sport: August 2011

sportLANSING.com

ROCK STARS Climbers Head To The Ledges For Thrills And Fun

lansing

dewitt

ROBERT RAY JR.

CODY GRICE

Scores Big Points As A Gates Scholar

Lives Rookie’s Life In Yankees System

VO L •3 ISSUE O7 AUGUST

2 O 11 $5.OO US SPORT COMMUNITY PUBLISHING

The Only Way to Go Where ever you go, Dean offers the best service to meet your needs.

Whether traveling in comfort with Dean Trailways or reserving a Dean Black Car to travel in exclusive style, Dean provides a safe, professional and comfortable environment to get you where you need to go.

Call today or visit us online to book your next trip.

1-800-282-3326 | deantrailways.com | deanblackcar.com

Authentic Mexican Restaurant

$1.99

East Lansing

KIDS MEAL ON SUNDAYS - NO REFILLS

$2.99 MARGARITAS SUNDAY–THURSDAY

OFFER MAY VARY AT SOME LOCATIONS

$1.49

SELECT 12oz

DRAFT BEER ALL DAY SUNDAY–THURSDAY

OFFER MAY VARY AT SOME LOCATIONS

South Lansing

1227 East Grand River Ave.

6405 South Cedar St.

517-853-5800

517-393-4100

West Lansing

Mason

5810 W Saginaw Hwy.

447 South Jefferson St.

517-327-0545

517-676-7701

Howell

Jackson

4148 East Grand River Ave.

1111 North West Ave.

517-545-8340

517-784-8400

Canton

West Jackson

6000 Canton Center Rd

1923 West Michigan Ave.

734-207-1922

517-990-0727

Michigan Center 328 5th Street

517-764-0600

contents

FEATURES 08 RAY OF HOPE

Robert Ray Jr. A Champ In Every Way

BY ANDREA NELSON

12 LITTLE TOWN BLUES?

DeWitt’s Cody Grice A Different Yankee

BY CHIP MUNDY

18 NORTHERN EXPOSURE

MSU, Midwest Golf Experience Key For Kueny, Brown

BY TOM LANG

24 LAPPING IT UP

28

Chad Finley Learns Auto Racing Lessons

BY CHIP MUNDY

Over The Ledges

Climbers Come To Grand Ledge For Excitement

BY LISA NOWAK

DEPARTMENTS eb-servation

05 A Healthy Buffet

Variety Remains The Spice Of Sport In Greater Lansing

BY JACK EBLING

spartans will

34 Net Gains

Sue Selke Still Sells The Game She Loves

BY ANDREA NELSON

finish line

36 Reasons To Smile MSU, East Lansing Will Always Be Home

BY DR. BLANCHE MARTIN

Volume #3 • Issue #7 AUGUST 2011

AUGUST 2011

3

assists

EDITOR Jack Ebling Jack has covered sports and more as a writer and broadcaster in Mid-Michigan since 1978. A three-time Michigan Sportswriter of the Year, he was a 2006 inductee into the Greater Lansing Area Sports Hall of Fame. He has written four books on Michigan State and one on the Detroit Tigers and is finishing book six, Heart of a Spartan (www.heartofaspartanbook.com). He has contributed more than 125 pieces for national publications and is a founding partner in Sportswriters Direct, a new freelance business. The former English teacher and coach spent nearly a quarter-century as a beat writer and columnist for the Lansing State Journal and won 21 major writing awards. A two-time graduate of MSU, he has lived in Greater Lansing for 37 years. With his wife, Robin, he has helped raise two remarkable young adults, Zach and Ali.

CONTRIBUTORS Chip Mundy Chip has spent his entire life in Mid-Michigan and always has had a passion for sports. He spent more than 25 years in the sports department at the Jackson Citizen Patriot and covered everything from Super Bowls and World Series to Little League Baseball and the rodeo. Chip’s first book, “Michigan Sports Trivia,” was published in November of 2010.

Publisher Camron Gnass Sport Community Publishing Editor Jack Ebling Assistant EditorS Andy Flanagan Andrea Nelson WRITING Jack Ebling Tom Lang Dr. Blanche Martin Chip Mundy Andrea Nelson Lisa Nowak COVER Photo Christopher Nowak PhotographY Shane Bufano Danielle Coppersmith Chad Finley Racing Chuck Gonzalez Tim Hygh Mike Major Matthew Mitchell MSU Athletic Communications Christopher Nowak MAGAZINE Design & LAYOUT Traction www.projecttraction.com

Lisa Nowak Lisa has called Greater Lansing home since arriving to attend Michigan State University in 2000. She is a technology consultant by day and an outdoors enthusiast in the evenings and on weekends. Lisa credits the MSU Outdoors Club with changing her life. She can often be found climbing at Grand Ledge, kayaking Lake Lansing and biking local trails.

Mailer ICS Editorial Office 617 East Michigan Avenue Lansing, Michigan 48912 (517) 455-7810 www.SportLansing.com Copyright © 2011 Sport Community Publishing All rights reserved.

Greater Lansing Sport Magazine is published monthly by Sport Community Publishing with offices at 617 East Michigan Avenue, Lansing, Michigan 48912. Postage is paid under USPS Permit #407.

Subscriptions: One copy of the Greater Lansing Sport Magazine, is mailed complimentary to qualified business addresses in the Greater Lansing metropolitan area. Residential, promotional, out-of-area and additional subscriptions are available for $36 per year (a saving of 40% off the $5 cover price per issue) by mailing a check to Sport Community Publishing or paying online at www.

SportLansing.com. When available, back issues can be purchased online for $10 each.

Postmaster: Address changes should be sent to: Sport Community Publishing, 617 East Michigan Avenue, Lansing, Michigan 48912.

4 AUGUST 2011

eb-servation

A Healthy Buffet Variety Remains The Spice Of Sport In Greater Lansing

BY JACK EBLING

A few of my friends see pucks in their sleep. A couple think soccer is the only kind of football. And some believe baseball is still the perfect game.

Who am I to tell them they’re wrong? No one they’d hear, that’s for sure. But that won’t stop me from talking about it.

I’d never rip their favorite sport. In fact, I applaud their passion. I just want them to know what I’ve learned – or at least been reminded – the past three years since Greater Lansing sport was born in September 2008.

We’re blessed in Mid-Michigan to have so many sports to pursue and follow, it’s almost a shame to wear blinders and appreciate just one.

The days of three-sport high school athletes are disappearing rapidly. In an era of specialization, most boys – and, increasingly, girls – have a primary focus before their mid-teens. Some pursue it to the exclusion of everything else.

It doesn’t have to be that way. Check with Dana Droste of DeWitt and Sean Wren of Mason, who have been profiled in these pages this year, or with Dylan Monette of Williamston, who will be in the next season or two.

All three of those student-athletes – and, yes, that term applies in each case – will play at the next level. Pursuing multiple sports didn’t stop them from being good at all of them and good enough in one of them to earn a college scholarship.

I’m reminded of Tom Izzo’s love of basketball players who’ve strapped on a helmet and shoulder pads. Top Michigan State recruiting target Gary Harris of Fishers, Ind., is a perfect example with his pick of offers as a wide receiver and a shooting guard.

Only a fortunate few can dominate in multiple sports. Almost everyone can benefit from them.

If the idea is to become as good as possible at one activity to impress college coaches, there’s a downside there, too. Upon careful inspection, many coaches, including Izzo, consider how much better a prospect can get.

When someone is good in three sports but hasn’t pursued any of them full-time, the ceiling is higher than when an athlete has done one thing 12 months a year.

Obviously, there are exceptions. But most wrestlers can get more than bruises from playing football. Likewise, I’ve never seen a football player who couldn’t benefit from at least a year of track.

The same is true for their followers. The more sports, the better, within generous limits. There’s no sense in hockey fans hating a winter game with smaller nets. And football diehards should at least acknowledge the skill in high-level soccer.

An NFL player recently wondered whether auto racers were athletes. In a similar vein, I’ve heard otherwise-intelligent people question outdoor sportsmen and golfers.

When it comes to the definition of sport in MidMichigan, we’re taking a broader view. That’s why we’ve featured more than 100 activities – at least twice as many as I could’ve named three years ago – in Greater Lansing sport’s first 28 issues.

For our August cover story, we examine a popular outdoors activity, rock climbing in Grand Ledge. It may not be for everyone, but it’s a way of life for devotees who come from all parts of the state.

