St Ignace Girls Take Back Top Spot

By John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com

October 25, 2020

The St. Ignace girls won for the first time in three years, squeezing past two-time reigning champion Hancock 53-54.

The Saints had finished runners-up to Hancock the last two seasons, finishing 22 points back in 2019 and 36 in 2018. 

St. Ignace’s five runners all crossed among the top 16 individuals. Hancock crossed three of the top eight.

Third-place Ironwood had 73 points. Ironwood junior Aundrea Stengard gained top individual honors at 23:28.1, followed by Ishpeming freshman Lola Korpi (23:42.9), Hancock sophomore Maylie Kilpela (25:10.5), St. Ignace freshman Wisteria Brady (25:13.7) and Hancock junior Sierrah Driscoll (25:25.8).

"I just wanted to stay with her and then maybe get a lead at the end, which is kind've what I did," Stengard said of running with Korpi. "For the first two miles I ran with her, and then the third mile I managed to get a little lead. 

"Some spots were slippery, so I struggled a little with that. But otherwise it went pretty well."

She added that running in the snow definitely made for a more difficult race, and the times showed it. But sun or snow, the opportunity to compete was worth it.

"It was just so different from normal years, with all the corona(virus) stuff and everything, and the snow, it was just really different," Stengard said. "But I'm glad we got to have a season overall." 

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PHOTOS: Ironwood’s Aundrea Stengard takes the final paces of her championship-winning race Saturday at George Young Recreational Complex. (Below) St. Ignace claimed its first Finals championship since 2017. (Photos by Theresa Proudfit.)

Title IX at 50: Lola Korpi's Story

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

September 13, 2022

Lola Korpi broke onto the state’s cross country scene with an Upper Peninsula Division 2 runner-up finish as a freshman in 2020, and she’s only continued to build on her fast start. Korpi moved up to claim the UPD2 championship last fall, and she’s also won the 800, 1,600 and 3,200-meter races at both of her first two UPD2 Track & Field Finals.

Korpi is undefeated in three cross country races this season, with a low time of 20:40 at the Queen City Invitational at Presque Isle Park in Marquette. In addition to starring again on the course, she’s also helping her father Shay Korpi coach the Ishpeming Middle School girls and boys cross country teams.

 

 

 

 

 

 


"When I was little, like when I was in middle school, I used to run with the boys all the time and I used to be able to keep up with them and train with the boys. I used to run JV opens, and I would race with the boys, and it was just such an amazing opportunity to do that.

"I help my dad coach the middle school cross country program at our school. He let me pretty much take it over … and that’s a thing I really like to do. I really enjoy passing off everything I know about running in hopes to rebuild the cross country program at my school."

 

Second Half's weekly Title IX Celebration posts are sponsored by Michigan Army National Guard.

Previous Title IX at 50 Spotlights

Oct. 4: Ruby Whitehorn's Story - Read
Sept. 27:
Eliana Bommarito's Story - Read
Sept. 20: Anna Tracey's Story - Read
Sept. 13:
Lola Korpi's Story - Read
Sept. 6:
Meah Bajt's Story - Read
Aug. 30: 
Morgan Brunner's Story - Read
Aug. 23:
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Aug. 16:
Paige Miller's Story - Read
Aug. 9:
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Aug. 2:
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Oct. 26: Coach Clegg Sets Championship Standard at Grand Blanc - Read
Oct. 19: Rockford Girls Set Pace, Hundreds After Have Continued to Chase - Read
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