Senior Andrew Nolan wins regionals, earns all-state honors

Lake Orion High School’s men’s cross country team ran to a fourth place finish at the regional championships on Oct. 26.

Senior Andrew Nolan led the team and was the regional champ, winning with a time of 15:27.7 minutes, a personal best.

“Andrew broke open what was a tight race at the 1600-meter mark, and over the next 2 miles, pulled away to win by 14 seconds. Andrew’s performance qualified him for the State Championships,” said Coach Stan Ford.

Sophomores Jacob Gleason (24th), Will Houvener (25th), Clayton Kuiper (32nd) and Freshman Jake Smith (37th), all scored for the Dragons in the regional championship.

State Championship

Andrew Nolan earned his third All-State certificate with his 11th place finish at this year’s MHSAA State Cross Country Championships on Nov. 2.

“That puts him in an elite group of four Lake Orion runners that have accomplished that in their high school careers. And his regional time of 15:27 solidifies his third place standing on Lake Orion’s top 50 list,” Ford said.

Nolan competed on a cold, muddy, course against 240 runners from throughout the state, Ford said. – J.N.