TRAVERSE CITY — If you don’t look at her shoes during a Lorelai Zielinski throw, everything is usually perfect.
Spectators taking in a shot put or discus throw by the Traverse City Central track and field star are usually drawn to how far it goes rather than footwear.
But look closely, and you’ll notice mismatched shoes.
Zielinski wears holes in the side of her size-11 Nike track shoes from drag during her throwing technique, one that made her the Record-Eagle female track Athlete of the Year. She buys two pairs of Nikes per season and swaps them back and forth as they wear out.
For the Nike Outdoor Nationals last month in Oregon, she wrote “Have fun” on one shoe. The 16-year-old proceeded to place in the top 10 as one of the youngest throwers in the under-20 age group.
“I am the one thing in life you can control” reads another shoe. “You got this” is written on another.
Championships have been easy to come by for Zielinski, who has won 36 out of 41 shot-put events at the middle school and high school levels, including the Division 1 state championship this spring.
She doubled that up with a discus title as well, becoming the first TC Central track athlete to win multiple field event crowns over a career. She just finished her sophomore year.
The one thing she can’t come by? Pink track shoes.
“You would think they’d have pink shoes, but they do not,” Zielinski said. “I’m waiting, Nike.”
She does have a pink indoor shot put. The indoor ones are rubber-coated with a sand interior, as opposed to the all-metal outdoor ones. Her discus bag has her name on it in pink.
She won the Division 1 shot put title this year by a little over 3 feet and discus by more than 13.
Montrose sophomore Addyson Stiverson is the only competitor in Michigan who regularly beat Zielinski this season. Stiverson is in Division 3, but Zielinski did get the best of her at nationals in shot put for the first time.
“She pushes me to throw farther,” said Zielinski, whose one superstition is always drinking orange Gatorade during competition.
Zielinski led all area shot putters by 13 feet this year and discus throwers by 38’6”.
TC Central girls track coach Paul Anderson said what’s amazing about Zielinski’s accomplishments, is how she’s done them without sacrificing a personal life.
“The find of focus she had to get to this point, that’s a big deal,” Anderson said. “She’s very focused, without betraying who she is. She’s great, but she’s not neglecting herself as a person.”
“Sports pretty much is my life,” Zielinski said.
Zielinski built up her technique in the two throwing disciplines, not starting both at the same time.
She took up shot put in sixth grade and didn’t start discus until the summer after her seventh-grade year.
A year later, she won the AAU middle school championship with a 53’8” middle-school record. The shot used in middle school competition is six pounds, compared to the 8.8-pound one in high school.
“It was a super light shot,” Zielinski said, “and I was taller and bigger than the other girls.”
She won with brute strength early on.
“You have to learn the basics before you learn the big, technical things,” Zielinski said. “You don’t throw it like a ball. You’ll throw out your shoulder doing that.”
Prior to her freshman year, she used the glide technique in shot put, which doesn’t involve spinning. It’s a simpler, more compact throw with only a half turn before release.
“It was definitely different,” Zielinski said. “I didn’t start spinning in shot put until my freshman year. You have to change your mind when throwing either one.”
Zielinski went through a growth spurt in sixth grade, sprouting from 5-foot-2 to 5-7. By middle school, she was around 5-10 and now stands at an even 6 feet.
She never lost any of her 14 shot put meets in middle school.
Through two seasons of high school competition, she’s won 24 out of 26 events in discus — including an impressive 12-for-12 this spring — and 22 of 27 in shot put.
“It’s much harder than it looks,” said Zielinski, whose younger brother Kaeden is a pole vaulter. “People think you’re just throwing a ball. They don’t realize how heavy it is. It’s like a bowling ball. If you mess up one little thing, it’s not a good throw. If you get one more thing right, it can be perfect.”
At indoor nationals in New York in March, Zielinski placed 10th nationally in shot put.
At Nike Outdoor Nationals in Oregon after the high school season concluded, she took fourth in shot put and sixth in discus in U20 category against almost exclusively college athletes. She was one of only two high schoolers in discus, with three in shot put.
