The track and field state finals are Saturday, with four divisions competing across the Lower Peninsula at their respective finals meets.
Here are 10 local teams to look out for, across all four divisions.
Division 1
Romeo
It’ll be a challenge to unseat Oak Park atop Division 1, but Romeo’s deep bench of qualifiers and strength across the board could win out for Mike Lee’s crew.
“We are losing a good crop of seniors,” Lee said.
Headlined by senior Ella Goodsell and junior Annie Hrabovsky on the distance side, Romeo has qualified in every race but the 300-meter hurdles.
Goodsell and Hrabovsky will take on the 1,600 and 3,200, in which both are among the top competitors. Sydney Fabbri will run in the 100 and 200 and Samantha Sackfield is a highly seeded runner for the 400, while Natalia Guaresimo is set to run the 800, as well as the 1,600. Junior Reese Robolt and senior Emmie Clor will also run the 3200, and Avery Glugla is set to run the 100-meter hurdles.
Romeo is also qualified in all four relay races.
Woodhaven
Fresh off a regional title, Woodhaven is eying the bigger prize.
Woodhaven has qualified in all four relay races, all the field events — highlighted by junior Lilly Diaz as a top-10 seed in the pole vault — and will have runners in the 100-, 200-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter races individually.
Senior Myonna Ekanem is running the 100 and 200, and sophomore Charley McKay is a highly-seeded runner in the 1,600 and 3,200. In the relays, the 800 and 1,600 are the best two for Woodhaven, with juniors Jayelynn Lines, Chiamara Ogbonna and Diaz running both events.
Senior Joslyn Bechtol and sophomore Annabelle Chan round out the 1,600 relay team options, while Ekanem and sophomore Aaliyah Bidden run on the 800 relay team.
Oak Park
The three-time defending state champions and winners of countless team titles over the last decade are back for another bite at the apple.
The Oak Park girls have the top seeded relay teams in the 400-, 800- and 1,600-meter relays and are the fifth seed for the 3,200. And among the runners on those relay teams are some of Oak Park’s top individuals, too.
Sophomore Payton Gee is the top seed in both the 100- and 300-meter hurdles, following in Carrie Vannoy’s footsteps. Junior Nevaeh Burns is also seeking a repeat title in the 400, and is highly seeded in the 200 and 100, as is Gee. Two freshmen are standing out for Oak Park, as Aubrey Douglas and Jordan McNeely both have qualified in several events. Douglas is the top qualifier in the 100 for Oak Park.
Plus, junior Leah Thomas and senior Rhian Jeffries are well positioned to do well in the 800.
Division 2
Dearborn Divine Child
Junior Aubrey Wilson is one of the more dominant runners in the state, and the Division 2 seeding bears that out. She’s the top seed in the 100, 200 and 400 meters.
Freshman Jordane Falvey isn’t far behind, qualifying in all three of those races for Divine Child, too. And both Wilson and Falvey are among the top five seeds in the long jump, too, with the freshman ahead in that event.
Divine Child is also bringing relay teams for the 400, 800- and 1,600 relay races to finals, too, along with a handful of distance runners.
Detroit Country Day
Senior hurdler Leah Green and freshman long jumper Sydney Wallace are two headline competitors for Country Day, which is sending a deep roster of athletes to compete on the girls side.
Green is a high seed in the 100-meter hurdles, and junior Jill Heller could earn some points in the 400 and 800.
Along with the individuals, Country Day also qualified all four of its relays for the finals.
Dearborn Henry Ford Academy
Between senior hurdler Jaylah Wilkins and sophomore sprinter Heaven Brim, Henry Ford Academy has a formidable duo.
Brim is a top-10 seed in the 100 meters and also will run the 200. Wilkins is well-seeded in both the 100 and 300 hurdles.
Brim also runs on the trio of relay teams that Henry Ford Academy qualified for states, running the 800, 1,600 and 3,200.
Division 3
Grosse Pointe University Liggett
Sprints will be the name of the game for University Liggett, likely falling in behind senior Collette Peabody. Peabody is running both the 100 and 200 meters, and is a good qualifier in the latter.
She’ll also run in both the 400- and 800 relays. The 400 features Peabody along with junior Mychala Penn, junior Aline Rahaim, sophomore Phalyn Walker, freshman Nyla Collins and sophomore Paige Moutard. The 800 will have Peabody, Penn, Walker and Rahaim.
Penn also qualified in shot put and discus.
Erie-Mason
With two relay teams (400, 800 meters) qualified and a handful of strong individuals across several events, Erie-Mason can make some inroads.
Giuliana Nastale is a top-five qualifier in the 100, 200 and 400 and is the reigning champ in the first two. She also runs on the 400 meter relay with freshman Adrianna Cosby, junior Tanylei Neff and senior Paige Konrad.
The 800 features Cosby, Konrad, sophomore Kaylee Wright and junior Aubrey Iocoangeli.
Division 4
Southfield Christian
Freshman Harper Peeples headlines a pack of sprinters that Southfield Christian brings to finals, including four qualifiers for the 100-meter finals. Senior Nia Jones, junior Mariah Perkins and freshman Azriel McCalister are the other three.
Peeples and McCalister also both qualified in the 300-meter hurdles.
Plus, Southfield Christian qualified in the 400, 800 and 1,600 relays, and is highly seeded in the first two.
Whitmore Lake
Junior Kaylie Livingston leads the way, a multi-time champ in the 3,200 meters who also will be a strong finisher in the 800 and 1,600.
Senior Sofia Roberston will run the 200 and 400, and senior Carina Burchi is a top-10 qualifier in the 400. Burchi is also a top qualifier in the 1600.
Whitmore Lake also qualified in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter relays, and a handful of field events.
Andrew Graham is a freelance writer.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: 10 Metro Detroit girls track and field teams to watch at state finals
Reporting by Andrew Graham, Special to The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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