Boys Cross Country a State Championship Contender
Lowell’s never won a team cross country title, they’re looking to change that.
Justin Scott - Sports Reporter
Article Submitted to 8/27 Paper, published online 6 Sep 2025
It’s two races into the cross country season, but it’s clear even early in the season what Lowell’s boys cross country team is.
They’re scary good. A program that in their inception in the mid 1950’s scored state results of 5th, 5th, 7th, and 8th, before the rest of the state caught up. Since the 1950’s, Lowell’s had one lone top ten finish in the state, under Coach Tom Harper during the 1990-1991 school year.
Last year under new coaches Brian and Linsey Smith, the signs were there. Now, in 2025, it’s all coming together. Lowell ran away from their division during South Christian’s Under the Lights Invitational with four runners in the top 11, and besting River City Alliance conference member Allendale, who had three runners in the top 10.
How did we get here? The two headed monsters up front are junior Marshall Huhn and Cooper Byrne. That hasn’t changed. They’ve obviously gotten better though.
Lead runner Marshall Huhn during Lowell Cross Country’s media day. Photo - Justin Scott assisted by Pyper Gordon
Huhn led Lowell with a brilliant race, charging to a runner-up finish in 15:27.6—a lifetime personal record. Huhn sat just behind Grandville’s Caden Livermore (15:19.4) and established himself as one of the top runners in the area this fall.
Senior Cooper Byrne backed up Huhn with a strong third-place finish in 15:49.8, also a PR. Byrne’s run gave Lowell two of the top three finishers in a loaded field.
Both Byrne and Huhn were top ten at this race last year, improving on their times, and placements.
It is the score of the top five runners who count, so when you have a true freshman come in and be your third, that matters. Lowell’s depth showed with freshman Avi Elabed, who turned in an eye-opening 16:09.0 for eighth overall, already running like a varsity veteran. His finish was one of the best freshman performances of the night and helped keep Lowell’s score low.
Runner number four was Cody Bromley, who ran a 16:25.3 (11th), he ran a 16:49.9 last year finishing 27th. Much like Huhn and Byrne, the junior improved since last year.
Cooper Byrne runs across the finish line at the South Christian Under the Lights Invitational
Enter piece number five, Tyler Bromley (16:55.9, 27th place). Like Elabed, he’s a freshman, and slotted in at the same placement his brother Cody did last year.
Three elite runners who improved. Two stud freshmen runners. Then adding in a sixth man in Drew Swayze (17:33.3) as backup, you’ve got an elite team. Lowell's sights are set on teams like Kalamazoo Central, who they lost to in the first meet of the year, but would have beaten on Friday night (KC was without their second best runner), and teams like Northville, the defending state champions.
Rounding out the varsity lineup at South Christian was sophomore Kingston Remar (19:03.9), Traiton Coulier (19:49.9), Tegan Lowe (19:53.1), Colton Pullen (20:28.9), James Forney (20:44.5), Henry Schrauben (22:05.5), Levi Charboneau (22:24.3), Zachary Marchal (22:31.7), and Wilson Johnston (33:00.7) all gained valuable race experience.
