2018 Spring Sports Guide by Sunrise

2018

SPRING SPORTS G

UIDE

ARENAC COUNTY INDEPENDENT | OGEMAW COUNTY HERALD | OSCODA COUNTY HERALD

Page 2 â&#x20AC;˘ 2018 Spring Sports Guide

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2018 Spring Sports Guide • Page 3

Roster 2 Kaleb Barnes Jr. 6 Karsen Parker Sr. 7 Kamryn Gordon Sr. 9 Ramsey Forton Sr. 10 Caden Zeien Jr. 11 Ben Salgat Jr. 12 Cameron Sanchez So. 15 Isaac Beardsley Jr. 16 Bryce Harmon So. 18 Michael Luberda So. 19 Alex McDaniel Sr. 22 Jared Saunders Sr. 23 Owen Smock Sr. 24 Garrett Kumer Fr. 27 Trevor Jamroz Sr. 29 Ryan Schwiderson Jr.

Au Gres-Sims Baseball By Tim Barnum news@arenacindependent.com 989-387-9140

The Au Gres-Sims baseball team has the offensive potential to score a lot of runs and a deep pitching rotation, giving the Wolverines’ coaching staff reasons to be optimistic. Assistant coach Ryan Saunders said AGS lost four reliable hitters from last year’s team due to graduation, but from what he’s seen so far, the team is not expected to be lacking at the plate. “We have a really strong lineup one through nine,” he said. “There’s not a weak spot in our lineup. All of our kids can hit and hit for power.” However, the team does have a leg up on last year’s team when it comes to pitching, coach Saunders said. “Unlike last year, I think this year we have a good pitching rotation and a strong defense to back it up,”

he said. Although hitting and pitching are looking strong, three of the four players lost to graduation played the outfield, coach Saunders said. “Outfield is definitely a hole,” he said. “We lost three starters from last year who played the outfield. We have kids that filtered in there who have played well when they were out there. I think we’re going to come around. We have the athletes and the talent to make up for what we lost.” Returning from last year’s team are Kamryn Gordon, Caden Zeien, Trevor Jamroz, Owen Smock, Alex McDaniels, Karsen Parker, Jared Saunders, Cameron Sanchez and Bryce Harmon. Gordon, Jamroz, Smock, McDaniels, Parker and Jared Saunders are all seniors. “We brought back a really, really strong core from last year,” coach Saunders said. “We lost four seniors

Schedule last year and two of them were huge bats in our lineup and three of them played the outfield, but I’m pretty pleased with what we have moving forward.” If the team lives up to its potential, coach Saunders said AGS can reach new heights on the diamond. “Last year we were a strikeout away from winning districts, so I’m definitely thinking districts,” he said. “Then, there’s the North Star League Little Dipper too. I really strongly believe that if this team plays as well as it can and keeps their heads in it, they could win a regional game.” “We’re not trying to get ahead of ourselves,” coach Saunders said. “We’re taking it one day at a time and we’ll put in the work and hopefully be there at the end.” AGS is scheduled to start its season against Grayling at home April 10.

4/10 4/12 4/13 4/16 4/19 4/21 4/23 4/26 4/30 5/3 5/7 5/10 5/12 5/14 5/15 5/17 5/19 5/21

vs. Grayling @ John Glenn vs. Mio @ Bullock Creek vs. Oscoda @ Oscoda Tournament vs. Alcona vs. Posen @ Hale @ Tawas @ Hillman vs. Standish-Sterling Dow Diamond @ Pinconning Tournament vs. Whittemore-Prescott vs. Rogers City @ Mio @ Bad Axe Tournament @ Atlanta

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2018 Spring Sports Guide • Page 5

Roster

Hale Baseball By Eric Young ericyoung@ogemawherald.com 989-387-9036

Hale baseball coach Ben Murphy hopes to build on last year’s Little Dipper championship and parlay that into a strong season and postseason this year. “I am hoping we can repeat as Little Dipper champions and get over the hump and come district time, win that as well,” Murphy said. “I know every team has goals of winning their league and district, but with this group it really is possible.” Murphy said the team brings a lot of strong players this season who can help make that a reality. “We have a ton of talent this year,” he said. “We lost some good seniors last year, but I expect this group will fill their shoes quickly. Expectations are high and rightly so. We just have to make sure we keep

working hard.” Hale lost Antonio Garnsey, Devin Chrivia, Erick Losinski, Farrell Polkowski and Gary Collins to graduation last year. But this year Murphy, who starts his seventh year as the varsity baseball coach for Hale, said seniors Tanner Klein, Eric Beebe and Joey Weber will be strong leaders. “The three seniors along with (junior Trent) Reilly are really leading the way so far,” Murphy said. “They have put a lot of time in over the years, so the success they have had and will have has been earned. (Trent) Kangas played a lot over the summer and worked hard in the offseason, so I expect him to have a bigger impact this season as well.” Murphy said the Eagles’ pitching staff is deep this year, with Klein and Weber anchoring it. “I’ve been impressed with the development our sophomores have

made when it comes to pitching,” Murphy said. “Our pitching staff goes six-deep easy and we have a few others right behind them ready to throw some innings as well.”

1 Tanner Klein Sr. 2 Eric Beebe Sr. 4 Alex Calhoun Jr. 11 Trent Reilly Jr. 12 Joseph Kimmerer So. 15 Garrett Beebe So. 16 Connor Ready So. 18 Allen Collins So. 20 Joel Bovee So. 23 Trent Kangas So. 25 Keaton Ludwig Fr. 28 Kristian Hesling So. 29 Brenden Bernard Fr. 52 Joey Weber Sr.

Schedule 4/10 @ Tawas 4/12 @ Houghton Lake 4/16 vs. Hillman 4/19 @ Rogers City 4/21 @ Oscoda Tournament 4/23 @ Whittemore-Prescott 4/26 vs. Mio AuSable 4/30 vs. Au Gres-Sims 5/3 vs. Marion 5/5 @ St. Mary’s Lake Leelenau 5/7 vs. Oscoda 5/10 vs. Alcona 5/14 @ Posen 5/17 @ Atlanta 5/22 vs. Wolverine 5/29 Pre-Districts Hale 6/1 Districts Hale

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2018 Spring Sports Guide • Page 7

Roster 1 Brendan DeFlorio 2 Cameron Demory 3 Nathan Socia 4 Joss Esch 5 Will Ciske 8 Ryan Everly 11 Garrett Rhoads 12 Ty Rondo 13 Andrew Hager 15 Trenton Milne 21 Andrew Roddy 22 Durius Oaks 23 Kendrick Eastman

Mio AuSable Baseball By Dominic Trimboli dominictrimboli@ogemawherald.com 989-387-9295

The Mio AuSable varsity baseball team is in for a season to remember, for all the right reasons this year. “I would be surprised if we lost more than five or six games this year,” coach Ryan Rondo said. “On a team of 13, I’ve got 11 guys who would be starters on any North Star League team.” The young men have 38 games and four tournaments ahead of them this season. Rondo said the one game he is anticipating most is when the team plays Hillman in Midland later in the season. Mio AuSable recently lost a playoff basketball game against Hillman. Rondo thinks that will drive up a lot of hype for the upcoming baseball game. “They’re a big rival,” Rondo said. “They beat us twice last year, 3-2 and 2-1. We out-hit them in both

games, but they out-bunted us. By the time we were able to adjust, they had already scored a couple runs.” According to Rondo, the team has been very dedicated in the offseason. He said the captains took it upon themselves to continue the team’s training throughout the winter. “When they were done with basketball practice, they already had their gloves with them,” Rondo said. “They’ve been hitting and throwing since September and October. Some of these guys were ready to play day one.” The Mio AuSable team will be co-oping with the Fairview baseball team this year. Rondo said four of his players will be from Fairview this season. One of the players Rondo finds most promising is his senior catcher, Joss Esch of Fairview. “He practiced with us all season last year and made it to 75 percent

Schedule of games, knowing he couldn’t play,” Rondo said. “He is a huge addition to the team. It’s hard enough to find someone who wants to sweat it out and be in the dirt all game. When someone wants to play (as catcher) and loves it, that’s great.” Rondo said the most promising thing about the team this year is the pitching lineup he has. According to Rondo, there are eight quality pitchers. He said each has their strengths and weaknesses, some throwing more than 80 miles an hour, others with consistent accuracy. Rondo said he calls one athlete, Garrett Rhoads, his “ace” due to the variety of pitches he’s able to throw. Rondo’s goal for the team this season is to make the regional finals. He said the boys’ dedication to the game has paid off, and their offensive and defensive prowess will surprise everyone who watches them play this year.

4/12 @ Ogemaw 4/13 @ Au Gres-Sims 4/16 vs. Oscoda 4/19 @ Alcona 4/23 @ Posen 4/26 @ Hale 4/28 @ Hillman Tournament 4/30 @ Tawas 5/3 @ Hillman 5/5 @ Grayling Tournament 5/7 vs. Rogers City 5/10 @ Whittemore-Prescott 5/12 @ Roscommon Tournament 5/14 vs. Atlanta 5/17 vs. Au Gres-Sims 5/19 @ Whittemore-Prescott Tournament 5/20 @ Hillman Dow Diamond 5/21 vs. Roscommon 5/23 @ Grayling 6/1 Districts Hale

Page 8 • 2018 Spring Sports Guide

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2018 Spring Sports Guide • Page 9

Roster 1 Johnny Moore So. 2 Colin Stahl Sr. 5 Sam Elliott Sr. 6 Kellen VonSteenburg Sr. 7 Tyler Ludlow Sr. 8 Alec Reed Sr. 9 Dylan Zaske Sr. 10 Dalton Brindley Jr. 11 Calvin Beck So. 12 Brendan Reetz Jr. 13 Josh Gutierrez Jr. 15 Anthony Palazzolo Sr. 20 Jullian Mlasko Jr. 24 Blaine Bulow Sr.

