Marquette Girls Prove Peninsula Power
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
June 1, 2013
KINGSFORD — Any questions?
The Marquette Redettes proved they're the Upper Peninsula's best girls track and field team beyond any shadow of a doubt Saturday, claiming their third straight Division 1 title with 145 points.
"We had a (triangular) meet in Escanaba on Tuesday, and it worked out well," said Marquette coach John Peterson. "I think it helped us keep our competitive edge."
Negaunee edged Escanaba 62½-54 for the runner-up trophy.
Freshman distance ace Lindsey Rudden set U.P. meet records in the 800-meter run in 2 minutes. 16.46 seconds, the 1,600 (5:05.5) and 3,200 (11:26.13) and helped the Redettes win the 3,200 relay.
Her effort in the 800 also was a school record.
"Three U.P. records in one day is pretty amazing," Peterson said. "Shayla Huebner running a 59-second quarter is also an excellent performance. We had so many kids do well today. They responded to every challenge in their way. This was just a fun day to see them compete."
Rudden's effort topped a pair of U.P. records from 2001, including a 2:21.3 clocking by Menominee's Mandy Long in the 800 and 11:38.2 by Sault Ste. Marie's Natalie Cahill in the 3,200.
Also falling by the wayside was the previous 1,600 record (5:19.73) by Iron Mountain's Kelly McClure in 2005.
"I felt great today," Rudden said. "Although I was also real nervous after what happened in the U.P. Cross Country Finals last fall. I have great teammates who will lift you when you're down. We all support and push each other. In the 3,200 relay, all the girls gave it their all. We were just nine seconds off the U.P. record."
Rudden, who went undefeated in all three distance events this spring, also was unbeaten going into the Cross Country Finals.
On that day, she was well ahead of the field with a half mile left in the 3.1-mile race at Munising when she became dehydrated, passed out and needed to be helped off the course.
"I'm realizing I need to become more serious about my running," Rudden said. "I need to be more focused. There's more pressure as it gets later in the season, especially when you're undefeated."
Huebner, who won the 400 at 59.29, added a second place in the 800 (2:21.32) and helped the winning 1,600 and 3,200 relays.
In the field events, sophomore Kirsten Iwanski won shot put at 31 feet, 4 inches, and Hunter Viitala took high jump (5-1).
"Marquette is getting some points in the field events," Peterson said. "It's so much fun to see the kids when they start in the spring and see how far they come. You can't beat the U.P. Finals. This is the best athletic event in the U.P., bar none."
Negaunee's leader was senior Ashley Veale, who won the 100 hurdles (16.57) and 300 (47.31).
Calumet sophomore Chelsea Jacques won the 100 (12.62) and 200 (26.62) and helped the winning 400 relay.
Click for full results.
PHOTOS: (Top) Marquette freshman Lindsey Rudden leads the pack during one of her three record-setting races Saturday. (Middle) The Redettes pose with their championship trophy after a third-straight Finals win. (Photos courtesy of Marquette High School.)
Oak Park's Dynasty Continues to Thrive as Knights Claim 9th Title in 11 Seasons
By
Steve Vedder
Special for MHSAA.com
May 31, 2025
KENTWOOD – Brandon Jiles calls it a cycle, but there's probably a more apt description.
Maybe something that includes mention of a dynasty after the Oak Park girls track & field team Saturday collected its ninth Lower Peninsula Division 1 Finals title in 11 years, including third in a row.
Oak Park finished with 86 points to outdistance 47 points from Detroit Renaissance’ 47 at East Kentwood.
It's fine to describe a cycle as part the explanation for the domination, which began in 2014 with an upending of three-time reigning champ Grosse Pointe South. As for the titles, Jiles offers an explanation that includes discipline, training, commitment and mental toughness. Put it all together – plus the development of a monster crew of sprinters – and it becomes apparent how Oak Park has rolled at this level for more than a decade.
"You combine those things with talent and parents who buy in, and that's our culture," Jiles said. "We just do it with a lot of hard work, discipline and talent. Every year is different because the competition is different, and more years means more experience.
"It's part of a cycle. You lose a little each year, but you also gain a little every year. Then you work harder to stay on top. You develop and learn. I think of myself as more of a teacher than coach."
Holland West Ottawa was third Saturday with 46 points, West Bloomfield fourth at 32 and Rockford fifth with 31 points.
Whatever Jiles is trying to sell to younger athletes about striving to replace graduated talent, they apparently are buying. In fact, senior Carrie VanNoy, who won the 100 hurdles (13.7), 300 hurdles (42.59) and was part of two winning relays, offered another piece of the puzzle to Oak Park's success: family.
"We push each other to do their best, and that helps make you great," she said. "The biggest thing is that we're like a family. Everyone pitches in to work hard and be better. Like a family."
Sophomore Nevaeh Burns, who was in on four top-four event finishes, said the program depends on younger performers stepping up to replace seniors. She won the 400 (54.34), was part of the winning 1,600 relay (3:43.52) and 800 relay (1:37.8), and placed fourth in the 200.
"The only difference between these teams is age. When you lose people, you gain others. It's a big deal," she said. "It's just something you have to do. You know your time is coming."
While Oak Park was sprinting to its team championship, there were numerous outstanding individual performances, including West Bloomfield junior Kamryn Tatum winning a third-consecutive 200 title (23.55) in an event that featured all nine runners clocking in under 25 seconds. She also won the 100 (11.66).
"The times in the semis were good, but I still believed in myself and thought we'd all do well," said Tatum, who looks at the three 200 titles three different ways. "My freshman year I was nervous, but I had run in high school with older kids so it was no big deal. My sophomore mindset was I had a little trouble believing in myself. But then I got baptized and put my faith in God, and I'm fine."
Traverse City Central sophomore Lorelai Zielinski topped last year's runner-up finishes in the discus and shot by winning both Saturday with tosses of 155-1 and 46-11¾, respectively. Zielinski credits taking the next step to offseason sharpening of technique, throwing herself into weightlifting 2-3 times a week and the bounce from a successful indoor season.
"I was seeded No. 1, had thrown personal best already and I was excited for this," she said. "It was amazing. I was second in both last year, so I thought it would be amazing to win."
Brownstown Woodhaven’s Maya Justice won the long jump (19-5¼) to complete an unlikely season which was nearly wrecked after an ACL injury during a soccer game May 11. Headed to Kent State next season for soccer and track, Justice admitted there were dark moments during the rehab.
"There were a bunch of ups and downs," she said. "It was terrible because I had been doing the best I ever had in track. There were times when it seemed I couldn't get any better, but in the end I got stronger and faster."
Victoria Garces of Midland Dow won the 1,600 (4:48.74) despite, in her words, only "going all out once" this season. The Division 1 cross country champ in the fall, Garces said the 1,600 event ultimately seemed natural to her.
"I took the lead after the first lap, it felt good, and I just kept going," she said. "My legs felt good, and I wanted to get two wins. The mile didn't take that much out of me."
Other champs included two firsts from Holland West Ottawa from Helen Sachs in the 3,200 (10:16.56) and Collette Wierks in the 800 (2:11.65). West Ottawa also won the 3,200 relay (9:01.69). Greta Caprathe of Rockford took the high jump (5-6), and Isabel German of Lowell won the pole vault (13-0).
PHOTOS (Top) Oak Park's Carrie VanNoy, center, leads the 100-meter hurdle championship race Saturday at East Kentwood. (Middle) Midland Dow's Victoria Garces and Holland West Ottawa's Helen Sachs set the pace in the 1,600. (Click for more from Carter Sherline/RunMichigan.com.)