The 2024 track and field season was one for the record books.
As schools out for summer, the boys and girls 2024 track Enterprise Dream Team many highlights and even faster times. The 2023 track Enterprise Dream Team is voted by coaches Karen Kirt (Leland), Nick Papes (St. Mary), Jason Bradford (Glen Lake boys), Donna King (Glen Lake girls), and sports editor Brian Freiberger.
Co-MVP: Kariesue Taghon (Glen Lake)
Glen Lake senior Kariesue Taghon earned her Dream Team co-MVP selection because of her hard work on and off the track during the 2024 season.
Taghon capped-off a stellar high school career by finishing fifth in the 100-meter dash at the MHSAA Div. 4 State Championship with a time of 13.15.
“I was a little bit nervous going into it, but I knew that I had to have a good, positive mindset to perform well,” Taghon said. “I wasn’t sure I made the finals. I was a little bit scared and I thought that might be it (in the prelims). my dad came over and told me I made finals ... I knew I had a shot at getting top five. I was originally predicted six by the speed ratings and I got above that. I’m still very proud of how I did and I felt like my hard work actually paid off this year.”
Placing in the 100-meter dash was a dream come true for Taghon ever since freshman year.
“(Last year) I knew that my shot of placing was slim, and then this year I had a pretty good chance. It’s basically a dream come true,” she said.
Taghon finished third at regionals with a time of 12.78, and qualified in the 200-meter dash with a time of 27.05. She was also instrumental on the 4x200 and 4x400-relay teams.
Taghon will be attending Aquinas College to run track and study law in the fall.
The biggest aspect with track that she will be taking with her from the sport is that mindset matters.
“If you want something to happen, you gotta work for it,” Taghon said. “I don’t think I would have done as well this year as I did if I didn’t take that extra time. Because my whole winter I spent doing indoor track, I was running on the treadmill almost every day after school ... I think hard work and just having a positive mindset is huge.”
Co-MVP: Ella Knudsen (Leland)
Leland junior Ella Knudsen captured her second Dream Team MVP selection as she raced her way to another season of impressive times in long distance events for the Comets.
“I’m going to remember my junior year by having a great team atmosphere where we were super encouraging and just lifted each other up no matter what,” Knudsen said.
There were many moments from the 2024 season that Knudsen will keep close to her heart including the team dinners at Culver’s after a meet.
Knudsen claimed a regional championship in the two-mile with a time of 12:42. She also finished second in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:35.
Knudsen finished second in the mile with a time of 5:37.
Knudsen finished eighth overall with a personal record time of 5:18 in the mile at the state championship. She turned around and finished 19th overall in the 3200-meter run with a time of 12:14.
“It’s one of those things where it’s just mind over matter and giving it your personal best every single day and knowing that that’s enough,” Knudsen said.
Eleanor Valkner (Glen Lake)
Glen Lake senior Eleanor Valkner is the lone thrower to make the dream team.
Valkner qualified for states in both shot put and discus in dominant fashion at regionals.
Valkner claimed a regional championship in the discus with a winning throw of 113 feet 3 inches. In the shot put, she finished fifth (32’ 4.75).
In 2023, Valkner qualified for states but didn’t place. This year, she finished her illustrious career in style. Valkner claimed fourth in the state championship with a throw of 113 feet 7 inches.
Valkner also finished 24th in shot put with a throw of 29 feet 4.25 inches. She will be heading to Michigan State University in the fall to join the livestock industries program to learn more about farming.
“The work ethic she has is so strong,” Glen Lake girls track coach Donna King said. “With track, most of the time you can always run. shot-put and discus is a technical event to be successful at. (Valkner) would watch a lot of films. Jerry Angers and Valkner would watch film together to get to the success that she had.”
Valkner broke a 20-year old discus record earlier this season with a throw of 121 feet 2 inches to surpass a 2004 throw of 119 feet 1 inch from Sarah Moilanen at the Frankfort Invitational in May.
Valkner credits her technique, footwork, and better use of her off-arm for adding distance to her throw. Last year, her best was 105 feet 10 inches.
Natalie Burpee (Leland)
Leland freshman Natalie Burpee stole her spot on the dream team for her competitive spirit that led to a state finals appearance during her first track prep season.
Burpee started her best running of the season by claiming first in a two-mile race at the Frankfort invitational in May with a time of 13.19.
Burpee finished second in the two-mile with a time of 13:38 at regionals to qualify for states. She finished 29th overall with a time of 12:59 at states. The future is bright for the Comet long distance runner.
Kendra Couturier (St. Mary)
Lake Leelanau St. Mary senior Kendra Couturier capped off her high school career by racing for the Eagles track team in its first year as solely a St. Mary sport.
This is Couturier’s second time making the dream team in track and field after she earned a spot last season for Suttons Bay that was hosting a co-op.
Couturier’s biggest highlights of the season include finishing eighth (6:27) in the mile at regionals. She also finished fifth in the two-mile with a time of 14:17 to cap the season off for the Eagles.
Lydia Fosmore (Glen Lake)
The second freshman to grace the dream team is Glen Lake’s Lydia Fosmore for her contribution on multiple relay teams.
“(Fomore) is a hard worker and a perfectionist. Neither of the girls wanted to let their teammates down,” Glen Lake coach Donna King said.
Fosmore anchored the 4x200relay team that finished second at regionals and qualified for the state championship with a time of 1:54.
“We switched Lydia’s position around to coming out of the blocks and she was successful at it and being the team player she needed to be.
Fosmore also anchored the 4x400-relay team that qualified for states with a time of 4:26.
Emily Alaimo (Glen Lake)
Glen Lake junior Emily Alaimo had herself a season as she dual sported track and soccer. Alaimo, like Fosmore, was instrumental in the relay team success for the Lakers all season long.
“(Alaimo) was filling in for the relays all season and she is already setting some goals for next year,” Glen Lake girls track coach Donna King said.
Alaimo was the second leg of the 13th state finishing 4x200relay team with a time of 1:52. Alaimo also helped the Laked to secure a 22nd place finish in the 1600-meter relay with a time of 4:31.
