All-Area girls’ track team chosen

TRI-CITY AREA — No matter what the circumstances, these athletes could be counted on to come through when needed.

Here is a look at who earned a spot on the 2026 edition of The Tri-City All-Area girls’ track team and the credentials they amassed along the way: 

Name: Shaylynne Schaefer
School: Capac
Year: Junior
Event: High jump

Best effort: Schaefer cleared 4 feet 3 inches en route to a second at a Dryden-based Division 4 regional on Friday, May 15.

Top finishes: She took second at a Division 4 regional in Dryden and obtained an eighth at the Brown City-based Green Devil Invite.

Name: Keira Smith
School: Capac
Year: Junior
Event: Long jump

Best effort: Smith leaped 14 feet 2 1/4 inches en route to a sixth at the Vassar-based Hurd Invite on April 24.

Top finishes: She earned a first at the Green Devil Invite in Brown City; generated thirds at the Harbor Beach-based Big Thumb Conference Black Division League Meet and a Division 4 regional in Dryden; plus provided a sixth at the Vasar-based Hurd Invite. 

Name: Jenna Huskey
School: Capac
Year: Sophomore
Event: Shot put

Best effort: Huskey uncorked a toss measuring 28 feet 1 1/4 inches for third at a Dryden-based Division 4 regional on Friday, May 15.

Top finishes: She took third at a Division 4 regional in Dryden; collected sevenths at the Harbor Beach-based Big Thumb Conference Black Division League Meet and Green Devil Invite in Brown City; placed ninth at the Marlette Invite; plus added a 10th at the C-PS Tiger Invite.

Name: Ava Klink
School: Capac
Year: Senior
Event: Discus

Best effort: Klink threw the discus a distance of 109 feet 2 inches en route to sixth Saturday, May 30 at the Division 4 state finals in Hudsonville.

Top finishes: She collected firsts at the Brown City-based Green Devil Invite, C-PS Tiger Invite, Big Thumb Conference Black Division League Meet in Harbor Beach and Dryden-based Division 4 regional; took second at the Marlette Invite; registered a fourth at the Brown City Invitational; placed sixth at the Division 4 state finals in Hudsonville; plus added an eighth at the Caro-based Thumb Meet of Champions. 

Name: Alex Robinson
School: Imlay City
Year: Sophomore
Event: 100-meter dash

Best effort: Robinson supplied a time of 12.93 seconds for second at the Caro-based Thumb Meet of Champions on Tuesday, May 26.

Top finishes: She obtained seconds at the BWAC League Meet in Armada, Bad Axe-based Hatchet Invite and Thumb Meet of Champions in Caro; generated a third at the Marysville-based Blue Water Meet of Champs; placed fourth at a Division 4 regional in North Branch; contributed an eighth at Tri-County Invite; took ninth at the Shake Off the Rust Invite in Davison; furnished a 10th at the Davison Twilight Classic; plus provided an 18th at the Elmer Ball Oxford Invitational.

Name: Serena Evola
School: Almont
Year: Sophomore
Event: 100-meter hurdles

Best effort: Evola registered a clocking of 19.42 seconds en route to fifth Tuesday, May 5 at the BWAC League Meet in Armada.

Top finishes: She was fourth at the Dryden-based Cardinal Classic; pulled up fifth at the BWAC League Meet in Armada; claimed 10ths at the Marlette Invite and Lapeer County Press Meet in North Branch; obtained a 23rd at the Davison-based Shake Off the Rust Invitational; and furnished a 27th at the Davison Twilight Classic.

Name: Lola Battaglia
School: Almont
Year: Senior
Event: 200-meter dash

Best effort:    Battaglia posted a blistering time of 27.32 seconds for first at an Almont-based Blue Water Area Conference meet which also included Yale, Armada and Cros-Lex on Tuesday, April 14.

Top finishes: She took fifth at the Blue Water Area Conference League Meet and added a ninth at the Shake Off the Rust Invite in Davison.

Name: Caila Fitchett
School: Dryden
Year: Senior
Event: 300-meter hurdles

Best effort: Fitchett notched a clocking of 49.66 seconds en route to a 14th Saturday, May 30 at the Division 4 state finals in Hudsonville.

