Negaunee Girls Complete Perfect Season with Record-Setting Saturday
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
June 1, 2025
KINGSFORD — The Negaunee girls completed a perfect track & field season here Saturday, earning their first Upper Peninsula Division 1 title in three years with 155 points.
They were followed by Marquette with 109 and Gladstone at 78.
“I am incredibly proud of my team’s effort today,” Negaunee coach Vickie Paupore said. “They have been undefeated throughout the season, and I know they were a little nervous going into the final meet, but they took the confidence that they have had all year and finished strong.”
Miners’ sophomore Keira Waterman set school records while winning the 400-meter dash in 58.55 seconds and 800 (2:21.86). She anchored the winning 400 relay, which was clocked at a school-record 51.21.
Waterman added a second place in long jump at 15-11¼ and was runner-up to Marquette sophomore Taylen Todd, who jumped a personal-best 16-3½.
“My Regional time in the 800 wasn’t the best,” Waterman said. “I came in here seeded sixth, but it ended up being a pretty good day. Taylen had a real good jump.”
Miners classmate Sadie Rogers also had a hand in three firsts, retaining her 100 hurdles title (15.78), winning the 300 (47.94) and anchoring the 400 relay on this sunny and mild day at Flivver Field.
“I like it,” she said. “Feels good to win the 100 hurdles again. I was nervous before the race, but just had to have a positive mindset and do my best. This gets me in a good spot, although I have to stay humble. You never know what can happen. We had perfect weather with no wind when we were running.”
Senior Macyn Dellangelo added a first in the 100 at 12.88 seconds, followed by Gladstone senior Lauren Sundquist in 13 seconds flat and Negaunee freshman Elvera Coyne (13.05).
“I enjoy starting out of the blocks,” Dellangelo said. “It’s always nice to know I got a good start and push through it.
“This is probably the best team we’ve had in a while. We’re filled with good athletes.”
Dellangelo, who will continue her education at Northern Michigan University this fall, also led off the 400 relay.
“Keira had a phenomenal day and ran with so much heart,” Paupore said. “She improved upon her own 400 record time and broke Emily Paupore’s record in the 800 from 2018. Sadie Rogers also had some phenomenal performances in the hurdle races. She has run the hurdles so well all year.
“Our seniors really showed up today. Madison Pekrul had PRs (personal records) in both hurdles and was on a winning leg of the mile (1,600) relay. Macyn was the U.P. champion in the 100 and was a leg of our school-record setting 400 relay. She has had some tremendous improvements this season.”
Negaunee junior Baylie Bourdeau won discus with a personal-best toss of 98-2, and sophomore Priya Morey took second (93-10).
“Our discus throwers really came in clutch today,” Paupore said. “They were sitting in fourth and fifth after the preliminary rounds and ended up throwing themselves into first and second place on their last throws.”
Marquette showed its strength in the distances.
Junior Ella Fure won the 3,200 (11:44.58), and senior Maija Maki-Warne added a first in the 1,600 (5:20.98) and was runner-up in the 800 (2:22.56).
Fure placed second in the 1,600 (5:21.12) and third in the 800 (2:27.45).
“I’m really happy with my day,” she said. “I’m really proud of my teammates and Alisha (Mabie of Escanaba). Our friendship is going to last a lifetime. It’s kind of bittersweet because all my best friends are graduating. I ran my race for special people (Jenn, Addie, Stella and Jordan DeMay).”
Mabie, also an NMU recruit, was runner-up in the 3,200 in a personal-best 11:51.46 and third in the 1,600 (5:28.3).
Marquette senior Chloe Miller, bound for Wisconsin-Parkside this fall, placed fourth in the 400 (1:02.41) and 800 (2:31.58) and helped the winning 3,200 relay (10:21.35).
“I’m happy with the times I ran,” the former Alton, Ill., the resident said. “I moved up here in May 2024. I think we have the best athletes we could ask for. The people are so supportive. I never had that before. The thing I’ll remember the most is the way they took me in as one of their own.”
PHOTOS (Top) Negaunee's Sadie Rogers (center) jumps over the last hurdle of the 100 race ahead of the rest of the field Saturday at Kingsford. (Middle) Manistique's Ashlyn Jones, Marquette's Eryn Veverka, and Negaunee's Nori Korsman start the 3,200 relay. Marquette took first place and Negaunee took second. Members of the winning team also included Evelyn Grant, Chloe Miller, and Ella Fure. (Click for more from Cara Kamps/RunMichigan.com.)