Ogemaw Heights Baseball By Scott Nunn scottnunn@ogemawherald.com 989-387-9034

The Ogemaw Heights Falcons baseball team hopes its seniordominant status will lead the way to a strong season. The team is reeling from last year’s graduation of Gabe Matteson and Ryan Rivard, each of whom were great leaders, coach Chris Powley said. “Those two will be hard to replace but they both were great leaders and instilled that in some of the younger players,” he said. “So I feel that they both have passed the torch.” Returning and providing a solid base this season will be four-year varsity players Alec Reed and Colin Stahl. “(They) will be counted on for experience and leadership,” Powley said.

Also returning are seniors Tyler Ludlow, Kellen VonSteenburg, Sam Elliott, Blaine Bulow, Anthony Palazzolo and Dylan Zaske, each of whom Powley said have a key role to play on the team. Returning juniors are Jullian Mlasko and Josh Gutierrez. Gutierrez is a three-year varsity player and Mlasko is a second-year varsity player. Powley said he will be looking to returning sophomore and outfielder Johnny Moore to have substantial time on the field this year. The team hopes to repeat and improve on its district title win last year. “We have a very experienced team, one that has a good work ethic and strives to be excellent,” Powley said. “Last year we won our district and then lost in the first game of regionals. We know that we left some things on the field last year and our

Schedule hope is to get back there again.” “It takes a commitment to working hard and pushing each other to make this happen,” he continued. “I feel we are up to the challenge. We have some tough games this year as we go to Alpena and Gaylord, both being very respected teams, and those will give us some indications of areas that we need to improve.”

4/9 @ Beaverton 4/11 vs. Mio AuSable 4/12 @ Alpena 4/16 @ Tawas 4/18 vs. Roscommon 4/24 vs. Clare 4/26 @ Gaylord 4/28 @ Hillman 5/2 @ Pinconning 5/4 @ Pine River 5/9 vs. Tawas 5/11 @ Central Michigan University 5/12 @ Caro 5/14 vs. Standish-Sterling 5/18 vs. Cheboygan 5/19 @ Tawas 5/21 vs. Manistee 5/26 Ogemaw Heights Invite TBA Districts Ogemaw

Page 10 • 2018 Spring Sports Guide

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Roster

Standish-Sterling Central Baseball By Tim Barnum news@arenacindependent.com 989-387-9140

Coming off a 2017 in which it was a Tri-Valley Conference Central Division champions, the Standish-Sterling Panthers baseball team knows opponents will have their sights set on them, but SSC has no plans to slow down. “Our expectations are very high this year,” said coach Ryan Raymond. “Being defending TVC Central champs will surely put a target on our back. These boys know that and are up to the challenge. They also know last year is over.” Returning seniors this year include Clay Crouterfield, Nolan Raymond, Connor Gordon, Jack Robinson and Hunter Nelson. Three sophomores — Reed Raymond, Luke Stuhr and Keagan Wendel — are also back for their second year of varsity. Three new players, all

sophomores, will also take the field for the Panthers this year. New to the varsity team are A.J. Karnath, Dylan Kolbiaz and Clay Vallad. “This year’s team will be very flexible and very athletic,” coach Raymond said. “All of these players are capable of playing multiple positions and will do so throughout the year.” Although the team is deep with returners and experience, coach Raymond said he expects the Panthers to work hard to improve. “These boys and I are very lucky in that they have had some wonderful youth and JV coaches in the past,” he said. “Therefore we do not have many glaring weaknesses but they know the work does not stop. All of these kids work year-round to become better athletes and we are looking forward to the season.” SSC is scheduled to travel to Garber for its first game April 10.

13 Clay Crouterfield Sr. 18 Connor Gordon Sr. 42 A.J. Karnath So. 12 Dylan Kolbiaz So. 6 Hunter Nelson Sr. 14 Nolan Raymond Sr. 4 Reed Raymond So. 52 Jack Robinson Sr. 1 Luke Stuhr So. 13 Clay Vallad So. 32 Keagan Wendel So.

Schedule 4/10 @ Essexville-Garber 4/12 vs. Swan Valley 4/16 @ Pinconning 4/17 @ Shepherd 4/19 vs. Gladwin 4/21 @ Beaverton 4/23 @ Beaverton 4/24 vs. Chesaning 4/27 vs. Tawas 5/1 @ Carrollton 5/3 vs. Valley Lutheran 5/5 @ Alpena 5/7 vs. Reese 5/8 vs. Bullock Creek 5/10 vs. Au Gres-Sims Dow Diamond 5/12 @ Clare 5/14 @ Ogemaw Heights 5/15 vs. Freeland 5/22 @ Alma TBA Districts Pinconning

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2018 Spring Sports Guide • Page 13

Roster Michael Blust Jr. Daniel Caverly Sr. Seth Findlay Sr. Tyler Hostetler Jr. Kyle Hottois So. Grant Kortman Sr. Brad Lauria Fr. Logan Ludwig So. Tony Lyons Jr. Aaron Mervyn Fr. Alex Mervyn Sr. Devan Nader Fr. Joe Petri So. Cody Steinley So. Izaak Waldorf Fr. Jesse Ward So. Russell Wilson Fr. Alex Yorton Sr.

Whittemore-Prescott Baseball By Eric Young ericyoung@ogemawherald.com 989-387-9036

With the season about ready to start, delayed a bit by weather, Whittemore-Prescott baseball coach Ed Mervyn said he is still not entirely sure what he has at this point due to low numbers. “The numbers are not where we’d like to have them as of yet,” Ed Mervyn said. “We only had 10 (upperclassmen) on the varsity team last year. We counted on the sophomores and freshmen to come up and help us out a lot. They grew up a lot. We’ve got a good group of juniors. We have eight upperclassmen (this season). The rest are going to have the ninthand 10th-graders. And we might be able to pick up some other ones.” Last year’s W-P team only had three seniors, one of which was Shawn Edmonds, a strong player for the Cardinals last year.

“He’d been our varsity pitcher for three years,” Ed Mervyn said. “He’s hard to replace. He was the ace of our staff, basically the ace of the league too. He’ll be hard to replace.” W-P also lost Shawn Paige and Joey Lauria last year. But Ed Mervyn said he will be calling upon returners Alex Mervyn, Alex Yorton, Grant Kortman and Daniel Caverly to fill in the gaps created after graduation last season. Others, including Tyler Hostetler, Tony Lyons and Kyle Hottois, will also be expected to play a bigger role this season. “The one thing we have to do is improve on our defense,” Ed Mervyn said. He said the rules regarding pitch count that have been implemented mean the defensive players need to do their job to keep the count low. “We have to make the plays or our pitchers are running out of pitches

early,” Ed Mervyn said. “We have to play defense better than we have in the past. The other thing we’re going to have to work on is our hitting. I think we could have done a little bit better job hitting (in past seasons). They’re working hard on it.” Despite low numbers and some unknowns to start the year, Ed Mervyn said he still has high expectations for the Cardinals baseball club, including making some noise in the postseason. “If we don’t, we’re going to be really disappointed,” he said. “Districts are at Hale this year. I’m not going out on a limb saying we’re going to win it, but if we don’t play really well, I’m going to be disappointed and the team will be disappointed.” “The last two years have been hard on us,” Ed Mervyn said. “Before that we won four out of five years. We’re looking to get back into that groove again.”

Schedule 4/3 4/5 4/6 4/14 4/16 4/19 4/23 4/30 5/3 5/5 5/7 5/10 5/14 5/16 5/19 5/21

vs. Onaway @ Tawas @ Ashley @ Marion Tournament vs. Alcona @ Posen vs. Hale vs. Hillman @ Rogers City @ Lake City Tournament @ Atlanta vs. Mio AuSable @ Au Gres-Sims vs. Tawas Cardinal Tournament @ Oscoda

Page 14 • 2018 Spring Sports Guide

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2018 Spring Sports Guide • Page 15

Roster

Ogemaw Heights Golf By Scott Nunn scottnunn@ogemawherald.com 989-387-9034

With more than two dozen players swinging the clubs for the Ogemaw Heights Falcons, coach Tom Kish said the team should put up strong competition. “With 27 kids this year we should have a very solid team,” Kish said. “All of these student-athletes are proud to represent their school, be part of the team and support each other. In order to have a good season all of them will have to focus on every shot and use solid golf course management in trying to improve. I expect the kids to try and improve each and every time they play a match or practice.” At graduation last year the team lost Jace Courtemanche and Garrett Paulson, each of whom was an important part of the team that finished 11th in the state for Division 3. “They will be missed for their leadership, dedication and consistency,” Kish said. Returning for another season are Tyler Bailey, Sam Briggs, Faith Ignasiak, Trevor Likavec, Alex Somerfield and Quentin Thompson. “I look for Tyler, Trevor, Alex and Quentin to be the leaders on the team,” Kish said. “Sam and Faith are expected to contribute as well. All six of them are fully capable of

playing on the varsity team if they put their mind to it.” With only six varsity spots and a deep field, there will be some competition for those spots, according to Kish. “It is all based on score,” he said. “If someone starts playing better they are going to move up in ranks.” Kish said the team has nine returning players who could, with a little hard work and practice, compete for a varsity spot. He also said the the team has another 12 players who are new this year, but without time on a course they couldn’t be ranked. “Since we have not been on the golf course yet it is hard to say about these players,” he said. “But in our limited practice time so far I have seen a great deal of potential.” Kish said many elements must come together for a good season. “Our expectations are to get good grades in the classroom, display good sportsmanship, learn the rules of golf, focus on every shot, use good golf course management and try to improve each and every time they play or practice,” he said. “As a team, we expect to contend in all of our regular-season events, finish in the top three at regionals and advance to the state finals.” Kish said the three golf courses are essential in helping the Falcons’

golf team continue. “We are very thankful to the West Branch Country Club, The Nightmare and The Dream for allowing our team the use of all of these great golf courses,” he said. “It is a privilege for our student-athletes to play and practice on the three golf courses.”

