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PETOSKEY – June 8, 2026 – St. Michael High School (SMHS), the only Classical high school in Northern Michigan, announced today that its Ladies and Gents Track & Field teams both finished third at this year’s Regional at Indian River – and that the Guardian Gents 4×800-meter relay team subsequently took fourth at the Division-4 State Finals in Hudsonville.
The quartet of Caleb Chamberlin, Cody Bradley, Cole Wesley, and Atticus Cadarette, entering the State Finals seeded eighth, doggedly worked its way through the field, with Cadarette lifting the team from sixth to fourth (in 8:26.6) on the relay’s final leg. Both he and Chamberlin set 800-meter personal-bests, leading the Guardians ‘4×8’ to a State podium finish for the fifth time in the last six seasons.
In other races, Cadarette finished 17th in the 400, Bradley was 20th in the 3200, and the 4×400 relay (same personnel as 4×800) placed 28th.
Also, for the first time in program history, the Gents had a State qualifier in the field events as John Sagan placed 20th in Discus with a personal best of 123’ 2” and was also 23rd in the Shot Put.
The Ladies’ top finisher was Veronica Paga at ninth place in the 400 meters at 62.5 seconds. Soon after, Mea Wesley placed eleventh in the 800 meters in a personal best time of 2:29.6, with Paga at fourteenth in 2:33.8. For considerations both logistical and tactical, State entries were ‘scratched’ in the 4×800, the 1600, and the 3200 meters.
State meet qualification originated at the mid-May Regional, where both Guardian teams finished third – the highest finish ever for the Ladies and the best for the Gents since 2021.
The St. Michael Gentlemen tallied 91 points, led by first-place finishes from the 4×800 relay (same line-up as at State) and Sagan in the Shot Put – and State-qualifying runner-up finishes from Cadarette in the 400, Bradley in 3200, the 4×400 relay (Chamberlin, Wesley, Bradley – and Cooper Feagan), and Sagan in the Discus.
In other scoring for the Gents team, Chamberlin, Bradley, and Wesley went 3-4-6 in the 1600 meters – while more fourth place finishes were claimed in the 400 (Feagan), 800 (Chamberlin), and 3200 (Wesley). The 4×200 relay of Samuel Brooks, Carl Nolan, Elijah Pulver, and Trevor Cameron placed fifth and Cadarette took sixth in the Long Jump.
The Ladies scored 78 points to attain their third place finish, and far more improbably as the team had just six competitors, just one relay, and no field events! The Guardians were led by Veronica Paga and Mea Wesley who both stacked points like cordwood.
Paga won the 400 in a personal best time of 61.9 seconds, then won the 800, and was runner-up in the 3200. Wesley won the 1600, was runner-up in the 800, and took fourth in the 3200. The duo combined with Sofia Cadarette and Helena Ramsey to easily repeat as Regional champions in the 4×800 relay.
In other scoring for the Ladies team, Ella Nolan took fourth in the 300 meter hurdles, fifth in the 200, and sixth in the 100. Cadarette also notched a fourth place finish in the 800 meters.
As expected, Fairview and Inland Lakes claimed Regional team championships in the Boys & Girls meets, respectively. On the Gents side, Inland Lakes was second with 98 and St. Michael was third with 91, with all other schools at or below 60 points. On the Ladies side, Whittemore-Prescott was runner-up with 91, with St. Michael third at 78 and Fairview fourth at 71.5 points. All other schools were at or below 48 points.
Guardians Coach Larry Rudnicki mused, “I confess to making some ‘unreasonable’ requests of our top guns at the Regional. For the Gents, I sensed the possibility – however slim – that we might sneak in for a team title, and so we ‘went for it.’ While with the Ladies, opportunity for State qualification presented itself in many events, though necessitating long races on short rest. Veronica & Mea were exhausted, but it mostly played out according to plan. For the Gents, however, there was a bit of ‘crash & burn’, most notably in the 800. Even so, it was a good showing overall, led by our All-State 4×800 crew, and our young teams now have an understanding of what it takes to win championships on the track. We’ll benefit from that experience going forward, starting with Cross Country where I see awesome potential for our program.”
“Thanks be to God – as well as to our parents, benefactors, and supporters! We couldn’t do this without you!”
St. Michael High School is High School with a Higher Purpose and a proud member of the Chesterton Schools Network. Established in 2013, the St. Michael mission is to nurture and elevate a new generation of joyful leaders educated in the Classical tradition and truth of the Catholic faith. To learn more, please visit the SMHS website at stmichaelchesterton.org.