Clarkston riders spent summer preparing for their upcoming season and are anxious to compete in their upcoming district meets on September 12, 13, and 20.
The 2014 Clarkston High School Equestrian team is senior captain Sarah Pobuda riding Saddle Seat, Western Equitation and Speed; junior Maggie Favier in Over Fences and Speed events; sophomores Emma Ayotte riding Saddle Seat, Western Reining and Trail; Megan Byrd in Showmanship, Hunt Seat and Trail; Sophie Neale riding Hunt Seat, Over Fences, Western and Speed; and Callie Keller riding Saddle Seat and Hunt Seat.
Joining the team this season are freshmen Rileigh Landis who is riding in Showmanship, Hunt Seat, Western and Speed events and team Grooms; Lilli Young and eighth grader Renee Ledbetter.
‘We will be a very balanced team,? said Coach Tim Pobuda, adding there are high expectations for this team. ‘We have experienced riders coming back in every riding event. Sarah had an excellent summer on the 4-H show circuit and returns to provide leadership to the team.?
He added Favier and Landis will provide the team with dedicated speed riders which will add to the overall depth of the team for the first time in years.
‘They both like riding fast and we are counting on them to anchor our speed classes in Flags, Barrels, Keyhole and Two Person relay,? Pobuda said.
Counted on heavily is the riding ability of Keller, Ayotte, Neale and Byrd. They rode in many events last year and gained valuable riding experience. This year they are the solid core of the team and have shown at Central Michigan Horseman’s Association and breed shows.
The team has been working hard all summer with practices and riding at various summer shows around the state.
‘The team and parents are very focused on advancing out of districts and making it to regionals after missing out by just a few points last year,? Sarah said. ‘There is a different intensity at practice this year.?
The team travels to Armada on consecutive weekends in September for three separate meets.
The total point winner is crowned the District Champion. The last time the team rode at the Armada Fair Grounds arena they won the 2012 District Championship. While it is a long way to travel, the team will pack up their horse trailers and campers and be ready to compete.

Lady Wolves? Lexi Baylis, Dana Olsen, Paige Olsen and Isabella Spindler may compete individually on the tennis courts, but it is all about the team.
‘If we individually do well, it helps the team,? said Dana. ‘But we want it for the team so bad.?
‘We just want to help them the best we can,? Spindler said. ‘We win together, we lose together.?
All four won their flights on Friday to become regional champions and helped Clarkston win their fourth consecutive MHSAA Girls Tennis Regional title.
‘The big Mitt trophy is great to have in our hands,? Dana smiled after the regional win.
The four added so far the season has been good for them.
‘We are playing better than we ever had,? Baylis said. ‘For me, I get better and better each match I play.?
‘It is a work in progress just like anything else,? Spindler said. ‘We have good days and bad days, but it is about coming together and performing well as a team.?
The four also won their flights during the OAA Red tournament on May 17, which they were nominated for Athletes of the Week.
As they prepare for the state finals set for next week, they shared advice for aspiring athletes.
‘Confidence and self belief is the most important traits you can have,? Spindler said. ‘You need to be positive and push yourself to you own limit.?
Baylis added in order to do well, you have to work hard.
‘Those long days you don’t feel like doing anything, you need to keep on going,? Paige said. ‘Your opponents are working just that hard..
Baylis and the Olsen sisters graduate on June 2 while Spindler will be back next year when she is a junior.
‘Paige, Dana and I are enjoying our last season,? Baylis added. ‘We wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s been a great season but we aren’t done yet.?

