Human-powered racing—XC State Finals
With no home Michigan football game last Saturday, I was able to attend for the first time Michigan’s high school state cross country finals, held annually at Michigan International Speedway. It was my first time at MIS and I definitely caught the NASCAR bug (not as a fan–but as a photog).
 Stephen Walker of Midland Dow sprints towards the finish line to claim first place, Saturday, November 1, 2008 during the Division 1 State Boys Cross Country Finals, at Michigan International Speedway, in Brooklyn, Mich. TONY DING/Special to the Free Press |
Rochester’s Megan Goethals crosses the finish line first in the Division 1 Finals. |
 Runners sprint towards the finish in the Division 2 Boys Finals |
 Megan Goethals of Rochester leads Shannon Osika of Waterford Mott and third place finisher Rebecca Addison of Grand Haven into the final stretch of their Division 1 Finals. |
Shannon Osika of Waterford Mott finishes second in Division 1. |
 Runners sprint towards the finish line in front of the MIS grandstands in the Division 1 Boys Finals. |
 The photogs were trucked around in two 15-person transport vans from the woods back to the finish-line. We took to the banked curves (opposite NASCAR direction) 8 times…topping 80ish mph… |
Jackson Citizen-Patriot photographer Erik Holladay, left, and my other van-mates hang on for dear life… |
 We never did make a move on that first van… |
 I got tired of shooting from the ground, so i snuck up to the (very high) press box above MIS.
Tony Ding is an Ann Arbor, Mich. based photojournalist who covers news, business, personalities, sports and the arts. Ding strings for the Associated Press, The New York Times, Detroit Free Press and the Detroit News. His work is also represented by Icon SMI and NewsCom. Learn more about his work at www.tonyding.com. |
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