Sargent Takes Charge as Elite Thrower
April 22, 2016
By Bill Khan
Special for Second Half
FLINT — If Nikole Sargent decided early on to specialize in her favorite sport, she never would've discovered her best sport.
Track and field, actually, ranked no higher than third on her list when she began competing in high school. She made the varsity volleyball team as a freshman at Linden in the fall of 2012, then made the Eagles' varsity basketball team in the winter.
"Basketball was the sport I thought I was going to go to in college," Sargent said. "Volleyball took over in my mind my sophomore year. I was going to play really high-level volleyball, so I gave up basketball and focused on track and volleyball."
Oh, yeah, track.
It's a good thing she kept that option open, because that's where she's really made a name for herself in high school and where she'll compete as a thrower for Michigan State University.
"My sophomore year, I got letters from schools about track," Sargent said. "I'm like, 'Oh, I never thought about this.'"
Sargent hit the radar of college track and field recruiters when she placed third as a freshman in the shot put in the 2013 MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 2 meet for Linden with a toss of 41 feet, 1.5 inches. After transferring the following school year to her parents' alma mater, Flint Powers Catholic, she took second in the shot put (41-3) and 10th in the discus (109-4) in Division 3.
When Powers moved up to Division 2 her junior year, Sargent was unaffected by the increase in competition. She won the MHSAA championship in the shot put, throwing 45-4.75.
It was a performance that mirrored that of her father, Mike, who won the shot put and discus for Powers in 1984 after the Chargers moved up from Class B to Class A. He was third in both events in Class B as a junior in 1983.
Nikole was already involved in three sports by her middle school years when her father, a tight end on MSU's 1988 Rose Bowl team, introduced her to shot put.
At first, she was underwhelmed.
"When I first threw the shot put in seventh grade," Sargent said, "I was like, 'Oh, my gosh, this is not for me. This is hard. I am not going to be good at this.' Then I went to my first meet and I ended up beating everyone by like 10 or 15 feet. I was like, 'OK, I guess I'll give it a shot.' That's when he really started working with me and said, 'You could be good at this.'
"It was something completely different than anything I'd ever done. I was a basketball player, a volleyball player, a soccer player. I was not a thrower, in my mind. Not until eighth grade did I think of myself as a thrower."
Sargent threw the six-pound shot 43-6 as an eighth grader. Her outdoor season bests throwing the 8.8-pound shot in high school have been 43-7.5 as a freshman, 42-6.5 as a sophomore, 45-6.25 as a junior and a school-record 47-0.75 as a senior.
In the Michigan Indoor Track Series state meet on Feb. 27, Sargent won the championship with a throw of 45-9. She topped a field that included defending MHSAA LP Division 1 champion Emily Meier of Canton and two other top-five finishers from last year's Division 1 meet.
While she already has an MHSAA shot put title on her resume, Sargent is determined to atone for a subpar performance in the discus last season. She was the second seed in the discus last spring with a toss of 132-11, but wound up 12th at 111-3 at the MHSAA meet.
"I threw really bad, so I'm kind of out for redemption this year," Sargent said. "I know I can throw a lot better, and I'm hoping to take a state title in that, as well. My practices have already been 10 times better than last year. Disc is all form. Pretty much throughout this last summer and the beginning of this season, I've just been working on form. I work on my form for 10, 20, even 30 minutes before I start throwing.
"I came in seeded second. When you end up taking (12th), it's not really something good, but you learn from every experience. I try to be a stronger person. I don't let pride get in the way or anything. It just makes you want to work harder."
Sargent has developed consistency in the discus early this season, clearing 130 feet in all three of her competitions. She did so only twice in 2015, both throws coming late in the season.
Sargent not only has the benefit of her father's throwing knowledge, but she's coached by Mike Stuart, one of the most successful throwing coaches in Michigan. Flint Carman-Ainsworth had the premier throwing program in the state when Stuart was an assistant coach with the Cavaliers.
"It helps a lot," Sargent said. "Obviously, he's had so much success. Working with him has brought this whole new world of throwing to me that I never imagined. He has a way of putting things that makes so much sense to me."
Stuart began working with Sargent before her junior year.