During Paige and Dana Olsen’s first tennis lesson when they were young they swung their rackets for 30 minutes. They didn’t hit a single ball.
‘It was okay they were told,? said mom, Deanna Olsen. She added they were taught the first day it wasn’t about how many times they hit the ball but their form.
Deanna remembered the moment as the twins signed their letter of intent to play tennis for University of Indianapolis last Wednesday.
‘It’s official now,? Paige smiled. ‘It was the best fit overall. Everything fell into place. It was super last minute. We just loved it. We made the decision really fast.?
‘We got there and it was better than we expected,? Dana added.
The two looked at different colleges but found they were either too far away or they didn’t know they loved it or not.
‘That was a sign right there it wasn’t the right school,? Dana said. ‘Then, we looked at Indianapolis.?
They both admitted it was a bonus and worked out to be going to school with each other. It will also help them.
‘It is always good to have someone you know there,? Paige said. ‘We are more comfortable around each other. We are the only two people coming onto the tennis team so it is good to know a teammate.?
Paige plans to study exercise science with a concentration in physical therapy while Dana will major in business with a possibility to minor in Spanish.
Both have been playing tennis since they were four-years-old. They began playing competitively around 8-years-old. They play all year with the United States Tennis Association when they aren’t playing with Clarkston Varsity Girls Tennis team. where they helped the Lady Wolves win the state championship in 2011.
‘We didn’t know what to expect because tennis is such an individual sport but it was the whole team aspect,? Dana added. ‘It was such a difference. We loved it. We got to come out here and winning states was the icing on the cake and we have been trying to live up to it ever since.?
Playing for USTA and Clarkston will help as they head to Indianapolis.
‘It definitely prepares you for the college level because you experience all aspects,? Dana added.
‘It prepares you for the competitive matches,? Paige said. ‘It is good from the team aspect especially for college because it is a team.?

The Wolves had a successful winter season as both the Clarkston Varsity Boys and Girls Ski teams ended on a good note at the state finals.
Wolves were named to the 2014 All-State Ski Team for their state finals finish.
Derek Van Itallie and Ryan Callahan were named to the first team in the Giant Slalom. McIntosh was named to the third team and Ben Schuster received Honorable Mention.
The Wolves finished the Giant Slalom in third place with 52.5 points. Van Itallie took first place for state champion. Callahan took third place; McIntosh, 16th; Schuster, 20th.
Reis Weidemann was named to the third team in the Slalom. The boys finished the Slalom race at Shanty Creek in eighth place with 140 points. Weidemann finished in 17th place; McIntosh, 26th; and Van Itallie, 36th.
The girls finish the Slalom in seventh place with 123.5 points as Caroline Spytman led the team finishing in sixth.
They finished the Giant Slalom in ninth place with 164 points. Maddie DeClercq finished in eighth place.
Both teams finished with a trip to the state finals after the boys team took first place at the MHSAA Division 1 Regional with 68 points and the girls finished in second place with 104.5 points.
Leading the boys team in the Slalom race was Van Itallie taking second in 41.68. Callahan finished in third, 41.93; and Weidemann, tenth, 43.75.
Van Itallie also took second in the Giant Slalom in 36.99. Callahan finished in sixth place, 37.35; Schuster, 12th, 38.12; Weidemann, 14th; 38.24; and McIntosh, 38.26.
Spytman led the Lady Wolves in the Slalom as she finished in second place at 47.88. DeClercq took third, 48.39; and Amanda Casetti, 12th, 51.43.
DeClercq led the girls in the Giant Slalom with second place finish at 39.21. Casseti took third place at 39.40.
The boys finished the season 8-0 in dual and divisional champs. The girls went 7-1 for the season and first in divisional.

The Wolves are ready as they head into the MHSAA Bowling Regionals this week after a successful run in Regina’s Bowl Swami Heart Breaker Bakers, Feb. 8.
‘We did really good,? said Lenny Kersten, assistant bowling coach. ‘One team qualified third and we got knocked out in the first round. The other team qualified sixth and got knocked out in the first round. We had individual standouts who did really well.?
The standouts for the tournament were Timothy Cuthrell, Sophie Hubble, Jacob Kersten, Chelsea Turk and Eric Wagner.
‘We did well but we know we could have done better,? said Jacob. ‘We had a fun day.?
They added it was a tough tournament because the teams are blended with boys and girls.
‘Usually it is just the girls team and the boys team,? Hubble said.
‘There is a different chemistry,? Jacob added.
With regionals beginning this week the five reflected on their favorite moments of the season so far. For Cuthrell and Wagner it was going against Oxford.
‘We lost by eight pins,? Wagner added. ‘It was a fun one. The team was very energetic and loud. It seemed like everyone came together.?
Turk enjoyed finishing in the top ten in her series during the OAA tournament.
Kersten and Hubble enjoyed the singles tournament at Collier Lanes, which was the first tournament of the year.
‘It came down to Eric and me in the finals,? Jacob said. ‘It was cool to have Clarkston with a sure win no matter what happened.?
‘It qualified third for series and second for high game,? Hubble said about her playing. ‘I was a finalist. I thought it was cool for my only third year of bowling.?
Hubble began playing only years ago while her teammate Turk has 13 years experience. Wagner has played for 16 years while Jacob and Cuthrell have played for 12 years each.
‘One of my favorite moments is still yet to come because we have a lot of potential for regionals this year,? Jacob said. ‘As long as we can pick up spares and if we can come out on top ? individually and as a team ? we have a really good shot at states this year.?
‘I think we have potential,? Turk added.
Hubble pointed out a bonus is the closeness of the team and there is more potential next year as well since all of the bowlers on the girls team are returning.
‘No matter what the outcome we have grown closer as a team,? Jacob said. ‘I have had more chemistry this year with my team than I have in the past. Having really good chemistry helps you bowling because you are a lot more confident and you know if you throw a bad shot your team is there to pick you up. They will help you.?
‘We are just one big happy family,? Turk smiled.
Hubble added they have bonded a lot more with their coaches as well.
The girls and boys teams play in Region 3 this week at 300 Bowl in Waterford.
‘We have learned a lot this year and we were able to fix a lot of our errors we made early on,? Jacob said. ‘Now we are ready for regionals.?
‘For the girls last year we did pretty good and took third,? Turk added. ‘I think this year we will pull through and take first.?
The finals are next week at Sunnybrook Lanes in Sterling Heights.