Writer Lisa Nowak and photographer Christopher Nowak share much more than a last name. The couple’s piece on The Ledges provides some insight on why an area landmark is so important to so many.

After focusing on the first 55 years of Spartan Speedway last month, we follow up with another auto racing feature, a profile of 19-year-old Chad Finley, who won’t take no for an answer.

Veteran writer Chip Mundy takes us inside the garage and the pits for a piece on the DeWitt dynamo and the Finley racing family.

Let’s just say Chad has the genes to make it big on the biggest tracks.

Mundy didn’t have to travel far between assignments. DeWitt native Cody Grice, a star outfielder at Grand Valley State, checks in from the road in his first summer of professional baseball.

Grice was a 12th-round pick of the New York Yankees in the June entry draft and has battled an early injury in his debut with the Class A Staten Island Yanks.

Golf writer Tom Lang takes a look at two terrific young women on their path from Michigan State to the LPGA. Michigan Open champ Laura Kueny and Big Break winner Sara Brown will represent this area well.

Don’t be surprised if one or both are winning tournaments at the highest level before they’re finished. And they won’t be the program’s last representatives on Tour.

But no one is representing this area better than Robert Ray Jr., the subject of a in-depth profile by Assistant Editor Andrea Nelson. In one of my favorite stories of 2011, we see how the former Sexton Big Red earned one of the biggest prizes in the nation.

Ray has persevered to be part of a Class B state basketball champ and receive the Bill and Melinda Gates Scholarship for academic and leadership performance. While he studies medicine at MSU, he won’t forget his friends at the Boys & Girls Club of Lansing.

We stay in East Lansing to check in with 1980s tennis great Sue Selke for a Spartans Will flashback and 1950s football star Dr. Blanche Martin for a Finish Line guest column.

Selke, a fixture on the local and national net scene, is back at Court One with a new program for youths. And Martin, a dentist in East Lansing for close for four decades, is still putting smiles on people’s faces.

Let’s see…basketball, youth recreation, baseball, golf, auto racing, rock climbing, tennis and football – all in one mid-summer issue.

No one can say we’re one-and-done. H

AUGUST 2011

5

your shot

Send Us Your Photos! www.SportLansing.com Published photos will receive a poster commemorating Your Shot, courtesy of Capital Imaging.

The Back Stops Here Laingsburg’s Johnny Fortino pursues a Potterville running back as a teammate approaches.

Photographed by DANIELLE COPPERSMITH

Ray Of Hope Robert Ray Jr. A Champ In Every Way

BY ANDREA NELSON

Robert Ray Junior.

You may never have heard his name before, but soon he’ll be someone you’ll never forget.

Ray Jr. isn’t an athlete you would normally recognize. He didn’t lead his basketball team in rebounds. He wasn’t the top scorer. He wasn’t a starter. He didn’t even play organized basketball until his senior year of high school.

None of that mattered to Ray Jr. He was just happy to be a member of the Lansing Sexton High basketball team.

Today, Ray Jr. is a Class B state basketball champion, valedictorian of his class, threetime Boys and Girls Club of Lansing’s Youth of the Year, 2011 state Youth of the Year and a Gates Millennium Scholar.

Ray Jr. has more accolades as a high school graduate than many people will have in a lifetime. But the road he took to reach that level of success was the one less traveled.

Few people know exactly what Ray Jr.’s childhood was like because the 18-year-old doesn’t like to talk about the early years of his life. He said he wants to protect his family and forget the things of his past he cannot change.

“It wasn’t always easy,” Ray Jr. said. “There’s a lot of stuff I don’t like to talk about because I don’t want to remember it. I just want to try and forget it. There’s a lot that people don’t know, and that’s fine with me that they don’t know.”

Ray Jr. admitted his parents struggled with substance abuse, but he knew his future was too valuable to risk making the same mistakes.

“I somehow knew that those were all bad choices,” Ray Jr. said. “My parents weren’t necessarily bad people. They had just made some bad choices. It was a lot easier for me to learn from them than to repeat them. I already knew what would happen and I knew that for as long as I can remember.”

School was Ray Jr.’s chance to rise above a troubled life that many teenagers find themselves unable to escape. He joked that his maturity in recognizing this must have come from an extra 8 AUGUST 2011

chromosome in his body. Whatever Ray Jr.’s secret was, he wasn’t on his own for long.

Growing up, Ray Jr. said he and his younger sister often complained about being bored because there weren’t any other kids in their neighborhood. His grandmother finally heard enough and took them to the Boys and Girls Club of Lansing just down the road. She said if they enjoyed it, they could go back the next day and sign up for a membership.

Ray Jr. hasn’t left since.

President of the Lansing Boys and Girls Club Carmen Turner began working for the club 10 years ago. She’s known Ray Jr. for eight of them. Turner said people who work in an environment with children often form a kindred spirit with them. That’s the type of bond she formed over the years with Ray Jr. Like many others, Turner didn’t know the details of Ray Jr.’s background. But his attitude didn’t suggest that the slightest thing had ever gone wrong.

“A lot of times, when kids come from a background that’s not comfortable, sometimes you can see it,” Turner said. “They have a wall up, they’re angry all the time. Well, Robert was not like that. He was very kind and just a warm person.”

Turner said the Boys and Girls Club means different things to different children. Some need help with homework or need to be tutored.

Graduating with a 4.18 GPA, it’s safe to say Ray Jr. never really needed help with his homework.

“Robert did not need that part of the Boys and Girls Club,” Turner said. “What he needed was a place where he could come in and people would hug him. So we say that we were his family, besides his best friend’s family. Those were the two stable components in his life.”

The family that Turner referred to is the Barber-Brauns. Ray Jr. met their son Josh when he moved to Kendon Elementary School in 4th

grade. Josh was the first person who ever talked to Ray Jr. and they’ve been inseparable ever since.

During a rough time as a 16-year-old, Lori Barber and Tim Braun decided to welcome Ray Jr. into their home as part of their family. Ray Jr. said Barber and Braun didn’t give him a choice when they asked him to move in, and their generosity meant the world to him.

“I had never asked them or anything,” Ray Jr. said. “They came up with it on their own. That showed me that they really did care and they really did treat me like I’m their son. I don’t get treated any different than the other two, so it made me feel special. At that time I really needed that.”

The decision to invite Ray Jr. into the family was a no-brainer for Barber.

“He just needed some stability, and we just wanted to give it to him,” Barber said. “There wasn’t much to think about. I’m just glad we had the chance to help him.”

With the help of the Barber-Brauns and the Boys and Girls Club, Ray Jr.’s life continued to stabilize. He was now on staff at the Club and truly enjoyed helping the younger children.

“I think that if you get involved in any kind of service or mentoring, it’s an unmatched feeling,” Ray Jr. said. “You can feel that they’re listening and watching everything you do because they’re trying to grow up and be something like you or mimic something you do that they might want to do. It just makes you feel really good.”

But it wasn’t all work for Ray Jr. at the Club. It was there that he first began playing organized sports. His first love was football and he played it at the Club every chance he had. One day there wasn’t anyone to throw a football with, so he picked up a basketball.

He’s been playing basketball ever since.

Ray Jr. tried out for the Sexton junior varsity team as a freshman and sophomore, but was cut from the team both years. Head coach Chris Ferguson said Ray Jr. just didn’t have the same skills as the other players.

No one tells Ray Jr. he can’t do something.

He kept practicing.

Ray Jr. didn’t try out for the varsity team his junior year, and almost didn’t as a senior, either.

AUGUST 2011

9

Photography Mike major, dane robison

ray of hope

John Faust DDS, MS Edward Grubaugh DDS, MS Orthodontic Specialists for Children and Adults Complimentary Initial Exam No Referral Needed Interest Free Payment Plans

LANSING

5238 W St Joseph Hwy

517-321-4375

DEWITT

203 E Main St

517-669-5833

www.faustandgrubaughbraces.com

He said it’s embarrassing to get cut from a team but figured he didn’t have anything to lose.

He made the team.

Ray Jr. said joining the team was difficult at first because most of the players had been playing together for years. He was the new guy. But the Big Reds welcomed him as one of their own and became friends that he plans on having for a long time.

Junior Big Red Denzel Valentine said Ray Jr. was always a great teammate and even a better person.

“He’s been through a lot in his life, so I think that gives him motivation to do good in school and to be a good person,” Valentine said. “I think the stuff he’s been through in his life helps him be a better person.”