Schedule 4/16 4/20 4/21 4/23 4/24 4/26 4/28 5/3 5/5 5/7 5/11 5/12 5/15 5/17 5/24

vs. Lake City vs. Alcona The Dream Invite vs. Northern Michigan Christian @ Cadillac @ Tawas @ Bay City Western Falcon Invite @ Gladwin @ Petoskey @ Mount Pleasant @ Mount Pleasant @ Gaylord @ Alpena The Nightmare Invite

Tyler Bailey Jr. Cori Bertossi Fr. Sam Briggs Sr. Cameron Clark Sr. Luca Contu Sr. Austin Dinsmore Sr. Nathan Gratton Fr. Jackson Hart Sr. Faith Ignasiak Jr. Zach Jankowics Sr. Jack Juarez Fr. Ethan Lauria Jr. Trevor Likavec Jr. Mariah Mattson Jr. Michael Meress Jr. Keaton Munn Fr. Owen Prusinski Jr. Brendon Rector Jr. Corbin Ryland Fr. Alex Somerfield Jr. Dominic Swain Jr. Werner Symons Sr. Quentin Thompson Sr. Kellen VonSteenburg Sr. Nick Whisman Fr. Nathan Woletz Fr. Jason Wood Jr.

Page 16 • 2018 Spring Sports Guide

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2018 Spring Sports Guide • Page 17

Roster

Standish-Sterling Central Golf By Tim Barnum news@arenacindependent.com 989-387-9140

The Standish-Sterling Central golf team doesn’t have many golfers with competitive varsity experience, but it does have plenty of depth with 11 golfers, said coach Mike Waldie. Senior Eli White and junior Kendal Nelson are the Panthers’ lone returners. However, five new seniors, one new junior and three new freshmen have been added to the roster, and the depth is something Waldie is happy to have this year. “It is nice having the number of players go up this year,” he said. “Those golfers that are new to the team are picking up the game quickly. Most of them have played golf before.” Waldie said along with White, new senior Ben Davidson and freshman Chandler Stodolak are showing a lot of promise. He expects them

to represent SSC at most matches, but the rest of the golfers will be competing for spots throughout the year. “For our tournaments we take six golfers and count the best four scores,” Waldie said. “Positions 4-6 are up in the air as of now.” With weather making it difficult to practice on an actual golf course, Waldie said so far it has been tough to determine exactly which areas are SSC’s strongest or weakest. “We have only been able to practice outside a handful of times, so it is hard to tell where we are and what expectations are,” he said. “We have had morning practices in the field house while we were waiting for the weather to improve.” The main goal is for the Panthers to improve throughout the season, Waldie said. SSC is scheduled to start its season April 11 in Alma.

Luke Burghardt Sr. Ben Davidson Sr. Dawson Herner Sr. Cody Metiva Jr. Bradley Mohr Fr. Kendal Nelson Jr. Austin Nichols Sr. Hayden Niernberg Fr. Cooper Rood Sr. Chandler Stodolak Fr. Eli White Sr.

Schedule 4/11 @ Alma 4/17 @ Swan Valley 4/25 @ Chesaning 4/26 @ Tawas Invite 4/27 @ Pinconning Invite 5/2 @ Freeland 5/5 @ Gladwin 5/9 @ Shepherd 5/16 Pine River Golf Club 5/21 @ John Glenn Invite 5/30 Regionals Alma

Page 18 • 2018 Spring Sports Guide

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2018 Spring Sports Guide • Page 19

Roster 3 KenaDee Foco Sr. 4 Johanna Davis So. 5 Jayea Meihls Sr. 6 Gabi Crainer Jr. 7 Kayla Daniel So. 8 Brianna LaLonde Jr. 10 Amber Clauss Jr. 12 Lindsay Goodman Jr. 13 Kourtney Karpinski Jr. 14 Ericka Bigham Jr. 15 Adrienne Arquette Jr. 16 Anna Nagy Sr. 17 Chelsea Ives Jr. 20 Shania Peterson Sr. 21 Anique Bean Jr. 22 Elizabeth Holton Jr.

Standish-Sterling Central Soccer By Tim Barnum news@arenacindependent.com 989-387-9140

Standish-Sterling Central girls soccer coach Kacey Bentley is starting to see some excitement around the soccer program. “This season we were fortunate enough to have 31 girls come out for soccer,” Bentley said. “With so many, we are able to have a JV team, which I am very excited for. We have 16 ladies on varsity and 13 are returning from last year.” Among the returning players are seniors Anna Nagy, KenaDee Foco, Jayea Meihls and Shania Peterson. Nagy, Meihls and sophomore Johanna Davis are expected to lead SSC’s offensive charge, Bentley said. “I am going to lean heavily on those three to score and distribute the ball around until the other

attacking players find their groove,” he said. “Nagy led the team in goals scored last season and was the team’s MVP. KenaDee Foco, Johanna Davis and Anna Nagy were also named to the all-district team last season.” Foco and fellow defensive mate Adrienne Arquette head up what Bentley believes could be the team’s strong suit. “I believe our strength right now is on the defensive side of the field,” he said. “Specifically in the center of the field.” The team has plenty of room for growth and Bentley said that will start with the coaches. “Our team needs to improve tactically,” he said. “This is where our coaching needs to get better. I have recognized this and now have three assistant coaches for this year.

Schedule Duane Bean is returning this year as an assistant. Jay Bartlett and Chris Bell are new to the program, both with great experience coaching the youth program.” SSC has two specific goals set by the coaching staff. “Our first goal is to complete every game, no mercies,” Bentley said. “The second is to increase our win total by three, from four wins to seven. These will be tough to do with us playing in the TriValley Conference and having to face Freeland twice. I think the ladies can achieve these goals if they keep their heads in the games and stick to our game plans. They need to believe we can win and compete with anyone.” SSC is scheduled to start its season at home against EssexvilleGarber April 10.

4/10 vs. Garber 4/12 vs. Roscommon 4/13 vs. Bay City Central 4/16 vs. Oscoda 4/18 vs. Swan Valley 4/19 @ Tawas 4/23 @ Valley Lutheran 4/25 @ Freeland 4/27 @ Bay City Central 4/30 @ Pinconning 5/2 vs. Bullock Creek 5/4 @ Oscoda 5/7 @ Swan Valley 5/9 vs. Valley Lutheran 5/14 vs. Freeland 5/16 @ Pinconning 5/21 @ Bullock Creek 5/22 vs. Tawas 5/29 Districts TBA

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2018 Spring Sports Guide • Page 21

Roster 2 Ashlyn Rohr Sr. 3 Lexi Mularz Sr. Jr. 6 Maddie Mulkey 7 Sophie Courtemanche Jr. 8 Mayra Oliveira Sr. 9 Danielle Dematio Jr. 11 Leah Holcomb Sr. 14 Katie Gratopp Sr. 15 Lauren Deerman Sr. 16 Leah Scott Jr. 17 Alyssa Middleton Jr. 18 Savannah Withers Sr. 23 Hannah Cline Jr. 27 Riley Bellinger Jr. Abigail Beveridge Jr. Sara Campanella Sr.

Ogemaw Heights Soccer By Scott Nunn scottnunn@ogemawherald.com 989-387-9034

The Ogemaw Heights girls soccer team has set its sights on the district title, according to coach Dan Ahearne. “I asked the kids (the team goals) and overwhelmingly they said they want to win districts,” he said. “My goal is to improve over last year and if that means we win districts I’ll be fine with that.” The team suffered a few key player losses to graduation or otherwise, but intends to rebound from those loses to improve on its record last season. “We lost five total,” he said. “Of course we will miss them all.” Ahearne said he has a strong returning team. “We have a very solid core group coming back,” he said. “Our varsity will have all 11th- and 12th-graders.” Returning this year is Alyssa Mid-

dleton, Leah Holcomb, Lexi Mularz, Savannah Withers, Lauren Deerman and Ashlyn Rohr. Ahearne said Middleton delivered tenacity the past two years and he will be looking for her to do the same, and Rohr will be looked to to provide strong defense. “I hope to see a lot of growth out of Danielle Dematio, who is in shape to run an entire game,” he said. “Sophie Courtemanche will be solid in goal this year but she was also our leading scorer last year. I hope we find a way to get her on the field and in the offense.” Showing strong improvements already this year are Katie Gratopp and Hannah Cline, who have racked up attention needed for play time. Leah Scott will be key in the team’s defense and Ahearne said she is also showing promise as a scoring threat. Maddi Mulkey is improving her knowledge in the midfield. Ahearne said he is expecting the

team to narrow the gap on some of the games it lost last year. “I expect that some of the close games we lost last year will go our way this year,” he said. “I can see us going above .500.”

