Author: Andy Hawley | Page 52

Happy, but not content

February 11, 2016

With 14 wins in 15 games, Northwest girls hoops team is proving to be contender By Mike Moore Staff Writer Jackson – There’s no let up, nothing to celebrate just yet. But there has to be some appreciation, some recognition for a job well done. So far, anyway. Some 15 games into the 2015-16 season, the Northwest girls basketball teams has been on the wrong side of the scoreboard once, and that was by a single point. So, as he spoke of his 14-1 team on Wednesday afternoon, coach Ryan Carroll pointed out how much better things can still be, but how much fun it’s been to this point. “It’s funny, because I sent a message out to the team (Wednesday) just to say how proud of them I really am of what we’ve been able to achieve so far,” Carroll said. “It’s something we try to take a minute to talk about after every game. You have to. We’ve put together a pretty good run right now.” Pretty good and pretty dominant. The Mounties started the season on a six-game win streak before falling 53-52 at Marshall (14-1) on Jan. 15…

Eventually pulling away

February 10, 2016

Jackson builds eight-point lead in 3rd quarter, but falls to Ypsilanti 57-50 By Mike Moore Staff Writer Jackson – With 17.1 seconds remaining in the first half of Tuesday night’s contest at Jackson, Corey Allen stepped to the free-throw line and calmly knocked down a pair of shots. And with 17.1 seconds remaining in the first half, Ypsilanti’s leading scorer (averaging nearly 24 points per game) had his first two points of the night. With Allen relegated to the bench much of the half due to foul trouble, and Jackson’s defense playing at a frantic pace, the Vikings led the 12-1 Grizzlies by a 25-22 count at the half. But in the third quarter, Allen came off the bench and came to life, bringing the Grizzlies back from what was an eight-point deficit and scored 16 points in the second half of what was eventually a 57-50 Ypsilanti victory. “He’s good,” Jackson coach Dan Crowley said simply about Allen. “He’s very good. But I will say this, tonight had nothing to do with a lack of effort on our guys. They came out and they battled. If we play defense like that against anyone,…

JTV Sports Broadcast Schedule

February 9, 2016

Saturday 1pm and 7pm, Sunday 3pm – Ypsilanti at Jackson Saturday 3pm and 9pm, Sunday 9pm – Michigan Center at Vandercook Lake Sunday 1pm and 7pm – Napoleon at Hanover-Horton (from Feb 2) For a recap of this week's action tune into Thursday Night Hoops at 7:30pm and 10:30pm

MIAA honors Albion swimmers

February 9, 2016

ALBION, Mich. – Anna Hargrove started the run up to the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Championships by setting the Albion College pool record in the 200-yard freestyle in her final home meet last Friday, and that was enough for her to be named the league’s Athlete of the Week in women’s swimming & diving. The senior from Milan, Mich., achieved a time of 1:55.10 as the Britons completed the dual meet portion of the season with a 119-60 victory over Olivet College. Her performance individually and with fellow seniors Lauren Pawelec, Haley DeFeyter and Claire Wittkowski in the 200 freestyle relay (Hargrove anchored the relay with a 24.33 split as Albion set a time of 1:44.98), bodes well for the league meet which begins Feb. 17. “We raced Anna in a time trial this equivalent weekend last year, and she was right at the pool record, but it doesn't count in practice,” Albion Head Coach Jake Taber said. “It was nice to see her get that in an official meet setting. “Anna is a senior and we've had a good track record with getting her to peak when it matters most,” Taber added. “I think that’s a swim she will build on…

Spring Arbor’s Clark repeats as CL Women’s Track Athlete of the Week

February 9, 2016

SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – Spring Arbor University track and field continued to rack up the weekly conference awards as freshman Caitlin Clark (Brooklyn, Mich. / Lumen Christi) earned her second consecutive Crossroads League Women’s Track Athlete of the Week honor. Clark captured first place and hit the national qualifying “A” standard in the 5000 meter run at the Hillsdale Wide Track Classic over the weekend. She crossed the finish line in a personal-best 18:07.14, which is the third-fastest time posted in the NAIA this season. That time also ranks as the fourth-best performance in school history. Clark has also already qualified for the indoor national championships in the 3000 meter run. Her time of 10:22.52 in the event currently ranks seventh nationally. Spring Arbor will return to action at the Grand Valley State University Big Meet on Friday, Feb. 12 and the Taylor University Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 13.

