All Saints Celebrates on Big Screen
July 31, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Forty years ago, Bay City All Saints brought its hometown the first of two straight MHSAA boys basketball championships – which continue to stand as the only ones won by a Bay City school.
As part of the Class of 1974’s 40-year reunion this weekend, organizers will show the broadcast of that 71-59 victory over Detroit Servite in the Class C Final, on Friday at the downtown State Theater.
The team was coached by Russell “Lefty” Franz, who sits 14th in MHSAA boys basketball coaching history with 545 wins (545-215) at All Saints, Bay City St. Stanislaus and Pinconning achieved from 1953-1991. All Saints repeated as Class C champion under Franz in 1975 with a 79-69 win over Cassopolis.
The Bay City Times caught up today with three starters from that team who are expected to return for the showing of the game. Click to read more.
Rooting for Haske
Northern Michigan basketball fans and supporters from all over are cheering on Traverse City St. Francis boys basketball coach Keith Haske, who is battling throat cancer and seeking treatment in Houston, according to a report by the Petoskey News.
Haske has coached three boys teams to MHSAA Class C runner-up finishes – St. Francis in 2012 and Charlevoix in 2004 and 2001, and also coached at St. Johns prior to taking the Rayders job in 1998. He also coached the Charlevoix girls team to a Class C runner-up finish in 2004.
Click to read more about Haske and how to donate to his treatment.
Thanks, Gary Hice
The MHSAA welcomed 43 new athletic directors to East Lansing today for training as they take over their schools’ athletic departments.
An athletic director we’ll certainly miss is Petoskey’s Gary Hice.
Hice – an MHSAA Allen W. Bush Award winner in 2002 for his contributions to high school athletics – has retired after 30 years as his school’s athletic director.
Click to read more, again from the Petoskey News, about Hice’s service to his school and community.
PHOTO: The Bay City All Saints Class of 1974 reunion this weekend will include a showing of the boys basketball team’s Class C championship game win over Detroit Servite.
Sault Ste. Marie Girls End 23-Year Championship Wait with UPD1 Win
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
June 2, 2024
KINGSFORD — The Sault Ste. Marie girls made a statement here Saturday while earning their first Upper Peninsula Division 1 Track & Field Finals title since 2001.
Sault scored 117 points, followed by Negaunee with 94 and Gladstone at 65.
The Blue Devils placed 1-2 in discus, won by senior Katie Anderson at 115 feet, 3 inches, with junior Annabelle Fazzari uncorking a runner-up toss of 101. Freshman Ahnaka Oshelski added a first in the 300 hurdles in 48.29 seconds, followed by Negaunee freshman Sadie Rogers (48.30) and Marquette freshman Chloe Jackson (49.56).
Oshelski also helped the Blue Devils take the 800 relay (1:49.55).
“Our handoffs were a little rough, but I just ran as fast as I could (in the 800),” freshman Grace Mayer said. “It feels great to come away as U.P. champions.”
Mayer was also part of the winning 1,600 relay, clocked at 4:17.4.
Fazzari provided the Blue Devils with a second place in the 100 hurdles (17.07) and a third in shot put (34-0).
Rogers won the 100 hurdles in 16.65 seconds, and Negaunee classmate Keira Waterman placed first in the 400 (59.23) and 800 (2:28.2).
“I didn’t really know what to expect here today,” Rogers said. “I had a good start and just pushed myself real hard. I could hear the crowd. It was very important for me to win this one. I also thought my chances in the 300 were pretty good. I knew I had to push it.”
Gladstone set a UPD1 Finals record in the 400 relay at 50.78, shaving basically ⅓ of a second off the previous record (51.11) run by Marquette three years ago.
The Braves were led by junior Jacie Tuljus, who anchored that relay, won the 100 (12.75) and 200 (26.85) and was runner-up to Waterman in the 400 at 1:02.54.
“My starts were slow, but what we did in the 400 relay was good for today” Tuljus said. “Everybody was pretty hyped. We’re happy with it. Overall, I’m happy with the way everything went.”
Marquette sophomore Ella Fure took the 1,600 (5:31.33), followed by Houghton sophomore Tessa Rautiola (12:13.39) and Marquette junior Monet Argeropoulos (5:37.27).
Rautiola then captured the 3,200 (12:13.39), followed by Fure (12:13.46) and Argeropoulos (12:23.91)
“I just wanted to have fun and asked God to pull me through,” Fure said. “I knew if I just trusted God, He would get me through. My mom is pretty sick and couldn’t be here. I just wanted to do this for her.”
Rautiola also helped the Gremlins win the 3,200 relay in a season-best 10:10.38.
“Our school record is 10:08,” she said. “We didn’t get the record this year, although we’re absolutely happy we won. There was miscommunication in the exchange zone which created some confusion. We weren’t in the proper place for one of our handoffs. Otherwise, I think we would have had it.”
Ishpeming Westwood junior Faith Spiroff became a double winner, taking high jump (5-0) and long jump (16-4½).
Other winners were Manistique senior Danielle Lund in shot put (38-7¾) and Calumet senior Caitlyn Strom in pole vault (10-0), where she edged Westwood junior Lexi Olson on a tie-breaker. Houghton freshman Amy Sziber won the adaptive shot put, 100 and 200 events.
PHOTOS (Top) Sault Ste. Marie's Ahnaka Oshelski, left, edges Negaunee's Sadie Rogers by one hundredth of a second to capture the 300 hurdles title Saturday. (Middle) Houghton's Tessa Rautiola (2) leads the 1,600 with Marquette's Ella Fure (1) and Monet Argeropoulos (4) following close behind. Fure won the race, with Rautiola taking second. (Click for more from Cara Kamps/RunMichigan.com.)