Author: Andy Hawley | Page 23

Spring Arbor’s Caitlin Clark captures CL Track Athlete of the Week award

February 21, 2017

SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – For the second straight week, a member of the Spring Arbor University women’s track and field team has been named the Crossroads League Women’s Track Athlete of the Week, the conference announced Monday. This week the honor goes to sophomore Caitlin Clark (Brooklyn, MI / Lumen Christi). It was the third career award for Clark, who posted a standout performance for the Cougars at the Crossroads League Invitational over the weekend. The Brooklyn, Michigan native finished first overall out of 16 racers in the 5000 meter run with a time of 18:06.22 to hit the NAIA A standard. Her time was also a personal-best and ranks fourth in program history. Clark currently ranks 16th nationally in the event. She will be one of eight SAU athletes competing in the NAIA Indoor Track and Field National Championships on Mar. 2-4 in Johnson City, Tennessee.

Lumen hockey team seeks revenge, payback, in Saturday night tilt with Jackson United

February 17, 2017

Photo by Ryan Kerwin, JTV Sports By Mike Moore Staff Writer Jackson — A few untimely penalties and a struggling special teams unit. It was a thin, yet obvious line, that set the Lumen Christi hockey team back in its Jan. 21 loss to Jackson United. The Titans were 10-2-0 at the time and riding a five-game win streak, but then took five penalties, allowed two power-play goals, and were on the wrong end of a 5-2 setback. Their shot at revenge comes Saturday night at 5:30 p.m. “Always looking forward to this game,” coach Mike Wartella said. “Any time you play Jackson it’s easy to get the players motivated all week. They got the better of us last time, so we have to get going.” The Titans have strung together three five-game win streaks this year, and are 15-3-0 entering Friday’s home game with Grand Ledge Fowlerville Admittedly not looking past Friday night, Wartella said discipline was the main issue in the first loss to Jackson. “They were the more disciplined team and got outstanding goaltending in the third,” he said. “We have to play disciplined hockey, and we don’t want…

Michigan Center Hanover Horton basketball

‘It’s a big one’ as Michigan Center travels to face Hanover-Horton tonight

February 15, 2017

By Mike Moore Staff Writer Michigan Center — In mid-January, as his team was prepping to host Hanover-Horton, Travis Gaddy tried to downplay the game as much as he could. At that time, his Michigan Center team had played just seven games, and he was quick to point out the marathon of a season basketball can be. Well, as Gaddy and his guys get ready for tonight’s rematch at Hanover, the tone has changed. “It’s a big one,” Gaddy said simply. “We’re much closer to the end now, and this is a game that can go a long way in terms of what we want to do.” Center was 7-0 entering the first meeting, and took what was a tight, close game, and turned it into a 66-47 route. “No matter what we think happened the first time, this is going to be 10-times more difficult,” Gaddy said. “Teams don’t go there and win too often.” The Cardinals enter tonight’s showdown 15-0 on the year and a perfect 9-0 in the Cascades Conference. Conversely, Hanover is 14-2 overall and 7-2 in conference play, needing a win to keep hopes alive to share…

Concord basketball pounds Springport, runs win streak to 11 games in a row

February 15, 2017

By Mike Moore Staff Writer Concord — As a heavy favorite, Matt Lehman and his Concord High boys basketball team entered Tuesday night’s tilt with Springport focused on a number of specific goals. Scoring 70 points. Keeping the Spartans under 36. Allowing less than nine points per quarter. Well, the Yellowjackets did just about everything they wanted to in a 68-26 victory that, in all honesty, could have been a lot worse. “We’re trying to get into some solid habits right now,” Lehman said afterwards. “You never want to embarrass anyone, but as a team, we have to keep the pressure on. You can’t let up at all.” The Jackets didn’t. Concord got off to a 6-0 start, led 16-6 by the end of the first quarter. and built a 30-13 The lead was 30-13 by halftime, and after Rondez Rogers hit three 3-pointers in the third quarter, Concord led 48-19 after three. “We did a lot of good things tonight,” Lehman said. Rogers connected on five 3-pointers in on his way to a team-high 16 points. Zion Williams added 15 points, four steals and three assists, while…

Marshall looms, but Panthers must take care of Hastings first

February 10, 2017

By Mike Moore Staff Writer The big one is Tuesday. The focus is on Friday. That’s the message Ryan Mulnix has for his Western boys basketball team as it preps for tonight’s home date with Hastings. Yes, Hastings has won three games all year. Yes, Western rolled in a 59-46 victory early this season. And yes, Marshall looms Tuesday night in a pivotal conference game. But no, looking past the here and now is not an option. “We have no wiggle room,”Mulnix said late Thursday night. “We want to win every game we have from here on out.” The Panthers are 11-3 overall and 6-2 in conference play. They were tied for first place before falling to Coldwater 69-63 at home last Friday. “It was a home game, and they were without their best player,” Mulnix said. “I think we let our guard down. That was a disappointing loss. Now it’s time to rebound. “We’re still talking about a league title, but really, we’re focused on what we can control,” Mulnix said. “We have to worry about what we can do, and that starts with Hastings.” …