“They appreciated Robert for what Robert brought to the team,” Turner said. “He wasn’t the star, but they made him feel good about what he brought to that team. And he loved the team. He talked about those guys like they were his brothers.”

It was a pretty good year for Ray Jr. to join the Big Red family. They went on to win a state title, and it was a moment Ray Jr. will never forget.

“It was very exciting,” Ray Jr. said. “I can still remember it like it was yesterday. I was very anxious when the time was winding down and when the time finally went out it was like…”

He couldn’t find a word to describe the feeling.

“Just looking at the pictures…”

Still nothing.

It must’ve been a good feeling.

Ray Jr. had the pictures and memories of the championship, but couldn’t afford the memorabilia that came with it. That’s where the Lansing community came in. No one wanted someone as hard working as Ray Jr. to go without the ring and varsity letter he earned.

Thanks to many generous contributors, Ray Jr. is now able to wear both with Big Red pride.

Ray Jr. had always loved sports, but knew that his athletic skills would never help him reach the next level of education.

“I obviously wasn’t going to get in athletically like Michael Vick or Michael Jordan,” Ray Jr. said.

“I knew that my best chance was through school.

And it’s a lot easier to get big scholarships if your grades are really good. I wanted to get the best grades so I could get the best scholarships.”

Few are better than the Gates Millennium Scholarship. Only 1,000 students are selected each year for 10-year grant that covers all costs of both undergraduate and graduate school.

“When I got that letter in the mail, I started running around the house,” Ray Jr. said. “I knew that as long as I kept doing what I was doing, which was keeping my grades up, in college I

didn’t have to worry about housing. They had just sent me a letter saying that they would cover me. That was the best thing out of everything.

“Except for the state championship.”

Of course.

Ray Jr. plans to attend Michigan State in the fall where he will pursue a medical degree.

But even though he has the next 10 years of finances taken care of, there’s one more award he’d like to bring home to Lansing.

This year, Ray Jr. was selected as Michigan’s Youth of the Year through the Boys and Girls Club. He will compete in the Youth of the Year Regionals in mid-July, with hopes of reaching nationals in Washington D.C. in September.

The competition has allowed Ray Jr. to open his heart and share his past in hopes of helping others through difficult times.

“When I give my speech, I kind of spill all the beans,” Ray Jr. said. “A lot of times there’s younger kids and I want to inspire them or motivate them so that they know, no matter what, you can do whatever you want. You can reach your goals, you can overcome whatever you’re going through.”

Robert Ray Jr. is proof of his words. Every dream he had growing up has slowly become his reality.

“I had achieved what I had set out to do, but at the same time I knew that I still have a long way to go,” Ray Jr. said. “There’s still a lot to be done that I haven’t even scraped. That was just one more stepping stone. I still have a whole mountain to climb.”

He’s already climbed one Everest. What’s one more? H

One Of The Boys Ray Jr. (center) shoots hoops and inspires youngsters of all ages at the Lansing Boys and Girls Club.

luncheon 2011 Greater Lansing Business + Sports

Featuring former U of M Football Coach

Lloyd Carr September 21 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Eagle Eye Golf Club

Tickets are $55 each or a corporate table of 8 for $385.

Visit lansingbusinessmonthly.com to register!

Program Generously Sponsored By:

Don this ’t Mis eve s n 517 Call t!

-487 to r ese 1714 rve .

DeWitt’s Cody Grice A

BY CHIP MUNDY

12 AUGUST 2011

Cody Grice’s first taste of professional baseball has been a bittersweet one.

Grice, a 12th-round pick of the New York Yankees in the June draft, strained an oblique muscle in just his third game as a pro.

Still, the DeWitt High graduate has been able to soak in the atmosphere of minor league ball in his first month, even though most of it has come from the Staten Island Yankees bench in short-season Class A.

Different Yankee

“It’s awful,” Grice said. “I’ve never had to sit this long, so it has been hard. But it has given me a chance to watch some of the other guys and see how they do things.”

Mike Brya, Grice’s baseball coach at DeWitt, has stayed in contact with his former player. And he knows that watching and not playing is a tough challenge.

“That’s something he isn’t used to, and I’m sure he’s chomping at the bit to get back in there,” Brya said. “The thing in pro ball is if you’re injured and out, there’s always the chance somebody can move in there and take your job.”

Grice credits Brya with teaching him something that has become a trademark of his style of play. Grice never refuses to hustle.

“That’s one thing that I learned at DeWitt, just the idea of hustling all the time,” Grice said. “Some of our guys are high-profile guys, and once in a while you’ll see them not run as hard to first base.

“Really, running hard is such an easy thing to do.”

While at DeWitt, Grice was a football-first guy, a hard-hitting linebacker who also carried the ball on offense. Baseball was a secondary sport for him, though Brya said Grice’s level of play elevated the summer after his junior year.

“He has natural ability, but the thing that sets him apart is his work ethic,” Brya said. “And he’s such a strong kid, so well put together.”

At age 21, Grice is a 6-foot, 220-pounder. But he wasn’t always projected as a Major League Baseball prospect.

Grice was recruited by NCAA Division III schools for football.

Central Michigan liked him for baseball but was concerned about his lack of experience and wanted him to go to Grand Rapids Community College first.

Along came Grand Valley State, which offered a small partial scholarship.

It was a match that paid off for Grice and the school. The Lakers wound up with much more than just a college athlete.

In June, Grice was named a recipient of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Commissioner’s Award for the spring sports season.

The honor goes to six male and six female student-athletes each season and is based on work in the classroom and in competition.

An exercise science major, Grice had a 3.53 grade-point average and was named to one NCAA Division II All-American second team and another third team.

AUGUST 2011

13

little town blues?

Your Choice For Quality Care

Quality Rehabilitation, Optimum Recovery

517.694.2144 • www.holtnr.org

Standing Tall DeWitt’s Cody Grice (second-from-right) has battled an injury and opposition pitching in

5091 Willoughby Rd. • Holt, MI 48842

Secure your financial future today with a fixed index annuity.1 BENEFITS OF A FIXED INDEX ANNUITY: Stock market linked returns without the downside risk Tax-deferred2 Guaranteed income for life3 Customize features based on your terms

1. Fixed Index Annuities are not a direct investment in the stock market or indices. They are insurance products that provide an enhanced growth potential without experiencing loss of premium from market loss or fluctuation in the market and may not be appropriate for all clients.

2. Under current law, annuities grow tax deferred. Annuities may be subject to taxation during the income or withdrawal phase.

3. Guaranteed income for life is guaranteed when contract is annuitized using a life income option.

Annuities may seem complex and confusing but they’re not. I can educate and show you annuity plans with competitive interest rates, payout options, and other features.

R ETIREMENT P ROTECTION S ERVICES

Jack W. Voegler, LUTCF C

517.339.4777 517.230.3595

E

j.voegler@comcast.net

P

Grice batted .381 for the Lakers this year with a team-high 59 runs scored. He also had five triples, 31 walks and 23 stolen bases as the NCAA Division II Midwest Player of the Year and the GLIAC Player of the Year.

That was enough to catch the Yankees’ attention and get sent to the New York-Penn League, where the Staten Island team is affectionately known as the “Baby Bombers.”

Being drafted by the most successful franchise in baseball wasn’t a surprise for Grice.

A New York scout had been at some of his games in college. In fact, the Yankees invited Grice to a pre-draft workout in Tampa. Obviously, that appearance paid off.

“Growing up, I was a Tigers fan and wasn’t too fond of the Yankees,” Grice said with a laugh. “I was the guy who was going to be for the Red Sox before I was for the Yankees … but not anymore.

“It’s very cool to be with the Yankees and see the way they do things.”

It didn’t take long for Grice to get a real feel for the organization. His first pro game as a designated hitter was also a rehab assignment for big-club starting pitcher Phil Hughes.

“It was definitely a big deal for the fans,” Grice said. “It was neat to have him on the team. He’s really just a regular guy.”

After one game as the DH, he began playing outfield and had a highlight in each of the next three games.

He went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI in his second game at Hudson Valley. A double in the top of the second inning was his first professional hit. In the next game, Grice had a walkoff sacrifice fly for the only run of the game.

“It was awesome,” he said of the win. “All the guys came out of the dugout, and pretty much we all went crazy. It was Fireworks Night, so the crowd stayed, and it was really a great feeling.”

In his fourth game, he scored the winning run in the 10th inning. After walking, Grice went all the way to third on an infield single and scored on a base hit. However, it was that game that sent Grice to the sideline. He strained his oblique muscle during the at-bat in the 10th inning.

“It was a fastball on the outside corner, and I tried to catch up to it,” Grice said. “I felt a sharp pain down my side. I was hoping it would go away when I got on base.”

It didn’t. He ended up on the disabled list, shortening his game experience but giving him a chance to soak up the atmosphere of minorleague baseball.

“The big adjustment from college is that I don’t have to go to class,” Grice said. “I just go to the clubhouse and the field. This is my job now.”

So is signing autographs, a bit ironic for someone whose only autograph growing up was from former Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders.

Photography SHANE BUFANO

why shouldn’t your income?

DI489-D2353

Life goes on after retirement...

his first year in the Yankees farm system.

little town blues?

“I was too shy to go up to someone and ask for an autograph,” Grice said.

If he needs a reminder of where he is, all he has to do is look beyond the outfield fence at Richmond County Bank Ballpark on the northern tip of Staten Island. The Hudson River is just beyond the outfield wall. And on the other side of the river is the Manhattan skyline.

But in a league packed with players making pro debuts, the big leagues aren’t nearly as close as that skyline. And the means of transportation is proof.

“They put us on a charter bus, and the bus is packed,” Grice said. “All the seats are taken, so there isn’t a chance to have a few seats and stretch out. The longest one I’ve had so far is four hours, but we have a seven-hour trip coming up.

“The guys all do different things. Some of them play cards, some sleep, and others watch a movie or listen to music. I normally watch a movie or listen to country music.

Spartans’ Progress Three players from Michigan State’s Big Ten championship team were selected in June’s amateur draft. Here is how they were doing one month into the season:

JEFF HOLM The lefty first baseman was chosen by the Detroit Tigers in the 12th round. At the all-star break, he was batting .214 through 15 games for Connecticut of the Class A New-York Penn League. He had one home run, five RBIs and had three stolen bases.

KURT WUNDERLICH The right-handed pitcher was picked in the 20th round by the Oakland Athletics.

He was 0-2 with an 11.00 ERA through five games with Vermont of the New York-Penn League, including two starts.

He had nine strikeouts and seven walks in his first nine innings.

BRANDON ECKERLE The speedy centerfielder was taken by the Tigers in the 32nd round. The Big Ten’s top hitter was batting .276 through his first nine games with the Tigers of the Gulf Coast League, a short-season rookie league.

Watching And Waiting Grice knows he has to keep learning every day, even when he isn’t able to play.

“Really, I just hope to get a good view along the way.”

Another difference between the majors and the New York-Penn League is the daily meal allowance. In the majors, players get nearly $100 a day for meal money, though clubhouse dues come out of that money. Minor leaguers receive $25 a day on the road.

Grice said that really isn’t bad since he is able to eat many of his meals at the ballparks.

“There’s always a spread after BP (batting practice) with lunch meat and apple sauce and stuff like that. Then, there is another spread after the game. Really, I normally only have to pay for one meal a day,” he said.

And forget about the plush hotels that house big-leaguers on road trips. Grice and his teammates are staying at a local Holiday Inn Express – two players to a room.

“This has to be one of the smaller rooms,” he said.

Still, it’s New York City, a place Grice had never seen before this summer. On his first day off, Grice planned a visit to Ground Zero and a tour of Yankee Stadium. It might be give him a chance to dream a little.

“It would be awesome to play there some day,” he said.

He’s a lot closer than anyone thought he would be as a DeWitt Panther. H

Northern Exposure MSU, Midwest Golf Experience Key For Kueny, Brown

BY TOM LANG

18 AUGUST 2011

The weather in Michigan is not always a golfer’s best friend.

Yet, two recent members of the Michigan State women’s golf team give credit to our Northern climate for their success in early careers on tour.

Laura Kueny, the 2010 Big Ten Player of the Year, and Sara Brown, a two-time MSU Female Athlete of the Year, have recently embarked on their professional careers and have added to the long list of successful Spartan alumni.

Allison Fouch was already on Tour. Aimee Neff and Caroline Powers could soon join them. But it’s Kueny and Brown – or Brown and Kueny – whose stories are begging to be told.

Photography TIM HYGH, MATTHEW MITCHELL, MSU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

LAURA KUENY When it comes to the weather, Kueny doesn’t just play well under all conditions. Her major at MSU was geography and meteorology. She admits to dreams of being a storm chaser but firmly indicates golf is her first career.

“I can’t say I’ve always been a weather nerd, because my dad did take me to the movie Twister when I was about 6 years old, and I was scared out of my mind,” Kueny said. “I don’t know where the turning point came, but I became obsessed with tornadoes. I love thunderstorms. I sometimes get more geeked up about thunderstorms than playing golf.

“When I’m on a golf course and I know a storm is coming, I’m looking up at the sky. I can get a little distracted. But once I get up to the ball, it’s all golf from there. In between shots is when I take a little gander at the sky.”

This summer, Kueny and her competitors have been taking a gander at the leaderboard and seeing her name firmly planted. Kueny is a full-time member of the LPGA Futures Tour, the feeder organization for women’s pro golf.

In late June, she placed seventh in the Futures Tour event at Sweetgrass Golf Club in Escanaba on a Friday through Sunday, then dipped below the Mackinac Bridge to play in the Michigan PGA Women’s Open from Monday through Wednesday.

She won the latter by three strokes over other mini-tour and former LPGA players, saying afterward she couldn’t have picked a better place to get her first professional win – on Michigan soil with her father, Jim, on the bag.

“You learn to play in all conditions,” Kueny said about growing up in Whitehall and continuing at MSU. “The weekend in Escanaba, it was fairly chilly and really windy the first day, and a lot of people struggled. But I’ve played in snow. I’ve played in rain and wind storms.

Down South, you just play in heat and sunshine

every day. You don’t play very often in different conditions. So when that opportunity arises, I believe Northern golfers have an advantage.”

Kueny has had to deal with much more than weather conditions. She missed six months of golf from October to March due to surgery and her recovery from a serious left wrist injury that became apparent on the driving range of the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open, her career highlight to date. Despite the fact she knew immediately something was wrong, Kueny played in a few more events until the wrist got worse. She still plays with it taped for support.

“It got to the point I couldn’t tolerate the pain any more so I went and had it looked at, had x-rays and an MRI,” Kueny said. “I did some serious damage. I guess it was a problem developing over time and finally I took one good swing and felt it immediately.”

Kueny held the record for the lowest scoring average at MSU until this year, when Powers beat it by fractions before finishing sixth at the NCAA Finals in May. But Kueny used many things she learned at MSU to make the Futures Tour through Q-School while still in college in the fall of 2009.

“College taught me patience,” Kueny said.

“In high school, I dominated. But once I got to college, I realized that talent alone isn’t going to make you successful. You have to work at it. So I had to be patient with myself because I struggled a little when I wasn’t the No. 1 player, actually qualifying for the fifth playing spot.

I was forced to practice more, which helped.

“Now I’m visiting places that I never imagined I would,” she continued. “I’ve met a lot of great people as well and I can’t picture myself doing anything else. I’m playing golf, and getting paid for that. There’s really nothing better to do than this (compared to other scenarios).”

Futures Market Former MSU star Laura Kueny sticks an approach in the final round of her Michigan PGA Women’s Open triumph.

AUGUST 2011

19

northern exposure SARA BROWN Brown has spent 2011 as a fully exempt golfer folks back home thought she’d lost her on both the LPGA and European LPGA Tours, mind. But Brown said it was one of her best a remarkable accomplishment for any 25-yeardecisions ever. old golfer. She is possibly more well-known for “Being from Arizona where I grew up, you two seasons appearing on the Golf Channel’s could play golf every single day, no big deal,” Big Break show.

While Big Break was filmed in tropical locations not unlike the Tucson, Ariz., area where she grew up, last fall’s Q-Schools for both tours experienced terrible weather conditions.

Brown didn’t expect that but was happy to take advantage of it.

“When I went over to Spain for that first week, it was awesome,” Brown said. “I loved the people there. I loved the atmosphere. Yes, it was freezing cold and windy and rainy. But thank you Michigan State for preparing me for that, because I was able to endure the weather and play great.

