Stockford Reigns, Ithaca Earns 1st Title
June 4, 2016
By Jeff Chaney
Special for Second Half
COMSTOCK PARK – Last year Hailey Stockford came out of nowhere to win a pair of sprinting championships at the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 3 Track & Field Finals at Comstock Park High School.
This year, all eyes were on her.
As the reigning champion in the 100 and 200-meter dashes, the Sanford Meridian senior knew everyone at this year's Finals on Saturday, again at Comstock Park, wanted to dethrone here.
That was wishful thinking, as Stockford easily repeated in both events, winning the 100 in 12.27 seconds and the 200 in 25.29.
"It is a little harder to defend, because last year was my first year in track and no one knew who I was," said Stockford, who will be continuing her career at Saginaw Valley State University on a full scholarship. "This year I had the target on my back, and I don't know if I liked that. But I knew I was capable of dealing with it."
Those might have been the last of a long list of defenses for Stockford, but she started running track only last year as she also was a star on her school's softball team.
But her speed could not be ignored.
"In gym class, I ran the 40-yard dash and had a good time, and my coach, Mike Bilina, said I should really go out for track," Stockford said. "I played softball, but decided it was a good idea, and went out. Glad I did; it paid off."
Stockford's were two of many great performances on a perfect day for track and field. But collectively as a group, the day belonged to Ithaca, which won its first MHSAA team title in the sport with a score of 57.5 points, 3.5 more than runner-up Adrian Madison.
"Our goal coming in was to win," Ithaca coach Gene Lebron said "We scored 38 points last year and finished in fourth, and we didn't lose anybody. I am so proud of these girls, and so proud of the work they put in."
Ithaca was led to its title by senior Erica Sheahan, who repeated in the long jump with a leap of 17-10.25.
When talking about the Bullough family of Traverse City, a word that comes to mind is toughness.
That was never so true than Saturday, as St. Francis' Holly Bullough, younger sister of Max, Byron and Riley Bullough – who all played, or are now playing, football for Michigan State University – ran with a stress fracture in her left foot.
With a foot that requires a walking boot when she is not competing, Bullough won the 1,600 with a meet record time of 4 minutes, 52.63 seconds.
She also won the 800 in a time of 2:12.22 and was a member of the Gladiators' 1,600-meter relay team that took second with a time of 4:03.07.
"When I run, it's not as bad, but it really hurts after," said Bullough, who will be joining Byron and Riley at MSU this fall. "I felt good today. I haven't had a meet in a week and a half, so I have just been cross training. Today I just needed to get back into a rhythm."
Clare's Kasey Staley had a busy 10 minutes in her Finals events, as she ran for her team's 800-meter relay team that set a new school record of 1:46.91 and took third, and then came back to win the pole vault with a vault of 12 feet, 4 inches – a new meet record.
"The adrenaline was pumping," said Staley, a junior. "I did feel nervous because I just ran in the relay and came back to the pit. I made 11-8, and then went for 12-4 and when I made it on my second jump, it was the greatest feeling in the world."
PHOTOS: (Top) Sanford Meridian's Hailey Stockford (far left) is announced as the 100 meter champion Saturday at Comstock Park. (Middle) Ithaca's Emily Foster competes in the 300 hurdles; she finished fifth. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.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.)