Multi-Sprint Champ Racing to Finish Huron Career Ahead of the Rest Again
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
May 25, 2023
NEW BOSTON – If there was one thing Elizabeth Anderson took pride in elementary school, it was simply showing that she could outrun everyone in sight.
In fact, Anderson has an explanation for all the success she had in those playground races.
“Dominance when you are in elementary school,” Anderson quipped. “I don’t think I ever had a nickname. I just think everyone knew I was fast.”
Years later, pretty much everyone who follows track & field in the state of Michigan can attest to that.
A senior for New Boston Huron, Anderson has been faster than most other competitors in the state during her three-year high school career (with her freshman season in 2020 canceled due to COVID-19).
Last year, Anderson won titles at the Lower Peninsula Division 2 Finals in the 200-meter (25.07) and 400-meter (56.28) dashes, and was runner-up in the 100-meter dash (12.23).
Often, top sprinters focus on one or two of those three races. But Anderson is certainly a different breed of sprinter because she does all three.
In fact, she holds school records in all three of those events, and if all that weren’t enough, Anderson is a part of all three sprint relay teams.
“It is hard to give her events off,” said New Boston Huron head girls track coach Danielle Lobato.
Despite the different styles the 100, 200 and 400-meter dashes present, Anderson said there usually isn’t much adjusting when she goes from one of those races to another.
The strategy is simply, “Let’s beat the other girls to the finish line.”
“I don’t really go into each race changing up how I would run,” she said.
While enjoying and succeeding in all three races, Anderson said she actually does have a favorite among them.
“I would say the 400 is probably my favorite,” she said. “Even though it hurts, it’s satisfying to see how much you can get your time down in the 400 compared to any other race.”
Anderson said she started running track in sixth grade, but really got serious about it during the summer after her sophomore season, when she was invited to run for a local club.
Eventually, that led to her competing over the winter in indoor events.
She lived and breathed track so much that last fall, she decided to not run cross country so she could focus on a weightlifting regimen aimed at developing more leg strength.
“Once I started doing summer track, I realized I wanted to be doing this all the time,” she said.
Lobato said oftentimes in practice, Anderson is a de facto coach, given there is no better person she can think of for the younger runners on the team to learn from.
“I can’t always demonstrate these things I’m trying to teach,” she said. “You get to see it in real life (from Anderson), not in a YouTube video.”
After winning the 100, 200 and 400-meter dashes at her Regional meet last week, Anderson has her sights set on achieving the same trifecta of titles at next Saturday’s Finals in Grand Rapids.
Anderson has signed to run track at Michigan State, but has been plenty motivated to keep producing this spring in her final high school season.
“I’m really looking to defend my titles,” she said. “That is what is really motivating me to keep going. I want to keep in shape for the college season. I don’t want to lose any of the progress I have made. Ultimately, I just love running track.”
And since elementary school, Anderson has loved — and succeeded in — outrunning everyone else to the finish line.
“We knew we were getting something special,” Lobato said of when Anderson arrived in high school. “But you never expect this. All that she has accomplished is amazing.”
Keith Dunlap has served in Detroit-area sports media for more than two decades, including as a sportswriter at the Oakland Press from 2001-16 primarily covering high school sports but also college and professional teams. His bylines also have appeared in USA Today, the Washington Post, the Detroit Free Press, the Houston Chronicle and the Boston Globe. He served as the administrator for the Oakland Activities Association’s website from 2017-2020. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties
PHOTOS (Top) New Boston Huron's Elizabeth Anderson clears the finish line during last season's LPD2 400 race. (Middle) Anderson, middle, outpaces the field to also win the 200. (Click for more from RunMichigan.com.)
Oak Park, Returning Individual Champs Lead Chase Again at Star-Filled Finals
By
Steve Vedder
Special for MHSAA.com
June 1, 2024
Abby Russell has no problem throwing as the favorite with everyone else hoping to catch her.
In fact, the Allen Park senior embraces summoning up her best efforts in both the discus and shot put every time she lines up to throw. Russell said she's never equated success with the pressure of being a state champion.
