Preview: LP Girls Finals Lineup Loaded with Past Champs, Potential Record-Setters
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
May 29, 2026
Years from now, or perhaps much sooner, this weekend’s MHSAA Lower Peninsula Girls Track & Field Finals might be remembered as one of the most star-studded we’ve seen in some time.
Returning qualifiers have won a combined 29 individual Finals championships over the last three seasons, and at least a few meet records are in danger of being rewritten Saturday as athletes compete at four Grand Rapids-area sites.
All four LP Finals will begin with pole vault and long jump beginning at 9 a.m., followed by race semifinals and the 3,200 relay at 10 a.m. and the rest of the running finals starting at noon. Tickets cost $11 and are available digitally only via GoFan.
MHSAA.tv will live-stream all four meets beginning at 10 a.m., viewable with subscription. Check out the Girls Track & Field page for meet information for all four sites and lists of all qualifiers. Those described as "seeded" below have received those seeds based on Regional performances or meeting early qualification standards. (Although not noted for most, several individuals below also will run on contending relays.)
Below is a glance at team contenders and individuals to watch in all four divisions:
Division 1 at Rockford
Team forecast: Oak Park has won the last three Division 1 championships, and Detroit Renaissance has finished second two of the last three seasons after claiming the title in 2022. Oak Park is certainly the favorite again Saturday, but Detroit Cass Tech might offer the greatest challenge this time, with 2024 runner-up Ann Arbor Pioneer another school to watch for at the top.
Nevaeh Burns, Oak Park junior: She’s won the 400 both of her first two seasons and run on five relay champs as well, and enters this weekend seeded first in the 400 (54.21), running the 100 and 200 and as part of the top-seeded 800 relay (1:38.62).
Natasza Dudek, Ann Arbor Pioneer sophomore: The Division 1 cross country record-setting champion this past fall will attempt to build on her second place in the 3,200 and fourth in the 1,600 last spring, seeded first in the 3,200 (10:01.05) and running on the top-seeded 3,200 relay (9:08.39) after scratching from the 800 and 1,600 despite being the top seed in the latter as well.
Payton Gee, Oak Park sophomore: She was part of two relay champions last year, and could add to that haul seeded first in the 100 hurdles (13.88) and 300 hurdles (44.49), slated to run on two top-seeded relays but also qualified in the 100, 200 and 400.
Kamryn Tatum, West Bloomfield senior: She’ll close a celebrated high school career seeking a fourth championship in the 200 and second-straight in the 100. She’s seeded first in the 200 (23.68) and second in the 100 (11.77) and could also run on two relays after scratching as the third seed in the 400, which she won as a freshman.
Collette Wierks, Holland West Ottawa junior: The reigning champion in the 800 also has run on two 3,200 relay winners and enters this weekend seeded second in the 800 (2:11.31) and running on 3,200 and 1,600 relays.
Lorelai Zielinski, Traverse City Central junior: The all-Finals records for shot put and discus could fall to the Trojans’ standout, whose top-seeded tosses of 52-6 and 167 feet, respectively, would be all-time bests. She swept the throws last season.
Division 2 at Hamilton
Team forecast: Sturgis claimed its first Finals championship last season, and Spring Lake is among contenders with a chance to do the same. Sturgis should be heard from again, and 2024 champion Dearborn Divine Child also has the capability to follow its standouts back to the top.
Evie Mathis, Wayland senior: The reigning pole vault champion posted a Regional-best 13-0 and will also run on two relays.
Eliza Schwass, Ludington freshman: She’s enjoyed an incredible first season and enters her first Finals seeded first in the 800 (2:08.61) by almost three seconds, first in the 1,600 (4:40.34) by nearly nine and first in the 3,200 by nearly 14.
Macy Subka, Spring Lake junior: She finished third in the 300 hurdles and 17th in the 100 hurdle prelims last season, and enters this weekend seeded second in the 100 hurdles (14.91), first in the 300 (44.13) and likely to run on two top-seeded relays.
Leigha Whitman, Stevensville Lakeshore junior: The reigning long jump champion is seeded first (18-10½) and likely to run on two relays as well.
Aubrey Wilson, Dearborn Divine Child junior: She’ll pursue her third 100-meter title and second-straight in the 200, and is seeded first in those two races (11.52 and 23.77, respectively) and the 400 (56.14) and could also long jump or run a relay.
Division 3 at Kent City
Team forecast: Olivet broke through last season for its first Finals team championship, and the Eagles have entries seeded at or near the top in every running event as they pursue a repeat. Lansing Catholic is seeking its first girls track championship and has the potential to put up major points in the distance open races and relays. Traverse City St. Francis and Pewamo-Westphalia are others to watch.
Julia Hughes, Ida senior: The reigning 100 hurdles champion is seeded first in that race (14.60) and second in the 300 hurdles (46.03).
Giuliana Nastale, Erie Mason senior: She’s seeking repeats in both the 100 and 200 dashes, and she’s a contender in three races seeded fourth in the 100 (12.25), third in the 200 (25.58) and second in the 400 (58.88).
Emily Peters, Olivet senior: She’s running for a fourth 300 hurdles championship and seeded first in that race (45.32) and third in the 100 hurdles (15.17) with opportunities as well to run the 100 and long jump (in which she’s seeded fourth) or on any of three contending relays.
Addyson Stiverson, Montrose junior: She swept the throws last season and won shot put as a freshman as well, and her Regional shot put of 51-10 also would break the all-Finals record this weekend. She’s seeded second in the discus (145-5).
