Record Falls, Goals Attained at LPD1 Final
By
Tom Markowski
Special for Second Half
May 30, 2015
ROCKFORD – Jaron Flournoy had his mind set on winning an MHSAA Finals this season.
In order to do so, the sprinter from Westland John Glenn knew he had to do two things: train harder and make a change.
Flournoy finished third in the 200-meter dash last season and failed to make the final in the 100. But he started Saturday’s Lower Peninsula Division 1 Track and Field Final with a burst as he won the 100 with a time of 10:56. In the 200, his best event, Flournoy won with a time of 21.25.
Flournoy had to fend off a charge from friend Skyler Bowden of Saline to win the 200.
“I worked hard this year to get here,” Flournoy said. “I expected (to win the 100). A lot of guys I train with ran with me today. I knew what to expect.
“It’s just a friendship,” Bowden added. “He was going to win the 100. I won the 400. It came down to this.”
Last summer, Flournoy worked with Stanley Edwards, a former track and football star at Detroit Kettering and the University Michigan, and then with Ann Arbor Huron boys track and field coach Rad Greaves.
“The workouts had more intensity (with Greaves),” Flournoy said. “I got stronger. I’m more flexible. Speed-wise, coming out of the blocks, I’m faster.”
Flournoy also quit competing in the 400 to concentrate on the other two sprints. The changes and the hard work paid off. Flournoy, who also played football at John Glenn, signed with Louisiana State University for track.
Bowden had the last laugh, however. Saline won the MHSAA team title, its second and first since 2006, with 71 points. East Kentwood, champions in five of the previous six seasons, was second with 52½ points. Monroe was third with 36, Ypsilanti Lincoln fourth with 27 and Grand Blanc took fifth with 26 points.
“It’s been about team total all year,” Saline coach Al Leslie said. “Skyler Bowden worked hard to get here. He was a baseball player as a freshman.
"I have so much respect for the East Kentwood program. We try to pull all of our best athletes from the other programs to compete. We had 200 kids in the program last year and we have 165 this year. I’m the defensive line coach, and we got three football players to come out for the first time.”
Saline reached the MHSAA Finals (Division 1) in football for the first time this past season.
For Grant Fisher, his final day competing for Grand Blanc will be something for the record books.
Fisher won the 1,600 run with an all-Finals record time of 4:00.28, which also will place him second all-time nationally. For much of the race Fisher seemed to be running by himself, and indeed the last half he was five to six seconds ahead of his nearest competitors. Logan Wetzel (4:08.04) of Saline finished second with a time of 4:08.04, leaving Fisher to finish the race all by himself.
The 3,200 run held more drama. Senior Ryan Robinson of Waterford Mott set the pace and Fisher stalked, conserving energy by drafting. With 220 meters remaining, Fisher made his move and passed Robinson. Fisher raced down the final straightaway as if he was finishing a 200 dash, winning easily with a time of 8:53.41. Robinson was second with a time of 9:00.65.
“I felt really good,” Fisher said of his fabulous kick. “It was tough on Ryan. (Running) into the wind it, helped me tremendously to follow him. He’s a great runner.
“The plan was to kick whenever necessary. I just had to gauge it.”
Last week, Robinson won the Oakland County meet with a time of 8:56.6.
Fisher’s time in the 1,600 crushed the previous all-Finals record held by fellow Grand Blanc graduate Omar Kaddurah. Kaddurah ran 4:07.67 in 2010.
“I never raced against Omar,” Fisher said. “I thought it was incredible he ran a 4:10. It’s nice to keep it in Grand Blanc. He was someone I looked up to.”
Next up for Fisher, who signed with Stanford University, is a mile run in New York City in two weeks. It’s a race he’s competed in before, and he said it should be fun because “there’s a rabbit” in the field.
Robie Webster of Ypsilanti Lincoln won both hurdles events, the 110 with a time of 14 seconds and the 300 with a time of 38.03. Webster missed qualifying for the 110 final as a junior, then increased his offseason training to reach his goals.
“I actually hit a few hurdles (in the 110) today,” he said.
Webster signed with Boston University and is looking forward to even greater challenges.
“My mom and I talked about colleges,” he said. “And she wanted me to look at schools with high education and athletics. My first option was BU. I went there on two visits and knew it was the place for me.”
Two more all-Finals records were broken, but by those who already held them. Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills' Donavan Brazier lowered his 800 record time to 1:48.98. Saline's 3,200 relay, made up this season of Logan Wetzel, Josiah Humphrey, Austin Welch and Kevin Hall, lowered its all-Finals record to 7:38.97.
Both records previously were set last season; Wetzel was the only Saline 3,200 relay runner who also was part of that record performance in 2014.
PHOTOS: (Top) Jaron Flournoy (middle) stays ahead of the field during a championship-winning sprint Saturday. (Middle) Grant Fisher set an MHSAA all-Finals record in the 1,600. (Click to see more from RunMichigan.com. Photos by John Brabbs.)
Preview: Contenders Lining Up to Slow Down UP Boys Reigning Champions
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
May 28, 2026
This decade has seen only six schools win an MHSAA Upper Peninsula Finals team championship in boys track & field – out of 15 opportunities – and all three meets this weekend feature returning winners seeking to stretch current title streaks already measuring multiple seasons.
