Newberry Girls Follow Taylor Sisters in Going Distance Again to Clinch Repeat
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
May 31, 2026
KINGSFORD — The distances have been the primary strength for the Newberry girls throughout this track & field season.
That proved true again Saturday as they retained their Upper Peninsula Division 3 Finals title with 73 points. They were followed by Lake Linden-Hubbell with 58 and Big Bay de Noc with 50.
Newberry wasted no time setting the tone on this sunny and warm day with a UPD3 Finals record-setting performance in the 3,200-meter relay at 10 minutes, 15.39 seconds, topping Cedarville’s effort (10:20.07) from 20 years ago.
“Our handoffs were pretty good,” Newberry freshman Molly McNamara said. “I thought it went pretty well. We’re pretty happy about getting the U.P. record. I also got a PR by 20 seconds in the 1,600, which I’m pretty happy about. The warmer weather I think helped.”
Senior Samantha Taylor, also part of that relay, provided her team with victories in the 1,600 (5:12.89) and 3,200 (11:32.57)
Junior Abby Taylor added a season-best while placing second in the 1,600 (5:23.87), with McNamara taking third (5:32.7). Abby also ran a season-best 12:31.69 in the 3,200 and covered the 800 in 2:24.61 while taking second in both, with McNamara third in the 800 in a personal-best 2:28.4.
Samantha Taylor, who plans to continue her running career at Central Michigan University, was pleased with how this day went.
“I think it went really good,” she said. “This was a nice finish to my high school career. I wanted to do my best and finish on this note. We’re happy with how everything went. Abby and Molly had a good day, too.”
LL-H senior Maddy Dudenas won shot put with a season-best toss of 32-11¼, and sophomore Addeline Schmitt anchored the winning 400 relay which was clocked at a school-record 52.6 seconds.
“Our handoffs went real well,” Schmitt said. “It feels amazing to be part of this. Running the anchor leg is a little intense, but it’s fun overall. This has been a good year for us.”
Dollar Bay senior Kiera Isaacson cleared a school-record 5-6 in high jump, two inches higher than Big Bay de Noc sophomore Destiny Bleau’s season-best jump which tied her own school record.
Bleau set UPD3 meet records in the 200 (26.01) and 400 (58.05) and won the 100 (12.91).
Her effort in the 200 surpassed the previous best by Chassell’s Jamie Dompier (26.36) in 2012, and her 400 time topped the record set by LL-H’s Emily Jokela (58.91) two years ago.
“I had a great start again,” Bleau said. “I felt really good, then I suddenly realized I was all by myself. I knew I had to keep going (in the 400). I was hoping to get (personal records). I just had to stay focused and do it.”
Chassell sophomore Jordan Holombo established a meet record in the 100 hurdles at 15.94, which is 0.3 of a second faster than the previous 20-year-old record by LL-H’s Holly Seppala, and added a first in the 300s (46.55).
Dollar Bay junior Laila Bell took long jump at 16-1, and Stephenson senior Faith Cappaert won her final individual race as a high school runner, the 800 in a personal-best 2:24.23.
St. Ignace senior Avery Visnaw took pole vault (9-0), edging Baraga junior Elisa Delene on a tie-breaker, and Brimley senior Tallulah Slabosheski captured disc (114-11).
PHOTOS (Top) Newberry's Samantha Taylor set a UPD3 Finals record in the 3,200 with a time of 11:32.57 on Saturday. (Middle) Big Bay De Noc's Destiny Bleau breaks the UPD3 Finals record in the 200 with a time of 26.01. (Click for more from Cara Kamps/RunMichigan.com.)
West Iron County Clinches with Win in Final Relay
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
June 6, 2021
KINGSFORD — The race for the Upper Peninsula Division 2 championship came down to the wire Saturday as West Iron County edged Ishpeming 108-104½ for its first title in eight years.
Bark River-Harris placed third with 80 points, followed by three-time reigning champion St. Ignace with 71.
“We kind of knew it’d be close,” said West Iron coach Kristi Berutti. “We had to change some relays to maximize our points.”
The Wykons secured the decision by winning the 1,600-meter relay in four minutes, 27.04 seconds. Ishpeming placed second at 4:39.92.
“It’s awesome to win it all, and we wouldn’t have done it without my sister Danica,” said senior Jordan Shamion. “She’s the one who pushed us over the edge.”
Jordan won the 100-meter hurdles at 16.99 seconds, 300s in a personal-best 48.72, anchored the 1,600 relay and took second in shot put at 31 feet, eight inches.
“I stumbled on a hurdle and still got a PR, and I’m happy with second in shot,” she said.
Danica Shamion, a freshman, added victories in the 100 (13.07), 200 (27.35) and 400 (1:01.48).
“I think my starts have improved,” said Danica. “If you have a bad start, you have a bad race.”
West Iron’s Avery Bociek placed second in the 800 (2:40.08).
Ishpeming freshman Lola Korpi took the 800 (2:34.90), 1,600 (5:41.32) and 3,200 (12:26.93) and anchored the winning 3,200 relay (10:56.42).
Division 1 and 2 runners ran together in the open 3,200, and Korpi paced with eventual Division 1 champion Olivia Moffitt of Marquette and runner-up Ingrid Seagren from Houghton.
“Olivia did awesome. She’s a senior and she deserves it,” Korpi said. “I just wanted to separate from the girls behind me. Olivia was a quarter track ahead of me, and I knew I wasn’t going to catch her. She really surprised me. She and Ingrid were my competition.”
Teammate Rebekah Loman swept the weight events, taking shot (32-4¾) and discus (104-3).
BR-H freshman Mckenzie Hoffmeyer captured long jump (15-5) and was runner-up in the 100 (13.38) and 200 (27.56).
Iron Mountain won the sprint relays and Chloe Maycroft the high jump (4-11), and Lexi Hagen won pole vault (8-6).
“Our third handoff (by Emma Ellis) went real well,” said Mountaineers junior Abbygayle Richer, who anchored the winning 800 relay (1:52.86). “That was our fastest time all year. The competition pushed us to do better. We knew we had to run well to beat Bark River-Harris.
“I’m just glad we had a chance to run this year. Last year we didn’t get to do this (because of COVID-19).”
The Mountaineers were clocked at 53.88 in the 400 relay.
BR-H was runner-up in the 400 relay (55.39) and 800 (1:53.48), and sophomore Hazel Conklin was second in the 300 hurdles (51.53).
PHOTOS: West Iron County’s Jordan Shamion celebrates her team’s finish in the 1,600 relay Saturday. (Middle) Ishpeming’s Lola Korpi leads the open 1,600. (Below) West Iron’s Danica Shamion, middle, crosses first in the 100. (Photos by Cara Kamps. Click to see more at RunMichigan.com.)