There were no growing pains for Ryleigh Alderink in her first varsity season as a cross country runner.

The freshman standout from Holton High School finished in the Top 5 in 13 of her 16 races this fall season, including taking top honors at five events.

Alderink finished her 2025 season in impressive fashion, as she placed 11th overall at the Division 4 state finals with a time of 19:31.4 to earn All-State honors in her first year on varsity. Last weekend, she added another noteworthy accomplishment, as she finished 11th overall at the MITCA Michigan Meet of Champions with a new personal-best time of 19:12.9.

The freshman standout’s strong push to the finish line this fall drew the attention of the readers of MLive and the Muskegon Chronicle, as they voted her the top fall sports athl

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