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.)
Bush Capping Championship Career as Arbor Prep's 1st Track Finalist
By
Doug Donnelly
Special for MHSAA.com
May 28, 2025
Eliza Bush admits it would be nice to have teammates, but the Ypsilanti Arbor Prep distance runner hasn’t let that stand in the way of a successful track season.
The senior three-sport athlete qualified for Saturday’s Lower Peninsula Division 3 Finals in the 1,600 and 3,200.
“It doesn’t bother me, but it’s hard at times,” Bush said. “I don’t have anyone to run with or that is pushing me during my workouts. It’s made me more self-motivated. I’ve had to push myself.”
Bush has been all-state four consecutive years in cross country, finishing as LPD3 Final runner-up in the fall while just one of two Gators on the cross country team. She was an all-stater in basketball this winter when she led Arbor Prep to its second-straight Division 3 championship. During that Final she played all 32 minutes and scored 10 points, with three huge 3-pointers as the Gators defeated Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest by 11.
This is Arbor Prep’s first season with an MHSAA-sanctioned track & field team.
“Our school never had track, and I’ve always done AAU basketball in the spring,” Bush said. “I basically had to beg (Arbor Prep athletic director Scott) Stine to let me do track.”
When Stine said yes, she also had to find competition. Since Arbor Prep is not part of a conference, she helped make her own schedule. She competed at weekend events like the Farmington Invitational, Oakland University High School Invitational, Ann Arbor Greenhills April Showers Invitational and Ypsilanti Lincoln’s Railsplitter Invite.
“I would look for weekend events to go to, then ask Mr. Stine to register me,” she said. “I wanted to compete at races where I knew there would be good competition. Almost everywhere I went there were 30 to 40 other schools there. I want to race against good competition.”
She won the 3,200 and finished second in the 1,600 at her Regional.
Her personal best this season in the 1,600 was 5:00.31, which is second-fastest in LPD3 behind only 2024 champion Emmry Ross of Onsted. She’s also run second in LPD3 in the 3,200, about eight seconds behind Ross. She finished ahead of Ross in that race at the Regional at Adrian Madison.
“I’m hoping to get into the fours in the mile,” she said.
Stine is the official head coach of the Gators track team, but Bush did a lot of research about workouts and training on her own, with a major assist from cross country coach and school dean Stephanie Roberts.
“She was really helpful with timing and giving me splits,” she said. “I do appreciate everything she has done and being there. It has helped me a lot doing the research on my own, though, because I’ve learned so much from doing it.”
Last year, before Arbor Prep was allowed to run in postseason competition, Bush raced in four events when she could – the 400, 800, 1,600 and 3,200. She started this season running the 400 as well, but decided to go with her strength and focus on the two longest distances instead.
She’s not one to shy away from competition, which has been the mantra at Arbor Prep no matter the sport.
“For some people it can be difficult when it gets (to be) higher competition, but I’m used to that,” she said. “Having such good competition in multiple sports is helpful.”
Bush lives in Dexter. She’s been part of the Arbor Prep sports program, however, since she was in the fifth grade when she became the ball girl for the Gators girls basketball team.
“I really liked going to their practices and games,” she said. “When I was younger, I would go to a lot of their games because they’ve always been so good. The team became like sisters to me, and it made me want to go there.”
Bush plans to run at Oakland University next season. She had debated playing basketball in college, but said she started looking more at track & field after Oakland contacted her last year. She wants to go into pre-medicine or study to become a physician’s assistant.
And she’s looking forward to having teammates again.
“It was a very hard choice. I think I’ve always focused more on basketball. I’m curious to see what it will be like doing (running) year-round,” Bush said. “I’m looking forward to running in college, to have teammates to work out with and push each other.”
Doug Donnelly has served as a news and sports reporter at the Adrian Daily Telegram and the Monroe News for 30 years, including 10 years as city editor in Monroe. He's written a book on high school basketball in Monroe County and compiles record books for various schools in southeast Michigan. He is now publisher and editor of The Blissfield Advance, a weekly newspaper. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Jackson, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Arbor Prep senior Eliza Bush rounds a curve during a track race. (Middle) Bush puts up a jumpshot at the Breslin Center. (Below) Bush takes a photo during a visit to Oakland University. (Track photo by Dan Zeppa; Oakland photo courtesy of Bush family.)