VIDEO: Do you recognize anyone running the mile or 5K of the Howell Melon Run?
Watch the start of the mile and 5K races at the Howell Melon Run on Friday, August 16, 2024.
HOWELL – When Jack MacGregor finished fourth in the Howell Melon Run last year, it may have been the last time he didn’t win the race in his hometown for quite some time.
MacGregor, who is entering his sophomore year at Howell High School, won the 47th annual race Friday night with a time of 16 minutes, 6 seconds.
He finished 37 seconds ahead of his older teammate Lucas Wood and 47 seconds ahead of former Howell runner Patrick Miller, who has won the race five times.
Many of Howell’s best high school runners have won the Melon Run during their careers, and now that he’s of age, MacGregor could have a firm grip on the top spot for years to come.
“I’ve been coming here for the last seven years and gradually improving my ranking,” MacGregor said. “Last year was a struggle. I knew I would come out stronger this year. It just means a lot to me, since I’ve done it so many times, to finally be at the top.”
There is a connection between the Howell runners who show up to this race every year, whether they ran 15 years ago like current coach Clay Woll, 13 years ago like Miller, or currently wearing the green and gold like MacGregor and Wood.
“It’s great,” said MacGregor. “We follow each other on Strava and different running platforms so we can see what we’re up to. Sometimes we see each other running around. It’s just good to see everyone and be involved in this competition. Cross is just around the corner.”
MacGregor ran 26 seconds faster than last year and had even more to give as he ran alone in the lead.
In his first season of high school cross country, MacGregor set the Livingston County freshman 5K record with a time of 15:37.5 and finished 38th at the state’s Division 1 meet, missing the state overall by eight spots.
Mastering the mental side of running will be key to continued development this season, which begins for MacGregor next Friday with the Lamplighter Invitational in Livonia.
“Last year I kind of hit a wall,” he said. “I had a lot of stress and anxiety, so I’ve been trying to get a handle on that, control it, get a grip on it so I can come out stronger this year and get my breathing under control because that was a big problem last year.”
The future looks bright for Howell Cross Country, not only because the Highlanders have three more seasons with MacGregor in the program, but also because another strong runner is in the pipeline.
Reagan Mason, an eighth-grader at Highlander Way Middle School in Howell, was the women’s winner with a time of 21:16.
She finished six seconds ahead of former Howell runner Christine Cieslak. Mason, 13, finished 18th overall out of 525 runners.
“I love coming there because it’s one of my favorite races to run,” Mason said. “It’s pretty much my favorite sport.”
A year ago, Mason won the mile race in 6:00. Her first place finish on Friday was her third in a 5K road race.
“I ran the mile with my mom last year and was really keen to do the 5K because I’ve done several 5Ks in Howell,” Mason said.
Mason placed tenth at the KLAA middle school cross country meet last fall, running the 3,200 meters in 12:20.2.
“The track and field went really well,” she said. “I ended up with a good (personal record). I hope to stay under 12 minutes this year.”
Howell Melon Run Results
Overall winner — Man: Jack MacGregor, Howell, 16:06. Ms.: Reagan Mason, Howell, 9:16 p.m.
Winner of the Masters — Male: Matthew Daly, Howell, 18:55. Female: Jana Jilek, Howell, 24:05.
Male, under 14 years — 1. Alex Weller, Howell, 19:55; 2. Langston Waite, East Lansing, 19:58; 3. Grayson Diadiun, Howell, 10:05 p.m.
Male 15-19 — 1. Lucas Wood, Howell, 16:43; 2. Noah DeLand, Howell, 18:43; 3. David DeLand, Howell, 19:02.
Male 20-29 — 1. Luke Lathrop, Eaton Rapids, 18:17; 2. Lucas Peterson, Waterford, 18:44; 3. Adam Chrzan, Howell, 18:54.
Male 30-39 — 1. Patrick Miller, Howell, 16:53; 2. Dan Smith, Commerce Twp., 20:19; 3. Gary Koenigsknecht, Howell, 22:14.
Male 40-49 — 1. Mon Waite, East Lansing, 8:37 p.m.; 2. Jason Babcock, Howell, 20:55; 3. Andrew Urban, Howell, 22:52.
Male 50-59 — 1. Robert Seng, Webberville, 9:34 p.m.; 2. Joshua Donnelly, Jackson, 22:03; 3. Mark Lathrop, Eaton Rapids, 23:53.
Male 60-69 — 1. Carl Posluszny, Howell, 24:33; 2. Jeffrey Hall, Howell, 26:02; 3. Ernest Starr, Brighton, 27:50.
Male, over 70 — 1. Dave Auwers, Farmington Hills, 34:29; 2. Alex Morrison, Fowlerville, 35:15; 3. Rudy Klobucar, Howell, 42:59.
Female, under 14 — 1. G. Windt, Brighton, 24:38; 2. Abby Adams, Howell, 27:36; 3. S. Tate, Howell, 28:33.
Female 15-19 — 1. Lexi Martin, Howell, 25:59; 2. Janie Mitter, Howell, 26:00; 3. Lea MacGregor, Howell, 27:16.
Female 20-29 — 1. Christine Cieslak, Brooklyn, 21:22; 2. Lawryn Fellwock, Howell, 23:07; 3. Brittany Schmidt, Casco, 23:25.
Female 30-39 — 1. Rebecca Allor, 9:37 p.m.; 2. Holly Halliwill, 21:57; 3. Madelyn Vyletel, Howell, 23:34.
Female 40-49 — 1. Cyndi Burtch, Howell, 28:09; 2. Sarah Barish, Brighton, 29:40; 3. Karri Plecko, Ravenna (Ohio), 29:56.
Female 50-59 — 1. Shawn Pollman, Howell, 27:00; 2. Carol Hollenbeck, Howell, 29:19; 3. Trina Sims, DeWitt, 30:16.
Female 60-69 — 1. Lynn Stanfield, Brighton, 30:17; 2. Pam Lee-Campbell, Brighton, 34:50; 3. Sharon Smith, Howell, 35:35.
Women over 70 — 1. Jennifer McCauley, Brighton, 36:13; 2. Joyce Dryer, Lansing, 45:06; 3. Chris Ferris, 46:55.
FULL RESULTS
Contact Bill Khan at [email protected]. Follow him on X @BillKhan
