Churchill Boys Take Third in Varsity, Second in JV; Vargo Leads Girls

High School Cross Country

Troy Verhelle and Miggy Mercado led the Charger boys within a few points of two team titles, while Maddie Vargo placed 17th for the girls varsity.

Churchill competed in the boys and girls varsity and JV races at the Rambling Rock Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 12, at Willow Metropark in New Boston. The boys varsity finished third, four points from the team title, and the boys JV placed second. The girls varsity placed 10th, led by junior Madelene “Maddie” Vargo.

Boys varsity

Team: 3rd of 22 scoring teams, 113 points

Sophomore Troy Verhelle led Churchill in the boys varsity race, placing seventh of 150 finishers in a personal-record 16:45.7. Senior Tyler Bjorklund finished 11th in 16:54.2. South Lyon East's Nikhil Ball won the race in 16:10.2.

The Chargers placed third with 113 points in a close team race. Plymouth won with 109 points and Detroit U-D Jesuit was second with 111, leaving Churchill four points from the team title. Crosstown Stevenson was fourth with 118.

Senior Will Fust placed 25th in a personal-record 17:22.1. Junior Victor Mullins (34th, 17:45.4) and sophomore Colin Pierce (36th, 17:53.2) both ran personal records to complete the scoring five, who finished within 1:07.5 of one another. Sophomore John Rohmfeld placed 58th in 18:22.8, and freshman Sudharsan Anandababu ran a personal-record 18:49.4 to place 76th. Five of Churchill's seven varsity runners set personal records.

Boys JV

Team: 2nd of 15 scoring teams, 51 points

Churchill finished second as a team in the boys JV race with 51 points, two behind Plymouth's 49. The race had 194 finishers. Hartland was third with 74.

Senior Miggy Mercado placed second overall in 18:46.8, behind Plymouth's Carter Saurborn (18:16.9). Sophomores Matthew Keefer (5th, 18:58.4) and Christian Dalton (9th, 19:18.0) gave the Chargers three runners in the top 10. Senior Rowan Holmes (16th, 19:43.8) and sophomore Micah Schuessler (19th, 19:47.9) completed a scoring five that all finished in the top 19.

Senior Joshua Kemp-Robrecht placed 36th in 20:25.1, one second ahead of junior Vincent DiCicco, who ran a personal-record 20:26.1 in 38th. Churchill ran 18 athletes in the JV race. Freshman Henry Crandell, sophomore Darren Brigido Torres and freshman Gabriel Pung also set personal records.

Table shows Churchill's top seven finishers. Full results are posted on Athletic.net.

Girls varsity

Team: 10th of 15 scoring teams, 225 points

Junior Madelene “Maddie” Vargo led the Churchill girls in the varsity race, placing 17th of 125 finishers in a season-best 21:11.9. Farmington Hills Mercy's Elizabeth Gerzema won the race in 19:37.4, and Hartland won the team title with 82 points.

Senior Julie Schuessler (43rd, 22:52.6) and freshman Quinn Schoch (45th, 22:54.1) finished 1.5 seconds apart, with Schoch running a personal record. Senior Rachel Chapman placed 58th in 23:15.1, and junior Natalie Oraa completed the scoring five in 74th (24:12.6). Sophomores Aubrey Baker (82nd, 24:43.1) and Regan Baker (98th, 26:03.8) rounded out the lineup. All seven Churchill varsity runners ran season bests.

The Chargers placed 10th with 225 points, nine points ahead of crosstown Stevenson.

Girls JV

Churchill ran four athletes in the girls JV race, one short of the five needed for a team score. Senior Phoenix Keeler led the Chargers in 23rd place in 25:49.9, and junior Nesiah Sprehe placed 45th in a personal-record 27:10.2. Junior Ayaka Maeda and senior Celia Mercado also ran for the Chargers.

PR indicates a personal record and SB a season best, as marked in the official results. All races were 5,000 meters.