Back-and-forth record breakers lead Bay City area at cross country state finals

They're both record breakers.

But only one can be the record holder.

And, together, Elijah Christensen and Seth Mead raised the bar to new heights as pacesetters and standard setters for the Gladwin boys cross country program.

The senior duo powered Gladwin to an eighth-place showing in the Division 2 state championship Saturday at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, each earning All-State accolades with Top 30 overall finishes.

That capped an incredible season for the Flying G's, fronted by their amazing 1-2 punch. Both Christensen and Mead shattered the school's 5K record – twice – in a battle for the top spot.

: See all of the state finals coverage

Christensen first set a new standard at 15:42.8 in the opening race of the year, only to see his teammate Mead best it at 15:27.2 in the next race then dice it to 15:25.8 in the Northern Michigan Meet of Champions.

But in the final race of the year, Christensen had the final say. He crossed the finish at the state finals in 15:18.8, good for sixth place in the race and first place in school history. Mead completed the course in 15:42.6 for 22nd place.

There were 46 other runners from the Bay City coverage area competing in the championships, but only one other All-Stater.

Unionville-Sebewaing Area senior Zack Becker placed 28th in the Division 4 boys final in 16:40.3. That shattered his personal record by an eye-popping 30 seconds and pushed him into the school's all-time Top 7.

Four Bay County runners closed out their season on the grand stage, including Essexville Garber's Seth Betzold, who delivered an improbable outcome. A soccer player who competed in just four races prior to the regional, Betzold earned a berth to the state finals then made the most of it. He clocked in with a PR of 16:15.3 to make the school's all-time leaderboard, placing 53rd in the state in Division 2.

Bay City Western's Isabelle Becker closed out her dazzling cross country career by placing 41st in the Division 1 girls race in 18:42.1. She is a four-time state finalist and a three-time Top 50 finisher. Sophomore teammate Jaclyn Suderman went 19:10.4 for 78th place in her second finals appearance.

Lastly, Logan Gehoski proudly finished last in the boys Division 1 meet. Hindered by illness and injury, the Western senior found a way to tough it out all the way from start to finish, impressing the crowd in ways other than time.

Here's a look at how every Bay City area state qualifier finished in the 2024 MHSAA cross country championships.

State FinalistsD1 BOYS

Individual Qualifiers

D1 GIRLS

Individual Qualifiers

D2 BOYS

Team Qualifiers

Individual Qualifiers

D2 GIRLS

Individual Qualifiers

DIVISION 3 BOYS

Team Qualifiers

Individual Qualifiers

DIVISION 3 GIRLS

Team Qualifiers

Individual Qualifiers

DIVISION 4 BOYS

Individual Qualifiers

DIVISION 4 GIRLS

TEAM QUALIFIERS

PHOTO GALLERIES Our favorite 101 photos from Saturday

Division 4 girls | Division 4 boys

Division 3 girls | Division 3 boys

Division 2 girls | Division 2 boys

Division 1 girls | Division 1 boys

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