All-Area girls’ cross country named

TRI-CITY AREA — Week in and week out they set the standard for excellence.

Here is a look at who was earned a spot on the 2025 edition of the Tri-City Times All-Area girls’ cross country squad and the credentials they generated along the way:

Cara Prusakiewicz, Dryden.

Best effort: Prusakiewicz registered a school record-setting time of 19:36.8 en route to a 12th at the Division 4 state finals on Saturday, November 1.

Michigan International Speedway, in Brooklyn, is where the meet was contested.

For her performance, Prusakiewicz earned All-State accolades (reserved for the top-30 placewinners in the race).

Top finishes: The senior claimed firsts in the Fox and Hounds Meet at Orion Oaks and Dryden Cardinal Classic; obtained seconds at the 57th Annual Holly Duane Raffin Festival of Races, Green Devil Invitational in Brown City, BTC Red/Blue League Meet hosted by Wagener Park and at a Wagener Park-based Division 4 regional; took fourth at the Hatchet Invitational in Bad Axe; provided a 12th at the Brooklyn-based Division 4 state finals; registered a 13th at the Lamplighter Invitational; and contributed a 25th at the Greater Flint Championships.

Taylor Stanczak, Almont.

Stanczyk managed a clocking of 20:11.9 for 60th Saturday, November 1 at the Division 3 state finals at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.

The sophomore was third at the Mariner Invitational; placed fifth at the Mayville-based Dave Patterson Invitational; furnished a sixth at a Blue Water Area Conference Jamboree in Almont; collected eighths at a Blue Water Area Conference Jamboree hosted by Columbus County Park and the Goodells County Park-based Blue Water Area Conference League Meet; wound up 10th at the Cass City Invitational and Brown City-based Green Devil Invitational; provided a 12th at a Columbus County Park-based Division 3 regional; supplied a 13th at the Algonac Muskrat Classic Run; took 25th at the Autumn Classic; generated a 38th at the Greater Flint Cross Country Championships, plus added a 60th at the Brooklyn-based Division 3 state finals.

Claire Wright, Dryden.

Best effort: Wright posted a time of 20:37.1 en route to a 39th at the Division 4 state finals on Saturday, October 25.

Michigan International Speedway, in Brooklyn, is where the meet was contested.

Top finishes: The sophomore supplied a third at the Fox and Hounds Meet at Orion Oaks and the Dryden Cardinal Classic; claimed a seventh at the Wagener Park-based BTC Blue/Red League Meet and at a Division 4 regional at Wagener Park; collected 12ths at the Hatchet Invitational in Bad Axe and Brown City-based Green Devil Invitational; garnered a 17th at the Lamplighter Invitational; provided a 39th at the Division 4 state finals at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn; plus tacked on a 62nd at the Greater Flint Cross Country Championships.

Laila Evola, Almont.

Best effort: Evola furnished a clocking of 20:58 for 14th Saturday, October 25 at a Division 3 regional.

Columbus County Park is where the meet was contested.

Top finishes: The senior obtained a fifth at the Mariner Invitational; obtained an eighth at an Almont-based Blue Water Area Conference Jamboree Meet; took 10ths at a Columbus County Park-based Blue Water Area Conference Jamboree Meet and at the Blue Water Area Conference League Meet hosted by Goodells County Park; supplied an 11th at the Green Devil Invitational in Brown City; managed 12ths at the Cass City Invitational and Mayville-based Dave Patterson Invitational; pulled up 14th in a Division 3 regional at Columbus County Park; managed a 17th at the Algonac Muskrat Classic Run; provided a 32nd at the Autumn Classic; contributed a 48th at the Greater Flint Cross Country Championships; plus added a 191st at the Brooklyn-based Division 3 state finals.

Ella Gustner, Dryden.

Best effort: Gustner generated a time of 21:06.2 en route to a ninth at a Wagener County Park-based Division 4 regional on Saturday, October 25.

The freshman supplied a sixth at the BTC Blue/Red League Meet hosted by Wagener County Park; pulled up ninth at a Wagener County Park-based Division 4 regional; took 10th in the Fox and Hounds Meet at Orion Oaks; placed 14th at the Brown City-based Green Devil Invitational; claimed a 16th at the Hatchet Invitational in Bad Axe; obtained a 17th at the Dryden Cardinal Classic; provided a 19th at the 57th Annual Holly Duane Raffin Festival of Races; furnished a 45th at the Greater Flint Cross Country Championships; generated a 77th at the Lamplighter Invitational; and added a 97th at the Brooklyn-based Division 4 state finals.

Riley Schlaufman, Imlay City.

Best effort: Schlaufman registered a 22:44.1 clocking for 40th Friday, October 24 at a Shepherd-based Division 2 regional.

The freshman collected a 13th at the Mariner Invitational; supplied a 17th at the Goodells County Park-based Blue Water Area Conference League Meet; obtained a 22nd at a Columbus County Park-based Blue Water Area Conference Jamboree Meet; contributed a 26th at a Blue Water Area Conference Jamboree Meet in Almont; furnished a 30th at the Lake Orion Stan Ford Invitational; placed 40th at a Shepherd-based Division 2 regional; generated a 47th at the Birch Run Fall Invitational; pulled up 53rd at the Autumn Classic; and tacked on a 61st at the Goodells County Park-based Brooks Mid Season Spectacular.

Montanna Eads, Imlay City.

Best effort: Eads logged a time of 22:45.8 en route to an 18th at the Goodells County Park-based Blue Water Area Conference League Meet on Tuesday, October 14.

Top finishes: The senior obtained an 11th at the Algonac Fox and Hounds Meet; took 18th at the Goodells County Park-based Blue Water Area Conference League Meet; placed 32nd at a Blue Water Area Conference Jamboree Meet in Almont; obtained a 33rd at a Columbus County Park-based Blue Water Area Conference Jamboree Meet; notched a 34th at the Lake Orion Stan Ford Invitational; claimed 44ths at the Mariner Invitational and at the Caro-based Thumb Area Cross Country Championship; provided a 45th at a Shepherd-based Division 2 regional; registered a 64th at the Birch Run Fall Invitational; and added a 99th at the Goodells County Park-based Brooks Mid Season Spectacular.

Second team- Melina Campbell, Almont, 22:58.3, Charlotte Verougstraete, Almont; Daniela DeLuca, Imlay City; Chen Leruitte, Imlay City; Kendal Donahue, Imlay City; Lilyana Lasher, Dryden, 23:57; and Caila Fitchett, Dryden.

Coach of the Year- For directing her team to a third at a Division 4 regional and a 15th at the Division 4 state finals, Dryden Coach Emma Willett earns Tri-City Times All-Area Coach of the Year accolades.