Girls District Basketball: Class A, B

February 8, 2016

Girls District Games Class A At Battle Creek Central 1st Round – Feb 29 Sturgis vs. Richland Gull Lake Western vs. Kalamazoo Loy Norrix Semifinals– March 2 Sturgis/Gull Lake winner vs. Battle Creek Lakeview Western/Loy Norrix winner vs. Battle Creek Central Final – March 4 At Okemos 1st Round – Feb 29 Mason vs. Holt Northwest vs. Jackson Semifinals – March 2 Mason/Holt winner vs. Okemos Northwest/Jackson winner vs. Lansing Everett Final – March 4 Class B At Hillsdale 1st Round – Feb 29 Hillsdale vs. Tecumseh Onsted vs. Columbia Central Semifinals – March 2 Hillsdale/Tecumseh winner vs. Jonesville Onsted/Columbia winner vs. Adrian Final – March 4 At Eaton Rapids 1st Round – Feb 29 Lumen Christi vs. Eaton Rapids Semifinals – March 2 Olivet vs. Leslie Lumen/Eaton Rapids winner vs. Stockbridge Final – March 4

Spring Arbor Inducts 2016 Athletics Hall of Fame Class

February 8, 2016

SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – Spring Arbor University held a ceremony inside the Ralph Carey Forum to officially induct its 2016 class into its Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday evening. The class included Roy Adair, Micah Lancaster and Darlene Mefford. Roy Adair ('02) - Men's Golf Adair was a standout on the men's golf team from 1998-02, earning NAIA All-American honors in 2000 and 2001, as well as posting top-5 finishes at the NAIA National Championship in both years. He accumulated nine wins over his outstanding four-year career – the most in program history. He claimed medalist honors at the 2000 NCCAA National Championship and the 2001 NAIA Regional Tournament, as well as capturing three conference titles. Adair's name litters the SAU record book, holding the all-time best rounds for 18-holes (67), 36-holes (139), 54-holes (216) and 72-holes (291). Adair graduated cum laude with a degree in mathematics and has spent the last seven years working for Nielsen – a world leader in providing market research. Since graduating, Adair has won six club championships, as well as the Calhoun County Amateur last year. Micah Lancaster ('06) - Men's Basketball With 2,393 points and 751…

A signature win

February 6, 2016

Northwest basketball team uses hot start to get past Lumen 49-39 By Mike Moore Staff Writer Jackson – Erasing a 21-point second-half deficit back in December against Lumen Christi served as a sort of proof to Northwest coach Justin Brown that his guys could hang with the Titans on the basketball court, even if that game ended in a two-point loss. Well, nearly two months later, there was no more sort of. The proof was front and center. The Mounties turned a 14-4 start to Friday night’s home contest with the Titans into a 49-39 victory that, for large portions of the game, didn’t even seem that close. “This was good. It felt great,” Brown said afterwards. “I think, even more than for me or us, it’s so big for the school and for these players. We came out and played good basketball. We had guys play very good tonight, guys who maybe don’t always have this type of intensity. It shows how tough when can be when we play like this.” With Lumen struggling to find any sort of rhythm on the offensive end, Northwest led 14-4 after the first quarter and…

Chance to get on track

February 5, 2016

Brown says his Northwest team embracing tonight’s chance to beat rival Lumen Christi By Mike Moore Staff Writer Jackson – The first time around, Justin Brown watched as his Northwest boys played “one of our worst two quarters of basketball.” The result was a 21-point halftime deficit at Lumen Christi on Dec. 18. The final two quarters that night, “were probably our best two of the season,” Brown added with a laugh regarding the game, where Northwest eventually tied the Titans late in the fourth before falling 58-56. Well, nearly two months later the same two teams are set to meet, and Brown said his guys are embracing the opportunity to pull off what would be a pretty big upset. The teams meet tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Northwest. “We have to play 32 minutes,” Brown said when asked about the key for tonight. “We have to be ready to play a full game. “Execution is so important. We want to limit their best players and force some of their other guys to have to beat us. But I really think that second half in the first game proved to our guys how…

Albion senior charges to end of her academic, athletic careers

February 5, 2016

Claire Wittkowski is charging to the end of her collegiate athletic career just as she would approach the wall in her primary swimming event, the 200-yard breaststroke. Before receiving her Albion College degree in May, Wittkowski is working on modeling the flow of groundwater feeding the Kalamazoo River. She began the work last fall, working with geology professor Tim Lincoln. Starting with data from the United States Geological Survey gauging station near Battle Creek, she showed that recessions, periods of steadily declining river flow when the river is exclusively fed by groundwater, are better mathematically modeled by the sum of two equations than they are by a single equation. Visit the Albion Athletics website for the full story

Andy Hawley