“I then came over to Daytona (Beach, Fla., for LPGA Q-School), looking forward to some sunny, hot weather, and found the same thing we had in Spain – cold, rain and wind.”

Break-ing Through Ex-Spartan standout Sara Brown follows through Through the end of with her swing and her opportunities to advance in women’s pro golf.

June, Brown had not made a cut in America but has played well overseas.

Brown said. “If it rained, which was rare, you “It’s a love-hate relationship so far,” Brown didn’t play because there was almost always said. “I’m kind of struggling on the LPGA in my lightning with it. But going to Michigan first year; it’s a learning process. I’m having fun, State, I got to experience all the aspects – but it’s frustrating missing cuts by one or two rain, snow, cold, sleet, sunshine, warmth, shots. I’m loving it out on the European Tour. I’m everything you could ask for. I loved Michigan doing great over there, having a blast, making State. I would not change it for the world. I some cuts and making money. I’ve been on the would not go any other place. road for 10 weeks, everywhere from Mobile to “It prepared me for all the grueling things Finland and Morocco. It’s just a whirlwind. I’m that came my way this year through Q-school. trying to soak it all in and loving it.

It was good to have that experience of bad “My swing is there. Just dropping a few more weather to fall back on.” putts is always the name of the game and what While MSU taught Brown a new side of we’re looking forward to.” competitive golf, it was the Big Break that When Brown left the warmth of Arizona gave her a new lease on life. Producers of to attend MSU, some college coaches and the show called Brown at a time in her life

We know relationships make your world a better place.

With our passionate local health team and deep connections to extensive health resources, Hayes Green Beach Memorial Hospital provides one essential relationship you can always count on.

Our trusted relationships, along with strong capabilities and high-caliber physicians, bring us together in health. hgbhealth.com

northern exposure she was close to giving up the game for good.

Fans still approach her at airports and other public places asking if she’s Sara Brown from Big Break.

“If I could go back and do it all over again, I would, a hundred percent,” Brown said. “I think it was spectacular. You are nervous; on that show you have one shot to prove yourself.

Sometimes it doesn’t work in your favor, and sometimes it does. I had a blast doing it.

“It’s fun to have people recognize you. Some people come and watch the golf tournaments because I was on Big Break, and they always ask if I want to do it again. I say, ‘No, the girls who won Big Break, good for them, I’m proud of them.’

“But they got their big break and got to play in one tournament. I think I got my big break for the whole year, and that’s even more special to me because the actual show Big Break helped me get to that point. I got my big break, as I was able to fall in love with the game again and go out there and play how I wanted to, to qualify for both tours. Now I’m just living my dream week to week.”

Brown’s other moniker is one she never expected and could live without – being voted the LPGA’s sexiest golfer.

“I would not use that word to describe myself,” Brown said. “If they had a cutest golfer, I think that would be me. That’s right up my alley. But the word ‘sexiest’, every time I say it, it makes me laugh.” H

Looking Good Brown has plenty of reasons to smile about her LPGA future.

Michigan PGA Women’s Open Final Summary Crystal - Mountain Ridge Course – June 27-29, 2011 PLACE NAME

REPRESENTING

1

Laura Kueny

Whitehall, MI

71 71 69 -5

211

2

Ashley Tait

Littleton, CO

69 73 72 -2

214

3

Jean Bartholomew Palm Beach Gard, FL 75 67 75 +1 217

T4

Victoria Lovelady

Cindy Figg’Currier Austin, TX

73 73 74 +4 220

Brittany Johnston

Akron, OH

75 74 71 +4 220

Kristina Langton

Ada, MI

73 76 71 +4 220

8

Clarissa Childs

Columbia, SC

74 71 76 +5 221

T9

Darby Peters

Lake Orion, MI

74 75 73 +6 222

Rachael Schmidt

Elk River, MN

77 72 73 +6 222

Sao Paulo, Brazil

R1 R2

R3

+ / - TOTAL $AMOUNT

75 73 72 +4 220

$5,500.00

Chad Finley Learns Auto Racing Lessons

BY CHIP MUNDY

Chad Finley was 24 hours from the biggest moment of his young career when that opportunity ended in the time it takes to meet a wall at 140 miles per hour.

Actually, that is what Finley did on a Friday afternoon in June at Michigan International Speedway. A crash in the fourth turn during a practice session cost Finley a spot in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at the two-mile oval in the Irish Hills just south of Brooklyn.

The car was damaged enough that it couldn’t be fixed by the following day, so Finley had to withdraw from the Alliance Truck Parts 250, which would have been the first Nationwide Series race of his career.

“It got hot, and our line on the track got sensitive,” said Finley, 19, of DeWitt, “I had a little too much speed in the corner. I was able to slow it down to about 140 before I hit the wall.

“I learned a lot and got a big headache to go along with it.”

Was Finley disappointed? Of course. But the heartbreak didn’t last long. That night, he stayed with his plan to race at Dixie Motor Speedway in Birch Run, just north of Flint.

Despite arriving too late for practice, Finley finished second in the Dixie 100, part of the JEGS/CRA All-Star tour series.

Serious Business Chad Finley remains focused in pursuit of the checkered flag.

24 AUGUST 2011

It was a positive end to a busy and heartbreaking day, though even the time at MIS wasn’t total disappointment.

“He ran really well. We’re more excited than ever,” said Finley’s father, Jeff, a member of the Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame who competed in five NASCAR Nationwide Series races years ago when it was known as the Busch Series.

The reason for the excitement was Finley’s performance before the crash. In the first practice session, Finley was 27th out of 46 cars. And he was up to 17th before hitting the wall.

An opportunity to race in the Nationwide Series at MIS ended abruptly, but Finley’s future in the sport remains bright. He expects to make his Nationwide Series debut in September at Chicagoland Raceway in Joliet, Ill. At age 19, time is on his side.

The drive, so to speak, was always there. And after his freshman year at DeWitt High, Finley

Photography Chad finley, chuck gonzalez

transferred to St. Johns, where he said there was a better opportunity to graduate early. He did that in February 2010, then went to North Carolina to work on race cars.

Finley knew at an early age that he wanted to race and started racing go-karts at age 10.

He was the East Lansing Kart Track champion in 2004 and the Great Lakes Sprint Series champion in 2005.

“When he was a little boy, I was racing everywhere, and he would always scream and holler to go with me,” Jeff Finley said. “His first words weren’t mom and dad, they were, ‘shock and spring,’ so that didn’t go over too good at the homefront.

“He’s a tremendous kid with a lot of talent and a pleasure to be around.”

But the learning curve didn’t come until Finley banged up a few go-karts.

“I took him to the Nationals, and he was banging people and knocking off tierods,” his father said. “We worked on that kart so

much, I finally threw it in the trailer. I was like, ‘What are we doing?’ And he said, ‘I don’t like people passing me.’ I said, ‘You’ve got to learn faster.’

“After that, he really took off.”

At 15, Finley was the Rookie of the Year in the Outlaw Super Late Model Division at Spartan Speedway, and he was the youngest driver to earn such an honor at the Mason track. A year later, he won a feature at Spartan Speedway.

By 2009 he was racing in the ARCA series on such prestigious tracks like MIS, Texas Motor Speedway, Rockingham and Pocono. He finished in the top 15 in each of his four races.

Finley continued to race in the ARCA series in 2010 for Brad Keselowski Racing, and in a race at Texas, his potential shone the brightest. He was running with the leaders before a transmission problem forced him to settle for 11th place.

“We had the fastest car, but around lap six on a restart we broke third gear,” Finley said. “Every time we had a green flag, it killed us. We had to

slow down to get to fourth gear, so we were always behind the 8 ball. Every time we lost something, we spent the whole night getting it back.”

Finley raced under the watchful eye of Keselowski, a Michigan driver who is one of the rising stars on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

“He’s an awesome friend, and it has been huge to have him around,” Finley said. “At Texas, he sat on top of the pit box the whole race, and he hasn’t done that for his other drivers. That was super important to me; he was like, ‘You’re going to do all right, just don’t tear my race car up.’ ” Tearing up a race car is something no driver wants to do, but to teams with fewer funds it is even more important. That is why Finley could not turn to a backup car to run at MIS – there isn’t a backup car.

Finley also knows that future sponsors and team owners look at that sort of thing as well.

The crash at MIS in June was his first.

