Costa Willets runs during a 2012 race.

Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com file

The Saline and Pioneer boys cross country teams had remarkably similar Saturday performances. They were just in different locations.

Pioneer placed a pair of runners in the top three at the Brother Rice Invitational Saturday. Costa Willets came in second at 16 minutes, 25 seconds, while Lucas Arrivo was in third at 16:45.

“Some of the guys ran better than they ever have," Pioneer coach Don Sleeman said. "We responded extremely well in our first meet of the year we had enough guys rise to occasion.”

Saline, meanwhile, also placed two runners in the top three and took a large invitational win. For the Hornets, Kevin Hall placed first at 16:09 and Logan Wetzel finished third a second behind him as Saline won the Bath Invitational.

“I knew we would be in the top four, but winning it would be a reach for us,” Saline coach Carl Spina said. “Winning today shows the kids that it's worth it and all their hard work is paying off, and I hope for more happy surprises moving forward.”

Arbor Prep earns first win

Arbor Prep went winless in its first season last year.

That made last week feel even sweeter.

The Gators broke the streak last Wednesday with a 3-1 win over Romulus Summit Academy. It was the first win in the program’s history.

"It feels great," Arbor Prep coach Ryan Haines said. "It was a huge weight lifted off of not only my shoulders, but the kids shoulders as well."

Arbor Prep's Zhendyn Ruffin, Tunde Aduroja and Nate Shock each scored goals on the day. Goalie Nick Howes had nine saves.

Players of the Week

Kristen Vyletel, Huron volleyball: Vyletel recorded her 897th kil in a Huron uniform Saturday, breaking the previous school record of 886 held by Dana Filfiger. She finished the day with 37 total kills as the River Rats went 4-0 and won the gold division of the Jackson Lumen Christi Invitational.

Alec Lasinski, Skyline boys soccer: Lasinski, a junior forward, scored three of Skyline’s five goals Saturday, including the only tally in a 1-0 victory over Warren De La Salle in the championship game of the Michigan Showcase Tournament. The performance came after Lasinski scored a hat trick last Tuesday in an 8-0 win over Ypsilanti.

By the numbers

180 - Strokes for the Skyline girls golf team in its Monday loss to Saline, the team’s lowest total of the year and just nine strokes behind the Hornets.

4 - Shutouts in five games for the Saline boys soccer team, the most recent in a 3-0 Satuday win over Pioneer.

1 - Match lost by the Greenhills boys tennis team in a pair of wins over Grosse Pointe North and Traverse City St. Francis last week.

Potent quotable

“It feels really good to beat Columbia Central. We look up to Columbia as the best team in our conference. It is the biggest win in our three years of existence.”

-- Manchester soccer coach Mark Davis after his team’s 2-1 win Monday win over Brooklyn Columbia Central.