Eastern Upper Peninsula Power Reigns in Girls Distance Races
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
May 8, 2025
PICKFORD — Girls distance runners don’t have to look far to find competition in the Eastern Upper Peninsula.
That’s especially true in Division 3, where Pickford junior Talya Schreiber is setting the pace.
Last fall, Eastern U.P. runners grabbed the top four places at the U.P. Division 3 Cross Country Final at Munising. Schreiber won that race for the first time in 2023, followed by Newberry’s Samantha and Abby Taylor, then retained her title in October.
Abby Taylor was runner-up, with Samantha placing third and Engadine eighth-grader Molly NcNamara taking fourth in that most recent championship race.
“I started at a younger age,” Schreiber said after the Web Morrison Invite at Pickford on April 26. “I ran my first cross country meet in sixth grade. That was definitely a learning curve, but I got hooked on that feeling. The first meet went well.
“Once I got into seventh grade, I knew I wanted to make a future of it. In my freshman year, we moved from Cedarville to Pickford. It was quite an adjustment with new coaches and athletic program and being a bigger school.”
Schreiber won three individual events April 12 at the Yooper Indoor Invitational at Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie. She was clocked at 2:30.64 in the 800-meter run and took the 1,600 (5:15.55) and 3,200 (11:16.96), well ahead of her nearest competitor, Escanaba senior and Northern Michigan University recruit Alisha Mabie.
“That was a good experience,” Schreiber said. “Alisha is doing real well.
“After cross country, I started my track and field training. Every week I worked out at the LSSU track. I’m hoping to break five minutes in the 1,600 and go under 11 in the 3,200.”
At Pickford, Schreiber again posted winning times in the 800 (2:30.32), 1,600 (5:21.49) and 3,200 (11:27.79).
Abby Taylor was runner-up in the 400 (1:09.6) and 800 (2:41.01) and Samantha took second in the 1,600 (5:31.77) and 3,200 (11:52.25).
“Abby and Sam are good athletes,” Schreiber said. “They push me and it results in better times, and Molly is going to be something special. Sam ran a nice 3,200 on our track, and Abby had some nice races.”
The Taylor sisters dominated last Thursday’s Rapid River Invitational, placing 1-2 in the 3,200. Samantha won in 12:12.59, and Abby was runner-up (12:29.35) in a steady cold rain.
Sam also won the 1,600 (5:28.44) and Abby finished first in the 800 (2:26.45). Both were also part of the winning 3,200 relay (10:39.42).
“It’s a family tradition,” Abby Taylor said. “I became interested in eighth grade. I knew it was something I wanted to do. There’s a lot more competition in our area. Although anywhere you go, you have competition.”
She said she trains about 30-40 miles a week.
“Running with these girls in cross country was good preparation for track,” she added. “Running with Talya helps a lot. She makes you better, and Molly draws the best out of you. Molly has a good future.”
They also train together quite often.
“We push each other in practice,” Samantha said. “I try to give Abby advice. She sometimes has a problem with that, but I see the potential in her. I want to see her do well.
“Talya is also a very good runner. We look up to her, and Molly is really good. We enjoy the competition.”
How did the Taylors overcome the elements at Rapid River?
“We went inside the school to do some stretching and stay warm between races,” Abby said. “Our team did really well. … The distances are a big part of our team.”
McNamara, who’s still doing middle school track, could compete with the varsity at the Regional at Rapid River on May 14. Engadine is headed to St. Ignace for an invitational tonight.
Newberry travels to Munising for Friday’s ‘Under the Lights’ Invitational.
John Vrancic has covered high school sports in the Upper Peninsula since joining the Escanaba Daily Press staff in 1985. He is known most prominently across the peninsula for his extensive coverage of cross country and track & field that frequently appears in newspapers from the Wisconsin border to Lake Huron. He received the James Trethewey Award for Distinguished Service in 2015 from the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.
