Don’t Neglect the Gift: Legacy in the Roberts Sisters’ Strides
Written by Stephanie Gordon
Not everyone considers running a gift, but for the Roberts family, it is the gift that keeps on giving. Running has been a family affair for the four Roberts sisters and simply a way of life. Anna, ’26, Megan, ’27, Caroline, ’29, and Eliza (a current freshman at Hillsdale Academy) grew up around the track. Their parents, Mike, ’98, and Lisa, ’99, both former Chargers athletes, spent the girls’ childhoods coaching track and field. Now, the three oldest Roberts sisters are carrying the family legacy forward, running their own races at their own paces for the Chargers.
The Starting Line
Mike and Lisa, both Michiganders, came to Hillsdale College to run cross country and track for the Chargers in the 1990s. Lisa ran the 800-meter run, the 400-meter hurdles, and various relays, while Mike competed in the 400-meter dash, the 800-meter run, and relays. Both are All-American athletes.
Mike and Lisa married in 1999, and after a brief stint teaching in Colorado, they returned to Hillsdale, where Mike began his long tenure as an administrator at Hillsdale Academy. He currently serves as its headmaster and the head coach of its track and field program. Lisa is a science teacher at Hillsdale Academy and also helps coach the Colts’ track and field athletes.
On Your Marks, Get Set…
Running was instilled for fun at a young age for the Roberts sisters. “My dad was the athletic director and head track coach at Hillsdale Academy, so we spent a lot of time at the track,” said Anna. “Our mom would take us to the meets, and we all wanted it to be our turn to run,” added Megan.
The sisters recalled running laps around their childhood home for fun while holding a baton to make it feel official. “We would spray each other with spray bottles, too,” laughed Anna. “One time, Megan ran 100 laps around the house.”
One hundred laps around the house turned into fun runs and Hillsdale Academy Turkey Trots. The sisters began running competitively in 6th grade and claimed they got their competitive drive from their parents. “That drive has carried us through a lot of gritty races,” Megan said. “And it’s also changed the mindset of how you approach a race—doing the best you can rather than trying to be the best is really important,” added Caroline.
The Roberts sisters had a big impact on their high school cross country and track teams. The three sisters were on the Academy’s 2021 MHSAA Division 4 4×800-meter relay state championship team. Anna was a state champion in the long jump in her senior year. Megan took home two more state titles after winning the 4×800 and 4×400 relays in 2023. Caroline earned state titles in the 4×800 and 4×400 relays in 2023 and 2025, and she placed third in the state in the 800-meter run in 2025.
The sisters all attribute their success to the love of running instilled at a young age. Caroline also added that Lisa would frequently remind them of 1 Timothy 4:14. “My mom would often tell us, ‘Don’t neglect the gift.’ Racing is an enjoyment and a gift. When I run, I feel God’s pleasure. You can be suffering through the sport, but He’s there all of the time.”
Lisa fondly remembers her high school coach, Jenny Wilson Goodpaster, ’88, who opened Lisa’s eyes to running as a sport and where it could take her. “Jenny was the one who would encourage me during tough workouts with 1 Timothy 4:14. The gift should be used to bring God glory and to enjoy His goodness—the joy of running and the opportunities it provides.”
Go!
It was no surprise when it came time to choose a college that there were options for the Roberts sisters. The girls caught the attention of several colleges, but the sisters made sure their decisions were their own. “Our girls had a different connection to Hillsdale,” said Mike. “Lisa and I really wanted them to compare colleges.”
And though they did, Hillsdale was the one for the three of them. The combination of academics, a positive team environment, and the feeling of home sealed the deal. Megan said that she’s glad to be a Charger because Hillsdale is home. “Walking past our parents’ All-American photos in the Splex every day just feels familiar—and I’m running the same race as my mom and dad.”
“I chose to attend Hillsdale because of the team culture and the experiences that my sisters had,” Caroline added. “It’s a healthy team environment, and the coaches and teammates want what’s best for each other. Having my sisters on the team, too, is pretty special.”
Anna, Megan, and Caroline are triple-sport athletes for the Chargers. They compete on the cross country team and the indoor and outdoor track teams. Anna’s track event is the 3,000-meter steeplechase, Megan’s is the 800-meter run, and Caroline will be tackling the 800 or 1500-meter run. The way the three sisters prepare for their events is unique to each of them. But figuring out their place on the team wasn’t a simple process.
“Coach White is incredible,” Anna said of Hillsdale’s cross country coach. “He’s the one who got me into distance running. He took a chance on me and had no idea how I would perform. I was a sprinter my freshman year, but I kept thinking I could give more in a different way.”
So Anna joined the cross country team and really fell in love with running. “The mental piece was the trigger,” said Anna. “My mindset changed so much with distance running. Mentally, I grew, and it’s part of the reason why I’ve had success.”
