Saranac Cross Country: History and the Future

Saranac's cross country team has been around for a long time, and has had the oppurtunity of showcasing many great athletes. This list of greats includes Tim Young, who was a top-3 finisher at the MSU Spartan Invitational, CMAC Champion, and the record holder for the fastest 5k in Saranac's history at 16:04. He continued his career by running for Lansing College. Next on the list is Brendan Klynstra, who also was CMAC Champion, as well as finishing 4th at the MSU Spartan Invitational, and being second on the Cross Country all-time board with a time of 16:15. Brendan currently runs for Michigan Tech. At the top for the girls is Melinda Palinkas, who, like the previous mentioned, was CMAC Champion. Melinda also finished first at the Sparta Invitational, and 4th at State Finals. She sits at the top spot of the girls' all time-board, and continued her career running for Michigan State. Second on Saranac's all time board for the girls is Jenna Klynstra, who finished 1st in the CMAC, first-team all regional, and ran for GVSU. She sits at second on the board with a time of 19:01.

Saranac's future looks as if it could be as bright as its past, with 8th graders Ben Sluiter and Elijah Powell looking to make an impact on the team next year. 7th graders Hunter Helminski, Brady Thomas, and Evan Price also are beginning to show their potential value on the high school team. The girls will also bring in talent over the next few years, with former middle school CMAC Champion Madeleine Hill, Brooklyn Winsor, and Sofia Desjarden's success in the middle school field hinting to their success further on.