Wins stacking up as Concord boys basketball team continues to roll

February 9, 2017

By Mike Moore Staff Writer Concord — Out of the gate, there was trouble in the water. At least that’s what the record would have suggested. Yet, as Concord boys basketball coach Matt Lehman guided his guys through the first five games of the season, and the 1-4 record, there was never really any sense of concern. “That early competition was real good for us,” Lehman said Wednesday night. “We played some very solid teams right off the bat. I think, even at 1-4, we knew we had played some good teams and had done some good things.” Lehman certainly challenged his guys, taking on Michigan Center, Vandercook Lake, Reading, Hanover-Horton and Dexter in the first five games. The lone win was 63-40 drubbing of Reading. “You can put together a schedule to go 20-0, and I don’t know what good that does for you,” Lehman said. “We played some tough teams, played in some tough games and got ready for the rest of the year.” So, with those early games serving as a true test, and the reinstatement of Montez Brewer prior to the Dec. 28 Dexter contest, the Yellowjackets took…

Young Western wrestling team approaching district with learn-first attitude

February 8, 2017

By Mike Moore Staff Writer Photo Courtesy of Western High School Parma — Team district time has arrived in the state on Michigan in the sport of wrestling. For Greg Hoffman and his Western squad, that means it’s time to dig in, and really learn. The Panthers will kick off the 2017 postseason Wednesday night at Charlotte in the tournament, taking on Eaton Rapids at 6 p.m. “We need to wrestle the best we have all season,” Hoffman said simply. “Eaton Rapids is a good team, ranked 10th right now. So, the plan is to have every kid go out and do the best they can. We’ll see what happens.” The winner of the opening match takes on Northwest or Charlotte in the team final. Yet, as he spoke about the district and the postseason in general, Hoffman was quick to caution getting too far ahead of himself. He’s led the Panthers to a 20-8 record this year, and a third-place finish in the conference standings. “Solid, but not great,” as he put it. Understandable considering the overall youth Western’s roster is made of. The team has just two seniors and…

Spring Arbor University announces construction of new track and field complex

February 7, 2017

SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – The Spring Arbor University track and field teams will have a brand new venue to call home beginning in the fall of 2017 as the university has announced plans to renovate and restore the Ralph G. Walker Memorial Track and Field Complex. The $1.1 million project will see the complete removal of the current track, and in its place, a brand new eight-lane track will be installed with a top-of-the-line, 13mm latex-coated granulated rubber surface. The new track will remain in the same location, but will see its layout flipped. The interior of the track will feature new long jump, triple jump and pole vault runways and pits. A new high jump apron and javelin runway will reside at the south end of the track, while a new steeplechase water barrier will be positioned at the north end. Another exciting addition to the facility will be the combined hammer- and discus-throwing cage. This will be the first throwing cage on SAU’s Spring Arbor campus, an addition that will greatly benefit the growing number of throwing athletes. “I have been honored to serve at SAU as the director of track & field and cross…

Napoleon makes statement, sends strong message in 67-51 victory over Hanover

February 2, 2017

By Mike Moore Staff Writer Napoleon — Less than 24 hours before taking on his former program and his former coach, Napoleon boys basketball coach Jeremy File said he and his team were approaching Wednesday night’s tilt against Hanover-Horton like any other game. The morning after a 67-51 victory, File admitted things may be at another level. “This is definitely a rivalry now,” he said Thursday morning. “This is a great rivalry, and moving forward it’s only going to be more so. It’s going to be even tougher next time, especially going to their place. But that’s all great. This is a big rivalry now.” File, the first-year Napoleon boys basketball coach was an All-State recipient during his playing days at Hanover-Horton. He guided the Comets to the quarterfinals in 2002 and the state semifinals in 2003, eventually ending his career as the leading scorer in program history with more than 1,500 to his name. This was his first time taking on Hanover and his former coach Chad Mortimer. Things were close early on, with Napoleon holding a 15-11 lead after the first quarter. By halftime, though, the Pirates had opened a…

New-look Northwest girls basketball team producing same results from solid past

February 2, 2017

By Mike Moore Staff Writer Jackson — Ryan Carroll called the season so far a ‘challenge’ and a ‘guessing game.’ And that much the Northwest girls basketball coach loves. It was last winter, with a group of varsity veterans, that Carroll helped guide the Mounties to a 22-3 record. It was also last year that Carroll and the Mounties bud farewell to five key seniors who had formed and shaped exactly what the program had become. So, when the 2016-17 season launched, Northwest was in a slight rebuild on the fly. “The challenge has been a sort of guessing game, trying to see who’s going to step up or take that leadership role in any given game,” Carroll said. “Truthfully, it’s been fun. I’m working harder at it and they are accepting the challenge to do different things. As of Thursday morning, the rebuild has been more of a stepping stone. The Mounties were an impressive 9-4 overall and 6-2 in conference play following Tuesday’s 35-26 victory over Eaton Rapids. Nine wins in 13 games, and spot near the top of the standings in the I-8, is impressive considering the losses…

Andy Hawley