Brighton Boys, Pioneer Girls Lead Michigan High School Cross Country Rankings
New poll released on Tuesday ranks top teams across six divisions for the week of Oct. 26, with Holland Christian placing first in Division 2 for both boys and girls.
By Noor Phillips ·
High school cross country teams across Michigan received updated rankings on Tuesday, with Brighton boys and Ann Arbor Pioneer girls claiming the top spots in Division 1. The new poll, released by MichiganCrossCountry.com for the week of Oct. 26, 2026, reflects how coaches project team performance at the MHSAA Finals. Each team's position is determined by a panel that votes based on expected outcomes at the state tournament, rather than recent race results alone.
In Division 1 boys, Brighton sits at number one, followed by Ann Arbor Skyline in second and Traverse City West in third. The top five also includes Jenison and Northville. Ann Arbor Pioneer leads the Division 1 girls field, with Northville and Ann Arbor Skyline rounding out the top three. Hudsonville and Portage Central complete the Division 1 girls top five. The poll lists 15 teams in each division, with additional honorable mentions for schools that received a minimum number of votes but did not crack the top 15.
Holland Christian holds the number one spot in both Division 2 boys and Division 2 girls. In the boys' division, Pinckney is ranked second and East Grand Rapids is third. For girls, Grand Rapids Christian is second and Otsego is third. East Grand Rapids appears in the top four for both Division 2 boys and girls. The Division 2 boys list includes Pinckney, East Grand Rapids, and Flint Powers Catholic in the top four, while the girls list features Grand Rapids Christian, Otsego, and East Grand Rapids in the same tier.
In Division 3, Hanover-Horton leads the boys' ranking, followed by Hart and Lansing Catholic. Lansing Catholic tops the Division 3 girls list, with Traverse City St Francis in second and Jackson Lumen Christi in third. The Division 3 boys field also includes Jonesville and Saugatuck in the top five. For Division 3 girls, Lake City is fourth and Grand Rapids Covenant Christian is fifth. Several teams, such as Saugatuck and Blissfield, appear in the top 15 for both boys and girls in Division 3.
Division 4 rankings place Holland Calvary first in the boys' bracket, with Breckenridge second and Hillsdale Academy third. Hillsdale Academy leads the Division 4 girls' field, followed by Whitmore Lake and Onekama. The boys' top five includes Mesick and Whitmore Lake, while the girls' top five includes Gobles and Martin. Martin and Gobles both appear in the top five for Division 4 girls, with Martin also ranked ninth in the boys' division. The rankings for Division 4 include schools from regions as far as R36, such as Royal Oak Shrine Catholic in the girls' bracket.
The poll covers the Lower Peninsula only, with teams identified by their MHSAA region number following their name. For example, Brighton is listed as R4, while Royal Oak Shrine Catholic is listed as R36. The rankings are updated weekly during the season. Honorable mentions are included for schools like East Kentwood in Division 1 boys, Utica in Division 1 girls, and Goodrich in Division 2 girls. These teams did not place in the top 15 but received enough votes to be recognized in the poll.