Schedule 4/6 4/10 4/11 4/13 4/17 4/20 4/24 4/27 5/1 5/2 5/4 5/8 5/11 5/15 5/17 5/18 5/22 5/24

@ Clare vs. Roscommon @ Alpena vs. Cheboygan vs. Crossroads Charter Academy vs. Gladwin @ Brethren @ Cheboygan @ Northern Michigan Christian vs. Garber @ Northern Michigan Christian @ Roscommon @ Houghton Lake vs. Houghton Lake vs. Tawas vs Northern Michigan Christian vs. TBA vs. Gaylord

Page 22 • 2018 Spring Sports Guide

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2018 Spring Sports Guide • Page 23

Roster

Au Gres-Sims Softball By Tim Barnum news@arenacindependent.com 989-387-9140

The Au Gres-Sims softball team is showing promise in multiple facets of the game early in the season. “We’re hitting well and have some very good bunters,” said AGS coach Jeri Christie. “We actually have a pitching ‘staff’ — six girls that can throw, which is exciting because they all bring something different to the mound.” Christie said despite looking solid in several areas, the Lady Wolverines will have some growing pains this year, specifically in game situations. “We are young and need improvement in many aspects of the game,” she said. “We will take one day at a time and continue to work hard. Improvement will then occur.” Among returning players, AGS will welcome back just one senior, Marissa Ledin. Juniors Brianna Freehling, Drew Horton, Madison King and Marlee Walker and sophomores Amelia Freehling and

Kassidy Kubik are also returning this year, Christie said. Along with the varsity veterans, Christie said three new players — freshmen Madison Findlay, Kennadi Zeien and Keagan Skacal — will also be expected to play a major role on the team this year. All three played for the Ogemaw Outlaws travel team, which gives them some extra experience despite this year being their first on varsity. Christie said AGS is eyeing a pair of trophies for this season, which can only be achieved if the team comes together. “Our goals are to have fun and be a real team — one that works together and supports each other,” she said. “We want to be aggressive at the plate, in the field and on the bases. We’ve got our eye on a repeat Little Dipper championship and we’d like to bring home a district trophy. At the end of the day, win or lose, as long as we did our best we can hold our heads high.” AGS is scheduled to start its season April 10 at home versus Grayling.

1 Brianna Freehling Jr. 4 Keagan Skacal Fr. 5 Madison Findlay Fr. 6 Emily McMann Fr. 7 Olivia Verdusco Fr. 8 Marlee Walker Jr. 9 Kassidy Kubik So. 10 Kennadi Zeien Fr. 11 Madison King Jr. 13 Marissa Ledin Sr. 14 Ebby Hoffman Fr. 18 Drew Horton Jr. 20 Amelia Freehling So.

Schedule 4/10 vs. Grayling 4/12 @ John Glenn 4/13 vs. Mio 4/16 @ Bullock Creek 4/19 vs. Oscoda 4/21 @ Oscoda Tournament 4/23 vs. Alcona 4/26 vs. Posen 4/27 @ Whittemore-Prescott 4/28 @ Hillman Tournament 4/30 @ Hale 5/3 @ Tawas 5/7 @ Hillman 5/12 @ All Saints Tournament 5/14 vs. Whittemore-Prescott 5/15 vs. Rogers City 5/17 @ Mio 5/19 @ Mott Tournament 5/21 @ Atlanta 5/22 @ Ogemaw Heights 5/29 Districts TBA

Page 24 • 2018 Spring Sports Guide

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2018 Spring Sports Guide • Page 25

Roster Shailey Brandt Fr. Claudia Cadwell Fr. Sophie Irwin So. Brooke Kangas Sr. Kiara Ludwig So. Jori Mckulsky So. Taylor Mulligan Jr. Haylie Murringer So. Brooke Pelton So. Taylor Pelton Sr. Morgan Vance Fr.

Hale Softball By Eric Young ericyoung@ogemawherald.com 989-387-9036

With a young team and several newcomers, the biggest challenge to the Hale softball team this year could be potential injuries, according to coach Mike Cadwell. “My biggest worries are injuries,” he said. “I’m hoping that turns out well for us. We only have 11 girls, so it’s an iffy thing, especially with other things going on. At the end of last year we couldn’t get a game in with Rogers City (because of lack of players). Last year we started 12.” Cadwell said the team is sort of a mixed bag right now as far as experience. “Some girls, they’re more timid and don’t know what it’s really about,” he said. “Nobody ever took them and played at a playground with them.” He said a struggle for the program

has been a lack of teams feeding young talent. “Little League is falling apart,” Cadwell said. “Last year, we had all kinds of calls from Tawas parents. People are getting away from Little League and doing travel ball — it’s leaving a lot of kids behind because they can’t afford it.” Hale returns six girls to fill its 11-member roster this season, including two seniors. One of those, Taylor Pelton, Cadwell said he expects big things from, as well as a few of her teammates. “We have a couple girls coming up who have been playing travel ball who are really good,” he said. Hale lost a number of seniors last season, including Hannah Balbaugh and Kiley Sundberg, who he said will leave some gaps in the lineup. But he believes the current team will be able to fill those gaps. “We’ve got them filled, actually

very well,” he said. “We have three sophomores coming up who will fill that easy. We’ve got some girls starting pitching — there are five we looked at. Two looked really good.” Despite still learning what the team has for the upcoming season, Cadwell still has high hopes for the year. “It is what it is,” he said. “We’re going to have some growing pains. We’ll do the best that we can. We hope to win our share of games.” “Some of the smaller schools we’ll do just fine,” Cadwell said. “Playing some of these larger schools — Oscoda, Alcona, even Whittemore-Prescott — those schools are a lot bigger than us. They have more bodies to choose from. We’ll be in the game. I think we’ll do a lot better than we did last year. We had some last year, three innings and we’re done. Boom. I don’t see that happening this year.”

Schedule 4/10 @ Tawas 4/12 @ Houghton Lake 4/16 vs. Hillman 4/19 @ Rogers City 4/21 @ Oscoda Tournament 4/23 @ Whittemore-Prescott 4/26 vs. Mio AuSable 4/30 vs. Au Gres-Sims 5/3 vs. Marion 5/5 @ St. Mary’s Lake Leelanau 5/7 vs. Oscoda 5/10 vs. Alcona 5/14 @ Posen 5/17 @ Atlanta 5/22 vs. Wolverine 5/29 Pre-Districts Hale 6/1 Districts Hale

Page 26 â&#x20AC;¢ 2018 Spring Sports Guide

2018 Spring Sports Guide • Page 27

Roster

Mio AuSable Softball By Dominic Trimboli dominictrimboli@ogemawherald.com 989-387-9295

The Mio Ausable varsity softball team has chemistry on lockdown due to a majority of the players returning from last season. Head coach Kelli McDonald said the team will benefit from the experience the girls have from previous years in the league. “It feels great to be returning so many players,” McDonald said. “We only lost two seniors from last season, so we have a lot of extra experience on the field.” McDonald said as far as expectations go, she’s more concerned about effort than championships. “My only expectation is that we give our best every game, every inning,” she said. According to McDonald, she

can’t choose one player in particular she’s excited to see this season over the others. “I think they have all improved over the year and I’m excited to see them all play,” she said. One of the things McDonald is most excited about is the large number of girls who tried out for the team this year. She said for the first time in a while there are enough girls for a varsity and junior varsity team. Although the team mostly consists of returning players, McDonald said she did pull up a few freshmen to the varsity team. She said the younger girls have a tough road ahead of them, but she believes due to their remarkable work ethic and time on travel teams, they will make fine additions to the squad.

Karley Auten Sr. Brynn Bills Fr. Madee Bones Sr. Audrey Burrell Sr. Ambrosia Coleman Sr. Summer Cox Jr. Angel Donnelly Sr. Lauren Kuffel Jr. Reagan McGregor Fr. Hilary Perez So. Tristan Willobee Sr. Claudia Wilson Jr. Shelby Yoder Fr.

Schedule 4/12 @ Ogemaw Heights 4/13 @ Au Gres-Sims 4/16 vs. Oscoda 4/19 @ Alcona 4/23 @ Posen 4/26 @ Hale 4/30 @ Tawas 5/3 @ Hillman 5/7 vs. Rogers City 5/10 @ Whittemore-Prescott 5/12 @ Roscommon Tournament 5/14 vs. Atlanta 5/17 vs. Au Gres-Sims 5/19 @ Whittemore-Prescott Tournament 5/21 vs. Roscommon 5/23 @ Grayling 6/1 Districts Hale

Page 28 • 2018 Spring Sports Guide

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2018 Spring Sports Guide • Page 29

Roster 2 Ashlyn Dantzer Jr. 3 Kacie Vliet Jr. 4 Sam Kartes So. 5 Madison Tousigna Jr. 6 Carley Bulow Jr. 7 Aleah Hibbard Jr. 9 Taylor Casselman Jr. 10 Aerianna Montague Jr. 11 Payton Izworski Sr. 12 Tess Childs Sr. 14 Mariah Mattson Jr. 24 Nicole Sancrant Sr.