They used their skills to help their team win Clarkston’s first MHSAA Division 1 Football State Championship and now six gridiron heroes are ready to use their skills on the collegiate level.
Seniors David Beedle, Tim Cason, Ian Eriksen, Shane Hynes, Nick Matich and Caine Watlington signed their letters of intent and celebrated the moment with friends and family last Wednesday.
Beedle, a lineman who has always been a Michigan State University fan, signed to be a Spartan.
‘It’s exciting,? he said. ‘I have been waiting for this day for a while ever since junior year.?
It wasn’t being a fan which drew him in but visits to the campus where he enjoyed the campus and the family atmosphere.
‘I could just tell that’s where I wanted to go,? he said, adding he is leaning towards studying kinesiology and becoming a physical therapist.
Cason, wide receiver and defensive back, is heading to Purdue, where he will follow in his dad’s footsteps and study electrical engineering.
‘I am happy to start my new journey,? he smiled as he explained why he chose Purdue. ‘It was the academics, athletics and I always wanted to play for the Big Ten. My parents loved it.?
Eriksen was also smiling as he became a runningback for Eastern Michigan University, which was the first college he received an offer.
‘After visiting and seeing the campus, feeling the community and the school I really liked the campus and what EMU football had going on,? he added. ‘I am excited to see how we are going to do in a couple of years.?
He plans to study economics and possibly business.
Kicker Hynes is heading to Kent State to study nursing and will join Clarkston alumni Matt Dellinger.
‘It’s awesome,? he said about signing. ‘I really liked the college and the staff. It felt like they were part of my family and knowing Matt is also at Kent was a good support. It’s good to have someone there and I can always ask him for advice.?
Matich will become a linebacker for Western Michigan University where he will study pharmaceutical sales.
‘It’s good to have the recruiting process finally over,? he said. ‘It’s a big relief off my chest. The class we are bringing in is just ridiculous. I got to know them and met the guys since I committed in the summer. They are the guys I want to be around. I know we will do something special.?
The draw for Matich was the coaching staff with head coach P.J. Fleck and assistant defensive line coach Vinson Reynolds.
‘Fleck is hands down one of the best coaches I have ever met,? he said. ‘He definitely knows what he is talking about. I think Western and the coaching staff will give me the best shot to do what I need to do.?
He added another reason Western was a good pick for him is because he would be a starter his freshman year.
‘I am proud of him,? said sister, Amber Matich. ‘I am proud to be his big sister.?
Watlington, wide receiver and defensive back, was the last to sign and had the biggest smile as he joined the Air Force Academy to study finance.
‘It feels good to finally be committed to a school and it is a great school,? he said. ‘It was the academics and the athletics – basically the things I hold for the future which can’t be measured.?
A draw to the Air Force Academy was he always thought about going into to the military.
‘The Air Force presented an option with football, school and military all into one,? he added.
Beedle began playing football in fifth grade when his dad convinced him to try it.
‘I was always a baseball kid growing up,? he admitted before he tried football ended sticking with the sport. ‘I was always an aggressive, physical kid when I was younger – football was a place to take it out.?
Through the years and learning from the Clarkston Football Program, Beedle feels the coaches have prepared him for college.
‘They especially prepared me this year they worked me harder,? he said. ‘Normally if you have a Division 1 kid they would be the centerpiece of the team. They did a good job of keeping everyone level-headed and looking at the bigger picture instead of just the college aspect of it.?
Cason began playing when he was nine-years-old when his dad also got him into it. He stuck with it because he developed a passion for it.
‘I was never good at it but once I started hitting I got better,? he said, adding being part of the Wolves? program also helped him.
‘It will help out academic wise and also football because of the work ethic I learned from KR (Head Coach Kurt Richardson).?
Eriksen had the drive for football since he was in third grade when he told his dad he wanted to play.
‘He wasn’t going to have me play until seventh grade,? he said. ‘But I said I wanted to play so he let me.?
The draw for him was the high impact and intensity of the game
‘Every play is a chance to do something amazing,? Eriksen smiled. ‘Not many games are like it.?
As he heads to Eastern the Clarkston program in a number of ways.
‘There has always been a winning mentality in Clarkston,? Eriksen said. ‘There is a good sense of family and great coaches with a winning mindset. It has helped me to have a winner’s mentality.?
Hynes started off with soccer but started playing football with encouragement from his uncle, who once played for Clarkston.
‘He wanted to see me play football,? he said. ‘I don’t think my mom was too happy about the first time I switched over but I think she is happy it paid off now.?
For Hynes, the Clarkston coaching staff has helped him out to play on the college level.
‘The coaching staff is unlike anyone else,? he said. ‘They expect the most of you and it will help because college coaches expect more work out of you than high school. The coaching staff we have always pushes you and wants to see you reach your full potential.?
Matich began playing football when he was eight-years-old explaining he was a big kid and always watched the varsity games.
‘Seeing those guys play while I played for the Clarkston Chiefs was the best thing ever,? he smiled. ‘Then, playing for varsity, winning the state championship and having those younger guys look up to us is crazy to think about.?
Matich added being part of the Clarkston program and playing for a Division 1 school definitely will help because of the level of competition he has seen.
‘The competition is the best in the state,? he said.
Watlington began playing football with the Clarkston Chiefs when he was eight-years-old. He added growing up with the Clarkston program has taught him not only the fundamentals of the game but the fundamentals of life.
‘It taught me how to bounce back from big negatives and taught me how to stand up and be one as a team,? Watlington added. ‘It taught me more cooperation with people around me and also taught me how to balance school and football.?

Lady Wolves showed off their enthusiasm and spirit in three cheer competitions and finished each one in the top three.
The competitive cheer team, with a combination of seventh graders from Sashabaw Middle School and eighth graders from Clarkston Junior High School, ended the season at Grand Blanc’s Bobcat Classic, Jan. 25.
They finished in first place at Bobcat Classic as they scored a combination of 383.2 after two rounds.
‘It was amazing,? said Nicole Schmidt, one of the three coaches. ‘It was so exhilarating watching them wait for the judges to announce who was coming up in third, second and first. When they heard their names they were so excited – they were jumping up and down.?
It wasn’t the first competition they finished in first place – they opened the season taking first place in Oxford’s Mardi Gras Mambo, Jan. 11.
Schmidt explained it was a competition they wouldn’t forget. The cheer team started the morning off stuck in the snow in one of the area neighborhoods and were running 45 minutes late.
‘When we entered their emotions were already high and they were nervous,? Schmidt recalled. ‘To win that one was more special. We got stuck, we still made it and we won. It was the cherry on the ice cream. It showed they were able to overcome some obstacles and still do well.?
The Lady Wolves finished Rochester’s Royal Rumble in third place on Jan. 18.
‘They looked great in all the competitions but the last competition they really pulled together as a team,? Schmidt said. ‘They worked hard. They did awesome. They really deserved it they put a lot of hard work into this.?
For all three of the competitions they were also with the JV and varsity cheer teams.
‘It was really neat for them to support and cheer them on and be advocates for each other and bring the Clarkston cheer community together,? Schmidt said.
They practiced together twice a week along with cheering at basketball games and their regular practices. It was the first time the grades were combined for one team.
‘We decided to make it more competitive for ourselves and we would combine the best of the best from our teams,? said Schmidt.
‘The cheerleaders were tough contenders, demonstrating a high level of stunting, tumbling and intricate choreography,? added parent Cristina Klaiber.
The seventh grade team from Sashabaw Middle School is Chloe Davis, Lexi Davis, Kylie Eckler, Taj Hall, McKenna Klaiber, Chloe Johnson, Richanda Mason, Emily Reynolds, Courtney Ross, Kate Rusnell and Breana Schmidt.
The Clarkston Junior High School eighth grade team is Ashley Becker, Taylor Davis, Hannah Dehart, Caitlin Dicker, Peyton Hodges, Courtney Jacob, Alex Lemanski, Lila Ninotti, Jacqulyn Pastula, Lauren Polick, Caroline Rock, Colby Rouse, Taylor Stone and Elizabeth VanHeulen.
The coaches are Schmidt, Megan Francis, Carly Williams and assistant coach Alexis Rouse.