“It’s all about opportunity and opening AUGUST 2011

25

lapping it up peoples’ eyes and interacting with everybody,” he said. “All you have to do is run up front and show you’re capable - and you absolutely cannot tear up race cars.”

Prior to his weekend at MIS, Finley discussed the difference between racing an ARCA car and a Nationwide Series car. And that might offer some insight into the crash.

“The ARCA cars are faster on the straightaway but slower in the corners,” Finley said. “The Nationwide cars are slower on the straightaways and faster through the corners.”

Finley is racing in the Nationwide Series for Team Rensi Motorsports, the same team that sponsored his father in the Nationwide Series.

“Team Rensi Motorsports brings a lot of clout to itself,” Jeff Finley said. “For us, it would open eyes to have marketing partners want to jump on board with Team Renzi and get us going in that direction and get that team back to where it used to be.”

Jeff Finley owns Northside Towing and has hired his son to do some tow-truck driving on the side. Naturally, it is one of the sponsors of the race car. Other sponsors include Auto Value, autoparts2020 and RainEater wiper blades, but the funding remains far away from the type of money available to the star drivers of NASCAR. “We don’t have the dollars, but we’ll go out there and do the best we can and keep learning,” Chad Finley said. “It’s a huge disadvantage. (Team) Penske and Joe Gibbs (Racing) have so many engineers and resources to rely upon. And when you have millions of dollars, you can have wind tunnels and stuff like that to experiment with.”

Finley might be frustrated, but he’s not bitter. He knows he’s young. And he knows that he has to prove himself first before the big money comes his way. A lot of that sense of reality comes from his father.

Fan-tastic Opportunity Finley spends some time with his followers and signs autographs before a race. a lot of exciting things with Auto Value and autoparts2020 and Airlift, but unfortunately nothing that will bring us enough funding for 2011. It will really get us going for 2012.”

The rest of 2011 means more racing, more

It’s not about the money or things like that.

It’s all about sitting in the race car and having fun and doing something you’ve always dreamed about.

CHAD FINLEY

“In this day and age, it’s not how good you are, it’s how much money you have. Unfortunately, we’re building on that,” Jeff Finley said. “We can’t thank Auto Value and Airlift and all the people who support us enough, because without them we wouldn’t be where we are.

“Chad definitely has the talent to go all the way to the top. Obviously, funding and marketing partners come into that mix. We have 26 AUGUST 2011

driving and more learning.

“We have a lot of time, but I don’t know if we have the patience,” Jeff Finley said.

And dad’s patience is tested every time his son gets into a race car.

“At his first race at Rockinghgam, he sat on the pole and led a lot of laps. And I was on top of the truck away from all of the guys, just smoking cigarettes like crazy,” he

said. “I thought the fire truck was going to put me out.

“It was a lot easier when I was doing it. But I really, really believe in his brain and how much he focuses on not tearing anything up and putting himself in a bad situation. If he has a 15th-place car, he’ll run 12th. If he has a 30th-place car, he’ll run 25th.”

And Chad Finley will enjoy his time behind the wheel.

“I’m just a 19-year-old kid that probably nobody has ever heard of, and I’m just going to go out there and open up some eyes and just have fun,” he said. “I’m a driver, not a spectator. It doesn’t sit well with me going to tracks and not being out there. It doesn’t matter what kind of car it is, I want to race it.

“It’s not about the money or things like that. It’s all about sitting in the race car and having fun and doing something you’ve always dreamed about ever since you were 2 years old. I just want the opportunity to go out there and prove to everybody that I belong in the sport.” H

GREAT FOOD. GREAT DRINKS. FROM THE GREATEST GENERATION.

SERVING BREAKFAST HOT AND FAST on Saturdays and Sundays from 9-4 pm.

25% OFF your entire breakfast bill when you mention sport Magazine.

Expires September 30, 2011. Not valid with other specials or promotions.

DOWNTOWN LANSING, MICH. C O R N E R O F WA S H I N G TO N S QUA R E & M I C H I G A N AV E N U E

28 AUGUST 2011

Climbers Come To Grand Ledge For Excitement

BY LISA NOWAK

At first glance, Oak Park seems like a typical city park on the Grand River. Its gravel parking lot expands into a large, open, green-space dotted with tall oak trees, a couple of picnic tables, a Porta-potty and a few grills. But, the similarities stop there.

Oak Park towers high above the river with a grand outlook. Even when there is an overcrowded parking lot, it is peaceful and silent because the park’s main attraction is hidden. Thirty-five feet below the cliff line, a playground made of sandstone and quartzite attracts rock climbers from all corners of Michigan, challenging them to test their strength and defy gravity.

AUGUST 2011 29

How will you deal with the cost of long term care?

over the ledges

Meet Katie Layman, a 28-year-old MSU alumna who has made her home in Lansing and loves The Ledges.

“I discovered Grand Ledge when I was a junior. Climbing out here lets me be a kid DID YOU KNOW THAT: again and again,” she said as she recalled 75% of people 65 and older will playing on monkey bars and climbing trees eventually need long term care? in her youth.

The national average yearly cost of “My love for heights and the vertical world nursing home care is $83,585 per person? grew strong during my years as a camper About 75% of all single people and 50% of and counselor where I was enthralled with all couples spend their entire savings within the high ropes course at Camp Winchester one year of entering a nursing home? on North Higgins Lake. I was so happy to discover the sport of rock climbing, because I CAN SHOW YOU HOW: it meant that that part of my life didn’t To generate TAX-FREE long term care benefits. need to end when my summer camp days To cover both spouses using one contract. drew to a close.”

Use an IRA to obtain TAX-FREE long term care Since her introduction to The Ledges, Katie benefits and TAX-FREE death benefit. has been climbing two to three times per week.

This is the BEST STRATEGY in the industry.

“I absolutely love it!” she said. “Climbing is a great way to stay in shape, be active outdoors W. Voegler, and meet great people. This sport has driven R ETIREMENT Jack LUTCF me to travel and experience new sights. There P ROTECTION P 517.339.4777 is nothing like being 400 feet in the air on a C 517.230.3595 rock face. When you’re up there, on the rock, S ERVICES E j.voegler@comcast.net and your life is in the hands of you and your belay (climbing) partner, everything is put in perspective and becomes so simple.”

She laughed as she remembered her first day of climbing.

“It was so difficult,” Katie said. “I tried route after route before I was able to find one that I could climb to the top. The next morning my forearms were so sore I didn’t even have the strength to squeeze my toothpaste out of the tube!”

Eight years later, Katie moves elegantly over the stone, maneuvering smoothly and swiftly up, down, and across the rock. Her eyes light up and a big grin covers her face when asked why she climbs. ® ® “It’s a feeling of being alive, living in the moment, challenging myself, and pushing my ® limits,” Katie said.

Climbing isn’t just for the 20-something crowd. People of all ages utilize this unique resource in Grand Ledge. In 2003, Katie was introduced to the sport by her chemistry professor and MSU Outdoors Club Advisor, Dr. Paul Hunter. Paul will be 70 next year and has been climbing at the Ledges for nearly two decades.

“Nothing is like climbing outside,” he said.

“It’s a great way to feel close to nature and really enjoy the unique resources that have been put here.

“On the weekends, it’s not uncommon to meet climbers that have driven two to three 248 W. Grand River • East Lansing, 248 W. Grand River • East MI Lansing,hours MI just to climb in Grand Ledge. The Ledges are the only climbable natural rock

A Luxurious A Luxurious Luxurious AutoAuto Salon Salon uto Salon ™

™

Call 33.Shine Call 33.Shine www.showroomshine.com Call 33.Shine www.showroomshine.com

w.showroomshine.com

Grand River • East Lansing, MI

™

Layman’s Terms Lansing’s Katie Layman does her Spiderwoman impression as a frequent visitor to The Ledges. in the Lower Peninsula,” Paul said. “Many people use this area as a training ground. For most, The Ledges are their first outdoor climbing experience. They cut their teeth here before they take a road trip to climb in other major climbing regions that have thousands of climbs.”

The climbing area in Grand Ledge has over 100 defined paths, called routes or climbs. Each route has its own name and a difficulty rating.

There are varying degrees of difficulty to challenge everyone from the novice to the expert. The climbs at Oak Park range from 25-35 feet in height, compared to 80-300+ feet in more prevalent climbing regions.

“Grand Ledge may be small, but we’re all grateful it’s in our backyard,” Paul emphasized.

