Preview: Restart Could Reveal New LP Girls Contenders
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
June 4, 2021
A year away because of COVID-19 makes anticipating champions at Saturday’s Lower Peninsula Girls Track & Field Finals even more difficult than usual.
Of course, frequent favorite Oak Park is back in Division 1 and is almost assured of being in that title mix with a few more speedy teams including Detroit Renaissance. But as for the other three divisions? There are plenty of possibilities, including teams that haven’t been in the conversation much before.
Events begin at 10 a.m. (EDT) and tickets to attend can be purchased online only at GoFan. The meets also will be broadcast on MHSAA.tv and viewable with subscription. Click to watch each division: LPD1 | LPD2 | LPD3 | LPD4.
Below is a glance at team contenders and individuals to watch in all four divisions.
Division 1 at East Kentwood
Top Regional scores: Northville 164, Macomb Dakota 144, Detroit Cass Tech 143.
Team forecast: Oak Park has won the last two Division 1 championships and four of the last five (finishing runner-up in 2017). The Knights might be the team to chase again with top seeds in four events and two more lower-seeded relay contenders. Detroit Renaissance was runner-up in 2019 and should be in the mix with high finishes in the sprints and sprint relays, while Ann Arbor Huron has contenders all over the running events plus the top-seeded long jumper.
Fatouma Conde, Ann Arbor Huron: If Huron is to make a team title run, Conde most certainly will play one of the largest parts. She’s seeded second in the 100 and 200 and is expected to run on the top-seeded 400 relay (47.46) and second-seeded 1,600 relay.
Audrey DaDamio, Birmingham Seaholm: The Division 1 cross country champion in the fall will be looking to add a few more titles in her final meet for the Maples. She’s seeded first in the 1,600 (4:50.01) – which her sister Rachel won in 2015 – and also in the 3,200 (10:40.72), and she’s the third seed in the 800.
Kaila Jackson, Detroit Renaissance: Jackson made an immediate impact in her Finals debut in 2019 with championships in the 200 and as part of the 800 relay to go with a runner-up finish in the 100. Now a junior, her top-seeded 11.58 in the 100 lines her up to chase the all-Finals record of 11.54, and her top-seeded 23.71 in the 200 is faster than the all-Finals record of 23.74. She’ll also run on the top-seeded 800 relay (1:37.91) and second-seeded 400 relay.
Opal Jackson, Macomb L’Anse Creuse North: The senior thrower is the favorite in both the shot put (47-3) and discus (145-2) with her Regional tosses in those events two and four feet, respectively, farther than the next best in these fields.
Jada Roundtree, Oak Park: One of many Oak Park standouts, Roundtree is the top seed in the 400 (55.47) and will run on the top-seeded 1,600 relay (3:50.9) and second-seeded 800 relay.
Nonah Waldron, Oak Park: Part of the next generation of Oak Park stars, Waldron is a sophomore and seeded first in the 100 hurdles (13.77) and 300 (43.31) at her first Finals. She also will long jump and run on the 800 relay.
Division 2 at Zeeland
Top Regional scores: Dearborn Divine Child 214, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood 134, Chelsea 134.
Team forecast: Six teams have won this meet over the last seven seasons, with Corunna the most recent champ in 2019. A number of teams appear contenders this time, with Divine Child, Petoskey and Parma Western among the intriguing possibilities. Divine Child is running for its first title since 2013 backed by strong relays and qualifiers in a variety of events. Petoskey’s only top-two Finals finish was a Class B runner-up in 1992, but the Northmen could compete for championships in four distance events. Western also has never won a team title but has top-four seeds in six events.
Hannah Antkoviak, Allegan: She finished second in the 300 and fourth in the 100 hurdles in 2019 as a sophomore, and she enters this weekend as the top seed in the 300 (45.16) and long jump (17-2¾) and third in the 100 hurdles.
Madelyn Frens, Grand Rapids Christian: The 3,200 runner-up as a freshman two years ago is the second seed in the 1,600 and third in the 3,200 and was third in Division 2 cross country in the fall.
Chaniya Madison, Bridgeport: The lone returning champion from the 2019 Division 2 meet won the 100 that spring as a freshman and will run that race, the 200 and on the 400 relay this time.
Reese Powers, Marysville: The Vikings standout junior should make a run at two individual championships as the top seed in the 800 (2:18.03) by nearly two seconds and a close second seed in the 400.
Emma Squires, Petoskey: The Division 2 cross country champion this past fall, she posted top-eight finishes in the 1,600 and 3,200 as a sophomore in 2019 and is seeded first in the 1,600 (5:08.52) and second in the 3,200 this time. She’ll also run the 800 and as part of the top-seeded 3,200 relay (9:27.52).
Division 3 at Jenison
Top Regional scores: Clare 180½, Pewamo-Westphalia 161½, Adrian Madison 143, Montague 143.
