Record Books Rewritten as Negaunee Girls Bring Their Best at Power-Packed Final
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
May 31, 2026
KINGSFORD — Doing as expected can sometimes be challenging.
The Negaunee girls did that in convincing fashion here Saturday by retaining their Upper Peninsula Division 1 Track & Field Finals title with 173 points.
Marquette earned the runner-up honor with 123, and third-place Gladstone scored 61.
“We thought we had an outstanding season, although you’re still a little nervous coming in,” Miners coach Vickie Paupore said. “The girls worked hard. They believed in themselves and each other. All of our throwers showed up today and got personal bests. All of the girls performed very well.”
Negaunee junior Sadie Rogers set the U.P. Division 1 Finals record in the 300-meter hurdles in 45.04 seconds, topping the previous record (45.4) run by Sault Ste. Marie’s Selena Moser in 2010.
That also marked a school record for Rogers, who also won the 100-meter dash in a season-best 15.96 and placed second in the 200 in a school-best 26.21 on this sunny and warm afternoon.
Marquette freshman Jordyn Anthony tied the UPD1 Finals record in the 100 at 12.55, which she shares with Calumet’s Chelsea Jacques from 2012.
Anthony also won the 200 in a personal-best 26.11 and helped the Sentinels sweep the sprint relays.
“She’s a very talented runner,” Rogers said.
“It’s so relieving to set the school record in the 300 hurdles. It was just so hard to get here, and it feels so good to get the school record in the 200. This is a confidence builder for sure. Having good weather also helped. These were perfect conditions.”
Classmate Keira Waterman added a Negaunee school record while winning the 800 (2:19.78), followed by Marquette senior Ella Fure in a personal-best 2:21.14 and freshman Emma Ziegler (2:33.82).
Waterman also won the 400 in a personal-best 58.5 and placed third in long jump (15-3¼).
Sophomore Elvera Coyne provided the Miners with yet another school record while placing second in the 100 (12.61), followed by junior teammate Izzy Francisco (12.9).
Coyne’s season-ending effort in the 100 topped the previous record (12.62) by Macyn DellAngelo set a year ago.
“It felt amazing,” Coyne said. “It’s an awesome feeling to do it as a sophomore. Macyn was a good friend of mine.”
Negaunee junior Priya Morey added a first in discus at 110-5.
Fure, who anchored the winning 3,200 relay, later set a meet record in the open 3,200 (11:21.58), which surpassed the previous best from seven years ago (11:25.52) by Emily Paupore of Negaunee.
“The 3,200 is my race,” Fure said a week after running a 10:49.17 at Grand Rapids. “I was real confident because all three of us PR’d downstate. I knew I could run a sub-11. Emma Ziegler had a good, strong finish and Ava Cantway ran real well.”
Junior Taylen Todd, also part of Marquette’s sprint relays, added a first in long jump (16-8½). Kingsford junior Mylee Kreider was runner-up (16-6¾).
Manistique set a school record while placing third in the 800 relay (1:50.42), and senior Gwen Brewster took first in shot put (33-1½).
“I just kept pushing myself,” freshman Harper Andersen said after anchoring Manistique’s record-setting relay. “Our handoffs went well. This makes me feel I can accomplish a lot because I’m a part of this.”
Also winning championships were Escanaba’s Rayne Martin in the high jump and Gladstone’s Maggie Karl in the pole vault. Houghton’s Amy Sziber finished first in the 100, 200 and shot put adaptive events.
PHOTOS (Top) Negaunee's Sadie Rogers, center, leads and eventually wins the 100 hurdles Saturday. (Middle) Marquette's Jordyn Anthony, center, gets ready to lean for the finish line during a Sentinels relay victory. (Click for more from Cara Kamps/RunMichigan.com.)
Title IX at 50: Anticipation High as 45,000 Girls Return to Spring Sports
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
April 12, 2022
Nearly 45,000 Michigan female high school athletes are expected to participate in sports across both peninsulas this spring to cap off the 2021-22 school year.
