Marquette Girls Prove Peninsula Power

By John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com

June 1, 2013

KINGSFORD — Any questions?

The Marquette Redettes proved they're the Upper Peninsula's best girls track and field team beyond any shadow of a doubt Saturday, claiming their third straight Division 1 title with 145 points.

"We had a (triangular) meet in Escanaba on Tuesday, and it worked out well," said Marquette coach John Peterson. "I think it helped us keep our competitive edge."

Negaunee edged Escanaba 62½-54 for the runner-up trophy.

Freshman distance ace Lindsey Rudden set U.P. meet records in the 800-meter run in 2 minutes. 16.46 seconds, the 1,600 (5:05.5) and 3,200 (11:26.13) and helped the Redettes win the 3,200 relay.

Her effort in the 800 also was a school record.

"Three U.P. records in one day is pretty amazing," Peterson said. "Shayla Huebner running a 59-second quarter is also an excellent performance. We had so many kids do well today. They responded to every challenge in their way. This was just a fun day to see them compete."

Rudden's effort topped a pair of U.P. records from 2001, including a 2:21.3 clocking by Menominee's Mandy Long in the 800 and 11:38.2 by Sault Ste. Marie's Natalie Cahill in the 3,200.

 

 

 

Also falling by the wayside was the previous 1,600 record (5:19.73) by Iron Mountain's Kelly McClure in 2005.

"I felt great today," Rudden said. "Although I was also real nervous after what happened in the U.P. Cross Country Finals last fall. I have great teammates who will lift you when you're down. We all support and push each other. In the 3,200 relay, all the girls gave it their all. We were just nine seconds off the U.P. record."

Rudden, who went undefeated in all three distance events this spring, also was unbeaten going into the Cross Country Finals.

On that day, she was well ahead of the field with a half mile left in the 3.1-mile race at Munising when she became dehydrated, passed out and needed to be helped off the course.

"I'm realizing I need to become more serious about my running," Rudden said. "I need to be more focused. There's more pressure as it gets later in the season, especially when you're undefeated."

Huebner, who won the 400 at 59.29, added a second place in the 800 (2:21.32) and helped the winning 1,600 and 3,200 relays.

In the field events, sophomore Kirsten Iwanski won shot put at 31 feet, 4 inches, and Hunter Viitala took high jump (5-1).

"Marquette is getting some points in the field events," Peterson said. "It's so much fun to see the kids when they start in the spring and see how far they come. You can't beat the U.P. Finals. This is the best athletic event in the U.P., bar none."

Negaunee's leader was senior Ashley Veale, who won the 100 hurdles (16.57) and 300 (47.31).

Calumet sophomore Chelsea Jacques won the 100 (12.62) and 200 (26.62) and helped the winning 400 relay.

Click for full results.

PHOTOS: (Top) Marquette freshman Lindsey Rudden leads the pack during one of her three record-setting races Saturday. (Middle) The Redettes pose with their championship trophy after a third-straight Finals win. (Photos courtesy of Marquette High School.)

Moment: Michell Comes Back to Win 4 Again

April 23, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Only 12 athletes in MHSAA history have won four individual events at a Track & Field Finals.

This week we'll recall three, starting with one of only three to achieve the rare accomplishment twice.

Reed City's Sami Michell had won four championships as a junior in 2012 at the Lower Peninsula Division 3 Finals. But she faced another major challenge before taking to the track in 2013 -- she had torn her left ACL during the fall's volleyball season and was finishing recovery as spring began.

But what a comeback. She didn't break any of her three Division 3 Finals records set in 2012 (and she still holds all three including the all-Finals record in the 300 hurdles). But she did repeat winning the 200-meter dash, 100 and 300 hurdles and long jump, single-handedly scoring 40 points to make Reed City the team runner-up. 

Those four titles gave her 12 individual Finals championships for her career.

“I don’t know how I did it again,” Michell said after the races that day. “This has been the worst year with the knee surgery and losing out on volleyball and all the indoor track meets. Then we had awful weather, and it was hard to get ready this spring.

“But I never gave up hope on winning four more titles. Even when the injury happened, I never said I was done. The toughest part of this was the physical part. Mentally it was depressing. (But) I have supportive parents, family and friends help me work through it.”

Michell went on to run at University of Michigan and then her final collegiate season at Cal State-Northridge.

Click to check out full coverage of her 2013 Finals from Second Half and see her winning races below from the NFHS Network.