Rudyard Girls Soar to Historic Height, Claiming 1st Team Title Since 1977
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
May 31, 2026
KINGSFORD — Jimmy Carter was president the last time a Rudyard girls track & field team was crowned Upper Peninsula Finals champion.
The year was 1977 when the Bulldogs were competing in Class C, and gasoline was selling for less than one dollar a gallon.
But there were signs Rudyard’s history was about to change May 15 when the Bulldogs won the Division 2 Regional at Bark River-Harris.
That indeed did change Saturday as the Bulldogs were crowned Finals champions with 87 points. They were followed by BR-H with 78 and Ewen-Trout Creek with 71.
“We were dealing with a lot of little things, but the girls kept battling,” coach Mike Kirschner said. “They love to compete, and the warm weather helped. We knew what to expect from Pickford and Bark River-Harris, but we didn’t see (E-TC) coming because West Iron County won that (Gwinn) Regional. They’re young, but (E-TC has) some good athletes. No doubt, they’re tough.”
Bulldogs freshman Melissa Kirschner soared a personal-best 9 feet, 1 inch in pole vault, enough to match the UPD2 Finals record she now shares with Kali Jo Marshall of St. Ignace from 2010.
Rudyard sophomore Amelia Fountain won the 100-meter dash in 13.22 seconds and 400 (1:02.27) and was runner-up in the 200 (27.4).
“This is a great way to go into the summer, that’s for sure,” Coach Kirschner said. “We’re still young. I’m hoping we’ll continue to get more girls to come out. We had a solid year, which always means a lot more when you’re coaching your own kids.”
BR-H swept the sprint relays and junior Emma Zawada, who was a part of each relay, added a first in long jump at 14-11½.
E-TC crossed the finish first in the 3,200 relay and senior Irelynd McGeshick took discus (101-1).
Sophomore Bristol Shamion was West Iron’s leader with victories in the 100 hurdles (16.81) and 300 (48.49), both personal bests, and a third-place finish in the 200 at a season-best 27.82.
Zawada was second in the 300 hurdles (49.42), and Munising sophomore Addie Bowerman placed third (50.34), also both personal bests.
Hancock sophomore Alena Pietila, who anchored the winning 1,600 relay, placed second in the 800 (2:32.01) and 1,600 with a personal-best 5:41.12.
“It’s pretty fun,” she said about the 1,600 relay. “It’s exciting to run it. I like running when it’s warm, and I’m happy with how the day went. This is definitely a confidence builder going forward. I’m not sure about doing cross country, but I’m considering it. I didn’t do it (last fall) because I didn’t want to double with volleyball.”
Pickford senior Talya Schreiber, who will continue her running career at Bowling Green (Ohio) University, captured the 800 (2:29.58), 1,600 (5:08.2) and 3,200 (11:14.28). She won a combined eight individual championships over her final three seasons.
Also among individual champions were Norway’s Lauren Adams in the 200 and Hancock’s Tatum Sporalski in the shot put.
PHOTOS (Top) Rudyard's Amelia Fountain celebrates taking first place in the 100 dash Saturday. (Middle) Ewen Trout Creek's Leona Schutz hands off the baton to Alyssa DeCremer during the 3,200 relay. E-TC won the race with team members also including Emma Besonen and Bree Besonen. (Click for more from Cara Kamps/RunMichigan.com.)
Sturgis Girls Celebrate 1st Team Title, Multiple Multi-Event Winners Reign
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
May 31, 2025
HAMILTON – As they gave congratulatory hugs to each other on the infield following the 200-meter dash, Dearborn Divine Child sophomore Aubrey Wilson smiled at Saginaw Swan Valley senior Sydney Kuhn and good-naturedly said, “You can’t get all three” as the two shared a laugh.
Wilson had just edged Kuhn for the title in the 200, making their tallies of victories two apiece at the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 2 Finals.
From the team perspective, Sturgis ruled the day, winning its first Finals title with 54.2 points. Goodrich was runner-up with 39 points, one ahead of Saginaw Swan Valley.
Wilson repeated in the 100 meters with a time of 11.55 and then avenged last year’s second place to Kuhn in the 200, switching positions with Kuhn in a winning time of 23.85.
Wilson said the difference in that race this year was her increased endurance as a result of running 400-meter sessions during training throughout the season.
“I started running the 400 to make me stronger for the last 15 meters of the 200,” she said. “That’s where I lost it at last year. I just kept working hard because I really wanted this.”
While she didn’t quite reach three victories, it still was an outstanding meet for Kuhn, who will run collegiately for Michigan.
In addition to finishing second in the 200, Kuhn repeated in the 400 with a time of 54.70. Kuhn also won the 300 hurdles in a time of 44.29, returning to running that event this year after not doing so last year as a junior.
“I did it my freshman and sophomore year and then I stopped,” Kuhn said. “I’m doing it again this year because it might be something I do in college. I’ve gotten pretty good at it. It’s kind of riding a bike once you learn the hurdles form.”
Kuhn finished the meet by running a scintillating 53.8-second anchor leg for Swan Valley’s winning 1,600 relay, taking the baton with the Vikings in fourth place and racing into the lead to help Swan Valley win with a time of 4:00.66.
A third individual multi-event winner Saturday was Otsego junior Emma Hoffman. The junior swept the distance events, taking the 1,600 meters in 4:52.86 and the 3,200 meters in 10:27.44.
“Last year, missing out on all-state by one place was really hard,” Hoffman said. “This year, I wanted to get a good place. The experience helps you a bunch.”
Sturgis girls track & field coach Lesley Starkey said experience helped her team, given many of her athletes were freshmen and sophomores on the Finals runner-up team two years ago.
Relays were a big part of the win for Sturgis.
The team of Tenley Banaszak, Angela Cary, Hannah Garbine and Keyanna O’Tey won the 400 relay in 48.48 seconds, while Addison Eicher, Garbine, Sydney Bir and O’Tey won the 800 relay in 1:42.80.
Sturgis senior Eleena Kelley added a title in the discus with a distance of 135-9.
“We had a nice balance,” Starkey said. “We had field events represented well. I thought it was more of a team effort versus just a few events two years ago.”
PHOTOS (Top) Sturgis' Keyanna O'Tey carries the baton across the finish line for one of Sturgis' relay championships at Hamilton High School. (Middle) Dearborn Divine Child's Aubrey Wilson ducks past the finish line ahead of Swan Valley's Sydney Kuhn, right, in the 200. (Click for more from RunMichigan.com.)