Fisher runs 4:00.28/8:53.41 double!

State Meet Highlights

 
There are two sets of Michigan state track meets (MHSAA) – one for the Lower Peninsula (which is almost everybody) and one of the Upper Peninsula (which is a bit isolated and doesn't have a lot of population). The LP conducts four meets in four locations for the four divisions, while all three UP meets are held in Kingston one week prior. The D1 meet featured superstar Grant Fisher a week prior to his becoming a sub-four miler, and a lot of other top-notch talent.

Top Performances:

 
- Grand Blanc’s Grant Fisher put his stamp on the Michigan state meet with a sensational 1,600 meters final with 4:00.28 that helped set him up for a sub-four mile run a week later in St. Louis. This race, coming in high school-only competition, was one of the outstanding performances in the U.S. in 2015. He broke the state meet record by more than seven seconds. Three more athletes in the race – US#12 Logan Wetzel of Saline, US#14 Ben Hill of Royal Oak and US#22 Anthony Berry from Traverse City Central – broke 4:10. Fisher also won the 3,200 meters in US#13 8:53.41 in a race where the top seven finishers were seniors.

- Senior Donovan Brazier from Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills smashed his own state meet record in the 800 meters with 1:48.98. Wetzel was second in 1:52.74. Later, Brazier would run US#1 1:47.55 at the Brooks PR meet. 

- Senior Ersula Farrow led a 1-2 finish for Oak Park in the D1 girls 800 meters with 2:08.43. Teammate Dorriann Coleman, a freshman, ran 2:11.44. Farrow won the same race a year earlier for Grosse Pointe South.  

- Sekayi Bracey, a junior from East Kentwood, was one of the top performers at the D1 championships. She won the 100 meters (11.83), the long jump (17-5.75), and the 200 (24.62). She also ran the anchor on the runner-up 4x100 relay. 

- Jaron Flournoy of Glenn won the D1 100 meters in 10.56, narrowly missing the D1 state meet record. In the 200, Flournoy edged 400 meters champ Skyler Bowden 21.25 to 21.27 (+5.3w).

- Sammy Cuneo from Rockford pulled off an upset when she won the D1 400 meters in 55.32, knocking off defending champ Anna Jefferson of Oak Park. She was also third in the 200 meters.

- Skyler Bowden of Saline won the D1 boys 400 meters in 47.87.  

- Senior Audrey Belf of Birmingham Seaholm repeated in the D1 girls 3,200 with 10:26.58.

- The boys from Saline broke the D1 meet record in the 4x800 with 7:40.54. They went on to secure a US#4 ranking in the event.

- The East Lansing boys ran US#41 3:16.56 to win the D1 4x400 relay.

- Rachel DaDamio of Birmingham Seaholm won a very competitive race in the D1 girls 1,600 meters in US#19 4:46.05. Seven girls went under five minutes.

- Maya Roberts from Farmington Hills Harrison won the D1 100 hurdles in US#40 13.95.

- Robbie Webster from Ypsilanti Lincoln won the boys D1 110 hurdles in 14.00. He also won the 300 hurdles in 38.03.

- The Oak Park girls dominated the relays. They won the 4x800 with a nation-leading time of 8:54.29. They won the 4x200 in 1:39.55. They won the 4x100 in 48.17. They won the 4x400 in 3:51.40.

- The Saline boys broke the state record in the 4x800 relay with US#3 7:38.97. They also won the 4x400 with 3:22.91.

- Emily Meier, a junior from Canton, launched the shot US#37 46-2 to win the D1 title.

- Nick Burkhalter of South Lyon jumped 15-6 to win the D1 pole vault.

- Mitchell Mueller, a senior from Algonac, jumped 15-6 to repeat in the D2 pole vault.

- Junior Morgan Beadlescomb of Algonac won the D2 1600 meters in 4:13.58. 

