The Saline Reporter
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Hornet runner captures 2nd straight state crown
By Tom Kirvan, Editor
PUBLISHED: November 10, 2005
Simply put, she's the "best."
Advertisement
That according to the finest the state's cross coaching fraternity has to offer this year.
The best in the state.
The best in school history—and perhaps not just in her sport.
Eileen Creutz rose to new running heights last Saturday, winning her second straight Division 1 cross country championship with a school-record performance.
The Saline senior did so in emphatic terms, out-kicking two longtime rivals with a finishing flourish down the homestretch at Michigan International Speedway on an overcast Saturday afternoon in the Irish Hills. Her time, 17:41.05, was a personal best by some 9 seconds. It came nearly a year to the day after she won her first state title, claiming the Division 1 championship with an 18:03 clocking in 2004. She now is a four-time All-State performer, finishing 12th as a freshman and second as a sophomore.
"We've had a lot of great runners come through this program, but she's simply the best," said Coach Mike Smith, who will be honored this Sunday in Lansing as the state's cross country Coach of the Year. "Eileen, by all that she has accomplished during her four years, is in a separate category. It's hard to quantify all that she has done. Winning the state title twice and earning All-State honors four times are incredible achievements."
Her first place showing helped Saline claim seventh place in the team standings. She was delighted to share the All-State spotlight with a teammate and classmate, Joanne Gabl.
A star runner in her own right, Gabl also was in record-setting form on Saturday, turning in a time of 18:28.85 for 18th place honors, a PR by 13 seconds. She is the second fastest Saline female runner in school history.
"Joanne had a phenomenal season and a great career," said Coach Smith. "She dropped her time by 50 seconds over the course of a year. She earned All-SEC honors three times and made the All-Region team twice. And now, she's All-State."
And on the recruiting radar of college coaches, according to Smith.
"Joanne is starting to gain a lot of attention from colleges based on the kind of season she's enjoyed," said Smith. "She has the ability to run well at the collegiate level."
Recruiters, of course, have been courting Creutz for the past two years. Coaches from the University of Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Penn State, and Columbia are salivating at the thought of the speedy Salinian suiting up in their school colors over the next four years.
Last Saturday, she was a blue blur to her nearest challengers, racing past Katie Haines of Rockford and Jenny Morgan of Clarkston over the final 300 meters to win in impressive fashion. Over the first 3 miles of the 3.1-mile race, she employed a "steady as she goes" strategy, turning in splits of 5:41, 5:45, and 5:43. At the 2-mile mark, just before runners returned to the MIS oval, Creutz was stationed in fifth place, some 15 yards behind the leader from Sterling Heights Stevenson. It wouldn't be long before the top four would hear footsteps—the footsteps of a champion.
"In the last 800 meters it began to sink in that it was my last race and that I better make my move if I was going to repeat," said Creutz on Monday. "I started to pass them one by one and then I gave it a final push to the end."
Creutz entered Saturday's race with a touch of uncertainty after being bothered by tendinitis in her knee.
"I really didn't know what to expect because I had been doing a lot of cross training because of my knee," said Creutz. "I was just hoping that I would be able to run like I normally do."
Her win brought more state acclaim her way on Saturday evening when the Michigan Interscholastic Track Coaches Association came calling, naming Creutz "Miss Cross Country for 2005." She will be honored with the award this Friday at a special banquet in Kalamazoo.
It's the second time a Saline runner has been so honored. Two years ago, after winning the Division 1 title as a senior, Dustin Voss was named the state's "Mr. Cross Country." Voss now runs track and cross country for MSU, and he was present at MIS Saturday for Creutz's coronation as a two-time champion.
Clarkston, the defending state champion, won the team championship with 123 points. Okemos was second with 138 and Rockford third with 140. The Hornets tallied 272 for seventh.
While Creutz and Gabl led the way for Saline, the Hornets also received solid performances from a host of others, according to Coach Smith.
Sophomore Lindsey Cummings turned in a 3-second PR with a 87th place time of 19:31.
"Lindsey has been a mainstay on the varsity this season," said Smith. "She never ran under 20 as a freshman, while this year she has broken the barrier a number of times."
Junior Melanie Conn crossed 129th on Saturday, finishing in 19:57.6 to cap a fine season.
"Melanie has shown great progress this year and had a best of 19:23," said Smith. "She will be a key returner for us next year."
Junior Lexie Mathis placed fifth for Saline and 157th overall in 20:16.05.
"Lexie was a big surprise for us this season," said Smith. "She made tremendous strides over the past year and, again, will be counted on heavily for next season."
Senior Marion Gabl, the twin sister of Joanne, placed 161st on Saturday, crossing in 20:19.95.
"Marion showed a lot of improvement from last year," said Smith. "She was a varsity runner virtually all season and broke 20 minutes for the first time in her career."
Sophomore Meagan Creutz, who was sidelined for the regional meet Oct. 29 with a cold, ran gamely on Saturday, sticking in the top 25 for two-thirds of the race before the effects of dehydration set in.
"She hung in there until about a quarter-mile to go when she went down a second time and she was taken off the course by medics," said Smith. "It was a tough way for her to end what has been a very good season. Meagan has been our third top runner most of the season and broke 19 for the first time."
This Sunday, the Saline girls' and boys' cross country teams will be saluted at the annual banquet in the SHS Commons. Organizers undoubtedly will excuse Coach Smith if he's a few minutes late. At 1 p.m., he will be in Lansing where he will receive the 2005 Cross Country Coach of the Year award. It will be the second time in Smith's distinguished coaching career that he has earned the award, the first coming in 1993.
Smith, who retired last summer from teaching English and history at Saline High, has coached cross country for 29 years at SHS. For years, he guided both the boys' and the girls' teams, building the program into state prominence. His girls' teams have won 10 SEC titles in a row and four regional championships in succession, and perennially are ranked among the top 10 in the state.
He has coached such All-State athletes as Rita Arndt, Danielle Chase, Jamie Webster, and Dawn Toth, along with this year's honorees Eileen Creutz and Joanne Gabl. On the boys' side, he has coached the likes of All-State runners Mark Pogliano, Mike Kessler, Aaron Prussian, Rich Chriscinske, and Darrell Zeck, the Class B state champion in 1984.
"Any coach will tell you that it always helps to have talent, and we've certainly had our share over the years," said Smith. "It's been fun to be a part of it."
Not all stories are guaranteed to appear
online. The Web edition contains a reasonable
sampling of the print edition stories.
For the most complete news coverage, we invite you to
subscribe
to the print edition of the paper.
Expanded
Web
Coverage
Staff Blog, "Inside The Newsroom"
TOP JOBS