She came in with goals of hitting 150 feet in disc and 47 in shot, but exceeded those at 159’ and 48’10” in the U20 division.
She set Traverse City Central’s record and the Honor Roll Meet mark by unleashing a 164’9” heave in the all-star prep meet at Central’s track that was the seventh-best distance nationally among all high school girls. She won the meet by over 50 feet and was only 7’3” off the distance of boys winner Chase Bott of Kingsley. She beat every other boy in the meet.
“I didn’t think it was as far as it was because it curved a bit,” Zielinski said. “But there wasn’t any wind that day.”
Now she’s having offers pour in from colleges, with most of the Big Ten sending her letters soon after schools were able to contact her as a sophomore.
Zielinski was born in Wisconsin, growing up a Badgers fan. She lived in Minnesota for six years, then moved to Cheboygan at age 7 and Traverse City at 10.
DREAM TEAM
100 — Helen Biggar, So., TC St. Francis; Audrey Huizinga, Sr., Manistee; Sophia Tucker, Jr., TC St. Francis.
200 — Audrey Huizinga, Sr., Manistee; Alison Bailey, Sr., Petoskey; Emily Kelsey, Jr., TC West.
400 — Audrey Huizinga, Sr., Manistee; Reese Smith, Jr., TC West; Emily Kelsey, Jr., TC West.
800 — Reese Smith, Jr., TC West; Katie Berkshire, Jr., Gaylord; Tessa Mascari, So., TC West.
1,600 — Katie Berkshire, Jr., Gaylord; Tessa Mascari, So., TC West; Brooklyn Brown, Jr., Cadillac.
3,200 — Katie Berkshire, Jr., Gaylord; Brooklyn Brown, Jr., Cadillac; Tessa Mascari, So., TC West.
100 hurdles — Norah Galton, Sr., Kingsley; Annika Powis, Jr., TC Central; Alexandra Petok, So., Petoskey.
300 hurdles — Norah Galton, Sr., Kingsley; Ruby Pletcher, So., Central Lake/Ellsworth; Skylee Ames, Sr., Gaylord.
400 relay — TC West (Annika Powis, Mirabella Richey, Sofia Bird, Hannah Sluis); Petoskey (Nevaeh Leonard, Emma Mitas, Alexandra Petok, Alison Bailey); Kingsley (Alivia Dear, Norah Galton, Aizlyn McKinley, Emilee Robinson).
800 relay — Petoskey (Nevaeh Leonard, Alexandra Petok, Emma Mitas, Alison Bailey); Frankfort (Alice Luther, Gwyneth Dunaway, Addison Jarosz, Sofia Alaimo Schindler); Kingsley (Alivia Dea, Norah Galton, Aizlyn McKinley, Emilee Robinson).
1,600 relay — TC West (Bailey Wenzlick; Emily Kelsey; Alyssa Fouchey, Reese Smith); Manistee (Hattie Driver, Maya Goodspeed, Magdalena Herberger, Audrey Huizinga); TC Central (Iali Rodenroth, Mirabella Richey, Kylie Ball, Kelly Comfort).
3,200 relay — TC West (Alyssa Fouchey, Bailey Wenzlick, Tessa Mascari, Reese Smith); Cadillac (Ella McInerney, Chloe Mazza, Ruth Hanson, Brooklynn Brown); TC Central (Sienna Cobb, Emily Truszkowski, Ariana Rajah, Kelly Comfort).
Discus — Lorelai Zielinski, So., TC Central; Madalyn Wayward, Jr., Manistee; Ella Moylan, Sr., Gaylord.
Shot put — Lorelai Zielinski, So., TC Central; Sadie Corey, Sr., Petoskey; Leah Sulitis, Jr., Petoskey.
High jump — Ivy Roberts, Jr., Gaylord; Olivia Kandow, So., TC West; Madeline Bildeaux, Sr., TC West.
Long jump — Sophia Tucker, Jr., TC St. Francis; Hayden Schugars, Jr., TC Central; Maya Padisak, Sr., TC St. Francis.