PHOTOS Pickford's Talya Schreiber leads Ishpeming's Lola Korpi on the way to winning the 1,600 during last season’s Upper Peninsula Division 2 Finals. (Middle) Newberry's Samantha Taylor leads sister Abby Taylor during last season’s 1,600 championship race in Division 3. (Photos by Cara Kamps.)
Surprise! St. Johns Celebrates 1st Title
May 30, 2015
By Bill Khan
Special to Second Half
ZEELAND — Karrigan Smith wasn't going to put up a false front.
Neither was her coach, Neil Feldpausch.
Nobody expected St. Johns to come away with the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 2 girls track and field championship Saturday at Zeeland Stadium.
And "nobody" included St. Johns athletes and coaches.
"I think I can speak for everyone when I say this is a surprise," said Smith, a senior who had a hand in all but four of her team's points as St. Johns edged Flint Southwestern Academy 36-34.
"A small town like St. Johns winning a state title in track and field? It's an indescribable feeling right now."
Just two years ago, St. Johns wasn't even a factor in its own league, taking fifth place out of six teams. The Redwings won their conference the last two years.
"Definitely we thought (Smith) could score points, but coming in thinking we were going to win the state meet? No, it didn't even cross my mind," Feldpausch said. "These girls have surprised me."
St. Johns had never had a top-10 finish at the finals before Saturday. Smith has been a standout for four years, but got enough assistance that the Redwings were able to score in three of the four relays.
Smith repeated as the 1,600-meter champion in a rout, posting a time of 4:59.08 to win by 9.35 seconds. Smith set the LP Division 2 Final record of 4:51.53 last year when she was locked in a duel with Megan O'Neil of Remus Chippewa Hills.
"It was a little bit weird," Smith said of the one-sided 1,600 final, "but I wasn't going to count any competitors out, because when you come to the state meet a lot of people can do great things and surprise themselves. I was taking this race very seriously. I knew what I had to do. I knew what I could control. That's what I did."
By not being pushed too hard in the 1,600, Smith was fresher for her final two events. She placed third in the 800 in 2:16.94 and was on the second-place 1,600 relay team that clinched the championship. (Southwestern didn't have a team qualify for the final event.)
Smith was also on the second-place 3,200 relay squad that posted a time of 9:31.57.
"I was very excited about how the whole day went," Smith said. "It made all the hard work we put in over the season worth it."
Senior Lyndsay Pung, junior Emily Wohlfert and Belgian exchange student Pauline Carbonnelle were on the fifth-place 800 and second-place 1,600 relay teams. Junior Anna Krumm was also on the 800 relay squad.
Juniors Jen Eaton and Milah Montle and freshman Madison Maloney were on the 3,200 relay team.
"Going in, I scored it out to be Flint Southwestern 39, St. Johns 34," Feldpausch said. "Looking throughout the meet, it kept getting closer. We did some things we needed to and made it happen."
It was the first MHSAA title for St. Johns in a girls sport. The Redwings' other MHSAA crowns are in wrestling (four) and boys track and field (one).
Flint Southwestern led going into the final event on the strength of an outstanding performance by senior Miaisha Blair. Blair won a highly competitive long jump with a leap of 18 feet, 9.25 inches. The top three finishers cleared at least 18-3. Blair was also on Southwestern's second-place 800 and 400 relay teams.
A cool, rainy day — a contrast to the typical scorchers at the finals — probably helped keep Smith fresher for her four events.
It was certainly a welcome break in the weather for the other distance champion, Cedar Springs senior Kenzie Weiler. Weiler was able to challenge the LP Division 2 Final record in the 3,200, but came up short with her time of 10:41.98. Ali Wiersma of Allendale ran 10:40.22 in 2012.
Weiler stayed behind Kelli Nesky of Hudsonville Unity Christian until 500 meters remained.
"It was about 30 degrees warmer last year," Weiler said. "I broke my outdoor (personal record) by six or seven seconds. That made me pretty happy. This is perfect. I couldn't ask for a better day and better competition at the state finals."
PHOTO: St. Johns' Karrigan Smith runs toward the finish during one of her races Saturday at Zeeland Stadium. (Click to see more from RunMichigan.com.)