Ogemaw Heights Softball

Schedule

By Scott Nunn scottnunn@ogemawherald.com 989-387-9034

With eight returning players this season, coach Dave Mairose has high expectations of the Ogemaw Heights Lady Falcons softball team. “I have eight girls returning from last year and three more added to the team this year that played at the end of last season,” Mairose said. “I have high expectations for all of them.” Mairose said each girl has the talent and ability to go far in the season. Three seniors are expected to be leaders — Tess Childs, Payton Izworski and Nicole Sancrant. “I look forward to them being leaders on and off the field and having the talent to go to the next level and play,” Mairose said. “I expect all these girls to have a great

regular season and to go far in the postseason.” Mairose said looking into the schedule, there are quite a few

games that will pose a challenge for the team, but with the girls’ talent and ability he expects it to be a successful season.

4/9 @ Beaverton 4/12 vs. Mio AuSable 4/16 @ Tawas 4/18 vs. Roscommon 4/21 @ Chippewa Hills 4/24 vs. Clare 4/26 @ Gaylord 4/28 @ Hillman 4/30 @ Alpena 5/2 @ Pinconning 5/4 @ Pine River 5/9 vs. Tawas 5/11 @ Gladwin 5/12 @ Caro 5/14 vs. Standish-Sterling 5/18 vs. Cheboygan 5/19 @ Tawas 5/22 vs. Au Gres-Sims 5/26 Ogemaw Invite TBA Districts Ogemaw

Page 30 • 2018 Spring Sports Guide

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2018 Spring Sports Guide • Page 31

Roster 1 Branda Bleshenski Sr. 2 Mattie Fegan So. 3 Lakin Fryzel So. 4 Kaeleigh Schabel Jr. 5 Shay Sullivan Jr. 6 Laiken Ex So. 7 Aubrey Roper Sr. 8 Karleigh McBride So. 9 Shayna Schmidt Sr. 11 Ashley Roper So. 12 Isabel Niernberg Jr. 13 Alexis Nichols Jr.

Standish-Sterling Central Softball By Tim Barnum news@arenacindependent.com 989-387-9140

The Standish-Sterling softball team has high expectations and a roster full of experienced varsity players, but nothing will come easily this year for the Lady Panthers, coach Rich Sullivan said. “The Tri-Valley Conference Central is loaded with top-ranked teams in the state and our goal is to still finish within the top three,” he said. “We have a very challenging schedule this year, but we always shoot for at least 20 wins. But nothing is more important than winning districts, and with a very good Meridian team added to our district this year, we will really have to improve throughout the season to achieve this.” SSC has already begun to take the steps necessary to be successful in its conference and in the playoffs, Sullivan said.

“We have been working hard in the offseason with our hitting and batting approaches,” he said. “We need to be more offensive this year. Also, we plan to spend a lot of time with fielding drills to reduce our infield errors.” The Panthers will return three seniors this year, and all three are four-year varsity players. Branda Bleshenski is a 2017 all-conference honorable mention player and has received all-district and allregional honors. Shayna Schmidt was a 2016 all-district player. Aubrey Roper was also a 2017 all-conference honorable mention player and last year’s team MVP. SSC is also returning two juniors — Shay Sullivan, a second team all-conference player in 2017, and Isabel Niernberg. Sophomores coming back to the team this year include Karleigh McBride, Laiken Ex and Lakin Fryzel. Sullivan said some new varsity

Schedule players are expected to contribute in a big way as well. “I expect big things offensively from sophomore Ashley Roper and really good glove to strengthen our infield from Mattie Fegan,” he said. “These two players can really give us a boost from last year’s team.” While Sullivan believes the team needs work on offense, he said the Panthers’ battery — its pitchers and catchers — is very strong. “Right now I would say our strength is in our pitching and catching,” he said. “Bleshenski and Schmidt have three years of varsity experience under their belt confusing batters, and Lakin Fryzel has a great arm, with a lot of movement on her ball. We still lean on our rock behind the dish, Aubrey Roper, who has also been back there for the last three seasons also.” SSC is scheduled to start its season April 10 at Essexville-Garber.

4/10 @ Essexville-Garber 4/12 vs. Swan Valley 4/16 @ Pinconning 4/17 @ Shepherd 4/19 vs. Gladwin 4/21 @ Beaverton 4/23 @ Beaverton 4/24 vs. Chesaning 4/27 vs. Tawas 4/30 @ Frankenmuth 5/1 @ Carrollton 5/3 vs. Valley Lutheran 5/5 @ Meridian 5/7 vs. Reese 5/8 vs. Bullock Creek 5/10 vs. Au Gres-Sims Dow Diamond 5/14 @ Ogemaw Heights 5/15 vs. Freeland 5/18 vs. Richmond 5/22 @ Alma TBA Districts Pinconning

Page 32 • 2018 Spring Sports Guide

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2018 Spring Sports Guide • Page 33

Roster

Whittemore-Prescott Softball By Eric Young ericyoung@ogemawherald.com 989-387-9036

After joining the reigning district champions this season, new Whittemore-Prescott softball coach Kristina Fitch said she is ready for the pressure that brings. “I have some big shoes to fill, but I am ready for that challenge,” she said. The Lady Cards return seniors Caitlin Liddell, Baelee MacDonald and Cheyanne Morgan, as well as juniors Cheyenne Lewis, Lexie Hart and Ashley Lauria. “These girls are leaders,” Fitch said. “They encourage each other, are positive leaders and truly try their best each and every day. I expect these players to lead the team.” She added that Liddell is one of the most sound players she has ever seen. “She has already signed with Lansing Community College to continue her career at the college level,”

Fitch said. “I can only imagine how high she will fly this season. I am really excited to see her lead our team this year.” With the other returning underclassmen as well as some newcomers, Fitch said she is excited about the foundation she has to start the season. “Overall, I think we have a team that will focus on moving base to base and having strong gloves,” she said. “It will take time, but focusing on fundamentals and smart base running will win us games.” “I have high expectations for this season,” Fitch continued. “I am optimistic that my girls will grow a lot this season and become stronger student-athletes. Our goal is to take districts for the second season in a row.” As for the schedule, Fitch said there aren’t any particular games that stand out to the girls over the others. “Personally, every game is important to us,” she said. “Each

game is a chance to show what we are capable of doing. I hope teams are strong, because the stronger the team we play, the stronger we can become.”

Lexie Hart Jr. Arianna Hoig Jr. Haylie Horn So. Hannah Hudson So. Haily Kelsey Jr. Emma Kinney Fr. Ashley Lauria Jr. Chantel Lewis Fr. Cheyenne Lewis Jr. Caitlin Liddell Sr. Baelee MacDonald Sr. Cheyanne Morgan Sr. Destannie Pratt Sr. Sarah Santiago Fr. Marissa Schmidt So.

Schedule 4/3 4/5 4/6 4/16 4/19 4/21 4/23 4/27 4/30 5/3 5/5 5/7 5/10 5/14 5/16 5/19 5/21

vs. Onaway @ Tawas @ Ashley vs. Alcona @ Posen @ Beaverton vs. Hale vs. Au Gres-Sims vs. Hillman @ Rogers City @ Lake City @ Atlanta vs. Mio AuSable @ Au Gres-Sims vs. Tawas Cardinal Tournament @ Oscoda

Page 34 â&#x20AC;¢ 2018 Spring Sports Guide

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2018 Spring Sports Guide • Page 35

Boys Roster

Au Gres-Sims Track and Field By Tim Barnum news@arenacindependent.com 989-387-9140

The Au Gres-Sims track and field team is expected to be in the hunt for North Star League titles on both the boys’ and girls’ side of the conference. Coach Kevin Loga said returning seniors for the AGS boys include Caden Anthony and Nick Hoadley in distance and relay races, returning NSL shot put champion Kamryn Gordon, pole vaulter and relay runner Ramsey Forton, thrower and hurdler Lance Schwiderson and high jumper and relay runner Eddie Schwiderson. Returning seniors for the girls team include Elexis Pendred and Erica Pritchard, who compete in middle- and long-distance events, and thrower Haley Lynch. Juniors

Drew Horton and Brianna Freehling also return, with Horton being the defending NSL discus champion and Freehling the defending league high jump champion. Loga said the team is ready for the season and will look to its experienced members to lead the way this year. “Au Gres-Sims varsity track and field athletes eagerly look forward to the year’s schedule and the competitive challenges it will present,” he said. “As the history of Au GresSims varsity track and field has proven, by following the leadership of talented returning letter winners and utilizing depth newcomers will provide, they fully intend once again to compete for the men’s and women’s North Star League championship.”

Girls Roster Caitlyn Corey Jr. Jr. Brianna Freehling Izabella Gingerich Fr. Lauren Hill Jr. Drew Horton Jr. Britney Killingbeck Sr. Malleah Lagalo So. Haley Lynch Sr. Elexis Pendred Sr. Erica Pritchard Sr. Laila Reedy Sr. Victoria Selle Fr. Alexis Strano So. Rebecca Trapp Sr.

Trent Ancel So. Caden Anthony Sr. Fletcher Forton Jr. Ramsey Forton Sr. Zander Forton Jr. Kamryn Gordon Sr. Nick Hoadley Sr. Trevor Jamroz Sr. Alex McDaniels Sr. Justin Michels So. John Paraiso So. Luke Pocobello Fr. Cade Potts So. Kelly Reedy Fr. Bradly Schwiderson Jr. Edward Schwiderson Sr. Lance Schwiderson Sr. Ryan Schwiderson Jr. Brian Shmina Sr. Justin Wade Sr.

