Three Troy Athens cross country runners earned All-League honors at the Oakland Activities Association White Division League Championship on Friday, Oct. 23, at Stony Creek Metropark.
Senior captain Colin Blachford, sophomore Clare O'Reilly and Derek Groen received All-League recognition for the Red Hawks, the team announced on X.
The varsity boys finished third as a team with 81 points. The varsity girls placed sixth with 136 points. Both JV squads took third in their respective races, according to the team's results post.
O'Reilly placed third in the girls varsity 5,000-meter race in 19 minutes, 32.63 seconds, according to published meet results.
Blachford led Athens' boys in 16:34.31, followed by Groen in 17:28.81 and Eddie Nolan in 17:42.59.
Season context
Blachford has been the Red Hawks' front-runner all fall. At the Hanson's Invitational in late September, he clocked a personal-best 15:53 in the 5K to finish fifth and move to No. 4 on the Athens all-time list, according to a recap posted by the program. He was the fourth Athens runner to break 16 minutes in the event.
O'Reilly has matched that consistency. She finished third overall at the Algonac Muskrat Classic earlier in September, setting a 25-second personal record that placed her among the top 10 sophomore times in school history, according to a recap by coach Todd Heugh.
Both earned Oakland County All-County honors earlier in October. Blachford placed fifth and O'Reilly placed 13th at the county meet, the team said on X.
Groen rounds out the All-League trio. He ran a personal best at the Hanson's Invitational and finished 36th there.
What's next
The Red Hawks compete in the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 1 Region 08-1 meet on Friday, Oct. 30, at Clintonwood Park in Clarkston, according to the Athens athletics schedule.
The regional will determine which teams and individual runners advance to the state finals.
The MHSAA state championships follow on Saturday, Nov. 7, at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.