Team forecast: Pewamo-Westphalia is the reigning champion and has won three of the last seven championships. The Pirates have six top-five seeds this weekend and should be in the mix again especially if the meet is low-scoring. Grass Lake is seeded third or better in all five events in which it will participate, and Adrian Madison and Byron also are intriguing at a meet where individual champions can drive team scoring.
Carly Anschuetz, Adrian Madison: She’s the top seed in the 100 hurdles (15.81) and 300 (47.29) and also will high jump and run on the 800 relay. She was third in the 300 as a sophomore in 2019.
Lexus Bargesser, Grass Lake: The champion in the 100 and 200 two years ago as a freshman is the top seed in the 200 (25.32) and 400 (55.15) and second seed in the 100 this time, and she’ll also run on the top-seeded 1,600 relay (4:08.97).
Allison Chmielewski, Roscommon: The junior distance standout has the top seed in the 1,600 (4:53.68) by nearly 18 seconds with a time only 4.28 seconds off the meet record. She was fourth in both the 1,600 and 3,200 as a freshman and also will run the 800 and on the 3,200 relay this time.
Renae Kutcha, Jackson Lumen Christi: She may be the second seed in the 400, but Kutcha is looking to add her third championship in that race after earning the titles as a freshman and sophomore. She also will run the 200 and as part of the 1,600 relay.
Sarah Marvin, Byron: The champion in both the discus and shot put as a sophomore in 2019 is seeded first in both this weekend at 151-0 and 49-10¾, respectively. That shot put is more than three feet longer than the LPD3 Finals record.
Abby VanderKooi, Muskegon Western Michigan Christian: A three-time Cross Country Finals champion, VanderKooi also claimed the Division 3 3,200 title as a freshman two years ago and is seeded first (10:49.44) in that race this weekend by more than 21 seconds.
Division 4 at Hudsonville Baldwin Middle School
Top Regional scores: Hillsdale Academy 179, Lutheran Westland 149, Allen Park Cabrini 136.
Team forecast: Before COVID, Fowler had won two straight Division 4 titles and three of the last four, with Pittsford the runner-up in both 2018 and 2019. Hillsdale Academy was sixth in 2019 but could make the move for its first team championship with qualifiers all over the lineup and strong relays. Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart also should be a contender for its first championship with lots of points possibilities in the running events.
Olivia Findlay, Marlette: The freshman enters her first Finals with the top seed in the long jump (16-1½) and tied for the top seed in the high jump (5-3). She also will run on the 800 relay.
Ashley Plum, Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart: The Irish senior sprinter is the top seed in the 200 (26.58) and also will run the 100 and 400 and on the top-seeded 1,600 relay (4:14.35). She was part of the winning 1,600 relay in 2019.
Makenna Scott, Maple City Glen Lake: The standout junior is the top seed in the 3,200 (12:03.63) by more than 16 seconds and the second seed in the 1,600 after also running both as a freshman in 2019. She’ll also run on the 1,600 relay.
Tara Townsend, Frankfort: She won the pole vault championship two years ago as a freshman and is the top seed by a foot at 11-0. She’ll also run the 100, 200 and on the 400 relay. She was seventh in the 100 in 2019.
Tess VanDyk, Kalamazoo Christian: The junior thrower is a favorite in both events, entering the weekend with the top-seeded shot put (36-7) and second-seeded discus toss.
PHOTO: St. Charles’ Lindsey Pumford anchors her 400 relay to a Division 3 Regional championship two weeks ago at Shepherd. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)
Running Set Life's Stage for Grosse Pointe South's Record-Setting Meier Sisters
By
Tom Markowski
Special for Second Half
July 28, 2022
A decade ago the Meier twins, Haley and Hannah, were instrumental in changing the dynamics of the track & field and cross country programs at Grosse Pointe South.
South had never won an MHSAA Finals team title in either sport before their arrival at the school in 2009. Under longtime coach Steve Zaranek, the Meiers led South to three consecutive MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 1 track titles (2011-13) and another championship in cross country (2011), while forming half of a national record-setting 3,200-meter relay in the former.
“I've never seen anything like it,” said Zaranek, who will lead the program for a 44th season next spring and recently retired from teaching. “We had all of those athletes. The highlight was the distance (events) with the Meier twins. It was the perfect storm.”
The Meiers attended Duke University for their first two years of college before they transferred to University of Michigan. Their career paths have taken them in different directions, but they remain as close as ever.
Two years ago Haley moved to Adelaide, Australia, with her fiancé Jordy Hewitt, who she met at U-M. Hannah soon will leave Ann Arbor for Charlottesville, Va., where she will begin work as a dietitian within the medical school at the University of Virginia.
