06/01/2026
Ryan goes from good to great in two races
By Jeff Steers
Jackson Area Sports
Western High School track and field athlete Ryan Good saw an opening in the 800-meter run at the Division 2 state finals Saturday at Hamilton High School.
Like a Formula-1 race car driver, he went for it.
The result was a victory in the 800-meter run at the MHSAA Division 2 state finals.
Coupled with his win earlier in the 1,600-meter run, the junior went from good to great in two distance races.
Good said the racing was so tight in the 800-meter run as he was cutting people off and others were doing the same thing in a very tight pack near the 400-meter mark.
“The racing was so tight so you have to take a chance when you see it,” Good said.
He cut through an opening near the 500-meter point and took the lead. Good won the 800-meter state final with a time of 1:53.81.
He won the 1,600-meter run earlier in the meet with a time of 4:13.2.
The junior considered himself more of a 400- and 800-meter kind of runner until earlier in the season when he ran a 4:16 time in the 1,600-meters. That was one of the top times in the state at that point in the season.
“I ran 4:18 at the Branch County Meet and decided I might as well go for the 1,600-meter event (at state),” Good said. “My dad helped me train for the 800- and 1,600-meter events.”
Good said he has transitioned physically and mentally over the year.
“My body has changed … I was scrawny and weak a couple of year ago,” Good said. “I have also gained a lot of mental strengths over the years.”
He credits God for his success in running.
“God has given me the ability to do this,” Good said. “I have been able to spread the Word.
“It has been an incredible experience … being able to bring the mood up and appreciate the fact that people have noticed that.”
Western High School runner Ryan Good enjoys his moment in the sun after winning the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s 800-meter run at Hamilton High School Saturday.