- Seniors Joshuwa Holloman of Auburn Hills Avondale and Jonathan Fife of Flint Southwestern exchanged victories in the D2 sprints. Holloman beat Fife 10.71 to 10.81 in the 100 meters. Fife returned the favor, beating Holloman 21.55 to 21.98 in the 200.

- Karrigan Smith, a senior, powered St. Johns’ team title with a repeat victory in the 1,600 (4:59.08) and third place in the 800 meters (2:16.94). She also ran on the second place 4x400 relay and the second place 4x800 relay – events that accounted for 32 of the team’s 36 points.

- Senior Miaisha Blair from Flint Southwestern won the D2 girls long jump with a record-tying 18-9.25.

- Junior Nikole Sargent from Flint Powers won the D2 shot put with 45-4.75.

- Kenzie Weiler from Cedar Spring won the D2 girls 3,200 meters in 10:41.98.

- Zeeland East’s boys broke the D2 record in the 4x800 relay with 7:50.70.

 - Annie Fuller of Manistee, a senior broke her own D3 record in the 800 meters with 2:09.61 and she also had company with junior Holly Bullough of Traverse City also running under the old record with 2:10.58. Fuller, a Michigan State signee, finished the season ranked US#17 (2:07.40). She won the 1,600 meters in 4:57.40. (She ran US#13 4:44.50 during the season).

- Stephanie Lambeth from Frankenmuth broke the D3 meet record in the pole vault with 12-3.

- Junior Hailey Stockford from Sanford Meridian won the D3 100 meters in 12.07 seconds and she won the 200 in 25.11w. 

- Luke Anderson of Harbor Beach repeated as champ of the D4 1,600 meters final with 4:17.77 and also won the 800 meters in 1:57.31. He was third in the 3200 and also ran a leg on the third place 4x400 relay.

- Sophomore Jordan Goodman of Mason County East tied the D4 meet record in the 100 meters with 12.40 and was sixth in both the 200 meters and 400 meters.

- Blake Washington of Southfield Christian broke the D4 meet record in the 400 meters with 49.34 seconds. He also placed fifth in the 100 meters final and second in the 200 meters.

- Sophomore Blake Dunn of Saugatuck helped lead his team to the title with his victory in the 300 hurdles, second place in the 110 hurdles, fifth place in the long jump, and he anchored the winning 4x400 relay.

- At the Upper Peninsula Div 1 meet in Kingston, junior Lindsey Rudden from Marquette ran the 1600 in 4:56.31 and also added a win in the 800 meters in 2:13.94. Marquette swept the team titles. Lance Rambo and Andrew Bannitt won two races apiece for the boys, who also won all four of the relay finals.

- Ishpeming dominated the UP Div 2 meet, rolling to 164 points for the boys team win and 151 points for the girls. Nate Meyer won the 100, 200 and 400 to lead the boys team; Marissa Maino won the shot put and discus to power the girls.

- Andy Cooper and Brett Hannah were a strong combo for Munising in the UP Div 3 meet. Cooper won the 200 meters, 110 hurdles, 300 hurdles and high jump, and Hannah won the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 as Munising rolled to the team title with 134 points.

Top Teams:

A powerful Oak Park girls squad that was one of the best teams in the country scored 93 points to retain the D1 team title. Meanwhile, Saline won the boys championship with 71 points.

In Division 2, St. Johns scored 36 points to win the D2 girls title and Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Prep scored big points in the relays to knock Zeeland West off the champions’ pedestal with 52 points. Pewamo-Westphalia scored 62 points to win the girls D3 title over defending champion Frankenmuth (59.50) and Manistee (57). Jackson Lumen Christian won the boys team title with 44. Harbor Springs scored 57 points to win the D4 girls title, while Saugatuck and Concord tied for the boys championships with 40 points apiece.

Record-breaker: Grant Fisher outshone Donovan Brazier, which is really saying something. But with two Foot Locker titles and a sub-four mile, Fisher was the most popular male track athlete of the year and graduated high school a ready-made legend on the scale of Dathan Ritzenhein.