Senior Izzy Szymanski led the way for Alpena, setting the tone by finishing first overall with a time of 21:49.80. She was followed closely by freshman Abigail Misiak in third (22:47.00), junior Marion Renard in fourth (23:22.80), freshman Gracelyn Heath in fifth (23:31.50), and sophomore Lila Scott in seventh (23:43.30). The strong front pack secured Alpena the win with 20 points, topping Petoskey’s 37.

Coach Emily Szymanski praised the effort, noting the team’s improvement since their last meeting.

“When we competed at Petoskey on September 20, it was Alpena 25 and Petoskey 31. To see progress and have our girls take a victory for the inaugural race is incredible,” Szymanski said. “Our girls fought to have the home course record set by one of our own, and they were so excited to compete at home with so many fans.”

For Izzy Szymanski, the home crowd was a difference-maker.

News Photo by Leslianne Johns Senior Izzy Szymanski was the first-place female finisher in Tuesday's inaugural home meet at Alpena's new cross country course.

“I did not realize everything we were missing out on not being able to compete at home,” she said. “It was really fun to have everyone there cheering for us at every turn we made today. It was really cool.”

Coach Szymanski also highlighted Misiak’s early contributions.

“Abby is such a great addition to our team this year, coming in from Posen schools. She’s a hard worker, pushing to run at the top, and I don’t think she would ever say she couldn’t do something,” Coach Szymanski said. “It’s great to see her scoring on varsity and running well; no doubt she’ll make an impact throughout her career at AHS.”

On the boys’ side, sophomore Xander Allen dominated the field, setting the home course record with a time of 16:42.90. Fellow sophomore Logan Szumila followed in second (17:30.90), edging out Petoskey’s Zahar Rush by just a fraction. Alpena’s depth showed with Brendan Werth (sixth, 18:09.70), Braeden Mathis (seventh, 18:30.80), and Ethan McKay rounding out the scoring. Alpena claimed the team win by a single point, flipping the result of their previous one-point loss to Petoskey.

Coach Szymanski credited the hard work and determination of the boys’ team.

News Photo by Leslianne Johns Senior Braeden Mathis runs in Tuesday's inaugural home meet at Alpena's new cross country course.

“The boys fought hard,” she said. “Last meeting Petoskey came out on top by one point and today we flipped that score to win by one. It really meant a lot to our runners to get the victory and set the course record.”

Allen, Alpena’s lone returning state qualifier, continues to impress.

“Alexander has been a standout since his freshman year, now breaking into the 15-minute mark this year,” Coach Szymanski said. “He works hard at practice, puts in the mileage, and continues to improve himself. He’s racing very well and proving he can handle the pressure.”

With both teams earning victories, the Wildcats left their home course buzzing with confidence. Coach Szymanski emphasized the importance of finishing strong and competing through the line.

“We coach about pushing through the finish line — you can literally lose places and points if you end your run too early,” she said. “You never want the photo finish to show you standing up; you want it to show grit on your face and running all the way through.”

Looking ahead, the Wildcats will compete again Saturday before entering a training week in preparation for the upcoming conference meet.

“I really believe the excitement we saw today from the kids having the support of a home crowd will motivate them moving into the second half of the season,” Coach Szymanski said. “Today’s results should motivate our athletes to see their potential to be competitive at the conference meet.”