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High 5s: 10/31/12

October 31, 2012

Finishing lower than first is a rarity for this week's High 5 recipients, who have found themselves ahead of the pack throughout most of this fall's volleyball, cross country and football seasons.

Amanda McKinzie
Battle Creek St. Philip senior
Volleyball

McKinzie, a 6-foot outside hitter, helped lead St. Philip to a 66-2-1 record heading into the postseason and the overall top ranking, regardless of class, by the Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association. The Tigers are going for their seventh consecutive MHSAA Class D championship, and McKinzie has been a key player on the last three. Her 2,396 career kills heading into the Regional rank fourth in the MHSAA record book since the beginning of the rally scoring era in 2004, and her 352 aces are 12th. She intends to sign with Virginia Tech and is one of 10 candidates for the state's Miss Volleyball award.

The candidate speaks: "I never would've thought (I'd be a finalist) when I was younger. I know so many good girls from around here too. It's just such an honor."

This is it: "I've started to feel the nerves. There aren't many (matches) left. I've been on (varsity) since freshman year, been on the teams that won all these past years, and I can feel the pressure. Yeah, this is it. We can't take things for granted." 

Had to be a Hokie: McKinzie also considered Duke and Indiana before settling on Virginia Tech. "The coaches, the facilities, just the all-around campus, how it's set up. It's easy to get around places. And the coaches are so welcoming. Everything they have for you is pretty much right there."

Staying in sport: Although McKinzie is unsure what she'll study, she's considering something in health and nutrition that is connected to athletics.

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Connor Mora
Cedar Springs senior
Cross country

Mora won last weekend's Division 2 Regional at Benzie Central by more than 22 seconds with a time of 14:54. That's 39 seconds faster than his MHSAA Finals time of 15:33 that placed him third last fall. He won the 1,600 and 800-meter runs at the Division 2 Track and Field Finals this spring.

Finally, 14s: "It doesn't feel like it happened. It's just an unimaginable feeling. It's been my goal since I started running, and at the end of my freshman year I realized I could do really well at this sport if put in the work. When I ran that time, I reailzied all that I'd been wroking for has paid off."

A nickname that stuck: Mora was labeled Mr. Competitive by his fourth-grade teacher.  “I was just your average little kid, like all the other little kids. I never thought of myself as fast. But one thing I do remember is I always liked to win at everything. Just everything. Every sort of competition."

No slam dunk: "I wish I was good at basketball. I didn't even make the team in middle school. I can't make a layup to save my life. (But) I still love playing. It's really fun. I like every sport, whether I'm good at it or not."

Up next: Mora hopes to continue running for a Division I college program, with Michigan and Michigan State among in-state possibilities. He'd like to study kinesiology and become a physical therapist.

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Ithaca football

The Yellowjackets are 10-0 heading into Friday's Division 6 Regional Final against Hemlock, and haven't lost since falling in a 2009 MHSAA Semifinal. Ithaca has won 38 straight games, with two Division 6 championships along the way, and holds the fifth-longest winning streak in MHSAA football history. The streak is the third longest since the beginning of the playoff era in 1975.

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Previous 2012-13 honorees:

High 5s: 10/3/2012

October 3, 2012

This week's honorees are some of Michigan's best on the golf and cross country courses and volleyball court. 

Each week, Second Half recognizes two athletes and a team for their successes during the current season. To nominate a candidate, email editor Geoff Kimmerly at [email protected].

Below are this week's honorees. Check back later this week for details plus links to stories on each.

Jacqueline Setas
Lansing Catholic junior
Golf

Setas earned all-state honors in Division 4 as part of MHSAA championship teams her first two years of high school, but likely has put herself in contention for the Miss Golf Award this fall as one of the state's elite, regardless of division. She's won five tournaments this season, finished second twice and sixth in her team's first event this season, and is averaging 74.3 strokes for 18 holes and 35.9 for nine-hole matches. She shot a 68 on Thursday to win the Capital Area Activities Conference White championship at Wheatfield Valley in Williamston. She also plays basketball and softball, but hopes to play Division I college golf and is down to a list of five or six schools from which she'll likely choose.

Brother knows best: Setas' older brother Ben Setas played on Lansing Catholic's 2005 Division 3 championship team. "If I needed a quick swing change, without my coach (there), he's a scratch golfer and he can spot things really quickly. ... I beat him for the first time this summer, and that was not a happy day for him."

Still in the swing: "A lot of people told me that softball screws up your golf swing. (This spring) was the first time I've played in five years, and I was hitting my best this summer. I don't think it screwed up my golf swing too badly."

My favorite golfer is: "Probably Morgan Pressel, because she's sponsored by Polo. Luke Donald too; he's got a picture-perfect swing."

Pearly whites: "I'd like to study pre-dental. I just really liked going to the dentist growing up. Not a lot of people did, but I found it fascinating. If I had a loose tooth, I always pulled it out."

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Nathan Burnand
Waterford Mott senior
Cross country

Burnand, last season's sixth-place finisher at the MHSAA Division 1 Final, has been arguably the top runner in the state this fall and won the Sept. 14 Spartan Invitational elite race at Michigan State in 15:21 -- 17 seconds faster than his time at Michigan International Speedway last November. He opened this season with a second-place finish at the Oakland University Golden Grizzly Invitational and last weekend won the Waterford Mott Fall Classic.

My toughest opponents: "There can be so many. There are so many good people. I've raced (Lake Orion's) T.J. (Carey) a lot. (Milford's Brian) Kettle, (Cody) Snavely. (Mason's) Tanner Hinkle. 

XC for me: "I like being in control, and cross country allows me to be in control of my own destiny. It's what I do, not others, and of course I've been helped by my team and coaches. I (also) like the measured improvement I can constantly see."

My favorite runner: "Galen Rupp over the summer was amazing. That was a highlight."

Race thoughts: "It's definitely a challenge to keep negative thoughts out of your head. (When I'm running) I'm thinking things about my form and what I can do to make my race good as possible. I'm thinking about making my race as perfect as possible. (Mental focus) is definitely something I'm constantly improving on."

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Beal City volleyball

The Aggies are 26-5-1 under first-year coach Kelly David, a former standout on the team who graduated in 2010. Beal City is ranked No. 3 in Class D, and last weekend won the St. Louis Invitational with wins over the Class C No. 2 Sharks and No. 7 New Lothrop.

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Previous 2012-13 honorees: