Chip time: CMU runners take top 3 female half marathon spots

James Cook, The Record-Eagle, Traverse City, Mich.
·5 min read

Jul. 10—TRAVERSE CITY — The Rettelle contingent at the Festival of Races certainly arrived fired up.

The mother-daughter combo finished second and third in the half marathon Saturday, a spot behind one of their best friends and college teammate.

Maddy Boyd, a 21-year-old Alpena native and senior next season at Central Michigan University, won the women's race in 1:26:33.29, almost exactly 30 seconds ahead of 49-year-old CMU alum and masters winner Maggie Rettelle (1:27:03.46) and just under two minutes in front of Maija Rettelle, a CMU junior from Midland Dow.

"Maija and I ran the first half together," Boyd said. "Then once we got our gels, we picked it up a lot. I don't know why, but we did. And I left her and took off."

The Rettelles have run races together before, but this was Boyd's first half marathon.

"I think I'm built for this," Boyd said. "I like it."

The psychology and social work major was expecting to run here in 2020 before that race was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I felt really good, for the most part," Boyd said. "It was when I hit 10 miles, that last 5k I was like, 'This can be over whenever,' because I was really starting to feel the pain."

Boyd, who still holds the Alpena school records for the 1,600 meters and 5-kilometer, ran at a 6:36 pace Saturday on a course that proceeded from Traverse City Central High School up the Old Mission Peninsula and finished on Front Street in downtown Traverse City.

"I stayed really consistent up until mile 10," Boyd said. "I've struggled with being iron deficient, so this was really cool. It shows that my iron is a lot better."

Traverse City's Alicia Tomlin and Samantha Ehle placed eighth and ninth, respectively, with Manistee's Denny Capling 11th.

KILREA WINS 2ND TITLE

Danny Kilrea really makes the most of his summers on Glen Lake.

The Notre Dame senior and Illinois native won his the men's half marathon Saturday for back-to-back titles.

Kilrea spent last summer at his family's cottage on Glen Lake while remotely working as an intern. Now graduated, he returned this summer and won the half a second time while waiting to start a job at the Notre Dame Investment Office in early August.

"No place I'd rather stay," Kilrea said. "Just relaxing before work starts."

Kilrea won in 1:07:38.92, about 13 seconds slower than last year's winning time.

He won by 25 seconds over Brayden Law of Fort Wayne, Indiana.

"It's a really beautiful course, and it's the perfect day," Kilrea said. "Just taking a good view as I run. I just really enjoyed it. It's such a fun race."

It helps when he always wins, too.

"Two for two," Kilrea said. "I have to come back next year."

He said he'll likely enter the Glen Arbor 5K race later this month and maybe some others in the area.

Traverse City's Craig Manning and Isaac Stone finished fifth and sixth, with Suttons Bay's John Linenger was eighth and Kewadin's Kyle Kiel placed ninth. Philip Spitzer, a 30-year-old college coach who has won the 5K, 10K and 15K in recent years, took 10th.

Benzie's Kelly takes 15-kilometer race

Jake Schwarting, a 16-year-old from Erie, Colorado, won the 15-kilometer title in 50:53.82.

Traverse City 39-year-old Matt Nestor took second in 52:40.17, with another Traverse City 39-year-old, Jamie Somerville, taking fourth in 53:37.44.

Zach Jones of Lake City placed seventh and Manistee's Ethan Dapice 12th.

Benzie Central runner Mylie Kelly won the female 15K title in 1:01:22.62, just over a minute and 10 seconds ahead of runner-up Annie Somerville of Traverse City.

Alison Goss-Shaw of Traverse City took fifth, with Traverse City runners Amelia Bueche, Allyson Schultz, Olivia Juntila and Mackenna Burkholder taking seventh, eighth, 10th and 11th, respectively. Interlochen's Lisa Dood placed ninth and Suttons Bay's Alison Hankins finished in 12th.

Benzie Central cross country and track coach Asa Kelly won the masters class.

Hunter Jones wins 10-kilometer race

Benzie Central senior-to-be Hunter Jones won the 10-kilometer race by almost two minutes.

"It was a little bit of a struggle," Jones said. "I went out way too fast, like 4:36, so I kind of died off in the middle. I got through it and pushed hard but my legs are just killing me after I went out that fast."

Jones, one of the Midwest's — and the nation's — most elite runners, recently committed to Wake Forest University. He said Demon Deacons coach John Hayes is what lured him to Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

"He's an Olympic coach," Jones said. "Now he's coaching college again. He's bringing the crew up to the next level, so it's going to be great."

Jones won in 31:00.61, with runner-up Brandon Knepper of Grand Rapids clocking in at 32:57.42.

"I didn't know there was going to be a biker in front of me telling me where to go," Jones said. "That was pretty nice. I appreciated that."

The top 26 placers in the male 10K went to runners age 22 or younder, with Traverse City 42-year-old Benjamin Boyce the top finisher over 22 in 27th place to take the masters title.

Ava Povich of Miromar Lakes, Florida, won the female 10K in 39:38.61, with Traverse City's Sophia Rhein placing second in 39:55.99. The Traverse City contingent of Kathleen Venhuizen, Carie Wille and Ava King placed fifth through seventh.

5-kilometer race

In the male 5K race, the Traverse City Central trio of Drew Seabase (15:17.58), Luke Venhuizen (15:19.25) and Micah Bauer (15:23.44) swept the top three spots. Traverse City's Connor McGee (eighth) and Jeff Weber (10th) also finished in the top 10.

Clarkston's Lynsie Gram won the female 5K in 17:19.47, with Williamsburg's Jami Hollandsworth fourth, Makenna Scott of Glen Lake fifth, Williamsburg's Julie Viel sixth, Alexis Ball of Traverse City seventh and Elizabeth Smits of Traverse City 10th.

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