5 Things To Know About Today's Cross Country Finals

Saline High School's boys' and girls' cross country teams are running in the MHSAA Division 1 Lower Peninsula finals at Michigan International Speedway today.

Here are five things you need to know:

1. The Lady Hornets run at 2 p.m. The boys run at 3 p.m. Awards are at 3:30 p.m.
2. It takes about 40 minutes to get to Michigan Internation Speedway from Saline. Take Michigan Avenue west, though Clinton, and past M-52 and M-50. Give yourself extra time because there will be heavy traffic coming in and out of the facility, and you'll need to walk from your parking lot. Tickets are $7. Parking is free. Michigan International Speedway is much loved by the runners, but for those in attendance, the runners are out of site most of the race. You can watch the runners start in the infield, but you probably won't see them again until the finish out on the track.
3. Both the boys' and girls' teams enter the state meet as regional champs. The girls are ranked as the top team in the state. The boys are ranked fourth in the state.
4. Each team will have seven runners. The girls are led by regional winner Elianna Shwayder. Also running are Amy Creutz, Alyssa Cummings, Amy Frauhammer, Abby Rentschler, Gloria Park and Lauren Green. Creutz, Cummings, Frauhammer and Shwayder all ran in the state meet last year. The boys are led by regional winner Nick Renberg, who is gunning for the individual state championship. Also running are Spencer Bishop, Grant Praschan, Logan Wetzel, Anthony Lamus, Andrew Kitto, and Jonathan Parker. Renberg was sixth last year. Bishop just missed a medal last year. Parker and Praschan also ran for the Hornets last year.
5. The girls won the state championship in 2009. The Lady Hornets were seventh last year. The girls have finished in the top eight for the last nine years. The boys' best finish was second in 2007. They were fifth last year. They've finished in the top 10 for five straight years.