Top finishes: She claimed firsts at the Marlette Invite, Brown City-based Green Devil Invite, Fourth Annual Cardinal Classic in Dryden; Dryden-based BTC Blue and Red Division League Meet; furnished a second at a Division 4 regional in Dryden; furnished a third at the Marlette-based Get on Track Meet; placed sixth at the Davison Twilight Classic; registered an eighth at the Shake Off the Rust Invite in Davison; plus generated a 14th at the Hudsonville-based Division 4 state finals.

Name: Taylor Stanczak
School: Almont
Year: Sophomore
Event: 400-meter dash

Best effort: Stanczak generated a 1:03.94 time for fourth at the North Branch-based Lapeer County Press Meet on Friday, April 24.

Top finishes: She supplied a third at the Fourth Annual Cardinal Classic in Dryden; provided a fourth at the North Branch-based Lapeer County Press Meet; placed fifth at the BWAC League Meet in Armada; took sixth at a Mount Clemens-based Division 3 regional; wound up seventh at the Blue Water Meet of Champions in Marysville; registered a 13th at the Marlette Invite; and added a 27th at the Davison Twilight Classic.

Name: Claire Wright
School: Dryden
Year: Sophomore
Event: 800-meter run

Best effort: Wright managed a 2:38.76 clocking en route to a second Friday, May 15 at a Dryden-based Division 4 regional.

Top finishes: She claimed seconds at Get On Track Meet in Marlette and at a Division 4 regional hosted by Dryden High School; registered a fourth at the Marlette Invite; garnered a 17th at the Shake Off the Rust Invite in Davison; placed 22nd at the Hudsonville-based Division 4 state finals; plus added a 25th at the Davison Twilight Classic.

Name: Cara Prusakiewicz
School: Dryden
Year: Senior
Event: 1600-meter run

Best effort: Prusakiewicz recorded a time of 5:46.76 for second at the Brown City-based Green Devil Invite on Tuesday, May 5.

Top finishes: She placed first at the Marlette Invite; provided a second at the Green Devil Invite in Brown City; generated thirds at the Dryden-based Big Thumb Conference Blue and Red Division League Meet and a Division 4 regional in Dryden; provided a 15th at the Davison-based Shake Off the Rust Invite; plus added a 27th at the Davison Twilight Classic.

Name: Cara Prusakiewicz
School: Dryden
Year: Senior
Event: 3200-meter run.

Best effort: Prusakiewicz logged a school record-setting 12:13.21 clocking en route to a second at the Fourth Annual Cardinal Classic Friday, May 8 in Dryden.

Top finishes: She furnished a first at the Marlette Invite; claimed seconds at the Fourth Annual Cardinal Classic in Dryden and at a Dryden-based Division 4 regional; took ninth at the Shake Off the Rust Invite in Davison; placed 13th at the Hudsonville-based Division 4 state finals; plus added a 20th at the Davison Twilight Classic.

Team: Shaylynne Schaefer, Keira Smith, Ava Thorner and Mylla Vigiletti.
School: Capac
Years: Junior, junior, junior and freshman.
Event: 400-meter relay

Best effort: A Capac team of Shaylynne Schaefer, Keira Smith, Ava Thorner and Mylla Vigiletti posted a time of 58.63 seconds en route to a fifth at a Dryden-based Division 4 regional on Friday, May 15.

Top finishes: Capac’s lineup obtained fourths at the Green Devil Invite in Brown City and the Harbor Beach-based Big Thumb Conference Black Division League Meet; and added a fifth at a Division 4 regional in Dryden.

Team: Isabella Chapa, Ava Thorner, Mylla Vigiletti and Shaylynne Schaefer.
School: Capac
Years: Freshman, junior, freshman and junior.
Event: 800-meter relay

Best effort: A Capac squad of Isabella Chapa, Ava Thorner, Mylla Vigiletti and Shaylynne Schaefer registered a clocking for 2:01.45 for second Friday, May 15 at a Division 4 regional in Dryden.