Grace Wonch, Lansing Catholic junior: She’s seeded first in the 1,600 (4:59.96) and 3,200 (10:37.02) and second in the 800 (2:18.96) after finishing eighth in the 3,200 but running on the winning 3,200 relay in 2025.
Division 4 at Hudsonville Baldwin
Team forecast: Fowler has won the last two Division 4 team titles, and the Eagles remain in the conversation with potential point scorers all over this meet. But last season’s runner-up Frankfort may be the team to watch as it runs for a first championship, entering with three top-seeded relays plus contenders in sprints and pole vault. Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep also is seeking a first Finals win and has possible contributors spread among several events.
Ryleigh Ewald, Unionville-Sebewaing senior: The reigning discus champion had the top Regional throw of 124-8 and also will compete in shot put.
Kaylie Livingston, Whitmore Lake junior: She’s won two Division 4 cross country championships plus the 3,200 the last two springs, and she’s seeded first in that race (11:01.75) and the 1,600 (5:07.55) and fourth in the 800 (2:23.01).
Claire Long, Saginaw Nouvel Catholic Central junior: She won the 400 and finished third in the 200 a year ago, and this time she’s seeded first in the 400 (57.32), fifth in the 200 (25.77) and seventh in the 100.
Annie Saenz, Concord sophomore: The reigning high jump champion had the highest Regional jump this spring (5-7) by four inches and also could run on two contending relays.
Clara Slattery, Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep junior: She finished second in the 200 and 100 hurdles and third in the 300 hurdles during a strong 2025 meet, and could follow that up substantially seeded first in the 200 (25.01) and 300 hurdles (43.86) and second in the 400 (58.12) and 100 hurdles (15.51).
PHOTOS (Top) Ann Arbor Pioneer’s Natasza Dudek, front left, and Gaylord’s Kate Berkshire take the early lead in the Diamond 1,600 at Romeo’s Barnyard Invitational this season. (Middle) West Bloomfield’s Kamryn Tatum, middle, sprints to an Oakland County championship Friday. (Photos by Dave McCauley, at Oakland County, and John Brabbs at Romeo/RunMichigan.com.)
Petoskey Goes Distance Again for 1st Track Finals Win
June 6, 2021
ZEELAND – Petoskey went the distance again Saturday at the Lower Peninsula Division 2 Girls Track & Field Finals.
After claiming the Division 2 cross country championship in the fall, with senior Emma Squires the individual race winner, the Northmen were bolstered by Squires again in winning their first Finals title on the track.
Squires won the 800 (2:14) and 1,600 (4:55.05), finished second in the 3,200 and anchored the winning 3,200 relay (9:27.33) at Zeeland, which added up to 38 of Petoskey’s total 48 points. Parma Western was second with 29.
The Northmen’s only other top-two Finals finish had come in 1992, when they finished Class B runners-up.
“It definitely was a really hot, windy day, definitely not the best conditions, but we just had to gut through it,” Squires said. “It was definitely the hardest race and meet ever this season.
“The past two weeks definitely we’ve all been stressing about it. But we tried to sleep well and eat well and train well, and it definitely worked out well. We all peaked at the right time.”
Squires was joined the on the 3,200 relay by senior Sarah Liederbach and juniors Noel Vanderwall and Caroline Farley. Vanderwall also joined Squires finishing fourth in the 1,600 and sixth in the 3,200, and Farley was right there with a seventh in the 3,200 as well.
“The distance girls won the state championship in cross country, and that’s where all of our points came from today,” Petoskey coach Karen Starkey said. “Throughout the year they worked hard, and we had some not-so-good weather, but everybody just worked together and it was positive. … They have a lot of guts, desire, and they’re a good group of girls and we’re going to miss them.
“I was pretty confident they would perform (Saturday) as they did all season long. It’s unusual to have goose bumps on an 88-degree day. And that happened several times today.”
Bridgeport junior Chaniya Madison was among those who powered through as well, as she won the 100 (12.36) and 200 (25.96) to score 20 of third-place Bridgeport’s 26 points. She previously had won the 100 as a freshman in 2019. Allegan senior Hannah Antkoviak was another double champ, claiming the titles in the 100 hurdles (14.94) and 300 (44.69).
Big Rapids’ senior Erika Beistle also gave a two-title good-bye to her high school career with a 20-foot win in the discus (147-5) while claiming the shot put championship (42-10) as well.
Belding freshman Brook Simpson, meanwhile, debuted by setting the LPD2 meet record in the high jump at 5-10, besting the 5-9 jumps by Sara Jane Baker of Mattawan in 2001 and Christine Krellwitz of Big Rapids in 2004.
Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood senior Kaya Freeman won the long jump (17-4), and Grand Rapids West Catholic senior Katie Clifford won the pole vault (12-0). Simpson also finished second in the 400 to Marysville junior Reese Powers, who crossed first in that race in 57.71 seconds. Linden won the 400 relay (50.36), Hudsonville Unity Christian won the 800 relay (1:47.14) and Dearborn Divine Child won the 1,600 relay (4:04.32).
PHOTOS: (Top) Petoskey’s Emma Squires outpaces the field during one of her championship runs Saturday at Zeeland. (Middle) Allegan’s Hannah Antkoviak, middle, works to stay just ahead of Cranbrook’s Kaya Freeman (left) and Stevensville Lakeshore’s Lynea Slayback. (Below) Bridgeport’s Chaniya Madison powers through the final strides of one of her sprint victories. (Photos by Dave McCauley/RunMichigan.com.)