1977 Boys Cross Country

Prior to the start of the 1977 season, Coach Tom Mauro and his team of skilled runners were coming off a disappointing second place finish at the Class C State Championships in 1976. This tight knit group formed a bond that would lead to one common goal of winning a state championship. Although the Panthers had experience and superior athleticism, their preparation started the summer before the season. In a sport where the low score wins, the Panthers rarely broke 20 team points and regularly defeated teams by 30 points or more. The team won the Capital Circuit title, a league comprised of much larger schools, en route to an undefeated season. After winning a second consecutive Regional Championship, the Panthers destroyed the competition in the state final meet, beating Clare 62-102. On the day, DeWitt placed three runners in the top five and four runners in the top 25. The outstanding season earned the team seven All-League honors, and three runners were named All-State. Years later, the Michigan Interscholastic Track Coaches Association awarded the DeWitt cross country program the Class C “All Decade Team” for the 1970s with second (1976), first (1977), and fourth (1978) place finishes at the cross country state championships.

 The 1977 Boys Cross Country State Champions included the following members: Paul Desmith, Tony Faggion, Roland Hensley, Ron Hensley, John Jacobi, Mike Munroe, Dave Wilson, Mike Wilson and Head Coach Tom Mauro.