Performance of the Week: Ludington's Eliza Schwass
April 30, 2026
Eliza Schwass ♦ Ludington
Freshman ♦ Track
Schwass won the diamond elite 1,600 race at the prestigious Barnyard Invitational in Romeo in a time of 4:40.24, setting the statewide distance conversation ablaze for several reasons as she posted the fastest time in Michigan this season in just her second running the race in high school outdoor competition.
That 4:40 time bested Schwass’ indoor personal record run this winter by nearly two seconds and her best outdoor time as an eighth grader last spring by more than nine, while breaking Ludington’s school record – set in 1982 – by more than 15 seconds. Her time also bested the Lower Peninsula Division 2 Finals record by nine seconds and was just under two seconds off of the all-Finals record in the race. And likely most notably, the win came against a field that included several of the state’s fastest competitors from multiple divisions including Ann Arbor Pioneer sophomore Natasza Dudek, the reigning Gatorade national Cross Country Player of the Year. Schwass also runs cross country and finished third at the LPD2 Final in the fall.
@mhsaasports 🏃♀️POW: Eliza Schwass #ludington #track #highschoolsports #performanceoftheweek #MHSAA ♬ Bright and fun upbeat pops, Kids, Animals, Pets, Fun, Cute, Happy, Playful, Upbeat(1465232) - SAKUMAMATATA
@mhsaasports 🏃♀️POW: Eliza Schwass #funfacts #tiktalk #performanceoftheweek #highschoolsports #MHSAA ♬ Girly and cute synth pop - SAKUMAMATATA
Follow the MHSAA on TikTok.
MHSAA.com's "Performance of the Week" features are powered by MI Student Aid, a division within the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s 529 college savings programs (MET/MESP), as well as scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Connect with MI Student Aid at www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid and find more information on Facebook and X @mistudentaid.
Previous 2025-26 honorees
April 23: Emily Postema, Ravenna softball - Report
April 16: Katie Berkshire, Gaylord track - Report
March 26: Kayla Hairston, Goodrich basketball - Report
March 19: Liam Smith, Otsego swimming - Report
March 12: Jack Sayen, Houghton hockey - Report
March 5: Devin Patrick, St. Clair Shores Lake Shore - Report
Feb. 26: Madison Nieuwenhuis, Plainwell wrestling - Report
Feb. 20: Sophie Ramey, Allen Park competitive cheer - Report
Feb. 13: Cam Ryans, Grand Rapids Northview basketball - Report
Feb. 6: Melanie Kolnitys, Midland Dow basketball - Report
Jan. 29: Stella Musialowski, Huron Valley United gymnastics - Report
Jan. 22: Baylor Perkins, Grand Blanc swimming - Report
Jan. 15: Delaney Vanier, Flint Kearsley bowling - Report
Jan. 8: Stevie Hall, Detroit Cass Tech basketball - Report
Dec. 18: Ethan Martha, Ishpeming Westwood basketball - Report
Dec. 11: Louis Smith, Three Rivers wrestling - Report
Dec. 4: Traverse Moore, DeWitt football - Report
Nov. 28: Elizabeth Eichbrecht, West Bloomfield swimming - Report
Nov. 20: Brady Kieff, Blanchard Montabella football - Report
Nov. 13: Ella Laupp, Battle Creek Harper Creek swimming - Report
Nov. 7: Hunter Eaton, Charlevoix cross country - Report
Oct. 31: Stephen Gollapalli, Lansing Christian tennis - Report
Oct. 23: Talya Schreiber, Pickford cross country - Report
Oct. 16: Avery Manning, Dexter golf - Report
Oct. 9: Brady Van Laecke, Hudsonville football - Report
Oct. 2: Sarah Giroux, Flat Rock volleyball - Report
Sept. 25: Sam Schumacher, Portage Central tennis - Report
Sept. 18: Kaylee Mitzel, Saline field hockey - Report
Sept. 11: Natasza Dudek, Ann Arbor Pioneer cross country - Report
Sept. 4: Kate Posey, Big Rapids golf - Report
PHOTO Ludington's Eliza Schwass crosses the finish line in winning the diamond elite 1,600 race at Romeo's Barnyard Invitational. (Click for more from RunMichigan.com.)
#TBT: Pioneer Bests Impressive Field
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
May 22, 2014
Ann Arbor Pioneer owns an MHSAA-best 16 team championships in girls track and field, including a string of seven straight won in Class A from 1985-91.
The Pioneers answered arguably their toughest challenge of that run in 1989, against a Detroit Cass Tech team featuring a record-setting long jumper and a sprint field that remains one of the most star-studded in MHSAA Finals history.
Pioneer won the June 3, 1989, meet at Eastern Michigan University with 70.5 points to Cass Tech’s 58 and Flint Central’s 33.5. The main event for the second straight season was the 100-meter championship race matching the standout athletes from all three top-placing teams.
Repeating their finish in the race from 1988, Pioneer’s Crystal Braddock (11.84) outlasted Central’s Patrice Verdun (11.99) and Cass Tech’s Trinette Johnson (12.10) to cross the line first.
Braddock also won the 200 and ran on the victorious 1,600 relay at the 1989 Final, and finished her high school career with four individual and three relays championships. Verdun also finished runner-up to Braddock in the 200 in 1989, but did win the 100 as both a freshman and sophomore in 1986 and 1987, respectively.
Johnson ran on the winning 400 relay, but left her lasting mark by claiming the long jump title in 19 feet, 8 inches – an MHSAA all-Finals record that continues to stand and was nearly 20 inches longer than the runner-up that day. Johnson also won the long jump the previous spring as a junior. Cass Tech finished runner-up six times during Pioneer's seven-season title string.
High school was just the start of the trio’s track and field successes. Braddock went on to run at the University of Texas, earning All-America honors four times and helping set a relay record at the World University Games. Verdun and Johnson ran together at Florida State, teaming up on relays that earned them All-America honors. Verdun earned All-America five times for the Seminoles, and Johnson was a six-time All-American, including four times for long jump.
Click to see results from the 1989 LP Class A Final.
PHOTO: (Left to right) Detroit Cass Tech’s Trinette Johnson, Ann Arbor Pioneer’s Crystal Braddock and Flint Central’s Patrice Verdun head toward the finish line during the 100-meter championship race at the 1989 MHSAA Class A Lower Peninsula Final.