Courtesy Photo Alpena High School cross country runners, from left, Izzy Szymanski, Brendan Werth, Logan Szumila, and Xander Allen all received medals for their standout performances on Friday at the Oiler Invitational in Mount Pleasant.

MOUNT PLEASANT — The Alpena High School cross country teams traveled to Mount Pleasant on Friday morning to compete in the 2025 Oiler Invitational, bringing home standout performances and a collection of personal bests.

The boys team placed fifth out of 12 large school teams, led by sophomore Xander Allen, who dominated the field with a commanding first-place finish. Allen crossed the line in 15:57, securing the individual title and setting the tone for his teammates. Fellow sophomores Logan Szumila and Brendan Werth both crossed the finish line in under 17 minutes for the first time, earning spots on the medal stand with their impressive efforts.

On the girls side, Izzy Szymanski continued her consistent leadership, clocking a personal-record time of 20:05 to finish 15th overall in the large school division. The girls team placed 10th overall, showing continued growth as the season progresses.

“Both squads continue to improve, as evidenced by the multitude of season and personal bests achieved today,” Coach Joe Donajkowski said in an email to The News.

Here are the times for AHS runners who competed on Friday: Xander Allen, 15:57; Logan Szumila, 16:30; Brendan Werth, 16:49; Braeden Mathis, 17:55; Milo Dahleen, 18:47; Hendrix McKay, 19:04; Logan Ruczynski, 19:22; Wyatt Dziesinski, 19:37; Izzy Szymanski, 20:05; Joel Kaiser, 20:40; John Brege, 21:34; Marion Renard, 22:26; Otto Dahleen, 22:34; Ava Karsten, 23:12; Landon Roznowski, 23:24; Abigail Misiak, 23:34; Lila Scott, 23:42; Abby Ruczynski, 23:52; Matthew Kowalski, 24:57; Gabe Donakowski, 25:05; Madison Srebnik, 25:59; Clara Belle Orban, 26:59; and Madelyn Coffman, 29:18.

The Wildcats return to competition on Saturday when they head to Northwood University for their next invitational.