Schedule 4/9 @ Tawas 4/17 @ Fairview 4/24 @ Alcona 5/1 @ Alcona 5/8 @ Whittemore-Prescott 5/18 Regionals Breckenridge 5/24 NSL Finals Hale State Finals 6/2

Page 36 • 2018 Spring Sports Guide

Roster

Fairview Boys Track and Field By Dominic Trimboli dominictrimboli@ogemawherald.com 989-387-9295

The Fairview boys track team will be rebuilding this year with a squad that consists heavily of younger athletes compared to prior seasons. “We may struggle a little bit this year,” said head coach Don Haskin. “We graduated a lot of talent last year.” Haskin lamented the loss of one team leader in particular who found a way to get the best out of his teammates. “Seth Cleeves not only led by example, he encouraged the kids,” Haskin said. “He could really rally the troops. When we were down at the Hale meet he said, ‘No, coach! We’re not going to let them beat us. They

won everything this year. They are not going to win track too!’ You could hear a bit of anger in his voice.” Haskin said after five years straight of winning the North Star League championship, he’s setting his sights a bit lower for this season. “It is too early to determine a goal,” he said. “We may need to reduce our goal and hope we hit the top three at the North Star League championship.” Although the team is young, Haskin said he expects certain athletes to step up to the challenge of being a team leader. He said he fully expects freshman Matt Fleszar to become his sprint leader for the year, and sophomore Nathaniel Eastman to do the same for the distance runners. Haskin said his approach to training

the team will be modified from recent years. “Last year we were senior-led,” he said. “The expectations were high. This year I’ll take the pressure off the kids, hope that bears fruit and build from there.” Haskin said with the young age of his team this year, experience is replaced by enthusiasm. “This team is going to be a lot of fun,” he said. “They’re young, excited and ambitious. When the team is excited that makes their coach even more excited.” Although Haskin may be unsure of the level of success the Fairview boys track team will achieve this year, he said he is proud of what he and the team have achieved up until this point.

Tyler Auger Sr. Mike Bartz Jr. Fr. Aaron Cuzzort Deven Davis Jr. Nathaniel Eastman So. Matthew Fleszar Fr. Zach Freel Fr. Daniel Gilmore Jr. Jacob Gow Jr. Jr. Josh Hamm Derek Nolan Sr. Mason Robbins Fr.

Schedule 4/6 4/11 4/17 4/20 4/24 5/1 5/4 5/11 5/18 5/24

@ Whittemore-Prescott @ Johannesburg-Lewiston Invite Fairview NSL Meet @ Posen Co-ed Relays @ Hale NSL Meet Fairview NSL Meet @ Fairview Invite @ Ogemaw Heights Invite @ Regionals Alcona NSL Championship Meet Hale

2018 Spring Sports Guide • Page 37

Roster Jacey Berndt Fr. Mina Boulay Fr. Jr. Gretchen Ford Grace Freel Fr. Addison Goy So. Sheryl Hager Sr. Kaylee Handrich So. Madison Jenkins So. Lauren Krupinski Sr. Fr. Elizabeth McClelland Jess Nicholson Fr. Marisa Perry Fr. Laken Rodgers Fr. Kenzey Rogers Fr. Serena Serrano So. Aaliyah Smith So. Sam Smith Fr. Jaedyn Winton So.

Fairview Girls Track and Field By Dominic Trimboli dominictrimboli@ogemawherald.com 989-387-9295

This season will be one of reconstruction for the Fairview girls varsity track team. “We lost a huge amount of girls this season,” coach Diana Danhoff said. “We took four girls to state last year, they all graduated. They were all so talented. That was a huge dent to the team this year.” Danhoff said there are 17 girls on the team altogether, and 10 of them are freshmen. Although that means this will be a year of rebuilding, she thinks that holds positives as well. “This group of girls are willing to try new things,” Danhoff said. “Pole

vaulting, long jump, high jump, we are going to have field events covered.” Danhoff’s goal for the season is to rebuild the team and in the process instill a sense of confidence in the younger team members. “There’s a lot of intimidation because they’re a young team,” Danhoff said. “Hopefully we can come out with a good outcome and build some confidence.” Danhoff said one person she’s excited to work with this year is Jaedyn Winton. She fell short of making the state competition last year in the 800-meter race. Danhoff said she’s going to need a lot of practice, but with hard work and determination she could make the state cut this year.

Schedule 4/6 4/11 4/17 4/20 4/24 5/1 5/4 5/11 5/18 5/24

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Page 38 â&#x20AC;¢ 2018 Spring Sports Guide

2018 Spring Sports Guide • Page 39

Roster

Hale Track and Field By Eric Young ericyoung@ogemawherald.com 989-387-9036

Despite losing a major contender to graduation and several talented long-distance runners last season, Hale track coach Nathan Turland said he is excited about the athletes he has returning, as well as some of the newcomers. Turland said the biggest loss from last season is Oliver Rice, who graduated in June. “Oli placed sixth in the 2-mile at the state finals last year,” Turland said. “We’re looking for someone to step up this year, and I think we’ve got a couple that are up for the challenge.” Hale also lost its only pole vaulters in Ethan Rasch and Hannah Balbaugh, as well as other athletes Catherine Kindermann, Kiana Shellenbarger and Antonio Garnsey. But Turland has high hopes for the athletes who are coming back. “I’d be really surprised if this year we didn’t take Patrick Harris,

Ethan Cagle and Trevor Banny to state finals. All of these athletes have a lot of potential and both Cagle and Banny have come extremely close to qualifying in the past. I’d love for Patrick to break his school record and set a couple others, as well as bring home another state championship title in the 400-meter dash.” “I’m really excited to see what Britt Parkinson does in the hurdles this year,” Turland continued. “I’m also really excited for Cheyenne Dougherty and Josh Bonner in the short to mid-distance events. They’re both a year stronger and should do pretty well.” Even though winter has stuck around longer than expected, Turland said the team is working to prepare itself for the season when it begins. “We’ve been doing a lot of muscle strengthening, getting ready for the weather to be a little nicer,” he said. “The strength training we do is to prevent injuries later in the sea-

son. We’ve been able to get outside a few times and we’re preparing for an early-season scrimmage against ourselves. The team has been split in two and will compete against each other later.” He said he hopes to be a contender this year. “We’d really like to compete for the North Star League Little Dipper championship,” Turland said. “We came pretty close last year, but lost out at the final meet. We’d also like to take a few athletes to the state finals and hopefully bring back another state champion.” “The league has some very talented and skilled teams,” Turland continued. “In the past, we’ve had to worry about Whittemore-Prescott in the Big Dipper and Au Gres and Fairview in the Little Dipper. I think the other teams will see us as a threat in many areas and I’m hopeful that our athletes will have a great season. The NSL has had great success in the past couple of years and it makes all of us even better.”

Trevor Banny Jr. Brenden Bernard Fr. Josh Bonner So. Alan Bovee Sr. Ethan Cagle Sr. Avery Coleman Fr. Allen Collins So. Jr. Savanna Delaney Cheyenne Dougherty So. Jaacob Duford Sr. Kris Franklin Sr. Patrick Harris Jr. Fr. Nichelle Hence Madison Hollenbeck Fr. Fr. Amadeo Kaiser Brooke Kangas Sr. Tanner Klein Sr. Dylan Koepke Fr. Logan Lewis Fr. Carson Olmstead Jr. Britt Parkinson So. Tyler Ranger Sr. Zach Reed So. Thorne Sauseda Jr. Jacob Short Jr. Austin Smallwood So. Nate Templeton Sr. Conner Webster So. Travis Zilliox Sr.

Schedule 4/6 @ Whittemore-Prescott 4/17 @ Fairview NSL Jamboree 1 4/20 @ Posen 4/24 Hale NSL Jamboree 2 4/27 @ Ogemaw Heights Invite 5/1 @ Whittemore-Prescott NSL Jamboree 3 5/4 @ Fairview Invite 5/11 @ Akron-Fairgrove Invite 5/14 @ Ogemaw Heights 9/10 Meet 5/19 Regionals Alcona 5/24 NSL Championship Hale

Page 40 • 2018 Spring Sports Guide

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2018 Spring Sports Guide • Page 41

Roster

Ogemaw Heights Boys Track and Field By Scott Nunn scottnunn@ogemawherald.com 989-387-9034

Ogemaw Heights boys track coach Michael McGregor anticipates a good season for the team with its good depth of field this year. “I expect to have a successful season with the amount of depth in each event,” he said. “The kids have really worked hard during the preseason and have continued to push each other. As soon as the weather cooperates I expect to see a lot of great things happen early on.” McGregor said the team will miss Nick Wilkins and Drew Roop, each of whom contributed to the team. Top performers returning this year are Joey Marentette, Derek Franciosi, Quentin Thompson and Robert Treat. “I have high expectations from these kids to not only be leaders for their events but also continue

to improve and lead by example,” McGregor said. McGregor said Ben Walby put up an impressive performance last year before some struggles. “(He) impressed me in all of his events but unfortunately had a small setback and couldn’t quite get back to his best as the season ended,” he said. “I except a lot of great thing out of him this season.” Another player to keep an eye on is Holden Olsick, who McGregor said loves track season and with his hard work and dedication in the weight room and offseason could stand out. “I am excited to see him compete and work at being the best,” he said. “My goals for this season are to stay competitive throughout the year, stay injury-free and work on getting as many student-athletes to perform at their best when it counts the most,” he said.

