The Alpena High School cross country teams opened their 2025 season Saturday at the prestigious Pete Moss Invitational, hosted by Benzie Central High School.

Racing in the large-school division against some of the strongest programs in Michigan, the Wildcats gained valuable early-season experience.

On the girls’ side, Alpena finished 10th out of 12 teams, with Ann Arbor Pioneer capturing the team title. Senior Izzy Szymanski led the Wildcats with a standout time of 20:48, good for 44th place overall. Close behind were Ava Karsten (23:46), Marion Renard (23:48), Lila Scott (23:49), and Abigail Misiak (24:03) to round out Alpena’s scoring five. Abby Ruczynski (25:43) and Madison Srebnik (27:18) also raced well for the Wildcats.

The boys’ team posted a strong showing, placing 4th overall in a deep field that was topped by Traverse City West. Sophomore Alexander Allen turned in the performance of the day for Alpena, racing to an impressive 15:48 finish and earning 2nd place individually. Rounding out Alpena’s scoring pack were Brendan Werth (17:28), Logan Szumila (17:05), Braeden Mathis (18:06), and Logan Ruczynski (19:30). Solid contributions also came from Wyatt Dziesinski and Hendrix McKay, who each clocked 19:23, as well as John Brege (22:01), Joel Kaiser (21:29), and several other Wildcats who gained important race experience.

Both teams will look to build on their opening performance when they travel to Mount Pleasant for the Oiler Invitational on Friday.