But there are several more contenders in position to play stopper as they seek to begin their own championship eras.
All three divisions will be hosted by Kingsford High School, with preliminaries leading off the day at 9 a.m. local (Central) time. Tickets cost $11 and are available digitally only via GoFan.
MHSAA.tv will live-stream the meets beginning at 9 a.m. (CDT)/10 a.m. (EDT), viewable with subscription. Check out the Boys Track & Field page for meet information and lists of all qualifiers.
Those described as "seeded" below have received those seeds based on Regional performances or early qualification during the regular season. (Although not noted for most, several individuals below also will run on contending relays.)
Following is a glance at team contenders and individuals to watch in all three divisions:
Division 1
Team forecast: A sixth-straight championship Saturday would tie Marquette with the Gladstone teams from 2004-09 for the second-longest championship streak in Upper Peninsula history. But the Sentinels’ depth will have to shine through as last year’s Finals runner-up Sault Ste. Marie edged Marquette by a point at their Regional, and Kingsford and Houghton have several potential scorers as well.
Lucas Ballard, Marquette junior: The reigning champion in the 800 is seeded first in that race (2:02.82), second in the 1,600 (4:42.00) and third in the 3,200 (10:08.60).
Gabe Litzner, Sault Ste. Marie senior: He’ll graduate among the top distance runners in Upper Peninsula history. He’s won the 3,200 the last two seasons – setting the meet record at 9:31.20 a year ago – and is seeded first in that race (10:00.18) and the 1,600 (4:41.31).
Jacob Norman, Marquette senior: He’s seeded first in the 110 hurdles (15:82) after winning that race last spring.
Michael Solena, Houghton junior: He finished second in the discus a year ago but could have a much bigger day this time seeded first in that throw (144-2) and shot put (50-3¾) as well.
Gaige Sorenson, Kingsford junior: He finished second in the long jump last spring and also has multiple scoring opportunities, seeded first in long jump (20-8), running the 100 and also on two top-three seeded relays.
Division 2
Team forecast: Pickford has won three straight Division 2 championships and held of Munising by 31 points in 2024 and 50 a year ago to build the streak. Pickford has entries all over this meet again and three top-seeded relays. Rudyard is another team to watch with several potential scorers.
John Anderson, Pickford senior: The high jump champion the last two seasons is seeded first in that event (6-4) and the long jump (19-5) and second in the 110 (15.95) and 300 (45.32) hurdles.
Gunner Bennin, Pickford senior: He’s won the 400 the last two seasons and also the 200 as a sophomore, and could finish his high school career by doubling that count seeded first in the 100 (11.60), 200 (23.25) and 400 (52.61).
Talon Hughes, Ironwood senior: After winning the 100 and 200 a year ago, he’s seeded second in the 100 (11.63), third in the 200 (24.09) and also third in the 110 hurdles (16.83).
Steven Kirschner, Rudyard senior: He’s looking to move up a spot or more after finishing second in the 3,200 and third in both the 800 and 1,600 last season, and is seeded first in the 800 (2:08.51) and 3,200 (11:01.68) and third in the 1,600 (5:04.77).
Gionni McDonough, Bark River Harris junior: He won the 110 hurdles last year and is seeded to repeat (15.59) and win the 300 as well (44.64) while also competing in the 100 dash and long jump.
Division 3
Team forecast: Newberry also has built a winning streak with two straight championships, and a third is possible especially thanks to strong relays. But Rapid River dominated its Regional and should be in the hunt, and Stephenson and Lake Linden-Hubbell have qualifiers all over the lineup as well. LL-H is the returning team runner-up.
Lukas Axford, Lake Linden-Hubbell junior: After winning the 300 hurdles last season, Axford is seeded third in the 400 (56.11) and also set to run the 800.
Connor Kemppainen, L’Anse junior: The reigning 110 hurdles champion is seeded first in that race (16.87) and third in the 300 hurdles (44.07).
Brady Leblanc, Brimley junior: He’s seeded first in the 300 hurdles (43.20) and second in the 110 (16.93) after finishing fourth in the latter last season.
Ethan Snyder, Cedarville/DeTour junior: After finishing second in the 800 and 1,600 and third in the 3,200 last season, he’s seeded first in all three races in 2:06.67, 4:45.36 and 10:41.43, respectively.
Will Spranger, Eben Junction Superior Central senior: Last season’s Finals highlight was a third place in the 400, but he returns as the top seed in the 100 (11.61) and 200 (23.62) and also slated to run the 300 hurdles.
PHOTOS (Top) Negaunee's Cole Prusi (6), Kingsford's Sid Olson (5), Marquette's Jacob Norman (4), and Negaunee's Cole Pekrul (3) race the 110 hurdles May 8 at the Lions Invitational in Negaunee. (Middle) Ishpeming's Kemper Gearhart (1) leads the beginning of the 1,600 with Stephenson's Canon Kuntze (2) getting into position to follow during the UPD3 Regional on May 18 at Ishpeming. (Photos by Cara Kamps.)