MHSA(Q&)A: Norway track champion Dani Gagne
June 7, 2012
By Brian Spencer
Second Half
Norway senior Dani Gagne might not be a familiar name among the Lower Peninsula track and field community. But in the Upper Peninsula, she's built a legacy that will be talked about for years to come.
Gagne won four Upper Peninsula Division 2 championships Saturday, giving her 10 MHSAA championships total for her high school career. She set a UP Division 2 Finals record in the 200-meter dash of 26.42, and also won the 100 (12.62), 400 (1:00.65) and long jump (15-foot-9).
Gagne also played volleyball and basketball at Norway. She's signed to run at Hillsdale College next season.
What sort of camps did you attend to get your times down?
I only went to one camp, and that was in 2009. The camp was held at the University of Michigan. They gave us pointers on good technique, how to move your hands when running, and how to get a good start from the blocks. I found that the advice that I got from the blocks was most worthwhile and helped me this past season the most.
What was the best advice you’ve received to help you reach the success that you have with track?
Well, there was this one guy (track coach from Loyola), who said I should look at everybody else as if they were in my race, and to visualize owning the race; make the race my own to win or lose.
What other colleges were you thinking of and how did you decide to go to Hillsdale?
I was looking at schools like Michigan Tech and Lake Superior State for track. I am glad that I decided on Hillsdale, though, and am excited for the experience to begin.
Who’s your favorite athlete and why?
Well, I’ve never thought about this much, but if I had to choose, Lori (Lolo) Jones is probably my favorite athlete. She’s a good runner. (Jones is a U.S. Olympian and was an NCAA champion hurdler at Louisiana State University).
How much did your back injury affect your events?
I suffered from an SI (sacroiliac) joint discomfort. It wasn’t a terrible injury, however, I did notice it a little bit when I ran. I noticed it more when I did the long jump. Jumping wasn’t terrible, but when I hit the sand, that’s when I was reminded that my back was uncomfortable the most.
What are you going to study at Hillsdale?
Exercise science.
PHOTO courtesy of the Gagne family.
Speedy Sprint-Distance Tandem Carries Buckley to 1st Championship
By
Tom Lang
Special for MHSAA.com
June 3, 2023
HUDSONVILLE – Buckley capitalized on the balance of junior distance star Aiden Harrand and freshman standout sprinter Brooklyn Fraeze to rack up the points needed to win the Lower Peninsula Division 4 track & field championship with 52 points Saturday at Hudsonville.
The team title was Buckley’s first in girls track & field.
Harrand won the 1,600 for the third-consecutive year and added titles in the 800 and the 3,200, leading her team to the championship. Those three wins followed her cross country Finals championship from the fall.
“I think it’s kind of fun,” she said about racking up the titles. “My team motivates me, I mean we’re in it as a group and my points matter, so I do it for them.
“It was a cool experience to have, winning those two,” she said about the two longest races, the 1,600 and 3,200, which were the hardest of the overall meet due to the low 90s/high 80s heat and searing sun all day. Race officials allowed the unique opportunity for coaches to spray the runners with water and give them water bottles.
“The water on the backstretch was so nice, and I’m really glad it was there,” Harrand said about the unusual experience. “My coaches were spraying me, and that was so nice to have.
“And our girls took first overall, so we’re really excited for that. Me and Brooklynn (Fraeze) had lots of points, and our 4 x 400 (eighth place) got us the last points we needed. It was amazing, and this is why we do it.”
Fraeze, a freshman, won 100 dash with a personal best of 12.47. She added a runner-up finish in the 200.
“I was like, oh my gosh I’m doing it, the finish line is right there,” she said about the last 10 meters of the 100, as she finished just ahead of Molly Brown of Addison (12.57).
Brown later won the 100 hurdles.
“The girl who got second place, I felt her at like the halfway point and I was telling myself ‘I’ve got to go,’” Brown said of the hurdles win. “And after I finished the race, I was thinking about it and I heard my family yelling for me. I saw my dad and I started crying; there’s just a lot of emotions.”
Her team finished sixth.
Portland St. Patrick was the team runner-up, just three points back at 49. Indian River Inland Lakes took third, Fowler was fourth and Hillsdale Academy took fifth.
Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart senior Anna Plum successfully defended her 300 hurdles title.
“I think I was actually seeded third, but I had high expectations since I won last year and I really wanted that again,” Plum said. “It’s kind of like validation.
“We put in great practices, and God, honestly,” she credited as factors for her win and the team’s focus. “We are Sacred Heart and believe in God and put a lot of trust in that.
“My feet are pretty hot right now,” Plum added about the weather conditions. “I bet I’ve got some pretty big blisters. I don’t even know how the 3,200 runners do it. It was insane today.”
Rylee Scheurer led St. Patrick by winning the 200 (25.82), and Natalie Wandrie keyed Inland Lakes’ pursuit with wins in the shot put (39-8) and discus (128-11). Frankfort in the 400 (50.68), Fowler in the 800 (1:47.17) and Hillsdale Academy in the 1,600 (4:08.08) and 3,200 (9:57.73) were relay champions, and Beal City’s Kaylee Locke won the 400 (58.55).
Marlette’s Olivia Findlay won the high jump (5-4) and Wyoming Potter’s House Christian’s Sohanny Gonzalez-Castillo won the long jump (17-4). Deckerville’s Rebecca Moeller was first in the pole vault (10-6).
PHOTOS (Top) Buckley's Aiden Harrand sets the pace in the 1,600 on Saturday. (Middle) Addison's Molly Brown celebrates her win in the 100 hurdles. (Below) Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart's Anna Plum clears a hurdle during the 300. (Photos by Ken Swart/RunMichigan.com.)