the Centurions. 

The Vestaburg, Mich. freshman completed a personal record time of 18 minutes, 17 seconds to win the National Junior College Athletics Association’s Region 12 individual crown at Goodells County Park in Goodells, Mich., Friday. Oct. 24.  

Davis beat out rival Tatum Dykstra, of Muskegon Community College, by nine seconds. This was the second time this year she was able to beat her, having taken first at the Muskegon Jayhawk Invitational Oct. 11, as well. 

“It was another exciting day for Abby,” Centurions’ head coach Nate “Q” Van Holten said. 

Van Holten said the strategy for Davis in this race was similar to her strategies in the past, which was to follow leaders of the pack the first two miles, be patient and then push herself to the front whenever she felt comfortable doing so. 

“She was able to make her move and she did really well,” Van Holten said. “The course was pretty flat and easy and the weather was cool but not uncomfortably cold. It was just the right conditions for running, so she did really well because of all those things.” 

As a team, the Centurions finished in ninth place out of 14 teams in Region 12, collecting a total of 193 points. Kellogg Community College was the regional championship with a total score of 15, followed by Muskegon, with 69, and Grand Rapids Community College, with 93. 

Van Holten said his team finished about where he expected it to. 

“All season long I felt like our team kept creeping up on those better teams, but we just never were able to get over that little hump and beat them out,” he said. “But it was a good race. Our women ran well. We had a lot of (personal records).” 

The following includes the rest of MCC runners’ results on the day:  

• Freshman Mickiah Allbee (Vestaburg, Mich.), 20:53.00 (31st) 

• Sophomore Hannah Reed (Cedar Springs, Mich.), 22:15.70 (56th) 

• Freshman Lilyanrose Martin (Ionia, Mich.), 23:02.50 (64th) 

• Freshman Joslyn Dickman (Alma, Mich.), 23:13.7 (66th) 

• Freshman Karly Fisk (Sand Lake, Mich.), 24:13.70 (76th) 

• Freshman Mackenzie Zahm (Belding, Mich.), DNF 

The Centurions are now preparing to go up against the best of the NJCAA Division II National Championships, which will be held at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge, Iowa, Saturday, Nov. 8. This will be the first time MCC has participated as a team in the national championships. 

“This is a big thing for our program,” Van Holten said. “This is a pretty big deal and I hope our runners see that this is a sign that they have improved and are setting a new standard for the runners who come after them at MCC.” 

Van Holten explained the national championships race at the NJCAA level is more of an invitational than a qualifying race, where any DII team can enter, however, he said the NJCAA board is trying to create a new standard in which teams and runners must meet to qualify for the national championship. 

Van Holten said the proposed standard is for the top 35 ranked teams in the nation to qualify. Even if that was the standard this year, MCC would still qualify as it is ranked 24th in the nation in the USTFCCCA NJCAA Division II Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll.