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Rudyard Area Schools hosts first track meet in over two decades
RUDYARD — Tuesday marked a new beginning for Rudyard Area Schools as they hosted their first high school track meet in over two decades. Their last home meet was in 2003. After that, the track became dangerously dilapidated and worsened over the years. Last August, the school had a ribbon-cutting ceremony to show the community the new track and field.
Big Rapids’ Cole Haist named a member of the MHSAA student advisory council
BIG RAPIDS - Cole Haist of Big Rapids high school was named one a member of the MHSAA Student Advisory Council. Haist is one of eight incoming juniors that will provide feedback on issues impacting educational athletics from a student’s perspective. Haist was selected out of a pool of 90 applicants, members of the MHSAA student council advisory will also help hand out trophies and medals at state championships. Haist is excited to be joining a very select group. “I think the opportunity just to have a positive impact on high school sports in any way possible, which jumps out to me, and I get to meet some very high-level kids and get to hang out with them.” Haist Said. “Hopefully get to just have some fun with it and learn and bring it back to Big Rapids high school.”
Ex-Michigan star QB Denard Robinson no longer part of staff, suspected of driving while intoxicated
ANN ARBOR (AP) — Former Michigan star quarterback Denard Robinson is no longer part of Sherrone Moore’s coaching staff, school spokesman Dave Ablauf confirmed. Robinson was suspected of driving while intoxicated after he was in a single-car accident, less than two miles from the football team’s training facility. Robinson declined to comment on Tuesday. Moore initially suspended the 33-year-old Robinson before parting ways recently, two months after defensive line coach Greg Scruggs was suspended and later resigned following his arrest for suspected drunken driving.
Caitlin Clark is ready for her WNBA regular-season debut tonight
UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — Caitlin Clark’s much anticipated WNBA debut is set for Tuesday night in Connecticut. The No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft is coming off a record-setting college career at Iowa. “This is what you’ve worked for and dreamed of. Now you get to put your jersey on for the first real time and go out there and play,” Clark said. “We get to play on the biggest stage, there’s going to be a lot of people there, it’s going to be loud. But you only play your first WNBA game once. I think I just want to enjoy it. It’s going to be competitive. They’re really good, so you’ve got to prep the right way, too. More than anything, we’re ready for the challenge.” Even before playing a WNBA game, Clark has left her mark in the pros. The league’s draft had record viewership, and her No. 22 Indiana Fever jerseys have been flying off the shelves.
Brandon Childress takes over Baldwin boys’ basketball as J.J. Eads steps down
BALDWIN - There is a new era beginning for the Baldwin boys’ basketball program. As J.J. Eads, who has been at the helm for the past five seasons, resigns so that he can spend more time with his family, Brandon Childress will take over. Childress was the J.V. coach this past year, so the transition couldn’t be smoother. And Eads knows that Childress is the right man to step up and take over. “So, I think it just kind of worked out well, where the timing, being here for five years, getting it stabilized. Now we can move it on to someone who’s young, who’s got the energy to put the program in the continued right direction,” said Eads.
Former Olympic and Michigan swim coach Jon Urbanchek dies at 87
FULLERTON, Calif. (AP) — Jon Urbanchek, an International Swimming Hall of Famer who was an assistant for several United States Olympic teams and led Michigan to a national championship, has died. He was 87. Urbanchek died Thursday surrounded by family. No cause of death was given. Urbanchek was born in Hungary. After Soviet troops attacked during the 1956 revolution, he immigrated to the U.S. and enrolled at the University of Michigan, where he helped the swimming program win national titles in 1959 and 1961. Urbanchek was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2008.
Sault Ste. Marie softball sweeps past Pickford
PICKFORD - The Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils won a tightly contested battle in the first game of a softball doubleheader matchup with Pickford on Thursday, 2-1. Sault Ste. Marie claimed the nightcap by an 11-5 final score. In the first game, Pickford struck first in the bottom of the third, taking advantage of a Blue Devil error to take a 1-0 lead. Sault Ste. Marie’s Danica Bergeron would tie things up late in the game with a solo home run. The Blue Devils would push one more run across that inning to earn the victory.
Harbor Springs tops Grayling in Lake Michigan conference matchup
GRAYLING - The Harbor Springs Rams beat the Grayling Vikings 3-0 in a Lake Michigan conference matchup Thursday evening. The Rams led 1-0 after the first half and added two goal in the 2nd half to secure the win. Harbor Springs moves to 4-8-2 on the season, while Grayling falls to 6-9-0.
Traverse City Central beats Cadillac in Big North Conference matchup
CADILLAC - The Traverse City Central Trojans beat the Cadillac Vikings 2-1 in Big North Conference action on Thursday evening. Annabelle Bird had both goals for TC Central. The Trojans move to 6-4-4, while Cadillac falls to 5-7-3.
Mesick tops Suttons Bay in nightcap to earn doubleheader sweep
MESICK - The Mesick Bulldogs erased an early four-run deficit to score an 8-7 non-conference win in the second game of a non-conference doubleheader with former league rival Suttons Bay on Thursday evening. The Bulldogs won game one, 14-1. In the second game, the Bulldogs got on the board first with an RBI single by Jayden Simpson in the bottom of the first. Suttons Bay responded with an offensive explosion in the second inning, plating five runs to take a 5-1 lead.
Big Rapids sweeps Morley Stanwood on Senior Night
BIG RAPIDS - The Big Rapids Cardinals ran their winning streak to 12 games with a pair of CSAA wins over visiting Morley Stanwood on Wednesday, 11-0 and 18-3. The games were played as part of “Senior Night” for the Cardinals, celebrating seniors Pharis Carroll, Zoe Taylor, Cailin Knoop and Marissa Warren. The Cardinals were consistent at the plate in the first game, scoring three runs in the first inning, another three runs in the second and pair in the third to build a commanding lead on the way to the shutout victory. They carried that offensive momentum over in the second game, plating 18 runs, and winning the game in three innings due to the mercy rule.
Pit Spitters reveal fan food winner on food media day
TRAVERSE CITY - The Traverse City Pit Spitters revealed who won the fan food on vote on food media day. The winning item was the Siracha Waffle Chicken Sandwich. There will also be three new items on the menu for the 2024 season, Sizzling Pot Stickers, Great Lakes Grilled Bratwurst, and a Cherry Republic Cherry Burger. The Pit Spitters’ general manager Jacqueline Holm, talked about how the top dishes are selected. “So, it starts with the selection process. People are asked to submit their videos and information online on our Facebook, our website. Then we as a group go through and select our top, you know, 24 finalists and then the eight that you see that come out on our website for voting, go through a rigorous process, a taste test, of course.” Said Holm. “Then after those eight are selected, we narrow it down to three and that’s what you’re tasting today.” The Pit Spitters will begin their season on May 29th
Ippei Mizuhara, ex-interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani, will plead guilty in betting case
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has agreed to plead guilty to bank and tax fraud in a sports betting case where prosecutors allege he stole $16 million from the Japanese baseball player to pay off debts, federal prosecutors said Wednesday. The scandal surrounding Ippei Mizuhara shocked baseball fans from the U.S. to Japan when the news broke in March. Mizuhara will plead guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of subscribing to a false tax return, the U.S. Justice Department announced. The bank fraud charge carries a maximum of 30 years in federal prison, and the false tax return charge carries a sentence of up to three years in federal prison. Mizuhara will enter his guilty plea in the coming weeks and is set to be arraigned May 14, prosecutors said.
Cheboygan shuts out Roscommon in NMSL matchup
ROSCOMMON - The Cheboygan Chiefs snapped a three-game winless streak on Tuesday, racing out to an early lead on the way to a 6-0 Northern Michigan Soccer League victory over Roscommon. The Chiefs’ Taylor Bent got Cheboygan on the board early in the first half with what would prove to be the game-winning goal. It was one of her two first half goals. Cheboygan would lead 4-0 at the break. Cheboygan came into the game having recorded a loss and a pair of ties in the previous three contests. The win keeps them in the thick of the NMSL race, chasing league-leading McBain Northern Michigan Christian. Cheboygan (7-2-2 NMSL) hosts Oscoda on Wednesday. Roscommon (2-8-2) travels to Tawas on the same day.
Lions draft pick shares adorable letter he wrote his teacher in 4th grade
Ennis Rakestraw Jr., a second-round pick by the Detroit Lions in the recent draft, shared a wonderful letter he wrote to his teacher in fourth grade. Rakestraw’s letter, which you can read in the Instagram post below, thanked his teacher for having his back and supporting him, and he promised that if he made professional football, he would share the letter. And that’s exactly what he did this week. What a great moment! A post shared by Bleacher Report (@bleacherreport)
Traverse City St. Francis girls soccer tops Charlevoix on rainy afternoon
TRAVERSE CITY - The Traverse City St. Francis Gladiators solidified their spot atop the Lake Michigan Conference standings with a 3-1 league win over visiting Charlevoix on Tuesday. The Gladiators (10-0-1, 8-0 LMC) clinched the conference title with the victory. They have just two conference games remaining, and lead Elk Rapids by two games, while owning the tiebreaker against the Elks, having defeated them twice already this season. Lilianna David scored a pair of goals in the first half to stake the Gladiators to a 2-0 halftime advantage. She then assisted on Riley Collins goal early in the second half to extend the lead to 3-0. Charlevoix got on the board with less than ten minutes to go, on a goal by Ava Boss, off of an assist by Agnes Edgren.
C.J. Moore re-signing with the Lions, sources say
Sources say free agent safety C.J. Moore is re-signing with the Lions on a one-year deal after serving a gambling suspension that took away his 2023 season. Free agent safety C. J. Moore is re-signing with the #Lions on a 1-year deal, source said. After serving a gambling suspension that took away his 2023, Moore is back in Detroit.
Big Rapids girls soccer takes over first place in CSAA with win over Tri-County
BIG RAPIDS - In a battle of the two remaining unbeaten girls soccer teams in the Central State Activities Association, the Big Rapids Cardinals took over sole possession of first place with a 3-1 win over Tri-County on Monday night. Ava Clapp opened the scoring for the Cardinals midway through the first half, when her crossing pass into the box was deflected in off of a Viking defender for the goal. The Vikings even things up with less than ten minutes to play in the first half, when Rebecca Duvall converted a penalty that was awarded after a handball call against the Cardinals. Hadley Fox and Maya Zilliox tallied goals in the second half to lead the Cardinals to victory.
Big Rapids comes from behind to defeat Chippewa Hills
BIG RAPIDS - The Big Rapids Cardinals erased an early deficit to record a 5-2 victory over Chippewa Hills on Monday, in a makeup game from April 23, when lightning canceled the second game of a conference doubleheader. The Warriors struck in the top of the first inning, plating a run to take an early 1-0 lead. Tyler Geer held the Cardinals’ offense at bay until the fourth inning, when Big Rapids was able to take the lead on a two-run double by Mayson McNeilly. An inning later, the Cardinals added to their lead with three more runs. McNeilly drove in two more with a base hit down the third base line.
Elk Rapids tops Grayling in Lake Michigan Conference action
GRAYLING - The Elk Rapids Elks beat the Grayling Vikings 8-0 in Lake Michigan conference action on Monday evening. The Elks led 4-0 after the first half thanks to a hattrick from Kendall Standfest. Elk Rapids move to 6-7 overall, while Grayling falls to 6-8.
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