Moment: GPS, Meier Earn National Acclaim
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
April 22, 2020
We’re missing spring sports big time. So we’re kicking off our next string of #MHSAAMoments with one of the most big-time performances in state track & field history.
Grosse Pointe South’s girls dominated during the start of last decade, claiming consecutive Lower Peninsula Division 1 championships in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Leading the surge was an athlete who still holds three all-MHSAA Finals records and anchored the fastest 3,200-meter relay in U.S. high school history.
Hannah Meier, who already had set all-Finals records in the 800 and 1,600 in 2011 as a sophomore, was joined on the record relay in 2012 by Kelsie Schwartz, Ersula Farrow and twin sister Haley Meier. Together they ran the race in 8:48.29 – 17 seconds faster than the previous MHSAA all-Finals record and the fastest in National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) history by 1.59 seconds.
The following season in 2013, the Meier sisters, Farrow and Christina Firl won the 3,200 relay championship in 9:01.98. Hannah Meier then went on to earn the sixth and seventh individual Finals titles of her career –while also breaking both of her previous all-Finals records.
She claimed the 1,600 title for the third-straight season, three seconds ahead of runner-up Haley Meier in 4:39.23, which remains the ninth-fastest time in that race in NFHS history. Hannah Meier followed by winning her fourth 800 championship in 2:07:37, 1.02 seconds faster than her previous all-Finals record and 1.56 seconds ahead of second-place Farrow. The Meiers and Farrow then teamed up with Lily Pendy for a second-straight Finals title in the 1,600 relay.
Both Meier sisters started their college running careers at Duke and finished them at University of Michigan, where both won individual and team Big Ten championships. Farrow began her collegiate track career at Clemson and finished at Louisiana State, earning All-America in the 800 as a senior. Schwartz also went on to the Big Ten, enjoying success at Michigan State University.
PHOTO: From left: Kelsie Schwartz, Ersula Farrow and Haley and Hannah Meier join Grosse Pointe South coach Stephen Zaranek for a photo during the 2012 LPD1 Finals. (Click for more from RunMichigan.com.)
Taylor Sisters, Nwose Key Newberry's Title Run, Jokela Caps Famed Career
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
June 1, 2025
KINGSFORD — The Taylor sisters have been a mainstay for the Newberry girls track & field team throughout this season.
They provided more than half of their team’s scoring here Saturday, helping Newberry gain its first Upper Peninsula Division 3 Finals championship in a decade with 84 points.
Runner-up Lake Linden-Hubbell scored 76 points, and third-place Stephenson had 52.
“This is also the first time our boys and girls won together, which is very exciting,” said Newberry coach Cori Canfield. “We’re going to lose some good seniors, but we’ll have some good freshmen coming in. I’m optimistic about the next 2-3 years. You prepare the kids for this all year, then it’s up to them to execute the plan.”
Junior Samantha Taylor set a U.P. Finals record in the 1,600-meter run in 5:08.47, shaving nearly 6½ seconds off last year’s record time (5:14.9).
Earlier, she established a school record in the 3,200 (11:42), and sophomore Abby Taylor took the 800 (2:26.71).
“I really wanted to try my hardest in the mile, which is my strongest event, and work hard in the other races, and it paid off,” Samantha Taylor said. “This makes me feel more confident in my training and gives me a little momentum going into the cross country season. Being supported by my teammates and coaches is definitely a highlight. Going into my senior year gives me more motivation because it’s my last year.”
She anchored Newberry to a runner-up finish in the 1,600 relay (4:29.54) and Abby Taylor was runner-up in the open 1,600 (5:30.82) and 3,200 (12:35.24). In the 3,200 relay, Abby anchored the third-place finisher (10:38.89).
Senior teammate Adanne Nwose won the 100 (12.91), and Lake Linden-Hubbell senior Emily Jokela edged Big Bay de Noc freshman Destiny Bleau on a lean for second place (12.95).
“I worked on my starts this week,” Nwose said. “I was really nervous coming in here. I wasn’t supposed to win the 100, which made for added pressure. It was very nerve-wracking. I didn’t think I had won. There were two people to my right. It was crazy close. I’ve been getting under 13 seconds in the past few meets. I would have been very disappointed if I hadn’t gone under 13 today.”
Bleau won the 200 in a meet and school-record 26.02, followed by Rapid River senior Emma Sundling (26.86) and Nwose (26.93).
“I feel pretty good about it,” Bleau said. “It’s a good way to end the season. There were a lot of schools here I hadn’t seen before. I’d say I had good starts. I think this is something I can learn from.”
Her meet record in the 200, topped the previous best (26.36) by Jamie Dompier of Chassell from 2013.
Jokela, a Grand Valley State recruit, became a triple-winner by taking the 100 hurdles (15.98), 300s (46.46) and 400 (59.84).
“I think the competition draws the best out of me,” she said. “They (Newberry) are a bigger school. We’re happy with where we finished. My starts were pretty good. I think this will give me more motivation to work hard for next year.”
Dollar Bay junior Kiera Isaacson won high jump with a school-record leap of 5-4, and sophomore teammate Laila Bell claimed long jump (15-7) and placed third in pole vault (8-0).
Stephenson junior Faith Cappaert took second in the 800 (2:28.6) and third in the 400 (1:02.35) and 1,600 (5:48.01), and anchored the winning 3,200 relay (10:24.35).
Brimley junior Tallulah Slabosheski captured shot put (33-6½) and discus (109-9).
PHOTOS (Top) Newberry's Adanne Nwose (center) wins the 100 dash by four hundredths of a second over Lake Linden Hubbell's Emily Jokela (far left). (Middle) Lake Linden-Hubbell's Ella Schneiderhan hands off the baton to Payton Goldsworthy and St. Ignace's Jillian Fraser hands off to Gwen Kellan in the 800 relay Saturday. St. Ignace went on to win the race with Chloe Bigger and Tayah Shepard also running legs. (Click for more from Cara Kamps/RunMichigan.com.)