"She needed a lot of help," Stuart said. "I had to reteach her the discus the first summer that I met her. Her shot put technique was basically good; we just had to work on using the circle better. She has a 45-foot standing throw, which is off the charts. I've never even heard of that in high school. It's from having basic good throwing technique, and she's awfully strong for a girl; she bench-presses 210 pounds."
If Sargent needs advice on how to deal with the ups and downs of an athletic career, she doesn't have to look beyond the family dinner table.
In addition to her father's athletic background, twin brother Noah was the starting quarterback on Powers' MHSAA Division 5 runner-up football team in the fall and older sister Jordan is a defender on Oakland University's soccer team.
"My mom (Tracy) played sports, as well," Sargent said. "We grew up working out together. We were always watching a football game. Sports has always been a big part of my life. My twin brother and I have always competed against each other, even though we do different sports. We've always been that rival with each other. 'I'll shoot baskets with you if you'll toss the volleyball.'"
An accomplished athlete in her own right, Nikole relished taking on the role of cheerleader when her brother led Powers to Ford Field.
"I was the leader of our student section," she said. "I started all the cheers. I was always in the front row. That was an amazing memory."
Bill Khan served as a sportswriter at The Flint Journal from 1981-2011 and currently contributes to the State Champs! Sports Network. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Sanilac, Huron, Tuscola, Saginaw, Bay, Arenac, Midland and Gladwin counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Flint Powers' Nikole Sargent unloads the shot during a meet last season. (Middle) Sargent tosses the discus during the Earlybird meet at Flint Kearsley on April 13. (Photos courtesy of the Sargent family and Flint Powers athletic department.)
Preview: UP Girls Finals Paced By Parade of Returning Champions
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
May 28, 2026
More than two-thirds of last season’s individual champions – winners in 28 of 39 events – will return Saturday to fill out a star-studded lineup at the Upper Peninsula Girls Track & Field Finals.
All three divisions will be hosted by Kingsford High School, with preliminaries leading off the day at 9 a.m. local (Central) time. Tickets cost $11 and are available digitally only via GoFan.
MHSAA.tv will live-stream the meets beginning at 9 a.m. (CDT)/10 a.m. (EDT), viewable with subscription. Check out the Girls Track & Field page for meet information and lists of all qualifiers.
Those described as "seeded" below have received those seeds based on Regional performances or early qualification during the regular season. (Although not noted for most, several individuals below also will run on contending relays.)
Following is a glance at team contenders and individuals to watch in all three divisions:
Division 1
Team forecast: Negaunee is the reigning champion and has won two of the last four Division 1 titles – and might have their most dominant team of this recent run. The Miners scored 105.5 points to win their Regional by 70, while Marquette – last year’s Finals runner-up, won theirs by 22 points over Gladstone. Negaunee outscored Marquette 155-109 at the top of last year’s meet.
Baylie Bourdeau, Negaunee senior: The reigning discus champion will throw for a repeat after finishing third at her Regional, and also will compete in shot put.
Ella Brackett, Gladstone sophomore: She debuted last season in a big way winning the 200 and finishing second in the 400, and she enters this weekend with the third-fastest Regional 100 (13.03) and second-fastest 200 (26.48) and 400 (1:03.24).
Ella Fure, Marquette senior: She’s twice won the 3,200 (including last season) and finished first in the 1,600 once as well, and enters with the fastest seed times in those races (11:56.38 and 5:36.68, respectively) and the 800 (2:28.76).
Maggie Karl, Gladstone sophomore: She has a chance to star entering top-seeded in the pole vault (10-7), tied for the top seed in the high jump (4-10) and fourth in the 100 hurdles.
Sadie Rogers, Negaunee junior: She swept the hurdles titles last season and won the 100 hurdles as a freshman as well, and she has the top seed time in the 100 hurdles (16.24) and 300 hurdles (47.63) and fourth-fastest in the 200.
Taylen Todd, Marquette junior: The reigning long jump champion had the second-farthest at Regionals (16-5) and also could run on two top-seeded relays.
Keira Waterman, Negaunee junior: She’s won the 400 and 800 both of her first two seasons and is seeded first in the 400 (1:02.02), fifth in the 800, seventh in the 200 and third in long jump (15-4).