Schedule 4/4 vs. Oscoda 4/6 @ Whittemore-Prescott 4/11 @ Clare 4/13 @ Standish-Sterling 4/18 @ Freeland 4/20 @ Roscommon 4/23 @ Grayling 4/27 Falcon Invite 5/2 @ Cadillac 5/4 @ Meridian 5/9 vs. Nouvel Catholic 5/11 Falcon Invite 5/14 Falcon 9/10 Invite 5/18 Regionals Chippewa Hills

Josh Anderson Jr. Wyatt Barrett Sr. Fr. Ian Bellinger Carson Bragg Fr. Jr. Colton Bragg Blake Brindley Fr. Dalton Brindley Jr. Jr. Christopher Christian Jacob Coates Jr. Fr. Logan Coates Aidan Danitz Fr. Seth David Jr. Fr. Nicholas Dewell Marshall Donovan Fr. Fr. Brendan Erickson Donald Erwin So. Nathan Fisher So. Derek Franciosi Jr. Dylan Franciosi So. Bret Gemmill So. Robby Griffin So. Dakota Hall So. Gavin Harvey Fr. Alex Hoydic Jr. Conner Kaczmarek So. Alex Kennedy So. Joey Marentette Sr. Nick Marentette Jr. Jamie Meir Fr. Drake Morris Jr. Jr. Holden Olsick Isaac Orlando Sr. Alex Page Jr. Cameron Payne Jr. Evan Prusinski So. Doug Roop Sr. Scott Smith Fr. Jr. Austin Szymanski Quentin Thompson Sr. Jr. Robert Treat Mason Veltman Sr. Ben Walby So. Ricky Williams Sr. Kyle Winters Jr. Brady Zettle So.

Page 42 • 2018 Spring Sports Guide

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2018 Spring Sports Guide • Page 43

Roster

Ogemaw Heights Girls Track and Field By Scott Nunn scottnunn@ogemawherald.com 989-387-9034

The Ogemaw Heights girls track and field team is ready for its season despite lower-than-usual numbers. The team is starting with approximately 30 girls ready to compete, according to coach Rick Frank. Returning seniors are Lorna Hoffman and Zoie Jones — each with four years’ experience, and Mackenzie Fritz, who is a second-year competitor. Frank said the team will be counting on sophomore and state qualifier Peyton Hansen, who is a versatile athlete. “She will compete in a couple of field events and can run anywhere from the 100(-meter) up to the 1,600,” he said. “Her main focus will the 800 run this season. Other events we will focus on are yet to be determined so we can see where she can best help the team.” Another previous state qualifier is Colleen Sikorski, who Frank said is planned to compete in sprint events. Hoffman will be a contributor in the mid-distance races and will drop down to help in the sprints when

needed. “Her leadership will also be counted on a ton this year to help with so many younger and inexperienced athletes,” Frank said. In the field events, Frank will be looking to junior Meg Kearns to be the top returning thrower. Kearns competed during the winter with the Ogemaw powerlifters and finished seventh in the state. Frank said the team is looking to get into good shape during April so it’s ready to compete in May. “We must also learn a lot about the different events,” he said. “I have very, very little experience in the field events. We must develop some pole vaulters, high jumpers and long jumpers. We have a little experience in these events and it sounds like a few new girls want to try. So hopefully come May we will be competitive in all five field events with at least two girls in each.” Frank is most unsure about the hurdle because it has no returners. “Again, there are a few new girls who want to try the hurdle events,” he said. “It will just take time to teach and develop.”

Frank said the team’s number-one goel is always for the girls to experience success and improvements from the beginning to the end. “Also, to learn that hard work and getting into great shape can be done in a fun, positive way,” he said.

Schedule 4/4 vs. Oscoda 4/6 @ Whittemore-Prescott 4/11 @ Clare 4/13 @ Standish-Sterling Relays 4/18 @ Freeland 4/20 @ Roscommon Invite 4/23 @ Grayling 4/27 Falcon Invite 5/2 @ Cadillac 5/4 @ Meridian 5/9 vs. Nouvel Catholic Central 5/11 Falcon Invite 5/14 Falcon 9/10 Invite 5/18 Regionals Chippewa Hills

Paige Balser Fr. Megan Benson So. Alexis Berdan So. Brittany Church Fr. Julia Curtiss So. Mia Dunn Fr. Crystal Erwin So. Mackenzie Fritz Sr. Janessa Grezeszak Fr. Fr. Kayla Guinn Peyton Hansen So. Faith Harrington Jr. Bri Hines So. Lorna Hoffman Sr. Jocelyn Jones So. Zoie Jones Sr. Meg Kearns Jr. Faith Kurtz Fr. Lydia Luptowski Fr. Fr. Lyddia Marshall Mallory Meier So. Lakin Miller Fr. Breann Poszwa Sr. Colleen Sikorski Jr. Jr. Jalanie Stovall Baylee Tinker Jr. Kayla Tramski Fr. Violet Vaughn Fr. Megan Wend Fr. Makayla White So. Emilee Wilkins Fr. Bre Zettle Fr.

Page 44 • 2018 Spring Sports Guide

Roster

Standish-Sterling Central Boys Track and Field By Tim Barnum news@arenacindependent.com 989-387-9140

The Standish-Sterling boys track team will feature a strong core of returning athletes, but overall coach Paul Walderzak said the Panthers, 17 of which are freshmen or sophomores, are a pretty young team. “Last year we were really quite a young team and this year we’re a young team again,” he said. “We’ve got two of our returning distance runners who are seniors — Nick Schiavo and Nick Spare. We expect them to be very solid. They’re coming off good years last year and they look really good right now.” However, there were some major losses SSC will have to account for, Walderzak said. “We lost Clay Plachta in the hurdles,” he said. “That’s a big loss, but we have Austin Hlinka who is coming back, and he’s pretty much our hurdle specialist. Sprint-wise Clay Plachta was a big part of that. Tommy Kusterer was a big part of that. They’re both gone.” Several sprinters including Jon Urbaniak, Landon Jennings and Jacob Charbonneau return this year, and Jennings and Terrance Bales will handle the long and high jumps for SSC. The Panthers also lost their two top pole vaulters, but Walderzak said Liam McIntire is expected to fill the void in that event. SSC returns multiple strong

throwers, including Luke Kolbiaz, Drew Kraatz, Reese Worden and Collin Morel. With the mix of experience and youth, it’s tough to say where SSC will be at its strongest, Walderzak said. “Right now it’s hard to say. It really is,” he said. “I think we’re going to be pretty decent in the sprints. I think (Spare and Schiavo) in the distance events are going to be pretty good. If everything comes together then we should be scoring points in all areas.” If the Panthers can pick up points across the board, Walderzak said it would help achieve the team’s goals. “Every year the goal is to win the conference and perform well at the regional, and hopefully advance guys to the state meet,” he said. “Right now we’ve got a pretty good number of guys. I think we have 43. So far so good. They have good attitudes.” In the Tri-Valley Conference Central Division, a conference title isn’t easy to come by, Walderzak said. “It’s a good experience for us to be competing against those teams, because we see how those other schools go about doing things in their programs,” he said. “Our participation in track has been really good over the past 10-12 years. I’ve been very happy with it. But when we got to Freeland or Swan Valley, any of those schools, we’re seeing

teams with the same amount of guys or more. With some other competitions in the past, we would see teams that didn’t have the numbers, or may not have had the same quality. In this conference, every week is tough. That’s a great thing for us, and especially for our young guys. You either adapt or you don’t. You either improve or you have the same view all the time.” The Panthers’ season is scheduled to begin April 10 at home against Garber and Pinconning.

Schedule 4/10 vs. Garber, Pinconning 4/13 Standish-Sterling Sunrise Relays 4/18 @ Swan Valley 4/20 @ Roscommon Invite 4/25 vs. Alma 4/27 @ Ogemaw Invite 5/2 @ Shepherd 5/4 Standish-Sterling Sunrise Invite 5/9 vs. Carrollton, Freeland 5/11 @TBA 5/15 @ Ogemaw JV TBA Regionals Charlevoix 5/23 TVC Central Meet TBA

Izaiah Anderson So. Tony Arnold Fr. Cody Arquette Fr. Walker Arquette So. Terrance Bales So. Elijah Burkhardt Fr. Joe Calkins Sr. Jacob Charbonneau Sr. Ben Christe Jr. Seth Davis Fr. Christian Frost Jr. Devin Frost Fr. Tyler Gibson Sr. Wyatt Guoan Fr. Greg Haven Sr. Austin Hlinka So. Alex Hozeska So. Danny Huang Fr. Carlos Jansa-Quiles So. Landon Jennings So. Luke Kolbiaz Jr. Drew Kraatz Sr. Liam McIntire So. Jr. Collin Morel Dalton Neitzel Jr. Gage Nelson Jr. Corey Phelps Jr. Trevor Plachta So. Fr. Jagar Rokosz Blake Romo Sr. Nick Schiavo Sr. Sam Schiavo So. Andrew Schwab Fr. Nick Spare Sr. Tyler Towles Fr. Cody Troxell Jr. Jon Urbaniak Sr. Reese Worden So.