Two weeks ago, Haley and Hannah were together in Nashville, Tenn., along with four friends, for Haley's bachelorette celebration. The wedding is scheduled for Oct. 8 on the island of Kauai in Hawaii.
Haley, who received her bachelor’s degree in education, is in her second year as a middle school teacher in Adelaide, and Hewitt works as a consultant at Price Waterhouse just blocks from St. Mary's College, the all-girls private school where Haley teaches.
“I always loved spending time with kids,” Haley said when asked why she chose the teaching profession. “When they figure things out, it's so rewarding. It comes with its challenges. I've been practicing my patience daily.”
This past spring Hannah completed her master's degrees in both sports management and public health from U-M, to go with her bachelor’s in kinesiology. Her longterm goal is to work with athletes in their efforts to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Hannah Meier began researching various types of food and how they affects athletes and their eating habits. For instance, Hannah is a firm believer in a person eating breakfast 30-to-60 minutes after rising to allow for metabolism to kick in properly.
“I was getting injured (so often) between lifting and cross training that I decided to go into public health,” Hannah said. “That's one of the reasons I left Duke. They didn't offer a public health (curriculum).”
The Meiers were highly competitive at both Duke and U-M. At Duke, Haley won the Atlantic Coast Conference title in the 1,500, and for U-M she won the Big Ten Conference title in the indoor mile. In her last season (2019), Hannah won the Big Ten title in the mile with a school-record time of 4:32.46. Both qualified for the NCAA Championships on multiple occasions.
Their college accomplishments stacked on top of significant achievements that helped Grosse Pointe South to those three Finals teams championships.
Hannah continues to own the all-Class/Division Finals records in the 800-meter run (2:06.35, 2013) and 1,600 run (4:39.23, 2013 – also ninth-best all-time nationally at the high school level). She and Haley, along with Kelsie Schwartz and Ersula Farrow, set that national high school record in the 3,200 relay of 8:48.29 in 2012. (Of note, the second-best 3,200 relay time in MHSAA LPD1 Finals history was recorded by Oak Park in 2015, 8:54.29, as Farrow teamed with Jayla Fleming, Lashae Bowens and Dorriann Coleman.)
To show how competitive and talented the twins were, when Hannah set the all-Finals record in the 1,600 in 2013, the previous all-Finals record was the 4:42.60 she had run in 2011. Haley's time of 4:42.43 in 2013 was good enough to top her sister's 2011 record, but not the time Hannah posted that June afternoon – as Haley finished in that race to her sister.
For Zaranek, the post-Meier era has included a team that placed sixth in LP Division 1 in 2014 and another top-15 finisher since, with at least a few Finals qualifiers almost every season.
“For me and our program,” Zaranek said, “to get to the Regional level and compete, that's the sign of a really good program. I really think the best programs are the ones that allow the students to try different events. We talk about opportunities. We talk about contributing to the team.”
For the Meiers, they cherish the memories and continue to run but at a much slower pace. In addition to the memories and accomplishments, they say the sport made them better people, more appreciative for what they have and who they are.
“Haley and I ... we have a better perspective on life,” Hannah said. “We are able to handle situations much more calmly.
“And it's all because of Coach Z. We weren't fans of running in middle school. Without running we wouldn't have gone to U-M and graduated. If we hadn't gone to U-M, we wouldn’t have met our significant others.”
(Hewitt, from Australia, was a middle distance runner for U-M when he and Haley met. Hannah's boyfriend, Kevin Haughn, was competing in the pole vault for the Wolverines when they first crossed paths.)
Haley said her life, and Hannah's, are so busy that finding time to run requires a few less hours of sleep at times.
“I enjoy it, but the hardest part is getting up in the morning to do it,” she said. “It's a transition.
“After all these years, it's still practicing good habits. Running has taught us to be resilient, to persevere.”
2021-22 Made in Michigan
July 25: 2005 Miss Basketball DeHaan Cherishing Newest Title: 1st-Time Mom - Read
July 21: Championship Memories Still Resonate with St. Thomas Star Lillard - Read
July 14: Portage Central Champ Rolls to Vanderbilt, Writing Next Chapter in Alabama - Read
July 12: Coaching Couple Passing On Knowledge, Providing Opportunities for Frankfort Wrestlers - Read
June 30: Hrynewich's Star Continuing to Rise with Olympic, Pro Sports Arrivals - Read
PHOTOS (Top) At left, Hannah and Hailey Meier enjoy the moment after helping set a national high school record for Grosse Pointe South in the 3,200 relay in 2012. At top right, Haley and fiancé Jordy Hewitt. At bottom right, Hannah and boyfriend Kevin Haughn. (Middle) The Meier sisters, center, bring their family together in Australia. (Below) Haley, left, and Hannah Meier top the LPD1 1,600 medalist podium in 2013. (MHSAA Finals photos from RunMichigan.com; recent photos courtesy of Hannah and Haley Meier.)