The pair of Arbor Preparatory High School seniors competed in the Division 3 Cross Country State Finals on Nov. 2 at Michigan International Speedway, with Bush finishing in second with a PR of 17 minutes, 50.2 seconds, and Pernell in 105th of 257 competitors with a time of 20:53.5, also a PR.
The girls, both multi-sport standouts, are teammates on the reigning Div. 3 state championship basketball team, and Bush admitted to planting the idea of running cross country in Pernell’s ear. It turns out, a little good-natured pestering can really make a difference.
“I was really excited to have Autumn on the team with me this year,” Bush said. “I had been asking her the past few years to consider doing it, so when she told me she was going to, I was really happy. Being on a team together has made us a lot closer and I think that has helped build our chemistry a lot for basketball season.”
Bush finished her senior season with six first-place finishes including a win at regionals. In previous years she had state meet finishes of ninth, 20th, and ninth.
“Competing with and placing so highly against bigger teams makes me feel really proud to represent Arbor Prep. I think it proves that even if a program isn't big, it can achieve big things through hard work and dedication. I think the effort that I put in and the dedication Coach (Stephanie) Roberts had for our team was reflected with my results at states.
Pernell had a season-best finish of sixth place with two 10th place finishes as well. She said it felt surreal to compete at the state meet with this being her first season running.
“I feel like I accomplished something great that I would’ve never imagined doing, if you asked me at the beginning of the season,” Pernell said. “Eliza was my leader. I looked up to her in every way and took what she said into consideration because I knew I had the same goal as her: running at states. She was there to answer my questions, give me advice, and be one of my biggest support systems and I can’t thank her enough.”
Arbor Prep Cross Country Coach and Dean of High School Stephanie Roberts said both girls worked tirelessly all season and showed consistent growth and improvement.
“It has truly been a pleasure to watch these two young ladies grow and dedicate themselves to the sport of cross country,” Roberts said. “While coaching Eliza for the past two seasons, I’ve witnessed her set personal goals, evolve as an athlete, stand out as a team leader, and push herself past her limits time and time again. Her passion and dedication to cross country is unmatched and I couldn’t be more proud of her!
“Autumn was a great addition to AP’s team this year. During our first practice, she set a goal to qualify for states and worked hard each day to get there. She actually beat the time we’d been aiming for by seven seconds!”
Bush had been debating which sports to play in college but joining the track team for the first time last spring helped influence her decision.
“This summer I spoke to some schools for basketball, some schools for cross country and track, and some schools for all three. After going on visits and weighing my offers, I decided to commit to Oakland University to run cross country and track. The coaches and team were all so nice and the team chemistry at Oakland really drew me to the program. I am looking forward to running with them next year!”
Pernell has not decided on a college to attend yet but plans on playing basketball and majoring in sports medicine. She’s excited to get basketball season started and defend her team’s state title.
“I believe running all this fall will give me the ability to play several minutes on the court without getting tired as easily,” she said. “So, I am very excited about that!”
Congratulations on a great season, girls!
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About Arbor Preparatory High School
Arbor Preparatory High School is a tuition-free, public charter school in Ypsilanti, Michigan, serving students in ninth through 12th grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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