Starting his running career with a big win, sophomore Gavin Katic had a victorious season after taking the regional champion title in cross country. Not only did Katic break FHS’s 5K record—previously held by Joe Dimambro—by 13.3 seconds with a time of 15:11.6, his fastest time of the year.
In the regional race held at Linden Middle School on Oct. 25, Katic placed first with a time of 15:55.45. He had previously won all three league jamborees and plenty of invites, setting his record at the 41st Father Gabriel Richard Cross Country Invitational.
“I think I had a pretty good season this year, highlighted by the highest states finish in Fenton history and the school record here,” Katic said. “The team got a lot better this year, and it was awesome to be a part of the first regional winning team since 2019.”
The Michigan High School Athletic Association State Finals were held on Nov. 1 at the Michigan International Speedway, where Katic took fourth place and set a new Division 2 (D2) record for sophomores with a time of 15:21.70.
“When you take a step back and realize the impact you have on your sport like that, it feels pretty surreal, running the fastest time by a D2 sophomore in state meet history is just beyond crazy,” Katic said, “and you really realize you are rewriting the state’s record books.”
Not only did Katic’s record-breaking time at the state meet mark the fastest in Fenton High’s history, but it also earned him All-State honors.
