HILLSDALE — One of the top senior distance runners in Lenawee County captured three individual league titles to help lead her team to a conference championship.
Blissfield senior Hope Miller won the 800, 1,600 and 3,200-meter races to power the Royals to the Lenawee County Athletic Association girls track and field title.
Blissfield edged Ida, 155-142, in the team standings. Dundee placed third, followed by Hudson and Adrian Madison.
Miller closed her final LCAA meet winning the 800 meters in 2:34.90 seconds, the 1,600 in 5:34.70 and the 3,200 in 12:57.36. Earlier this season, she ran a personal-best 11:06.88 in the 3,200 at the Barnyard Invitational — the only race she did not win in the event this spring.
“It feels great,” Miller said. “We’ve been working toward this all season, and I’m really excited that we pulled it off. It was a great night for all of us, and we really supported each other.”
A standout in Division 3, Miller has qualified for the state finals in every year of her high school track career and owns five all-state finishes. That includes a runner-up finish in the 800 meters and third place in the 1,600 at the 2025 state finals. She also leaves Blissfield as the school record-holder in the mile, two-mile and cross country.
While her track career is nearing its end, Miller plans to attend the University of Michigan to study ecology, evolution and biodiversity, with long-term interests in policy and law.
But before she graduates, Miller and her team will chase down more titles at the upcoming regional meet. Miller said the league meet provided a valuable tune-up for the postseason.
“It’s a big step in preparing ourselves for the intensity and pressure of regionals,” she said. “The biggest thing is just going out there, overcoming the stress and giving it all you have.”
Miller knows that it won’t be easy getting back to the podium, much less potentially chasing down another top three finish.
“It’s a really tough field of girls, but I’m really excited for the state meet to see what I can do.”
Blissfield also captured an LCAA title in the 4×800 relay, as the team of Anna Hallet, senior Hailey Sills, Mollie Yeager and Kaleea Braun won in 10:38.58. The Royals’ 4×400 relay placed third to add key points.
Senior Leigh Ryman placed fourth in the 100-meter hurdles (16.99) and finished runner-up in the 300 hurdles (50.13). Sills, Yeager and Hallet finished second through fourth behind Miller in the 3,200 and were all top-four finishers in the 1,600. Hallet and Braun took second and third in the 800.
In field events, seniors De’Mya Gibbons and AnnMarie Scharer placed fourth and fifth in the discus with throws of 97 feet, 7 inches and 91-11, respectively. Gibbons finished third in the shot put, while Scharer was fifth. Kaitlin Bloom placed fourth in the shot put with a throw of 31 feet, 3/4 inches.
Across the field, the Royals were joined by several other standout athletes from Lenawee County ISD schools that took home league titles.
Girls Lenawee County champions
Hudson senior Naika Rath took home titles in the 100-meter (PB 12.50), 200 (25.91) and 400 (SB 59.40) races. The future Wayne State star’s performance starts what should be an impressive final postseason for the Hudson record holder.
Hudson senior Ellie Loard threw 36-feet, 6 1/2 inches in shot put to take home the LCAA crown. Loar took third in discus with a throw of 102-feet, 3/12 inches.
Clinton’s Bella Bannon took the LCAA crown in high jump with a height of 5 feet.
Hudson senior Annabelle Czeiszperger won her seventh-straight pole vault event to earn the much-earned LCAA title.
Below is a recap of top five finishers for Lenawee County ISD girls track athletes at the LCAA finals. More results can be found at athletic.net.
Top five results
100 meters
200 meters
400 meters (expanded to include three athletes)
800 meters
1,600 meters
3,200 meters
100-meter hurdles (expanded to include three athletes)
300-meter hurdles
4×100 relay
4×200 relay
4×400 relay
4×800 relay
Shot put
Discus
High jump (expanded to include three athletes)
Pole vault (expanded to include three athletes)
Long jump (expanded to include three athletes)
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Senior Hope Miller and Blissfield girls track run down LCAA title
Reporting by Joseph Flaherty, Hillsdale Daily News / The Daily Telegram
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
