Redettes Uphold Championship Tradition
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
June 3, 2017
KINGSFORD — The Marquette girls upheld a proud tradition Saturday, earning their seventh consecutive Upper Peninsula Division 1 track & field championship with 118 points.
Runner-up Negaunee scored 91 and Kingsford placed third at 70.
“Our depth came through,” said Marquette coach Natalie Messano. “We did what we needed to do. We came a long way this year. The team really came together and peaked at the right time. We have a strong tradition.”
Marquette sophomore Ahnika Puskala won the 100-meter hurdles in 16.32 seconds, followed by Iron Mountain’s Olivia Berutti (16.34) and Marquette senior Jacquie Cammarata (16.43).
Cammarata won the 300 hurdles (48.52), followed by classmate Hannah Detmers (49.16) and Escanaba sophomore Courtney Boyle (49.81).
Marquette senior Izzie Peterson added a first in the 100 (12.85) and helped the Redettes take the 400 and 800 relays.
“Delaney (Sall) ran strong today,” said Messano. “I think every one of our girls scored some points, which is huge. We have some seniors whom we’ll miss, but we have a lot of talented girls coming back.”
Sall placed second in the 400 (1:01.16), thrid in the 800 (2:25.73) and anchored the Redettes’ 1,600 relay to a second-place finish (4:23.11).
Negaunee, paced by junior Clara Johnson and freshman Emily Paupore, showed its strength in the distances.
They helped the Miners take the 3,200 relay (10:06.41), and Johnson captured the 800 (2:23.46), 1,600 (5:27.73) and 3,200 (12:02.08).
“Our teammates always give us motivation,” said Johnson. “Every girl on our team helps each other get going. It really got hot for the 3,200 (about 80 degrees). In the beginning you’re layered up, the next thing you know the sun comes out and it gets very warm. When it’s hot, we take a break after each race and go into the shade. We also eat light and stay hydrated.”
Paupore was runner-up in the 800 (2:24.97), 1,600 (5:31.05) and 3,200 (12:05.36).
“Winning the 3,200 relay definitely gets you going,” said Paupore. “It’s a good way to start the day. Everybody on our team is supportive of each other. We just go out as hard as we can. Everybody has to run in the same conditions.”
Kingsford sophomore Olivia Allen finished first in the 200 (26.53) and 400 (59.53) and anchored the winning 1,600 relay (4:12.67).
“I think things went pretty well,” said Allen. “I think we did a good job running our races as if they were our last. I’m still learning how to use my blocks and finish races. This is a motivator for next year. We wanted to push our seniors this year so they could also have good performances in their last meet.”
Escanaba senior Jen Brandt captured her third straight discus title at 123 feet, 6 inches, and was second in shot put (32-3¼), both personal bests.
“I definitely felt the pressure, being a senior,” said Brandt, who will be playing basketball at Alma College next winter. “I threw a personal-best (116-8) in the GNC (Great Northern Conference) meet in Menominee (May 25). At that point, I felt I could threw farther. Coach (Dan DeLong) told me it would be nice if I could get that done. He told me nobody had done that while he has been coaching.
“I think track has really prepared me for college basketball, getting that adrenalin rush and performing on a stage.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Marquette’s Ahnika Puskala, right, and Jacqueline Cammarata charge ahead in the 100 hurdles final; Puskala won the race and Cammarata came in third. (Middle) Negaunee teammates Clara Johnson, front, and Emily Paupore round a corner on the way to taking the top two places in the 1,600. (Photos by Cara Kamps.)
Performance of the Week: Allen Park's Abby Russell
May 30, 2024
Abby Russell ♦ Allen Park
Senior ♦ Track & Field
Russell, already one of the most accomplished throwers in MHSAA history, threw a personal-record 47 feet, 6½ inches in shot put and added a 145-1 in discus to sweep those events May 21 at the Downriver League championship meet. She has won discus in all of her meets this spring and shot put in all but her first meet of the season.
Her discus winning streak actually goes back to the start of her sophomore year, as Russell is the two-time reigning Lower Peninsula Division 1 champion in that event heading into Saturday’s Finals at East Kentwood High School. She also won the shot put in LPD1 as a sophomore before finishing third a year ago – the only time she didn’t win the shot as a junior. Her discus personal record is 165 feet, thrown at the Oxford Invitational on April 27. She’ll continue her throwing career next season at University of Michigan and plans to study kinesiology with aspirations of continuing in medicine or physical therapy and an interest in coaching.
@mhsaasports 🥏POW: Abby Russell #trackandfield #allenpark #letsgo #champion #part1 #highschoolsports #tiktalk #interview #performanceoftheweek #mistudentaid #fyp #mhsaa ♬ original sound - MHSAA
@mhsaasports 🥏POW: Abby Russell #tiktalk #questiontime #part2 #lipgloss #car #thrower #hearthands #jewlery #performanceoftheweek #mistudentaid #fyp #MHSAA ♬ original sound - MHSAA
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Past 2023-24 Honorees
May 23: Isabel Thelen, St. Johns tennis - Report
May 16: Ally Katinas, Novi lacrosse - Report
May 9: Peter Roehl, Rochester Adams golf - Report
May 2: Lilah Smith, Richland Gull Lake soccer - Report
April 25: Mason Mayne, Lawton track & field - Report
April 18: Alli Wright, Jenison softball - Report
April 11: Chloe Wishart, Trenton soccer - Report
March 28: Jenna Maki, Ishpeming basketball - Report
March 22: Jaremiah Palmer, Niles Brandywine basketball - Report
March 15: Leah Hodge, North Farmington gymnastics - Report
March 8: Darius Marines, Detroit Catholic Central wrestling - Report
March 1: Rylee Smith, Zeeland West bowling - Report
Feb. 22: Caleb Lewandowski, Traverse City West skiing - Report
Feb. 15: Jadin Mix, Onaway basketball - Report
Feb. 8: Onalee Wallis, Cadillac skiing - Report
Feb. 1: Abbey DeGraw, Rochester Hills Stoney Creek competitive cheer - Report
Jan. 25: Ewan Todd, Riverview swimming - Report
Jan. 18: Ashley Weller, Jackson Northwest basketball - Report
Jan. 11: Michael Baldwin, Saginaw Arthur Hill wrestling - Report
Dec. 15: Jena Fijolek, Fenton bowling - Report
Dec. 8: Sophia Wagner, Escanaba gymnastics - Report
Dec. 1: Isaiah Marshall, Southfield Arts & Technology football - Report
Nov. 24: Sarah Bradley, Clarkston Everest Collegiate volleyball - Report
Nov. 17: Kalieb Osborne, Waterford Mott football - Report
Nov. 10: Tekalegn Vlasma, Muskegon Western Michigan Christian soccer - Report
Nov. 3: Colton Kinnie, Birmingham Seaholm football - Report
Oct. 27: Lauren Timpf, Macomb Lutheran North golf - Report
Oct. 20: Alena Li, Okemos golf - Report
Oct. 13: Seth Norder, Grand Haven cross country - Report
Oct. 5: Paige Anderson, Muskegon Reeths-Puffer golf - Report
Sept. 29: MacKenzie Bisballe, Lake City volleyball - Report
Sept. 22: Jhace Massey, Gladwin football - Report
Sept. 15: Kaylee Draper, Sturgis swimming - Report
Sept. 8: Owen Jackson, Traverse City St. Francis tennis - Report
Sept. 1: Rachel Forsyth, Ann Arbor Pioneer cross country - Report
(Action photo by Koren Easlick.)