“We’re not just physically bettering ourselves every day, but mentally as a person, too; we’re refining ourselves and learning to endure and apply the running aspect to the race of life,” Megan said. “Running is broad-spectrum, and that’s why we love it.”
Contrary to popular belief, Mike and Lisa never wanted to force running on their daughters. For them, it’s been a joy to watch the girls develop at their own pace. And with that development have come leadership skills and how to deal with adversity.
Despite the success, the Roberts parents have made it clear that not everything rests on running. “Watching our girls persevere through adversity, whether through injuries or bad races, and deal with struggles in a healthy way has also reinforced the perspective that running isn’t the main thing in their lives,” Mike said. “It took adversity to understand where the perspective is. It’s been great to watch them handle growth and work things out with their coaches directly, and for Lisa and me to be observers and sounding boards.”
But as parents, it can be nerve-wracking, especially with three daughters competing at the collegiate level. “It’s a mixed bag,” added Mike. “There are those days when everything is clicking and you celebrate with them, but there are the lows, and you just have to be there for them. You have to be ready for everything.”
Anna echoed her father’s statement, saying the journey is not always pretty. “There are good times and hard times and highs and lows, but God will have your best interest, and it’s beautiful to see when you get rewarded with that.”
Staying the Course
The Roberts sisters have experienced great success at Hillsdale. In 2025, Anna was the G-MAC Champion in the outdoor 3,000-meter steeplechase. “Winning that race was really special,” Anna explained. “I did not expect to win, as I was ranked 7th going in, but I PR’d by 45 seconds. I knew I was capable of winning all season. I kept thinking, I can’t just let this go. I’m here now, and I have to do it.” And that she did.
Megan was all-conference her freshman year and PR’d in the 800-meter run. “I ran a 2:12—a time I would have never thought I was capable of,” she said. “That changed my view on my potential. It gave me the confidence I needed to move forward with my running career.”
So how do the Roberts sisters do it? Sleep, food, and faith. “I think we can all agree that sleep is our secret sauce,” smiled Anna. “I also love a good chicken parmesan the night before a race. For breakfast, I love peanut butter and banana toast.” “I love my mom’s jam and peanut butter toast,” said Megan. And for Caroline? Red meat and a Go-Go Squeeze before every race.
The sisters explained that their teammates are their best friends, and they have a healthy Christian community. “There’s something so much greater that we’re united in,” said Anna. “So therefore, we can form even deeper relationships and also come to love the sport more. These people have everyone’s best interests in mind, and it’s to glorify the Lord.”
Both Mike and Lisa had similar experiences during their time on the cross country and track teams in the ’90s. “It was such a special time to spend four years with your people,” Mike said. “You grow with these people who are your teammates, and then to see your kids go through that as well—yes, it’s about the competition, but it’s also about the relationships you see them start to develop. Those will carry forward for years.”
The Finish Line
The sisters have ambitious goals for the spring 2026 season. Anna hopes to qualify for Nationals in the steeplechase. Megan hopes to be all-conference in the 800-meter run. Caroline hopes to grow in her running journey during her first track and field season and to be all-conference in her event.
It’s also Anna’s final track and field season before graduating in May. “It’s a bittersweet feeling, but I am grateful for everything,” she said. “I’ve learned and grown a lot. The one constant has always been the team. It’s been the foundation for my college career. I entered college saying I love to run, but now I can truly say I love to run.”
Anna plans to pursue a future in sports management and will marry her fiancé, Richie Johnston, ’25, the former Chargers track and field standout and former G-MAC steeplechase champion, in the summer of 2026. “I also plan to do a marathon after I graduate,” Anna added. “I want to enjoy running for as long as I can.”
Megan aspires to have a future in nursing, and Caroline would love to become a teacher one day. Both sisters plan to keep up with running, too. “Running levels me,” Megan said. “I can see myself keeping up with local 5ks, and maybe one day I’ll be running with a stroller with my kids.”
While the sisters are forging their own paths and successes at Hillsdale, there’s no doubt that Mike and Lisa helped lay the foundation. The couple has followed their daughters’ athletic careers since childhood, calling these college years a “great joy” and a welcomed “bonus”—a chance to watch the girls compete at the collegiate level so close to home.
From cherished childhood laps around the house to all-out laps around the Chargers’ track, the Roberts legacy lives on through love, support, hard work, and the gift behind every stride.
Stephanie Gordon, a lifelong Hillsdale native, is the managing editor of Virtue and Valor: The Official Blog of Hillsdale College. She is married to chiropractor, Dr. Matt Gordon, and has three children: Eloise, Flora, and Jack. She enjoys baking, floating on Baw Beese Lake, Detroit Lions football, and breaking a sweat at the gym.
Reposted from the spring 2026 issue of Arete.