Portland Cross Country Shines at Ottawa Hills Invitational, Hosts a Packed Opener CAAC White Jamboree #1

After a two-week break, the Portland Girls and Boys Cross Country teams returned to action at the Ottawa Hills Invitational on Friday, September 12, held at Riverside Park in Grand Rapids. With 23 teams in attendance and rising temperatures in the forecast, the races were moved from the afternoon to the morning, a change that paid off with a string of personal bests and season records for the Raiders.

Girls Recap

The Lady Raiders were led by the ever-consistent Paige Weber, who crossed the finish line in 21:33. Following closely was Georgia Stahl, clocking a personal record (PR) of 22:52, slicing 7 seconds off her previous best. Lauren Spitzley had a strong race, earning a season record (SR) with a time of 23:35.

Rounding out the scoring for Portland were Josephine Polasek at 24:05 and Veda Smith, who also notched a season record at 25:40. The rest of the squad stepped up with impressive performances:

• Willa Almy – 28:41 (SR)

• Abby Seavey – 29:12 (SR)

• Peyton Rockey – 30:23 (SR)

• Jorja McFarland – 32:16 (PR by 2:18!)

Boys Recap

On the boys' side, senior Andrew Feldpausch led the way with a top-10 finish, clocking in at 16:27, an 18-second PR. He was followed by fellow senior Owen Moore, who ran a solid 16:58. Portland placed 12th overall as a team, thanks to strong performances by:

• Donnie Richmond – 17:48

• Aaron Martinson – 18:46 (38-second PR)

• James Feldpausch – 20:00

The team also saw great efforts from its younger and dual-sport athletes:

• Landon Espinoza (JV football/XC) – 21:09 in his first race

• Tanner McNair (Soccer/XC) – 22:15

• Aiden Espinoza – 23:54 (PR by 2:38!)

• Noah Huffine – 23:55 (SR)

• Tate Kidder – 24:11 (first race of the season)

On Tuesday, September 16^th, Portland had the honor of hosting the first CAAC White conference meet of the season, welcoming Charlotte, Eaton Rapids, Ionia, Lakewood, Lansing Catholic, Olivet, and Sexton for a competitive and exciting day of racing. The course was lined with enthusiastic fans, and Portland student-athletes brought the energy with loud cheers and support throughout the event.

The Portland girls kicked things off with a strong showing, placing 5th overall in a deep field. Leading the way was Paige Weber, who ran a season record (SR) of 21:07. She was followed by Georgia Stahl at 23:56 and Lauren Spitzley close behind at 24:16. Veda Smith (26:14) and Claire Lyon (26:18) rounded out the team scoring. Also grinding it out on the course were Willa Almy (29:11), Peyton Rockey (30:01, SR), Addison Cody

(31:43), Jorja McFarland (32:00, PR), and Abby Seavey (34:17).

The boys race followed and brought even more excitement, with Andrew Feldpausch taking the overall win in a blazing 16:25, a personal record (PR) and his fourth straight race in the 16-minute range. Portland’s strong team effort earned them 2nd place overall. Owen Moore placed 6th in 17:14, and Donnie Richmond rounded out the top 10 with a 17:35. Completing the team scoring were freshmen Aaron Martinson (18:46, PR) and James Feldpausch (20:26). Additional strong performances came from Tanner McNair (20:43, SR), Aiden Espinoza (23:48, PR), Tate Kidder (24:21), and Noah Huffine (24:23).

While the runners put on a great show, none of it would have been possible without the many people who made the meet a success. A big thank-you goes out to everyone who helped prepare the course, volunteered during the event, and supported the athletes. Your efforts were truly appreciated and helped make the day one to remember.

Courtesy photos.