Slattery's High-Scoring Day Helps Hackett Catholic Prep Prevail by Slimmest of Margins

By Brian Freiberger 
Special for MHSAA.com

May 30, 2026

HUDSONVILLE – Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep junior Clara Slattery made sure her name will remain known after Saturday. 

The junior took home Lower Peninsula Division 4 Finals championships in the 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles, along with a blazing fast 200-meter time of 25.26 to win her third event of the day. 

All of those helped the Fighting Irish claim the team championship with 44 points – just one more than Hudson. The title was the program's first in this sport.

“It means a lot since last year I struggled in the 200 and 300, and it was good for me to get back. It helps show me that my training is paying off,” Slattery said. “I will take with me most from this season being around my friends and teammates, especially those seniors that are graduating. They really help when they're screaming at me, pushing me to go even harder.”

Frankfort finished a close third in the team standings, with Fowler fourth and Whitmore Lake and Gobles tied for fifth.

Alcona senior Addi Beatty broke LPD4 Finals record in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.22. She also had quality performances in the high jump and long jump, finishing fifth and fourth, respectively. 

Alcona's Addi Beatty, middle, runs to the 100-meter dash title. “I have been working for this for years,” Beatty said. “Last year I got state runner-up (in the 100), and I was a little sad about it, so it's good to come here this year and win it all.” 

Concord sophomore Annie Saenz placed her name into history as well after breaking the 25-year-old girls high jump record with a leap of 5 feet, 8 inches. To go along with the meet record, Saenz now holds the school record as well. 

“It feels great. I've been working hard to get the records … that’s been my goal all season. I hope to just keep working hard, keep reaching higher heights, and, like, be happy about this, but focus on the next thing,” Saenz said.

Mancelona junior Leili Frollo took home the top honor in pole vault with a height of 11 feet to win her first Finals championship. Despite attempts being hours in-between, Frollo remained focused.

“It was kind of slow because people were checking out for an event, so I waited hours between my jumps, which is really different for me,” Frollo said. “I was just really glad that I had my coaches and family supporting me. I am super excited. I've been wanting this for a while, and I worked so hard, so I feel so proud of myself that I was finally able to accomplish that.” 

Gobles 3,200 champion Libby Smith blazed her way to the title with a time of 11:16 in a highly-contested race. 

“I just went out racing. I was worried about time. I didn't even start my watch. I can't even look at this,” Smith said.

Around the 900-meter mark, Smith hit the turbo boost, and luckily she had enough in the tank to finish the race because 1,600 champion Kaylie Livingston of Whitmore Lake was at her heels.

Gobles’ 3,200 relay team of Smith, Lauren Shaffer, Ava DeYoung and Madison Cooley also earned a championship. 

“I’m not giving up by myself when it gets hard; I just keep pushing through,” Smith said.

Lilly Szappan from St. Charles won the adaptive shot put with a throw of 18 feet, 8.7 inches.

“It just proves to me that I can do more than I think I'm capable of at times,” she said. “A lot of people say that just because I am different, that I can't do as much or can't do as well. But this just proves everybody wrong. And it proves to myself that I can do good things.”

Other champions included Saginaw Nouvel Catholic Central’s Claire Long in the 400, Kingston’s Norah Kiley in the 800, St. Louis’ Tess Farkas in the shot put, Unionville-Sebewaing’s Ryleigh Ewald in the discus and Buckley’s Brooklynn Frazee in the long jump. Frankfort’s 400 relay, Portland St. Patrick’s 800 relay and Kingston’s 1,600 relay also were winners.

Click for full results.

PHOTOS (Top) Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep's Clara Slattery, second from left, charges over a hurdle on the way to winning the 100 hurdles championship Saturday. (Middle) Alcona's Addi Beatty, middle, runs to the 100-meter dash title. (Click for more from Ken Swart/RunMichigan.com.)

Flashback 100: MHSAA Titles Just Start for NCAA Champion, Olympian Stark

May 6, 2025

In the time it takes to list just a few of Grace Stark’s achievements, the former White Lake Lakeland track star could blaze through the 100-meter hurdles race – twice.

A 2019 graduate of Lakeland, Stark made her mark early. As a junior in 2018, she set an MHSAA Finals record in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.16 seconds. That same year, she also captured the Lower Peninsula Division 1 title in the 100-meter dash. She returned as a senior to win a second championship in the 100-meter hurdles.

Stark continued her dominance at the University of Florida, where she rewrote the record books. She holds the fastest times in program history for the outdoor 100-meter hurdles, the indoor 60-meter hurdles and the indoor 60-meter dash. In 2024, she earned first-team All-America honors for both the indoor and outdoor seasons and was crowned NCAA champion in the outdoor 100-meter hurdles. She had previously won the NCAA indoor 60-meter hurdles title in 2022.

Stark reached the global stage at the 2024 Paris Olympics, placing fifth in the 100-meter hurdles while representing Team USA. She crossed the finish line just a tenth of a second behind gold medalist – and fellow American – Masai Russell. Stark's Olympic appearance followed another international highlight: She previously won the gold medal in the 100-meter hurdles at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Argentina.

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