Pole Vault — Sarah Bailey, Jr., Petoskey; Matt LaFreniere, Jr., Manton; Leili Frollo, Fr., Mancelona.
SECOND TEAM
100 — Emily Kelsey, Jr., TC West; Sofia Alaimo Schindler, Jr., Frankfort; Alison Bailey, Sr., Petoskey.
200 — Alexandra Petok, So., Petoskey; Sophia Tucker, Jr., TC St. Francis; Helen Biggar, So., TC St. Francis.
400 — Brianna Patrick, Fr., Manton; Hunter Shellenbarger, Sr., Elk Rapids; Alison Bailey, Sr., Petoskey.
800 — Kelly Comfort, Fr., TC Central; Ella McInerney, So., Cadillac; Abby Veit, Jr., TC West.
1,600 — Callie Sinke, Fr., Onekama; Isabella Bickle, Jr., Kingsley; Abby Veit, Jr., TC West.
3,200 — Mary Masserant, Sr., TC St. Francis; Callie Sinke, Fr., Onekama; Abby Veit, Jr., TC West.
100 hurdles — Olivia Kandow, So., TC West; Sarah Bailey, Jr., Petoskey; Maddie Snider, So., Buckley.
300 hurdles — Sarah Bailey, Jr., Petoskey; Ari Bryant, Jr., Cadillac; Kylie Ball, Jr., TC Central.
400 relay — TC St. Francis (Olivia Padisak, Helen Biggar, Maya Padisak, Sophia Tucker); Frankfort (Alice Luther, Sofia Alaimo Schindler, Addison Jarosz, Gwyneth Dunaway); TC West (Olivia Crane, Emily Kelsey, Ava Girard, Aryana Hughes).
800 relay — TC St. Francis (Maya Padisak, Helen Biggar, Addie Lesinski, Sophia Tucker); TC West (Olivia Crane, Emily Kelsey, Madeline Bildeaux, Keira Murphy); TC Central (Riley Scollard, Lucy Bongiorno, Sofia Bird, Vienna Moore).
1,600 relay — Frankfort (Riley LaVack, Gwyneth Dunaway, Willa Roth, Addison Jarosz); Elk Rapids (Leighton Smith, Anna Pray, Brynne Schulte, Hunter Shellenbarger); Cadillac (Ella McInerney, Brooklynn Brown, Chloe Mazza, Addie Main).
3,200 relay — TC St. Francis (Paige Ritchie, Molly Kate Hollandsworth, Vivian Bramer, Mary Masserant); Benzie Central (Nevia Chimonas, Avery Kelly, Maggie McClellan, Lilly Whaley); Kalkaska (Kara Olds, Aaliyah Hillier, Kylee Jenkins, Edda Grusnick).
Discus — Adalene Chambers, Sr., Kingsley; Violet Claar, Sr., TC West; Mattie LaFreniere, Jr., Manton.
Shot put — Mattie LaFreniere, Jr., Manton; Jojo Kirkpatrick, So., East Jordan; Ella Moylan, Sr., Gaylord.
High jump — Braylin Adair, Sr., Petoskey; Angela Porter, Sr., Manton; Kennedi Wahmhoff, Sr., Manton.
Long jump — Lyla Janes, Fr., Petoskey; Casey Prevo, Fr., East Jordan; Helen Biggar, So., TC St. Francis.
Pole Vault — Audrina Redmond, So., TC West; Ava Iverson, Sr., Benzie Central; Tara Brantly, So., Petoskey.
HONORABLE MENTION
100 — Alivia Dear, So., Kingsley; Hannah Sluis, So., TC Central; Emma Mitas, Jr., Petoskey; Olivia Crane, Fr., TC West.
200 — Sofia Alaimo-Schindler, Jr., Frankfort; Hannah Sluis, So., TC Central; Ava Pike, Sr., Onekama; Emma Mitas, Jr., Petoskey.
400 — Hattie Driver, Fr., Manistee; Gwyneth Dunaway, Sr., Frankfort; Iali Rodenroth, Sr., TC Central; Addie Main, So., Cadillac.