Division 2
Team forecast: Pickford’s championship last spring was its first since winning Division 3 in 2007, and Rudyard will seek to be next to make a jump as it pursues its first Finals team title since 1977 after finishing 12 points ahead of Pickford at their Regional. West Iron County and Ewen-Trout Creek were 1-2 in another close Regional. The Wykons were only three points behind Pickford at last year’s Final and have finished runners-up three of the last four seasons after winning the title in 2021.
Lauren Adams, Norway senior: She won the 100 and 200 last season and is seeded first in both (13.17 and 27.73, respectively) and second in the 400 (1:03.09).
Brielle Anderson, Painesdale Jeffers junior: The reigning long jump champion had the longest Regional leap (14-10) and also will run the 100.
Amelia Fountain, Rudyard sophomore: She finished first in the 400, tied for second in pole vault, third in the 200 and fourth in the 100 last season and enters this weekend seeded second in the 100 (13.19) and 200 (28.03), first in the 400 (1:02.28) and fourth in the pole vault.
Mira Johnson, Bark River-Harris junior: She’s won the pole vault the last two seasons at 8 foot, which was also her Regional vault this month that is ranked second in Division 2.
Talya Schreiber, Pickford senior: She’s won five individual and a relay championship over the last two seasons, claiming the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 a year ago. She’s seeded this time first in the 800 (2:31.23) by five seconds, first in the 1,600 by more than 16 seconds and first in the 3,200 by nearly two minutes.
Bristol Shamion, West Iron County sophomore: She swept the hurdles races and won high jump as a freshman and is seeded second in the 100 hurdles (17.83), first in the 300 (48.52), fifth in the 200 and first in the high jump (5-2).
Division 3
Team forecast: Newberry was first and Lake Linden-Hubbell second last year, reversing their positions from 2024, and LL-H is a Regional champion this time while Newberry finished second to Brimley earlier this month. LL-H will turn to its relays to make a run at another team title, while Newberry’s distance dominance should keep it in contention and Brimley has interesting possibilities especially in field events, hurdles and relays. Dollar Bay and Crystal Falls Forest Park also have scoring opportunities in several events.
Laila Bell, Dollar Bay junior: Last season’s long jump champion tied for the longest leap (16-0) at Regionals and will run on a contending 400 relay.
Destiny Bleau, Big Bay de Noc sophomore: She’s won the 200 the last two seasons (including as an eighth grader in 2024) and is seeded first in that race (26.12) plus the 100 (12.83) and 400 (1:00.87). She’s also seeded third (tied) in the high jump at 5-0.
Kiera Isaacson, Dollar Bay senior: She’s won the high jump the last two seasons and her 5-2 at Regionals was tied for highest in Division 3. She will join Bell on the 400 relay.
Tallulah Slabosheski, Brimley senior: She swept the throws as a junior and enters this weekend with the second-seeded shot put (32-2½) and top discus toss (115-8) .
Abby Taylor, Newberry junior: She won the 800 and was second in the 1,600 and 3,200 to her sister Samantha (see below) last season. She’s seeded first in the 800 (2:29.68) and second to her sister in the 1,600 (5:44.72) and 3,200 (12:41.50) this time.
Samantha Taylor, Newberry senior: After claiming two straight championships in the 1,600 and adding the 3,200 win last spring, she’ll enter her last Finals seeded first in both at 5:18.58 and 11:45.51, respectively.
Avery Visnaw, St. Ignace senior: The reigning pole vault champion ascended 10 feet at Regionals to outpace the division by a foot, and she’s also seeded third in the 100 hurdles (17.28) and fourth in the 300.
PHOTOS (Top) West Iron County's Bristol Shamion wins the high jump with a jump of 5-0 during the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference championship meet May 20. (Middle) From left, Crystal Falls Forest Park's Audrey Williams, Marquette's Emma Ziegler and Negaunee's Keira Waterman run the 800 at the Negaunee Lions Invitational on May 8. Waterman took first place, Williams second and Marquette's Ziegler took third. (Photos by Cara Kamps.)