Snow might be covering the baseball fields right now but three Wolves are looking forward not only their senior spring season but beyond.
Clarkston High School hitters Nick Morey, Ryan Rea and David Steward signed their letters of intent for college on Jan. 22 to take their baseball skills to the next level.
‘I feel good,? Morey smiled as he finished putting his signature on several lines to be a catcher at Rochester College. ‘I am excited to play baseball at the next level.?
He was interested after going for a visit and liked everyone he met as well as the school was comfortable for him. The proximity to Clarkston was a bonus as he plans to study business.
‘I didn’t really take it into consideration but now glad closer to home,? he smiled.
Rea and Steward are heading to south to Adrian College next fall.
‘It is exciting,? Rea said. ‘It’s a new step. I am really excited especially since one of my teammates has also signed and I will continue my career with him.?
‘I feel pretty good,? Steward said. ‘It is definitely something I wanted to do.?
For Rea, the draw to Adrian was the campus as well as the baseball facilities and the program.
He plans to study sports management and plans use the degree to be a baseball coach, athletic director or for an organization.
Steward also liked the program at Adrian and the field.
‘I feel like I can learn there because it isn’t too big of a school,? he said, adding right now he is undecided for his course of study but is leaning towards exercise science.
Both pitch and Steward also plays as a third baseman and Rea is a first baseman.
They added it will help having a teammate there.
‘It will be good because we are rooming together at Adrian,? Rea said. ‘It will help ease into the process and make it easier especially since college is a big step. It will help having a friend there.?
‘It will make it a lot easier and the transition won’t be that bad,? Steward added.
They added growing with the Clarkston Baseball Program will help them out.
‘The coaches have stepped up our training to help us prepare for the next level,? Morey mentioned. ‘They have given me good tips I can use at Rochester.?
Rea added head coach Phil Price has helped him prepare for college.
‘It has helped me mature and prepare for things to come,? he said.
Steward added it helped teach him the value of things and helped him meet a great group of people.
All have played since they were children.
‘I just love it,? Steward said. ‘It’s fun.?
‘I found I excelled at it more than any other sport I tried,? Morey added. ‘It is a lot with it ? the environment, the guys and getting to know your team.?
As the team sets their goals for the upcoming season, the three plan to help them get as far in the playoffs as they can and also have a great season.
‘I want to have a fun season with the team and end it right,? Rea said.
‘I want to do better than last year,? Steward added.
‘I am very happy for them,? said Price. ‘It is well-deserved. They are excellent baseball players but more than that they are great kids. It shows about their character that they want to continue playing baseball. They want to keep on going and not have it end after their senior year.?
The first practice for baseball is March 10 and games start after March 19.

Before the year ends, we would like to honor the Clarkston Varsity Football team one more time.
Not just for winning their first MHSAA Division 1 State Championship but an overall successful season.
They opened with a loss against Rochester Adams, 12-7, and what it did was ignite a spark in all of the players.
The spark grew as they continued to improve during every practice and learned lessons against each opponent they faced on Friday nights. It was exciting to watch.
We say goodbye to the seniors: Caine Watlington, Tim Cason, Quinn Montgomery, Don Monson, Cordale Cox, Griffin Barta, Shane Hynes, Nick Matich, Shane Holler, David Beedle, Gavin Butler, Jason McCowan, Michael Yates, George Haight, Jacob Armstrong, Alex Peck, Blake Rehahn, Blake Townson, Ian Eriksen, Jacob Gozdor, Reid Kaminski, Andrew Murray, Taylor Winiger, Eric Dumas, Alex Salim and Ryan Feeley.
Returning are juniors: Matt Boczar, DJ Zezula, Centrus Williams, Jr., Chris Trimmer, Ross Manssur, Alexie Gruenberg, DJ Rogers, Sean Christie, Adam Matich, Lance Linton, Jack Selke, Jordan Oliverio, Austin Egler, Bryce Witherspoon, Trevor Laing, Merrick Canada, Denny Petersen, Andy Hutton, Mick Packard, Liam Bee, Alex Snyder, Jack McKillop, Dalton Malloy, Will Scarlett, Josh Pierce, Nick Smith, Kas Waitkus, Payton Lannon, Tristen Lewis, Cal Sielaff, Brandon Douglas, Cole Chewins, Jay Wright, Mitch Helsel, Joe Popp and Ryan Schaudt;
Sophomores: Sam Bullen, Anthony Reiner, Brandon Adams, Brendan Stokes, Jacob Fisher, Nolan Eriksen, Jonah Kopenen, Alex Kessman, Mitchell Heaton, Hayden Schoenherr, Jack Muhleck, Carter Linton, Nathan Troutvine, James Stottlemyer, Tommy Gosley; freshmen: Nick Stalworth and Carter Gale.
We look forward to what you have planned for August!

