Runners in Kellogg Community College Cross Country program are off to a fast start this season.
Freshman Brian Frazee of Watervliet has taken home first and third-place finishes for the men’s cross-country team in the first two races of the season.
Frazee finished the eight-kilometer course in third with a time of 28:36 in the Sept. 4 Skippers CC Invitational, hosted by St. Clair Community College, at Marysville City Park in Marysville. He followed up that performance with a first-place finish, with a time of 22:19, at the Sept. 18 Kirtland Firebird Invitational at the Hanson Hills Recreation Area in Grayling.
After his strong showing in the first meet, Frazee was named NJCAA Division III runner of the week.
Sophomore Emma Berning of Battle Creek also received conference honors, being named the women’s NJCAA Division III runner of the week after her eighth-place finish at the Skippers Invite. She finished the five-kilometer course with a time of 22:10.
Berning was the only member of the women’s cross country team to crack the top ten at the Skippers Invitational. But, the Lady Bruins followed up with four runners in the top twelve at the Kirtland Firebird Invitational, giving them a 40-point second-place finish to Jackson College, who finished with 27.
Five schools and fourteen runners participated in the race. North Central Michigan College finished third with 74 points, Bay College finished fourth with 79 points and Kirtland Community College finished fifth with 92 points.
Overall, Olivia Hubbard of Jackson College finished first with a time of 21:51.
For the bruins, Hannah Wilkinson of Hillsdale took second with a time of 22:07, Berning finished fourth with a time of 22:53, Kennedy Vanderlugt of Battle Creek finished fifth with a time of 23:01 and Ana Pace of Battle Creek finished eleventh with a time of 26:34.
Led by Frazee, the men’s team had a similarly strong showing at the Kirtland Firebird Invitational. The Bruins took third with 65 points, behind Alpena Community College with 61 points and Jackson Community College with 31 points.
The race featured 30 runners from six different schools. Kirtland Community College finished fourth with 108 points, Bay College finished fifth with 125 points and Wayne County Community College District finished sixth with 137 points.
For the bruins, Hunter Finnila of Battle Creek placing fourth with a time of 22:52, Colin McDowell of Marshall placing twelfth with a time of 24:43 and Matthew Mosher of Galesburg rounding the team out at seventieth with a time of 25:36.
The Bruins’ next race is part of the Jackson Jets Classic league meet, hosted by Jackson College, Saturday, Sept. 26.