"To be honest, no," said Russell, who closed out a stellar career by winning those two events at Saturday's Lower Peninsula Division 1 Finals at East Kentwood. "I just focus on myself. Going to see a sports psychologist has helped me a lot with that. We talk about the work you have to put in, and (success) being a consistency thing."
Whether it's pure talent or seeking professional guidance or the ability to deal with pressure, Russell finished off an outstanding career in winning the discus (156-6) and the shot (46-10) on Saturday. The two titles are added to a first as a sophomore and third as a junior in the shot. She's now a three-time champ in the discus.
The wins at East Kentwood were also personally rewarding to Russell, who didn't place in the shot as a freshman at Falcon Stadium. It's one of the few places where the University of Michigan-bound Russell figures she could have done better.
"I was real bad as a freshman, so I was happy to get back here again," she said. "I had a great time back then. I just didn't do what I wanted."
While Russell was among those dominating the individual meet Saturday, Oak Park was sweeping its way to a team title. The Knights finished with 88 points to easily outdistance runner-up Ann Arbor Pioneer's 42. Detroit Renaissance was third with 35 points, East Kentwood was fourth with 34 and Saginaw Heritage had 30.
Oak Park coach Brandon Jiles, whose team collected its eighth Finals title under his leadership, said he wasn't sure what type of showing a young team would make Saturday. Of the 35 athletes on the roster, just three are seniors.
Still, Jiles thought the team would be in the hunt along with Pioneer, Renaissance and Detroit Cass Tech. At least part of the success was winning the 800 (1:38.10), 400 (47.53) and 1,600 (3:47.99) relays. The other firsts were by senior Morgan Roundtree in the 300 hurdles (41.31), freshman Nevaeh Burns in the 400 (55.02) and senior Kylee King (2:10.53) in the 800.
"We thought we had a shot. We just take it one event at a time and do what we have to do. We only have three seniors, but they're really good kids. We'll have some good girls back next year, and they know they'll have to step up and score," Jiles said.
"I'm a very competitive person when I see other teams that are good. I think the girls are like that too. We're ready when it comes to championship time."
Roundtree said her two chief goals at the meet were accomplished. She wanted to join a long list of successful Oak Park sprinters while also leading a young team to a championship.
"I want to motivate my teammates, and I think I was able to do that," said Roundtree, whose 300 time is ninth best in the country. "We've had some good sprinters here, and I really wanted to become one of them."
Among the other champions was Lena Cleveland of Rochester, who went from finishing fourth in the long jump a year ago to winning (18-2) that event Saturday. Cleveland is a former sprinter who traded the 100 and 200 for the long jump a couple of years ago.
"I wanted to try the long jump, and it's worked out," she said. "I put in a lot of hard work over the summer and in indoor. I also worked hard in strength training in the gym. I didn't used to have access to a (long jump) pit, but I was able to put in the work."
Rachel Forsyth of Ann Arbor Pioneer won the 1,600 (4:38.28) and 3,200 (10:15.57) to cap an outstanding four-year career. A two-time cross country Finals champ, Forsyth overcame illness to win the 1,600 a year ago. She was coming off a trip to the Trial of Miles meet in New York a couple of weeks ago, but said the Finals featured virtually no mental letdown.
"Maybe a little, but you can't control it," she said. "You can only control what you're doing that day. And I think I ran well. It was great because my sister was in the same three events I was in in 2017."
The other champions Saturday were Kamryn Tatum of West Bloomfield in the 200 (24.63), Brooke Bowers of Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central in the pole vault (12-9), Madison Morson of Salem in the high jump (5-10), Maya Rollins of Ann Arbor Pioneer (13.86) in the 100 hurdles, Willow Mason of Saginaw Heritage in the 200 (24.66) and Keyanna O'Tey of Sturgis in the 100 (12.08). West Ottawa won the 3,200 relay (9:00.27), and Fenton sophomore Molly Katic (100), Clarkston freshman Allison Thurman (200) and Sturgis freshman Vivian Massey (shot put) were the adaptive event champions.
PHOTOS (Top) Oak Park celebrates its latest LP Division 1 team championship Saturday at East Kentwood. (Middle) Ann Arbor Pioneer’s Rachel Forsyth leads the pack in the 1,600. (Click for more from John Brabbs/RunMichigan.com.)