With indoor climbing gyms in Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, Mount Pleasant, Pontiac and Ann

Photography christopher nowak

Arbor, more and more people are introduced to the sport each year.

Isaac Wells and Brittney Grzesiak used to climb at Higher Ground in Grand Rapids. Now, the two MSU students climb in Mid-Michigan and love the personal challenge and down-to-earth people they meet.

“Learning in a gym was nice,” Brittney said. “We were able to rent equipment, and we didn’t need to know how to set up a rope.

But climbing outside is better. It’s nice to be in a beautiful place and out in the fresh air. Plus, climbing on real rock is more challenging and fun.”

The Ledges are also a destination for another popular form of climbing called bouldering. Bouldering is a style of rock climbing that is done without a rope. Boulderers move along the rock over a thick, protective mat called a crash pad. Grand Ledge also boasts more than 75 bouldering routes with more being developed each year.

“Bouldering routes are completed within a few movements and are commonly referred to as ‘problems’ instead of routes. They are challenging and typically stay within 4-15 feet of the ground,” said 20-year-old Zach Ruswick, a Charlotte native who started climbing in Grand Ledge during high school. “I love bouldering because it’s more social, you don’t need as much equipment, and you get more attempts at solving the crux (most difficult part) of the problem.”

His friend Dan draws a great comparison: “Bouldering is like a sprint, where climbing is like a marathon.”

Like vertical climbing routers, boulder problems also have their own name and a rating system that describes the difficulty of the climb.

Throughout the years, students and locals who discovered bouldering and climbing at The Ledges have mastered notable climbing achievements. These include completing world-famous bigwall climbs (multi-day climbs where the climbers sleep suspended in the air), first ascents of technical climbs around the world and a summit of Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world. Others have sprouted careers from their climbing roots in Grand Ledge.

CAPITAL CITY RIVER RUN HALF MARATHON COOLEY 5K RUN/WALK Sunday, Sept. 18, 8:30 a.m.

SOHN KIDS’ RACES

Saturday, Sept. 17, 1:00 p.m.

Visit ccriverrun.org for more details and to register.

Register early and save!

over the ledges

Forest Akers Golf Courses are recognized as two of the best championship layouts in Michigan.

Golf Digest has given Forest Akers West Course a four-star rating and the East Course three stars. Forest Akers also offers Mid-Michigan’s priemier teaching center with year-round instruction.

Jamie Emerson, now of Boulder, Colorado, is a professionally sponsored athlete whose job is to climb, write books about climbing and test gear. Jason Haas, now of Denver, Colorado, co-founded Fixed Pin Publishing, a rock-climbing guidebook publishing company.

As a tribute to his climbing roots, he published a free online guidebook for The Ledges.

But Greater Lansing is still holding onto one climbing entrepreneur. Brad Priebe of Okemos started Brad Bags, a fair-trade chalkbag company that supports a seamstress in Mongolia who was a friend’s host-mother during an MSU study abroad program. Most climbers carry chalk as they climb to achieve a better grip, similar to what gymnasts use to retain a solid grip on their equipment.

In addition to the climbing history, Oak Park has an interesting past. Dave Poxson, 68, grew up in Lansing and knows the background. He currently lives in DeWitt and is a well-known regular who climbs at The Ledges with Paul.

“I can recall when teenagers would drive through Oak Park almost up to the edge,” Dave said. “The place was known for parties. The bottom of the Ledges was littered with smashed beer bottles and trash.”

Bruce Bright, another friend of Dave and Paul’s, is a chemistry teacher in DeWitt who moved within walking distance to The Ledges in 2006. He has been climbing since 1966 and has a passion for geology, history and nature. If The Ledges had a historian, it would be Bruce.

“In 1976 the bi-centennial project was a turning point,” he said. “Communities invested in park and recreation initiatives to improve parks and other green spaces. These

organized efforts are credited with initiating the park changes today.

“Oak Park is one of the neatest examples of a public area that is intensely used and yet largely self-regulated. Although some people can debate the merits of climbing here, the park has to be one of the safest and cleanest parks around because of the presence of climbers. The local climbing community comes together to raise funds to help with the preservation of the area. Volunteer work days are organized to spread wood chips, build retaining walls and develop drainage paths.“ Oak Park is not just for climbers. It is a gorgeous place for everyone to enjoy and explore.

“Visiting Oak Park is so different and something fun to do. We like to bring guests here when they come to town,” explains Mark Williamson and his wife, Julie. “They always enjoy it.”

A well-maintained loop path starts at the east side of the park with a staircase that leads down to the mesmerizing rock face below. The trail meanders between the rock and the river before it continues back to the park’s surface. Julie’s mother, Mary Jane Webb, stared up in awe.

“They’re so brave,” she said as she stopped to admire the climbers.

Elaine Hillen and Dick Wagoner, the Williamson’s relatives from North Carolina, are equally amazed.

“Bring your camera to get a picture of the crazies!” they advise other visitors. “These climbers are nuts! We are so glad we came out here to see this today.”

The climbers are glad to be there, too. Their mental snapshots will last a lifetime. H

New in 2009 our all-weather, lighted, heated driving range.

Check the website www.golf.msu.edu for great savings coupons!

517.355.1635 www.golf.msu.edu

Rock Bottom Volunteers work to keep the base of The Ledges intact so visitors can enjoy their climbs for years to come.

Graff Collision Center We Want To Be Your Full Service Dealer

517-349-8300

660 E. Grand River Ave. • Williamston, MI 48895

www.graffokemos.com

For Sales, Call Steve Peckham at Graff Chevrolet Okemos

517-827-5024

spartans will

Net Gains Sue Selke Still Sells The Game She Loves

BY ANDREA NELSON

It’s hard to remember a time when men and women weren’t equal, girls’ high school sports didn’t have postseason tournaments and women pursuing athletics at the collegiate level weren’t eligible for scholarships.

34 AUGUST 2011

Selke graduated from MSU with a degree in physical education and a minor in geography.

She wanted to be a teacher but continued to work at Court One until she found a job. That job never came, which was perfectly fine with Selke. She still works at Court One, immersed in her favorite sport every day.

“I was very fortunate that after college I continued with tennis,” Selke said. “I was able to have an opportunity to learn how to teach the sport and work with kids, and I’ve been doing it for 35-plus years now. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it, and I can honestly say I’ve never worked a day in my life because I love what I do.”

Selke started as an assistant tennis professional at Court One and worked her way up to become the head tennis professional.

For the past five years, she has worked directly for the United States Tennis Association as a service representative for Michigan, traveling the state and promoting tennis.

But Selke missed teaching. In January, she returned to Court One as the executive director.

She teaches tennis 15 hours a week and promotes the sport in the Lansing area. Selke said she instructs people from ages 3 to 70 and loves that tennis is a family sport for people of all ages.

“You’re talking about a sport for a lifetime,” Selke said. “There obviously aren’t that many lifetime sports. This is a sport with your family, and to me that’s important. And the discipline it instills in you and sportsmanship, you’re just creating good citizens along the way, too.”

Selke creates good citizens as well as skilled young players. Court One offers a program called QuickStart Tennis, designed to help kids learn the game of tennis. The program uses modified courts, nets and tennis balls, allowing children to begin playing on their very first day with equipment they can handle.

“It’s a playing format that gets kids playing

Willing To Serve Ex-Spartan great Sue Selke has always gone the extra mile for the game she loves.

quicker and easier on their-size courts that they can develop faster,” Selke said. “I hope it’ll be the answer over the next 10 years or so.”

And Selke plans on being there when it happens. She continues to volunteer her time to help promote tennis in Lansing, an effort that earned her the Nell C. Jackson Outstanding Alumna Award in 2007. Four years later, Selke hasn’t stopped giving or teaching, and she doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon.

“I figure eventually if they put me in a wheelchair, there’s also wheelchair tennis,” Selke said. “I’m thinking even when I retire I might find a retirement place where I can teach a couple lessons in the morning. I have a feeling it’s going to be part of my life forever. At least I’m picking something I truly love.” H

Photography MSu athletic communications

Sue Selke remembers.

Selke played tennis in Detroit during the preTitle IX period. She started playing when she was 10 years old through a local parks and recreation program. Selke continued to play tennis in high school but could only compete against local schools since there weren’t postseason tournaments.

“I have to laugh because after every match we’d have milk and cookies, but there was no place to advance,” Selke said.