Top finishes: A Capac lineup took second at a Dryden-based Division 4 regional; generated fifths at the Green Devil Invite in Brown City and the Harbor Beach-based Big Thumb Conference Black Division League Meet; and tacked on a 26th at the Division 4 state finals in Hudsonville.

Team: Mallory Barker, Cara Prusakiewicz, Claire Wright and Caila Fitchett.
School: Dryden
Years: Senior, senior, sophomore and senior. 
Event: 1600-meter relay

Best effort: A Dryden lineup of Mallory Barker, Cara Prusakiewicz, Claire Wright and Caila Fitchett logged time of 4:48.66 en route to first at the Big Thumb Conference Blue and Red Division League Meet it hosted on Tuesday, May 12.

Top finishes: Dryden’s squad claimed firsts at the Dryden-based Big Thumb Conference League Meet and Get On Track Meet in Marlette; collected a second at a Division 4 regional in Dryden; plus provided a 27th at the Hudsonville-based Division 4 state finals.

Team: Claire Wright, Lilyana Lasher, Ella Gustner and Cara Prusakiewicz
School: Dryden
Years: Sophomore, sophomore, freshman  and senior
Event: 3200-meter relay

Best effort: A Dryden lineup consisting of Claire Wright, Lilyana Lasher, Ella Gustner and Cara Prusakiewicz raced to a clocking of 11:08.36en route to a first at a Dryden-based Division 4 regional on Friday, May 15.

Top finishes: A Dryden squad took first at a Division 4 regional it hosted; claimed seconds at the Green Devil Invite in Brown City, Marlette Invite and Fourth Annual Cardinal Classic in Dryden; supplied a fifth at the Vassar-based Hurd Invite; placed 10th at the Davison Twilight Classic; furnished a 14th at the Shake Off the Rust Invite in Davison; plus added a 21st at the Hudsonville-based Division 4 state finals.

Second team- Olivia Zellers, Dryden, high jump; Aubrey Dundas, Imlay City, long jump; Samantha Miodowski, Almont, shot put; Jenna Huskey, Capac, discus; Lola Battaglia. Almont, 100-meter dash; Payton Hintz, Imlay City, 100-meter hurdles; Alex Robinson, Imlay City, 200-meter dash, Serena Evola, Almont, 300-meter hurdles; Shannon Zangara, Almont, 400-meter dash; Laila Evola, Almont, 800 and 1600-meter runs; Claire Wright, Dryden, 3200-meter run; Dryden’s 400-meter relay of Olivia Zellers, Arianna Romain, MaKayla Mater and Karley Phillips; Dryden’s  800-meter relay of Karley Phillips, MaKayla Mater, Olivia Zellers and Mallory Barker; Almont 1600-meter relay of Serena Evola, Shannon Zangara, Taylor Stanczak and Charlotte Verougstraete; and the Almont 3200-meter relay of Laila Evola, Serena Evola, Shannon Zangara and Charlotte Verougstraete.

Honorable mention-Ava Klink, Capac, shot put; Shelby Roosa, Almont, shot put and discus; Madison Clark, Capac, discus; Hollyn Murphy, Almont, discus; Madison Miodowski, Almont, discus; Caila Fitchett, Dryden, 100 and 200-meter dashes; Ava Thorner, Capac, 100 and 200-meter dashes; Rylee Tyack, Imlay City, 100-meter dash; Shannon Zangara, Almont, 100-meter dash; Keira Smith, Capac, 100-meter hurdles; Molly Wilkey, Dryden, 100 and 300-meter hurdles; Payton Hintz, 300-meter hurdles; Claire Wright, Dryden, 400-meter dash and 1600-meter run;  Grace Sample, Imlay City, 400-meter dash and 800-meter run; Cara Prusakiewicz, Dryden, 800-meter run; Ella Gustner, Dryden, 800 and 1600-meter runs; Charlotte Verougstraete, Almont, 800-meter run; and Laila Evola, Almont, 3200-meter run.

Coach of the Year- For directing his team to a top Division 4 regional finish; a second at the Fourth Annual Cardinal Classic in Dryden; as well as a third at the Big Thumb Conference Blue and Red Division League Meet it hosted, Dryden Coach Matt Cherry earns Tri-City Times All-Area Coach of the Year accolades.