Blissfield's Miller Set for Senior Success After 3 Junior-Year Finals Trips
By
Doug Donnelly
Special for MHSAA.com
August 15, 2023
BLISSFIELD – Last fall, June Miller raced for an MHSAA cross country title at Michigan International Speedway. During the winter she played in the Division 3 Basketball Final at the Breslin Center. In the spring, she competed at the Lower Peninsula Division 3 track & field championships in Kent City.
As she embarks on her senior year at Blissfield Community Schools in southeast Michigan, Miller isn’t concerned about an encore.
“I don’t worry about topping my junior season,” she said. “I don’t feel the need to. I’ll fight for it to the best of my ability, but if I don’t make it that’s okay. There were a lot of factors that went into last year, and I can’t control all of them this year.
“I’ll leave my best out there and know that I gave it my all, and in the end that’s the true accomplishment. If it takes me that far or further, then great. If not, that’s okay.”
Miller’s remarkable run to MHSAA Finals in three sports remains even more impressive when considering she had eight goals and five assists playing defense for the Royals soccer team.
“Shows up to work, busts her tail every practice, every game,” said Blissfield girls basketball coach Ryan Gilbert. “Never have to worry about June Miller.”
Miller is as steady an athlete as they come, never getting too high or too low in pressure situations. In basketball, Gilbert said Miller never met a shot she didn’t like. Miller started all 29 games last season, leading the team in 3-pointers.
Gilbert said Miller is even-keeled.
“It takes a while to get into the ‘June Miller circle,’ but I’m almost in,” he said. “This is her senior year; this is my year. She’s very funny when you get to know her and has a brilliant mind.
“She wants to win over everything,” Gilbert said.
Miller wasn’t the fastest runner on the cross country team last fall – that spot would belong to her younger sister, Hope. June has no problem with that.
“I love running with my sister,” she said. “She’s an amazing and incredibly kind person. Her dedication to running inspires me and keeps me fighting for it. We train together sometimes and she’s the one that pushes me, and I love that.
“I always knew she’d be faster than me someday, and I couldn’t be prouder of how fast she’s become and how much she’s achieved. (People might) think I’d hold some resentment for her beating me while I’m older, but she’s lived in my shadow for years and I’m so glad she’s been able to find her place that she can dominate.”
Blissfield is eyeing a big season in cross country after winning a Regional and just missing the top 10 at the Final a year ago. The Miller sisters are a big reason for the giddiness.
“I’m ready to leave it all out there,” Miller said. “It’s my senior season, and I want to go out strong. I think the end goal for all of us is to really push it this season and improve with each race so by the time we hit Regionals we’re in the best shape physically and mentally so we can leave it all on the course to get to states again.”
Because of her work schedule this summer, Miller missed some of the team workouts but was able to get the details from her sister and went out on her own time and trained to build up her mileage in preparation for the season.
“I think the experience from last year will give us something to fight for,” she said. “It allows us to look at the season with our end goal being the state meet. It gives us a passion and something to fight for.”
Blissfield cross country coach Ryan Bills called Miller a strong competitor.
“She is fun kid,” he said. “You never know which June you’re going to get – funny, chatty June or serious, no-nonsense June. Either way she always gives it her all during competition, which is why she has seen so much success the past year.”
The four-sport athlete spent the first couple of weeks of summer refreshing her body before kicking it into high gear.
She did take some time to reflect on all the places she got to play and compete last year and is grateful to be part of a team that helped her reach those places.
“It was a unique experience,” she said. “When I’m playing basketball or running track and cross country, I’m not focused on where I am physically – instead I’m in my head focused on what I need to do.
“Once you get to someplace, you stop thinking about getting there and you move on to the next step of being there and doing what you need to there.”
Miller is one of the top students in her class. She’s currently trying to decide whether she wants to pursue playing soccer in college. She wants to major in business and minor in sustainability, eventually getting a master’s degree in architecture.
“I want to be a sustainable design architect,” she said, “who can better the world through the art of architecture.”
Miller’s future looks bright, as does the outlook for this athletic year. In all three sports for which she reached the Finals last year, the Royals have enough returning talent to make lengthy runs again.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Miller said, about four days before the first cross country event of the season. “I want to make it to all those state tournaments again, but I want to do it with my teammates because they’re the ones that make it memorable and something to remember forever.”
Doug Donnelly has served as a sports and news reporter and city editor over 25 years, writing for the Daily Chief-Union in Upper Sandusky, Ohio from 1992-1995, the Monroe Evening News from 1995-2012 and the Adrian Daily Telegram since 2013. He's also written a book on high school basketball in Monroe County and compiles record books for various schools in southeast Michigan. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Jackson, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Blissfield’s June Miller (750) races during a cross country meet last fall. (Middle) Miller pulls up for a jumper during last season’s basketball postseason run. (Cross country photo by Deloris Clark-Osborne; basketball photo by Gary Sullivan.)