It was the same story when she attended Michigan State University. Still pre-Title IX, Selke was a student-athlete working several jobs to cover her tuition. She was a desk receptionist and cafeteria worker in Akers Hall and taught tennis at a new local athletic club.

The facility was Court One Athletic Club.

“That four years went really fast,” Selke said. “I was always either studying, working or playing tennis. It was kind of a blur.”

But there were a few bright spots as well.

Selke won three Big Ten Championships for the Spartans. Since it was before Title IX though, Selke wasn’t given a varsity letter. She didn’t receive it until about 10 years ago when all pre-Title IX athletes were recognized. It took 25 years but was well worth the wait.

“To get the letter was so special,” Selke said.

“It just kind of solidified that, yes, we were a sport and, yes, we did compete and, yes, we do have some Big Ten Championships.”

Over four years of being a student-athlete and 25 years of waiting for a well-earned varsity letter, Selke learned some valuable lessons that helped her become the successful person she is today.

“Whatever sport you’re in, it has some kind of discipline to it,” Selke said. “In order to excel in your sport you have to really put in the time and dedication, which means you have to juggle. That was really the key for myself, that you have that discipline.”

BEING A SPARTAN MEANS

COACHING HOOPS WITHOUT HAVING TO

JUMP THROUGH THEM! April 30, 2007 marked an important day of transition for Suzy Merchant. That’s when she was hired as head coach for the MSU women’s basketball program — the day she began her career as a Spartan.

It wasn’t easy, but four years later, she still loves her job.

“Basketball has taken me all over the country, but my heart has always been here,” Merchant said.

No matter where they’re destined to go, there’s sure to be a network of Spartans ready to cheer them on to victory and help with the transition.

“At some point, our players will graduate and face the realities and challenges of life after college,” Merchant said. “Sure, they have the skills to dribble the ball down the court and score points, but will they succeed after graduation when it’s time to hoof the pavement, put their degree to work and find a job or place to live?

There’s real power in our worldwide network of alumni. They’re doctors, nurses, lawyers, bankers, teachers, parents ... friends. On the court, they make a deafening noise and go stark raving mad to distract our opponent at the free-throw line. Off the court, they give us job leads, provide a helping hand, and recommend places to go and places to live.

In the game of basketball, just as in the game of life, we all dream of winning. The MSU network of alumni and friends gives us the advantage we need to succeed.

Shouldn’t you be part of it?”

My name is Suzy Merchant, and the MSU Alumni Association is my personal network ... for life!”

Join the MSU Alumni Association — your personal network ... for life.

finish line

Reasons To Smile MSU, East Lansing Will Always Be Home

Michigan State didn’t have to do much to recruit me in 1955.

But 30 years later, I helped it recruit a university president.

When our basketball team came up from River Rouge for the Class B semifinals and finals, I fell in love with East Lansing right way. I’d never been north of 8 Mile Road. With one look at campus, I was hooked.

I was recruited hard for football by Iowa State and was offered an Alumni Regents Scholarship for academic excellence at Michigan. They never had a chance.

After I met Biggie Munn and Duffy Daugherty, it was over. Plus, I wanted to play basketball at State. Coach Forddy Anderson told me, “We have the chance to get Wilt Chamberlain here.

If we get the two of you, we’ll have a really good team.” No kidding.

I played on the freshman basketball team, and this guy showed up in the middle of practice. He was kind of awkward-looking.

And I used to make mincemeat of guys 6-foot7, so I didn’t mind a 6-5 guy. Then, I saw him jump a foot over the basket and drop the ball in. Finally, we had to scrimmage, and he bit on a head fake. I was wide open and went up for a layup. Somehow, he swatted the ball into the nickel seats.

I never say I retired from basketball. I say “Jumpin’ Johnny” Green retired me.

But I started at left halfback as a junior in ’57 and averaged 22 yards a carry in a big win over Minnesota. We were 8-1 that year. And if any of us carried the ball 10 times a game, that was pretty good.

Then, in the spring game in ’58, we played the alumni, and I got hit from the side. I thought my leg was gone. I was in a cast for eight weeks and on crutches for what seemed like forever.

I came back the next year but was never the same…I guess I lost my competitive edge.

I know we were 3-0 vs. Michigan, all in Ann Arbor, with a combined score of 78-14. We were also 3-0 vs. Notre Dame, scored an even 100 points and allowed just 20.

I was an Academic All-American three times, though it’s only listed twice in the record book.

36 AUGUST 2011

Brush With Greatness Dr. Blanche Martin has always been at home here, whether on the football field or in his dental office.

But I never got to play in a bowl game. It was all or nothing. So I didn’t get bowl rings, just golden memories.

Duffy was the greatest. He was firm and fair. He had great assistants like Gordie Serr, Bill Yeoman, John Polonchek and Bob Devaney. And we had a great bunch of guys, some real characters.

One of my favorites was Bobby Popp, the scout team quarterback. He’d be at the end of the bench, never expecting to get in. I think he was reading a book one day when Duffy hollered, “Bobby Popp! Bobby Popp!…

Get down here!” Bobby thought he was going in the game. Then, Duffy said, “Jim Ninowski broke his helmet. Give him yours.”

But Bobby had a great sense of humor. We

were beating Indiana pretty badly, so Duffy told him, “Take ’em down the field and score fast.

We want to get more guys in the game.” Bobby handed off to me, and I went about 60 yards for a touchdown. Bobby went right to Duffy and said, “Was that quick enough for you?”

I was the first player signed to a contract by the New York Titans – a $2,500 bonus and $12,500 a year. But I hurt my knee again in the first or second game. When I got cut, Sid Gillman called from the L.A. Chargers and said, “Come play for me.” I played 10 games for him, including the AFL Championship. But we lost to the Houston Oilers.

After two years of grad school in zoology and two more in biochemistry, I decided to enroll in dental school at the University of Detroit.

There, I was taught by a young John DiBiaggio.

I was there till ’67. When John asked what I planned to do, I said I wanted to get back to East Lansing. It was John who came with me and found the place where I practiced for close to 40 years – 201 ½ E. Grand River, in that upstairs office.

When I was on the MSU Board of Trustees, we needed a new president. John was at the University of Connecticut. We had dinner, and I talked him into coming. I said, “John, we need your help. We have a few issues.”

Finally, I retired there but kept practicing dentistry. I had the knee replaced in ’99, the best thing I’ve ever done. I wish I’d done it a lot earlier.

I’ve had lots of pain. I’ve lost three wives and a son. When I lost my last wife, I sold the private practice. Two months later, I was back to work.

I guess I couldn’t sit still. I still practice two days a week at the prison in Coldwater, two more in Carson City and one in the Ingham County Jail.

I’m remarried now. I have nine children, including two currently at MSU. I also have six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

And I’ve battled prostate cancer, high blood pressure and type-2 diabetes.

I still get up at 4 a.m. – 4:30 when I sleep in – and work out daily at the Westside YMCA. If Lofton Greene or Duffy Daugherty ever need me again, I’m ready. H

Photography MSU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

BY Dr. BLANCHE MARTIN, Former Halfback, Four-Decade Dentist

PLAYING SPORTS CAN MAKE YOUR KID FEEL LIKE A SUPER HERO - BUT WHAT ABOUT YOU? When big youth sports events are held in Greater Lansing it’s a classic winwin. The local economy gets a boost and youth sports heroes are made.

Do you or someone in your family play a tournament sport that could be a good fit for the area? Need a hand growing your local sports event? The Greater Lansing Sports Authority offers free support to develop athletic tournaments and events in the Capital region.

Help us develop a strong sports community and we can keep those event dollars local. Your kid will feel like a hero on the field and you can feel like a hero for your home town. Contact us today to learn more.

51 7 - 3 7 7 - 1 41 1

www.lansingsports.org email: sports@lansing.org

Tournament Planning.

Event Development.

Free Services.

PRSRT STD U.S. Postage

PAID Lansing, MI Permit #407

617 East Michigan Avenue Lansing, MI 48912

sportLANSING.com

d ce an t n a r Insu ent agen s r e d n g - Ow epen Auto ocal ind a winnin 16. l n 19 your ave bee ince s n h tio s bina m need o e c c n ra insu wners. . r u o kept O ly s l o e a t s r i m Fo t Au trus ade. Pro m ises m o r P

ith ode wne to c s i th ho Scan smartp ncy r e u g yo our a visit tor on s.com . loca o-owner aut