2018 Spring Sports Guide • Page 45

Roster

Standish-Sterling Central Girls Track and Field By Tim Barnum news@arenacindependent.com 989-387-9140

When it comes to the number of athletes on the Standish-Sterling Central girls track team, this year is a marked improvement over the 2017 campaign, when the Lady Panthers’ roster didn’t even reach double digits. This year, the team has more than 20 members, and coach Gary Hagenbuch said having a full roster will help the team perform much better overall. “This year it will help us fill all of the events,” he said. “I think we can balance out. We have kids who are willing to run a lot of events. In the last few years we haven’t been able to fill them all up because we didn’t have enough bodies.” Along with having more athletes, SSC also has experienced athletes, Hagenbuch said. One, Emalee Kolevar, is expected to be the top

distance athlete for the Panthers. “She’s probably our premiere distance runner coming back from last year’s team,” he said. “Then you have Rebecca Daniels coming back as a junior this year, who’s also part of the distance team.” All-conference thrower Grace Grivetti, a junior, also returns this year, and Hagenbuch said he believes Grivetti and the other throwers might help SSC score a lot of points. “I think our throwing team might be our strongest part to begin with,” he said. “We’ve got Grace and then we’ve got Kassidy Bell, who’s actually a softball player first, she’s a part-timer, but she did well last year and scored for us. We’ve got seven throwers. They have the potential of doing well and scoring a lot of points at the beginning.” While the roster is much larger than in recent years, Hagenbuch said many of the athletes are fresh-

men or sophomores who haven’t run track before. The lack of varsity experience could be an issue, but it’s hard to say how well some of the young team members will perform. “I don’t see anything being weak other than our inexperience, but because we’re so loaded with so many young athletes, there is so much potential there that it’s hard to say what our strengths and weaknesses will be, because we’ll be able to fill all of the events,” he said. Hagenbuch said he doesn’t have specific goals for the team, but is impressed with how hard the girls are working. “I’m not looking that far ahead or looking at particular goals,” he said. “We’re working really hard. We’re training hard and we’ve got some really hard-working girls.” SSC is scheduled to start its season April 10 at home against Garber and Pinconning.

Elle Adrian Fr. Brenna Bartlett Fr. Kassidy Bell So. Alexia Brown Fr. Jasmine Carrier Jr. Rebecca Daniels Jr. Sarah Davis Fr. Skylar Dickhausen So. Makayla Foco Fr. Lynzy Geise Fr. Grace Grivetti Jr. Katie Haag Fr. Lillian Harshman Fr. Emalee Kolevar Sr. Remi Kopasz Fr. Cassidy Kraatz Sr. Brianna Morley Fr. Emilee Morley So. Karrigan Nelson Fr. Paige Pritchard So. Amber Shoens So. Brooklyn Southworth Fr. Rylee Wallaker Fr.

Schedule 4/10 vs. Garber, Pinconning 4/13 Standish-Sterling Sunrise Relays 4/18 @ Swan Valley 4/20 @ Roscommon Invite 4/25 vs. Alma 4/27 @ Ogemaw Invite 5/2 @ Shepherd 5/4 Standish-Sterling Sunrise Invite 5/9 vs. Carrollton, Freeland 5/11 @ TBA 5/15 @ Ogemaw JV 5/18 Regionals Charlevoix 5/23 TVC Central Meet TBA

Page 46 • 2018 Spring Sports Guide

Roster

Whittemore-Prescott Boys Track and Field By Eric Young ericyoung@ogemawherald.com 989-387-9036

After a record-breaking season last year, the Whittemore-Prescott boys track team has some big shoes to fill this season. “Last year was the most successful season in W-P track history,” said coach Jeff Erickson. “The boys finished undefeated, winning conference, regional, team state and MHSAA state championships. We have some really good leaders returning from last year’s team, so I hope they can keep everyone focused. Between great leadership by the athletes and outstanding coaches in Al Kushion, Doug Grezeszak, Jayme Humphry and Tim Webb, we have every reason to believe we can have another terrific season.” Even with losing several from last season to graduation, Erickson said he expects the athletes he has this year to fill any gaps that have been left. “We will be missing several contributors from last year’s state championship team, but we have a very strong class returning and have added several athletes who should help fill the void,” he said. Top returners this season include seniors Zane Aldrich, Michael Eagan, Bradley Lomason and Kyle Colton, as well as juniors Ridge

Schutte and Dakota McKuen. Aldrich was all-state in the 2-mile in 2017 and finished ninth in the 1-mile. He also is a three-time state qualifier in cross country. “He has a great chance of being all-state again in 2018, and should break the school record in both the mile and 2-mile,” Erickson said. “He’s an extremely dedicated runner.” Eagan finished as the state runnerup in long jump last year, and qualified in the 110 hurdles and competed in a state-qualifying relay. Lomason is a three-time all-state performer, and was part of relay teams in the 400-meter run. “He will look to add the 800 to his regular events in 2018,” Erickson said. Schutte ran on all four relay teams that qualified for states last year and won two state medals. “He will be looked at to qualify in individual events as well as help us out with the relay teams,” Erickson said. “He’s an extremely versatile athlete.” McKuen and Colton both qualified for states last year as part of relay teams. “Both will be looked at to continue their roles in relays,” Erickson said. “(McKuen) will be looked at to take over as the top sprinter, and (Colton) will be a force in the hurdle events.”

Erickson said overall the team has high expectations this season. “We want to try to get better by working hard every day,” he said. “Throughout the year we will work to try and position ourselves to be performing our best at the end of the year. We hope to win our fourth straight regional title and put ourselves in contention for another run at a MITCA team state and MHSAA state title. In order to meet our ultimate team goals, all 30 kids on the team will have to contribute.”

Schedule 4/6 4/11 4/13 4/17 4/20 4/24 4/27 5/2 5/4 5/8 5/11 5/24

Cardinal Early Invite @ Clare @ Standish-Sterling @ Oscoda @ Roscommon @ Alcona @ Ogemaw Heights vs. Oscoda @ Meridian Cardinal Mini Invite @ Ogemaw Heights @ NSL Conference Meet Hale

Zander Aldrich Fr. Zane Aldrich Sr. Jesse Allen Fr. Jon Bladecki Jr. Ronnie Boggs So. Kyle Colton Sr. Zach Daniels So. Michael Eagan Sr. Kenny Freitag Fr. Dakota Gagnon Fr. Jr. Jake Green Josh Green Jr. Tanner Harrison Jr. Blake Haskins Fr. Adam Kensa Sr. Jordan Lanning Sr. Bradley Lomason Sr. Raymond Mann Fr. Bobby Maxwell Sr. Dakota McKuen So. Jay Melkus So. Fr. Devon Nader Kyle Nelkie Sr. Charlie Prescott Sr. Zach Runyon Jr. Jr. Ridge Schutte Jake Scott Sr. Cole Svejcara Sr. Dana Thorson So.

2018 Spring Sports Guide • Page 47

Roster

Whittemore-Prescott Girls Track and Field By Eric Young ericyoung@ogemawherald.com 989-387-9036

New Whittemore-Prescott girls track coach Jayme Nickell will be competing with a number of newcomers to the track program this season. “We have a lot of underclassmen,” he said. “I have 17 girls on my roster as of right now. The majority of them are freshmen and sophomores.” In fact, there are only two seniors currently — Brooke Kile and Karagen Koch. But only one of those is a returner. “Karagen Koch is a four-year senior,” Nickell said. “She’s our Swiss Army knife, a do-it-all type athlete. We’re looking forward to having her. She’s our only senior and one of our captains.” Kile competed on Nickell’s girls varsity basketball team last season and he said he encouraged her to join the track team. In fact, that is how he was able to get the numbers that high this season.

“It helps that I’m the basketball coach,” Nickell said. “I got a lot of kids that either play or I’m around the school a lot, so I talked to different kids about coming out and running. Girls sports are looking up at Whittemore. Between the freshmen this year and the seventh and eighth grades this year, the future is good for girls.” W-P also returns junior Sam Yorton, who competes in the shot put and discus. “This is her second year in track,” Nickell said. “Her mom is the record-holder for the discus at W-P, so she’s got some good blood in her.” “Everybody else, we’re still learning what they can do,” he said. “Being that they’re a lot of first-year athletes, and we haven’t had the best weather to be outside, we haven’t been able to get out and see.” The advantage to track is that even if the team may not have the pieces to be competitive, athletes still have a chance to excel on an individual

level. “It’s definitely a different world,” Nickell said, comparing track to basketball. “You can have somebody like Sam Yorton go to individual states and have the team not win a meet all year. You have different expectations for different people, I guess, or higher expectations. Track to me, coaching it is to make it more of a fun experience rather than worrying about wins and losses.” “At least until I build a powerhouse program,” he said, laughing. “Right now, really all it is is getting them to come out, enjoy themselves and not hate it so they want to come out next year.” As for the key to success this year, Nickell said a lot will depend on keeping the participation. “To compete, we need to keep our numbers up,” he said. “We can’t have people dip out after the first couple meets. Keep our numbers up. Be competitive in some meets and see if we can’t have some team and individual success.”

Riley Bicoll Fr. Kenzie Broughton Jr. Americus Caron Fr. Sarah Coffey Jr. Hannah Cronin Jr. Madison Cronin So. Lorelei Gratopp Fr. Jordan Hayes So. Tiffany Hill Jr. Brooke Kile Sr. Karagen Koch Sr. Katie Kreiner Fr. Ashley Lauria Jr. Shalay Neveau So. Abby Pasnik So. Chelsea Woyahn Fr. Sam Yorton Jr.

Schedule 4/6 4/11 4/13 4/17 4/20 4/24 4/27 5/2 5/4 5/8 5/11 5/24

Cardinal Early Invite @ Clare @ Standish-Sterling @ Oscoda @ Roscommon @ Alcona @ Ogemaw Heights vs. Oscoda @ Meridian Cardinal Mini Invite @ Ogemaw Heights NSL Conference Meet Hale

Page 48 â&#x20AC;¢ 2018 Spring Sports Guide