P-CEP
cross
country
runners make their mark on the 5K trails
BY ED WRIGHT
Nov. 24, 2010, 10:15
p.m.
This
past
cross country season was another banner year for the
Plymouth-Canton Educational Park's elite runners.
For the third year in a row, Plymouth's squad qualified for the
Division 1 state meet. Also qualifying for an opportunity to run at
Michigan International Speedway were Canton's Miles Felton and Mitch
Clinton; and Salem's Steve McEvilly.
Following
are the results of profile questionnaires most of the P-CEP state
qualifiers
filled out for PlymouthCantonSports.com. They are listed in
alphabetical order.
ZANE BERLANGER
YEAR IN SCHOOL: Freshman
PERSONAL-BEST 5K: 17:01
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT RUNNING: When
I'm running, it relieves a lot of stress and helps me to relax.
WHEN DID YOU START RUNNING AND WHY? I started running in 6th grade
because an older Boy Scout told me he thought I would be good at it.
ROLE MODEL: My dad.
GPA: Unknown at this time, but
I usually get A's and B's.
FAVORITE CLASS: World History
HOBBIES OTHER THAN RUNNING: I
am very involved in Boy Scouts. I am the Senior Patrol Leader of my
troop, and am currently a Life Scout working toward my Eagle rank.
LIAM CARDENAS
YEAR IN SCHOOL: Freshman
PERSONAL-BEST 5K: 16:59.5
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT RUNNING: I like
running because it is challenging and exciting. You get to
compete against yourself, your teammates, and other teams. You
can improve your time and run in new places.
WHEN DID YOU START RUNNING AND WHY?
I
started running in the 5th grade because I heard that
running helped you in other sports. At that time I like many
sports and I wanted to be in all of them.
ROLE MODELS: My dad, my
cousin Katie, some sophomores that went to Central with me, Joe P., and
Derek G..
GPA: 3.6
FAVORITE CLASS: Math
HOBBIES OTHER THAN RUNNING:
I like
wrestling, swimming, playing baseball, soccer, and video games,
fishing, collecting super heroes and transformers, and building things.
MITCH CLINTON
YEAR IN SCHOOL: Junior
5K PERSONAL BEST: 16:44
WHAT I LIKE BEST ABOUT RUNNING:
The competition and being part of a team.
WHEN DID YOU START RUNNING AND WHY? In
5th
grade
at Our Lady of Our Counsel because my older brother, Kyle,
was running at the time for OLGC and my sister, Lisa, was on the Canton
girls cross country team.
ROLE MODELS: My dad and Coach
Boyd.
FAVORITE PRO OR COLLEGE ATHLETE:
Josh Hamilton.
GRADE-POINT AVERAGE: 3.7
FAVORITE CLASS: English
HOBBIES OTHER THAN RUNNING:
Baseball and skate-boarding
MILES FELTON
YEAR IN SCHOOL: Junior
5K PERSONAL BEST: 15:59
WHAT I LIKE BEST ABOUT RUNNING: I
like
competing
with other runners.
WHEN DID YOU START RUNNING AND WHY? I
started
running
in the 7th grade for the fun ot if, and I did so well
my parents registered my sister and I to run for an AAU team called
Cornerstone Cannon. I ended up qualifying in the Junior Olympics held
at Eastern Michigan University.
ROLE MODELS: My role models are
my father, David, and my cousin, Evan Wimberly.
FAVORITE PRO OR COLLEGE ATHLETE:
Jeremy Wariner
FAVORITE CLASS: Multicultural
Literature
HOBBIES OTHER THAN RUNNING:
Playing basketball and spending time with my family.
DEREK GIELAROWSKI
YEAR IN SCHOOL: Junior
5K PERSONAL BEST: 16:18
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT RUNNING: I
like that it's something that you don't always need someone else for
it. It's something that you can get good at, stay in shape and you can
do it without anything really holding you back.
WHEN DID YOU START RUNNING AND WHY?
My dad said that he ran cross country in high school and I started
running in the fall of my 5th grade year at OLGC.
ROLE MODEL: My father because
whether I do good or do bad in a race, he knows just how to talk to me
so I am already ready for the next race.
GRADE-POINT AVERAGE: 3.6
FAVORITE CLASS: Chemistry
HOBBIES OTHER THAN RUNNING: I
like to golf and hang out with my friends and girlfriend.
JIMMY MACIAG
YEAR IN SCHOOL: Junior
5K PERSONAL BEST: 16:48
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT RUNNING: I
like hanging out with my friends while I run. I like how I feel good
after a run.
WHEN DID YOU START RUNNING AND WHY?
I
started
running for my 7th-grade track team. When I was young I used
to get out of the car and run home so my mom thought I would be good at
track.
ROLE MODELS: Rick Eva is a
family friend that I admire. My parents and grandparents are my role
models. Jim Gray is also a family friend whom I admire.
GRADE-POINT AVERAGE: 4.1
FAVORITE CLASS: All sciences,
currently chemistry.
HOBBIES OTHER THAN RUNNING: I
am a cadet in the Civil Air Patrol with a rank of Tech Sergeant. My
friends and I play air soft.
STEVE McEVILLY
YEAR IN SCHOOL: Sophomore
5K PERSONAL BEST: 16:24.2
WHAT I LIKE BEST ABOUT RUNNING: The
guys
that
I run with at practice. I also like the bigger meets because
there are more than two teams there and we don't have school all day
before the race. With the larger meets there are more people that are
faster than me that I can try to beat.
WHEN DID YOU START RUNNING AND WHY? I
started
running
in 7th grade because they offered it in middle school
and it was the first year it was offered.
ROLE MODEL: Coach (Steve)
Aspinall because he ran in college and high school, and he got me to
where I am today.
FAVORITE PRO OR COLLEGE ATHLETE: The
entire
Red
Wings team.
GRADE-POINT AVERAGE: 3.7
FAVORITE CLASS: Biology.
HOBBIES OTHER THAN RUNNING: Soccer
and
reading
JOE PORCARI
YEAR IN SCHOOL: Senior
5K PERSONAL BEST: 15:50
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT RUNNING: I
like the feeling of accomplishment after you finish a race, or after a
hard workout. I feel like all the pain is worth it once you look back
and can say, "Yeah, I just did that."
WHEN DID YOU START RUNNING AND WHY?
I started running in 8th grade, but did not start cross country
in high school until my sophomore year. I originally planned on playing
soccer throughout high school, but my freshman track year made me
change my mind. I thought, "Why be JV soccer when you have the chance
to run varsity cross?"
ROLE MODELS: My main role
models are my parents. They're very hard-working and understanding.
They push me to do my best, and they are there for me when I do my
worst.
GRADE-POINT AVERAGE: 4.1
FAVORITE CLASS: AP U.S.
Government (Jennifer Bennett)
HOBBIES OTHER THAN RUNNING:
Homework and sleep
