In a display of grit and determination, the Manistique girls’ track and field track team showcased their prowess in St. Ignace on Monday, facing off against the Saints, Sault Ste. Marie, Cheboygan and Petoskey St. Michael. Despite being down seven athletes due to prior commitments and a quick turnaround from their meet last Friday the Lady Emeralds rallied together, delivering stellar performances across various events and clinching a commendable second place team finish.

Leading the charge with exemplary performances were the first-place finishers who left an indelible mark on the competition. Danielle Lund unleashed her potential with a new Personal Record throw of 36 feet, 7.5 inches in shot put, followed by a discus toss of 104 feet, 5 inches. Maya Carlson blazed through the early season with a 3200 meter run time of 13:16.9 to claim first place.

Not to be outdone, the Lady Emeralds secured several second-place finishes, showcasing their versatility and skill on the track. Leah Goudreau sprinted her way to second place in both the 200 meter dash with a time of 28.8 seconds and the 400 meter dash, clocking in at 67.3 seconds. The relay teams also demonstrated their speed and coordination, with the 4×200 meter relay quartet of Aaliyah Sears, Emma Jones, Lund and Goudreau finishing in 1:54.3, while the 4×800 meter relay team comprising Maya Carlson, Clara Cunningham, Ashlyn Jones, and Kyra Carlson clocked a time of 11:34.

The podium was a familiar sight for the Lady Emeralds, clinching third-place finishes across multiple events.

Sears showcased her speed in both the 100 meter dash and the 200 meter dash, finishing with times of 14.4 seconds and 29.4 seconds, respectively. The 4×400 meter relay team, consisting of Sears, Jones, Goudreau and Lund, powered through to secure third place with a time of 4:33. Gwen Brewster’s shot put performance of 31 feet, 2 inches added valuable points to the team’s tally with a third-place finish.

Individual efforts were also recognized with fourth and fifth-place finishes. Allie Renk displayed her agility in the 100 meter hurdles, while Kyra Carlson tackled the 300 meter hurdles to earn fourth place in both events. Jones showcased her speed once again in the 100 meter dash while Kyra Carlson and Clara Cunningham delivered solid performances in the 1600 meter run (6:20) and long jump, respectively.

Coach Mason lauded the team’s collective effort and highlighted standout performances by Calista Watchorn, who clocked an impressive 7:02 in the 1600m run early in the season, and Clara Cunningham, whose swift 800m run time of 2:51 demonstrated her potential and determination.

“We are right where we want to be at this point in the season,” coach Mason said, “The Sault scored more points than us today, but seeing where our lady’s times and distances are now and where they will become at regionals is exciting.”