800 — Anna Pray, Jr., Elk Rapids; Bailey Wenzlick, Jr., TC West; Callie Sinke, Fr., Onekama; Delaney Little, Jr., Boyne City.
1,600 — Kelly Comfort, Fr., TC Central; Chloe Mazza, Fr., Cadillac; Bailey Wenzlick, Jr., TC West; Brynne Schultz, Jr., Elk Rapids.
3,200 — Chloe Mazza, Fr., Cadillac; Peyton Tucker, Jr., TC West; Avery Kelly, Fr., Benzie Central; Bailey Wenzlick, Jr., TC West.
100 hurdles — Ari Bryant, Jr., Cadillac; Brooke Fluty, Jr., Elk Rapids; Skylee Ames, Sr., Gaylord; Ruby Pletcher, So., Central Lake/Ellsworth; Cecie Donahue, Fr., TC St. Francis.
300 hurdles — Riley LaVack, Fr., Frankfort; Alexandra Petok, So., Petoskey; Olivia Kandow, So., TC West; Cecie Donahue, Fr., TC St. Francis.
400 relay — Cadillac (Ari Bryant, Isabella Diener, McKaylin Wangler, Zoe Barnes); Central Lake/Ellsworth (Claire Shooks, Ruby Pletcher, Loren Evans, Aspen Evans); Gaylord (Breona Clement, Emily Kurncz, Ivy Roberts, Lillian Mason); Charlevoix (Taryn Carey, Sophie Glotzhober, Avery Kita, Tory Carroll).
800 relay — Cadillac (Isabella Diener, Sanna Jalovaara, Zoe Barnes, Addie Main); Central Lake/Ellsworth (Loren Evans, Claire Shooks, Maleeya Hibbard, Lelynn Springstead); Glen Lake (Lydia Fosmore, Emily Alaimo, Avery Flores, Lilyan Shimunek); Elk Rapids (Anna Pray, Joelle Swanson, Tabitha Pritchard, Hunter Shellenbarger).
1,600 relay — TC St. Francis (Helen Biggar, Addie Lesinski, Emma Kerr, Sophia Tucker); Onekama (Callie Sinke, Ava Pike, Elizabeth McKeough, Hazel Sedelmai); Glen Lake (Lydia Fosmore, Lilyan Shimunek, Emily Alaimo, Carmella Julian); Manton (Kennedi Wahmhoff, Adriana Sackett, Mattie LaFreniere, Brianna Patrick).
3,200 relay — Onekama (Addy Zeller, Zakia Wagoner, Elizabeth McKeough, Callie Sinke); Bellaire (April Delange, Madalyn Dewey, Tatum Molski, Bella Hocking); Gaylord (Lily Sargent, Ella Spanding, Clare Diefenthal, Katie Berkshire); Elk Rapids (Olivia Douglas, Brynne Schulte, Hunter Shellenbarger, Anna Pray).
Discus — Alison Helinski, Sr., Grayling; Leah Sulitis, Jr., Petoskey; Jordan Sprik, Sr., Cadillac; Elsa Carter, Jr., Benzie Central.
Shot put — Adalene Chambers, Sr., Kingsley; Jordan Sprik, Sr., Cadillac; Madalyn Wayward, Jr., Manistee; Sanna Jalovaara, Sr., Cadillac.
High jump — Mikayla Kulawiak, So., Buckley; Aspen Evans, Jr., Central Lake/Ellsworth; Natalie Brown, Jr., Bear Lake; Delaney Case, So., Kingsley.
Long jump — Marlee Grieves, So., Petoskey; Olivia Kandow, So., TC West; Alivia Dear, So., Kingsley; Lydia Fosmore, So., Glen Lake.
Pole Vault — Lillian Mason, Jr., Gaylord; Carmen Mannor, Sr., TC Central; Kate May, Sr., Frankfort; Willa Roth, Jr., Frankfort; Kathryn Clark, Sr., TC Central.