Pershing three-time champ Hill, Western soph Flores lead individual finishers in PSL cross country championship meet; Cass Tech boys, Renaissance girls repeat as team champs

Renaissance High’s girls and Cass Tech’s boys repeated as team champions, while Pershing High senior Nijzah Hill and Western High sophomore Juan Flores took top individual honors Monday in the 2012 Detroit Public School League Cross Country Championship Meet at Belle Isle.

Pershing High’s Nijzah Hill

In the girls’ race, Hill captured her third consecutive PSL title, running free and easy to win comfortably with a time of 21:46.940. Pershing freshman Brittany Hill made it a family 1-2 finish as she followed her big sister across the finish line in 22:03.389 for second place.

Renaissance’s DaJanae Dye (22:12.929) was third, Osborn’s Claudette Brookins (22:39.687) took fourth and Renaissance’s Leah Spivey (22:49.472) and Asia Scott (22:59.750) were fifth and sixth.

In the boys’ race, Flores broke from the pack about halfway through the 5,000 meter course and kept a strong, steady pace to cross the finish line first in18:16.263 seconds.

Cass Tech took the next three spots, with senior Jermaine Tripp finishing second (18:42.975) followed by teammates Nicholas Williams third (18:50.922) and Brett Dooley (18:52.677) fourth. Ford’s Joshua Lee placed fifth (19:14.547). The top 20 finishers were accorded PSL All-City honors.

2012 PSL All-City boys’ cross country (front row, left to right) First through 10th place finishers (back row, left to right) 11th through 20th place finishers

Western High’s Juan Flores

All-City boys included Pershing’s Marquis Knight (19:18.696) sixth, Renaissance’s Jonathan Elrod (19:20.314) seventh and D’Kari Wilson (19:21.785) eighth, Cass Tech’s Michael Laster (19:24.186) ninth, Central’s Devon King (19:45.489) 10^th, Western’s Romondo Ray (19:54.321) 11^th, Cass Tech’s Jonathan Maxey (19:56.091) 12^th, Cody’s Tony Collins (19:57.076) 13^th, Cass Tech’s D’Angelo Wilson (19:59.595) 14^th, Renaissance’s Eric Way (20:06.704) 15^th, Pershing’s Martez Walker (20:08.762) 16^th, Renaissance’s Justin Woods (20:09.246) 17^th, Renaissance’s Justin Turner (20:09.780) 18^th, Western’s Kenny Rubbet (20:10.329) 19^th and Renaissance’s Kevin Moore (20:12.596) 20^th.

2012 PSL All-City girls’ cross country honorees: (front row, left to right) first through 10th place finishers (back row, left to right) 11th through 20th place finishers

All-City girls included Cass Tech’s Taylor Ester (22:21.031) seventh and Erika Reid (23:28.196) eighth, Northwestern’s Shavarra Patton (23:46.883) ninth, CMA’s Marletta Peterson (24:08.941) 10^th, King’s Jannese King (24:38.264) 11^th, Northwestern’s Adrianna Hamilton (24:46.027) 12^th, Renaissance’s Yvonne Archie (24:50.405) 13^th, Renaissance’s Erin Burges (24:53.769) 14^th, Pershing’s Fantasa Teasley (25:04.723) 15^th, Pershing’s Ja’Lisa Hayes (25.07.842) 16^th, Renaissance’s Mecca Shabazz (25:10.913) 17^th, Remi Murrey (25:16.191) 18^th, Peighton Childress (25:24.890) 19^th and Samiah Ross-Wheatley (25:32.073) 20^th.

Coach Beth Plumridge’s Renaissance girls had 39 points to win the team title and were followed by Pershing in second with 55 points and Cass Tech third with75.

Coach Ben Fonderen’s Cass Tech boys scored 30 points to win the boys’ team title and were followed by Renaissance second with 65 points, Western third with 80, Pershing fourth with 127, Douglass fifth with 152, Central sixth with 173, King seventh with 190 and Northwestern eighth with 200.