Vicksburg boys’ and girls’ cross country teams took home the top 3 trophies from the Southwest Michigan RustBuster in South Haven.
The boys took 2nd place and the girls finished in 3rd place. The boys’ team is led by Caiden Caswell (11), who is currently ranks 6th in D2 and first in the conference and region. Hunter Smith (11) is also in the bubble for the top 15 in the region and 12th in the conference. Grayson Campbell (11), Everett Radgens (12), Carson Sommerfield (11), DJ Sehy (12) and Isaac Sandelin (11) round out the top 7.
The girls’ team consists of Kayla Chisholm (12), currently ranked 23rd in the region and 15th in the conference. Kenna Koole (9), Maya Grossman (12), Callia Hawkins (9), Renna Caswell (10), Solana Sutherland (12), and Reagan Triemstra (12), round out the current top 7.
At the Cross-Country Invitational Meet at Lakeview, Battle Creek, Caiden Caswell won first place overall in the boy’s varsity race with a super time of 15:42. The rest of the team finished as follows: Hunter Smith 35th, Grayson Campbell 47th, Everett Radgens 52nd, Carson Summerfield 56th, Isaac Sandelin 85th, and DJ Sehy 86th. Overall, the team finished third.
On the girls’ team, at Lakeview Invitational September 6, featured for the Bulldogs were Raegan Triemstra, Julia Shook, Hedi Burmeister, Brighton Lam, and Ashton Laham. Raegan ran a season best of 24:54 (85th overall), Julia ran a personal best of 25:28 (28th JV), Hedi ran a personal best of 25:33 (29th JV), and Ashton ran a personal best of 27:21 (121st JV). Also, in the JV race for girls, Brighton Lam got a season record with a time of 20:33. Additional new PRs were Kenna Koole (22:02 – 44th Varsity), and Amaia Uribe (26:19)-41st JV).
The cross-country team hosted Niles and Plainwell September 16 on a very warm day at the Indian Lake Nazarene Camp with good individual times and team performances. For the boys, Caiden Caswell finished in 1st place with a time of 17:05, Hunter Smith came in 3rd place, 17:36, Grayson Campbell, 4th place, 18:10, Everett Radgens, 6th place, 18:39, Aro Smith, 14th place, 20:16, Isaac Sandelin, 15th place, 20:25, Dale Sehy, 16th place, 20:26, Brighton Lam, 21st place, 21:13 and Carson Summerfield, 22nd place, 21:26.
The girls made a good effort with a 7th place finish by Kayla Chisholm, 22:25, Kenna Koole, 8th place, 23:26, Maya Grossman, 9th place, 23:47, Callia Hawkins, 12th place, 24:57, Solana Sutherland, 18th place, 25:26, Paige Brush, 20th place, 26:02, Renna Caswell, 26:07, Reagan Triemstra, 21st place, 27:13, and Amala Uribe, 27:15.
Coach Lucas Wolthuis noted that Caiden’s best time of 15:37 from the Southwest RustBuster places him behind only Dan Roberts in the school’s history. “Our boys’ team is led by a strong group of Juniors (Caiden, Hunter Smith, Grayson Campbell, and Carson Summerfield) who are looking to make the jump to the top 10, or better in state next year. We also have Everett Radgens having an impressive senior year by running his personal best at the Southwest RustBuster and looking to break into the 16s by the end of the year.”
Coach Wolthuis went on to comment about the girls’ team which is led by Kayla Chisholm in her first year of running XC as a senior. “Kayla is an outstanding athlete and has committed to playing softball at Eastern Illinois University after graduation. Our girls have made a big competitive jump this year, thanks to great leadership by our veteran runners like Maya Grossman, Solana Sutherland, and Reagan Triemstra. It also has been improved with the arrival of the freshman class and Kenna Koole and Callia Hawkins, as well as the development of our sophomores.”
