When the MHSAA loosened restrictions on out-of-state competition, coach Steve Long set a goal to give his teams a unique experience by finding competitive races in the Midwest - traveling to a new state each year. At the heart of the adventure is for the kids to have fun and create a team-building experience that’s different. “I wanted to create an opportunity for my athletes that was special and something they would remember for their lifetimes. We have become one of the premier programs in the state of Michigan, and I wanted all of my athletes (varsity and JV) to have this really incredible overnight team bonding experience,” Coach Long says. By the time kids graduate they’ll be able to say they’ve run in five states - Michigan being the 5th. 

Each of these meets is purposely competitive, and serves as a learning experience about who they are as a team when they get to run alongside teams they’ll never see here at home. 

In 2023, they went to Peoria, IL and competed in one of the most competitive meets in the nation on a nationally famous course. They ran against 70 other teams from six or seven different states. “But we had a ton of fun and learned a lot about who we were as a team,” he says.

In 2024, they traveled to Kenosha, WI competing against 40 teams on one of the top college courses in the nation at UW  Parkside. The girls won that invite and the boys were runners up. 

This year, they’re going the distance - 600 miles to Rosemount, MN, and it’s going to be another competitive race. “The defending 2A state champs will be there along with two teams that finished in the top six at the 3A MN state finals last year. In all of these races, we are one of the smallest schools there competing against schools of 2,500-4,000 students. Otsego has just over 700 students in comparison.”

These trips, while competitive, also show how outstanding cross country is in the state of Michigan, and how strong Otsego’s program is. “We can compete against anyone in the Midwest. And I think the fact that we have so much fun as a team makes it even more special.”

Fun Fact: Despite how big these out-of-state races are, Otsego’s Bulldog Invite draws more teams and a bigger crowd. We have more than 200 teams and 3,000 runners each year; it’s one of the biggest meets in Michigan and in the Midwest. With runners and spectators, Otsego welcomes more than 10,000 people on the course throughout the day. Mark your calendars to check out this year’s Bulldog Invite on September 27th.