High 5s: 6/5/12

June 5, 2012

Each week, Second Half gives "High 5s" to athletes and a team based on their accomplishments the previous week or throughout the season.

A four-time track champion and a longtime state tennis power once again at the top make up this week's list of high achievers.

Sami Michell
Reed City senior
Girls Track and Field

Michell became the first Lower Peninsula four-time champion at an MHSAA Girls Track and Field Final since 1979 when she won the long jump, 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles and 200 on Saturday at the Division 3 meet at Comstock Park. Her time of 42.4 in the 300 hurdles broke the all-Finals record that had stood since 1984, and she also set Division 3 Final records in the long jump (18-6.5) and 100 hurdles (13.84) – breaking the record she previously held in the latter. Total, Michell has won eight MHSAA championships during her three-year high school career. She’s also a setter on the volleyball team and the top-ranked student in her class with a 4.0 grade-point average. Her mother Vikki is the coach of Reed City’s girls track and field team, and her father Brent coaches the boys team.

Fantastic 4: “I wanted to win four; I thought about it, but it was kinda crazy when I actually did it. Really, after I crossed the finish line in the 200, I was pretty happy then. Definitely 200 (was the hardest). It was the last one, and I wasn’t seeded first in that one.”

I learned the most about running from: “Both my parents. They both help me in different ways. It’s pretty cool, but it’s hard sometimes. Sometimes listening to them is harder because I think they don’t know what they’re talking about when they do. But just because they’re my parents it’s harder to listen.”

Up next: All I really know is I’m running track someplace. I have no idea where I want to go. A couple of schools down south really seem interested (including Clemson, plus Michigan State closer to home). Stanford seems interested.”

Fun with numbers: “I’m thinking (I’ll study) accounting. I’m kind of a perfectionist. I like the math part of it.”

Air Michell: Despite standing only 5-foot-8, Michell has a vertical jump of nearly 30 inches and just misses being able to touch the basketball rim. “But I can touch the part connected to the backboard. That would be pretty sweet.”

Click to read more.

Birmingham Seaholm tennis

Birmingham Seaholm won only one individual flight, but also had three runners-up in edging Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern 27-25 at the top of the Division 2 Final standings Saturday. The Maples won their first MHSAA team championship since 2004, and ended FHN's six-season streak of shared or outright titles. Seaholm had finished runner-up to the Huskies in 2011.

Jackie Meier and Rachel Wilson won what ended up being the deciding match by downing the pair from Forest Hills Northern in the final at No. 3 doubles. Seaholm also gained valuable points by placing seven flights in at least the semifinals.

This spring's previous honorees

Pickford Girls Narrowly Outpace Rest to Clinch 1st Finals Title Since 2007

By John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com

June 1, 2025

KINGSFORD — It was a tight race for the title at the Upper Peninsula Division 2 Girls Track & Field Finals on Saturday, as eight points separated the top three teams.

Pickford scored 74 for its first championship since 2007, when it was competing in D-3.

The Panthers were followed by West Iron County at 71 points, Munising with 66 and Ironwood and three-time defending champion Bark River-Harris both with 53.

Junior Talya Schreiber, a two-time UPD3 cross country champion, proved to be the difference-maker on this sunny and mild afternoon, taking the 800-meter run in 2:31.91, 1,600 (5:12.47) and 3,200 (11:23.06) and leading off the winning 3,200 relay (10:50.61).

Senior teammate Brooke Portice added a second place in discus (94-7) and took fourth in shot put (29-4½).

Hancock senior Ella Keranen was runner-up in the 1,600 (5:41.92) and 3,200 (12:43.31) and third in the 800 (2:34.5), and led off the second-place 3,200 relay (11:06.58).

Ironwood senior Aubrey Smith placed second in the 800 (2:34.24) and third in the 1,600 (5:48.38) and 3,200 (12:53.21).

At the start of the 1,600 run, Schreiber (1), Bark River-Harris's Hope Varoni (3), and Hancock's Ella Keranen (8) angle for position.West Iron freshman Bristol Shamion was a triple-event winner, taking the 100 hurdles (17.56) and 300s (49.4) and long jump at 5 feet, and she placed second in the 200 (27.59). Her sister, junior Lacey Shamion, was second in long jump (14-11½) and helped the Wykons take second in the 800 relay (1:54.69) and third in the 1,600 (4:40.55).

BR-H swept the sprint relays, taking the 400 (54.77) and 800 (1:54.57), and junior Mira Johnson won pole vault (8-0). Sophomore Emma Zawada ran in both relays and provided the Broncos with a third in the 300 hurdles (50.85).

Norway had a double-winner in junior Lauren Adams, who took the 100 (12.9) and 200 (27.31) and added a second in the 400 (1:01.66). Munising freshman Addie Bowerman placed second in the 300 hurdles (50.59) and third in the 100s (18.14) and helped the Mustangs win the 1,600 relay (4:28.66). Senior teammate Elizabeth Wing won discus (96-0) and was runner-up in shot put (31-¼), and classmate Dayne Behning placed second in 100 hurdles (17.64) and fourth in the 300 (53.01).

Rudyard’s leader was freshman Amelia Fountain, who won the 400 on a lean, tied for second with Ishpeming sophomore Alexis Riley and Ironwood senior Hannah Vaughn in pole vault (7-6) and took third in the 200 (27.83) and fourth in the 100 (13.36).

Junior Emma Wardon added a first for Ironwood in shot put (36-5½), and Painesdale Jeffers got its lone first from sophomore Brielle Anderson with a leap of 15-7¼ in long jump.

Click for full results.

PHOTOS (Top) Pickford's Haleigh Frank runs the last leg of the 3,200 relay Saturday. Pickford won with Talya Schreiber, Teryn Firack, and Ellie Jentoft. (Middle) At the start of the 1,600 run, Schreiber (1), Bark River-Harris's Hope Varoni (3), and Hancock's Ella Keranen (8) angle for position. Schreiber took first place and Keranen took second. (Click for more from Cara Kamps/RunMichigan.com.)