PINCKNEY — Jaelyn Ray proved to herself that she’s more than just a pure distance runner during Pinckney’s 2026 track and field season.
The longer the race, the better she performed in cross country and on the track since she began running for the Pirates in the fall of 2023.
She entered this spring having set the Livingston County record in 5,000-meter cross country during the fall and with her sights set on Pinckney’s records in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs, the sweet spots for distance runners on the track.
Ray set two school records with performances that also set Livingston County marks at the time, but the mix of events was slightly different than expected.
First, she took down the county 1,600 mark of 4:54.6 set by Hartland’s Avery Evenson in 2010 when she posted a time of 4:49.22 at the Romeo Barnyard Invitational on April 24. That also eclipsed the school mark of 4:59.66 set by Noelle Adriaens in 2019.
The 3,200 record would require more heavy lifting and has been put off for another year. Adriaens ran 10:16.11 in 2019 at the Saline Golden Triangle meet, a time that was a whopping 26.63 seconds faster than any girl in county history had run going into this season. Ray moved into second on the county’s all-time list by running 10:32.20 at the Shepherd Blue Jay Invitational.
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The performance that took Ray a bit by surprise came four days before the state finals when she tested herself with a rare opportunity to run a fast 800 in the Distance Night Under the Lights meet in Canton.
She ran 2:12.96 to become the first county girl to break 2:13 and temporarily take hold of the area record in that event. Brighton’s Juliet Lewis reclaimed the record she set in Romeo by running 2:12.89 in the state finals. Hartland’s Elliana Neuer ran 2:12.66 while racing unattached at Nike Outdoor Nationals on June 19.
“I would say the two (records) most on my minds are our school 1,600 and 3,200 records,” Ray said. “I thought I would get the 800 record, but I didn’t know when. I feel like in the past I’ve been a miler and 3,200 runner, but this year I really focused specifically on getting my mile time down. With that came the 800, because I was doing some faster stuff. My two mile compared to those hasn’t improved as much, but it still did.”
In what may have been the greatest spring ever for Livingston County girls track and field, Jaelyn Ray stood out above an incredibly talented pack to earn Athlete of the Year for the sport.
Ray’s most significant performance of the season didn’t involve breaking any records.
She became the first Pinckney girl and one of only six girls in county history to win a state championship when she ran away with the 3,200-meter run at the Division 2 finals. Running her third race of the day, Ray took first in 10:36.99 to finish 6.1 seconds ahead of Ludington freshman Eliza Schwass.
“That one was a little emotional after,” Ray said. “I knew a state championship was something I had on my mind at the beginning of the season. To finally get it and see my hard work pay off felt really good.”
It was one of three all-state performances for Ray, who was second in the 1,600 and fifth in the 3,200 relay.
“I thank God every day He’s given me this opportunity and kept me healthy this season,” Ray said. “I’ve had a little bit of past injuries, which haven’t really been too detrimental. Last year around the state meet and conference time, I had some hip injuries. I was cross training and all this stuff. I have a long way to go. I still have bigger goals to reach, but I’m very happy with my trajectory right now.”
Contact Bill Khan at wkhan@livingstondaily.com. Follow him on X @BillKhan
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Pinckney’s Jaelyn Ray top athlete in Livingston County girls track
Reporting by Bill Khan, Livingston Daily / Livingston Daily
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By Bill Khan, Livingston Daily | USA TODAY Network
