INDIAN RIVER — In case anyone didn’t know, Inland Lakes girls track and field is elite.
When you capture three regional championships in four years, you’re elite.
When you earn a pair of Ski Valley titles in a four-year span, you’re elite.
As for how the Bulldogs reached this point, it’s been a team first mindset all the way. Instead of focusing on the individual, every single Bulldog has sacrificed for the team, which has resulted in many titles.
Perhaps no two athletes have embodied I-L’s team mindset more than seniors Chloe Robinson and Kaylee Taglauer, who have made a huge impact since their freshman seasons. As seniors, they not only had big campaigns, but they helped sustain I-L’s championship success. As a result, Robinson and Taglauer share the honor as the Cheboygan Daily Tribune’s 2026 girls track and field athlete of the year.
“I am confident that they have led in ways and that we will have younger athletes who will be ready to step in and fill those positions, but I also watched the younger group slowly realize what the end of the season meant for them — the end of being on a team with Chloe, Kaylee, and all my seniors,” Inland Lakes coach Sarah Furman said. “Lots of girls were in tears at the conference meet — and it was the underclassmen. They knew how special those six seniors were. Chloe and Kaylee were a big part of it, but the younger athletes are really sad to see them go.”
What made both Taglauer and Robinson unique was their ability to evolve.
Starting out as a sprinter in the 100 and 200, Taglauer eventually worked her way to becoming a point scorer in the 400, while also being a key leg in three state-qualifying sprint relay teams this spring, including the 4X400 relay.
“When you have six girls competing for relay spots in your relays, this is the recipe for a dominant team,” Furman said. “Kaylee was the catalyst for this.”
As for Robinson, her versatility was a major asset, as she participated in high jump — an event she qualified for states in before — as well as throws and sprint relays. In fact, she paired with Taglauer in a pair of regional-winning relays. During her last season, Robinson was I-L’s top point scorer.
“Chloe was a very different type of athlete because it went without saying that Chloe would always take on four events,” Furman said. “Chloe just never put limits on what she should do — she was a jumper and a runner and a thrower. Chloe wrote her own script. I didn’t see other track and field athletes taking on the mix of events that she did.”
Together, the I-L duo did its part in keeping the Bulldogs as one of the best programs in Northern Michigan.
“Chloe’s trademark was no matter how busy she was, she was so aware of what events her teammates were in, where they were headed, what they hoped to do, and the right way to speak to them after an event — she knew if she should be congratulating them or consoling them. She was so attuned to the emotional needs of her teammates,” Furman said. “Kaylee expected to take on four events, and she just evolved into someone who wanted what was best for the team — regardless of how she felt. When we would talk the day before a meet, she had a knack of wanting to do exactly what we needed. She was so humble, and she never spoke of herself, her times, her events, her (personal records). She just put her head down and went to work.”
With both now graduated, Furman understands the difficulty of replacing two members of a six-athlete senior class that’s now the most decorated in Inland Lakes track history.
“It will be very tough,” Furman said. “These are both excellent athletes who had excellent attitudes and tireless work ethics. They were so coachable, and were team first, me last athletes.”
The 2026 Daily Tribune all-area girls track and field team will be revealed on Thursday, July 16.
Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf at jgreenleaf@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT
This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: ‘Team first’ I-L stars named Daily Tribune’s track athletes of year
Reporting by Jared Greenleaf, Cheboygan Daily Tribune / Cheboygan Daily Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jared Greenleaf, Cheboygan Daily Tribune | USA TODAY Network