During the 2020-21 school year, track & field was the most popular girls spring sport – and third most popular girls sport overall – with 12,739 participants. Both girls soccer and softball in Spring 2021 drew more than 11,000 athletes, with girls lacrosse just under 3,000, Lower Peninsula girls tennis at nearly 7,000 and Upper Peninsula girls golf at just more than 100.
The first girls spring MHSAA Finals championships were earned in 1973 in track & field, with Lincoln Park and Marquette winning Open Class titles in their respective peninsulas. The first Upper Peninsula Girls Golf Finals actually had been played in Fall 1972, but that sport moved to spring for the 1973-74 school year. Softball became an MHSAA-sponsored tournament sport in 1975.
Lower Peninsula girls golf also was played during the spring from its MHSAA tournament start in 1973 until the court-ordered move to fall beginning in 2007 – which saw girls tennis in the Lower Peninsula switch to the spring in its place.
Girls soccer was added to the MHSAA girls spring tournament lineup in 1983. Girls lacrosse (and boys lacrosse) were added to the MHSAA series of sponsored tournament sports in 2005.
This season’s Finals for girls sports begin with U.P. golf, which can play its championship tournaments as early as June 1, and will conclude with softball and soccer title games June 18.
Second Half's weekly Title IX Celebration posts are sponsored by Michigan Army National Guard.
Previous Title IX at 50 Spotlights
April 5: Regina's Laffey Retiring as Definition of Legendary - Read
March 29: Edison's Whitehorn named 2022 Miss Basketball - Read
March 22: Carney-Nadeau Sets Girls Hoops Standard with 78-Win Streak - Read
March 15: Binder Among Voices Telling Our Story on MHSAA Network - Read
March 8: 28 Years, Thousands of Cheers - Read
March 1: Kearsley Rolls On Among Girls Bowling's Early Successes - Read
Feb. 22: Marquette Ties Record for Swim & Dive Finals Success - Read
Feb. 15: Jaeger's 2004 Winter Run Created Lasting Connection - Read
Feb. 8: Marian's Cicerone to Finish Among All-Time Elite - Read
Feb. 1: WISL Award Honors Builders of State's Girls Sports Tradition - Read
Jan. 25: Decades Later, Edwards' Legend Continues to Grow - Read
Jan. 18: Iron Mountain Completes Championship Climb - Read
Jan. 11: Harrold's Achievement Heralds Growth of Girls Wrestling - Read
Dec. 20: Competitive Cheer Gives Michigan Plenty to Cheer About - Read
Dec. 14: Evelyn's Game Had Plenty of Magic - Read
Dec. 7: Council Term Ends, But Leinaar Leaves Lasting Impact - Read
Nov. 30: Basketball Season Ready to Add to Rich Tradition - Read
Nov. 23: Marysville Builds Winning Streak Yet to be Challenged - Read
Nov. 16: Wroubel Has Championed Girls School Sports from Their Start - Read
Nov. 9: Pioneer's Joyce Legendary in Michigan, National Swim History - Read
Nov. 2: Royal Oak's Finch Leading Way on Football Field - Read
Oct. 26: Coach Clegg Sets Championship Standard at Grand Blanc - Read
Oct. 19: Rockford Girls Set Pace, Hundreds After Have Continued to Chase - Read
Oct. 12: Bedford Volleyball Pioneer Continues Blazing Record-Setting Trail - Read
Oct. 5: Warner Paved Way to Legend Status with Record Rounds - Read
Sept. 28: Taylor Kennedy Gymnasts Earn Fame as 1st Champions - Read
Sept. 21: Portage Northern Star Byington Becomes Play-by-Play Pioneer - Read
Sept. 14: Guerra/Groat Legacy Continues to Serve St. Philip Well - Read
Sept. 7: Best-Ever Conversation Must Include Leland's Glass - Read
Aug. 31: We Will Celebrate Many Who Paved the Way - Read
PHOTOS Spring Sports (MHSAA file photo)