Many teams eye the state finals at the beginning of the season – one of them was the Clarkston Boys Varsity Tennis team.
The vision turned into reality last Thursday as the Wolves scored 19 points during the MHSAA Regional meet sending them to the state finals. It is the first time the boys have visited the finals since 1982.
‘I expect a very successful season,? Coach Chas Claus predicted at the beginning. ‘We have a lot of excellent leadership at the top. We have a lot of experienced players. It should be one of the better years for Clarkston Boys Tennis and one of the best years.?
It was a season of rewriting history for the varsity tennis team as they claimed the OAA White league championship after going 5-0 in meets and took second at the league tournament. The last time they finished the league in first it was 12 years ago. The ended sharing the title with Rochester.
Sophomore Alexis Haselwanter added his own chapter in Wolves? history with his Golden Match against Farmington.
The team is led by senior captains Matt Dahl, Joey Whall and Johnny Whall. The team is seniors Dan Agnew, Eric Maynowski, Sean McNeil; juniors Ray Coyle, Brendan Greenlee, Kaiden Kamp, Mitchell Rogowski; sophomores Haselwanter, Ian Stuart; freshman Tristan Greenlee and Carl Matisse.
The finals is this Friday and Saturday at Midland Tennis Center.
Congratulations on your achievements and good luck in the finals, Wolves!

When the Clarkston Girls Swim and Dive team beat Seaholm for the first time in Lady Wolves history on Sept. 17 senior captains Kathryn Culver, Jessica Moster, Sivhaun Sera, Sami Stelpflug and Natalie Vela helped to lead the way.
‘It was really exciting for the girls team,? Sera said.
‘We stuck together and pulled out a win,? said Stelpflug. ? It proves we can’t do this alone. We need the whole team to accomplish our goals.?
‘It gives us confidence,? Culver added.
The Lady Wolves are currently undefeated with a overall record 8-0 and 4-0 in the OAA Red.
‘We have had a really great season,? Sera smiled. ‘We have a lot of new divers this year who have been performing really well. There are a lot of new swimmers on the team, too.?
The five help to lead a roster of over 30 – the most the team has ever had.
‘It works because we work really well together,? Sera said. ‘There is a captain for every five swimmers. There is a lot of strong leadership this year and we are all good at swimming.?
‘We have watched a lot of great leaders before us so it was exciting for us to step into the role,? Vela smiled.
The five add over 40 years of experience of swimming to the team. Vela has 12 years of swimming experience while Sami started 11 years ago and Culver began 10 years ago. Moster has been diving since she was in seventh grade and competitive since she was eight. Sera has six years of experience.
All captains agree experience has helped to lead them to this point.
‘It sets a good example,? Stelpflug added. ‘All of the seniors work hard. We all get the feel of what it takes to represent Clarkston by working hard.?
‘It’s not that easy to be up at five in the morning,? Sera admitted. ‘But you tell new swimmers you have to work hard to win a state championship. As leaders we do a good job conveying that.?
The Lady Wolves have two more league meets against Bloomfield United and Rochester Adams and hope to win the league championship.
See the team in action when they host Rochester Adams next Thursday at 6 p.m. for their last home meet of the season.

The Wolves finished their first two events in Michigan Scholastic Cycling Association in first place.
The cyclists began with a win at Addison Oaks Fall Classic, Sept. 8.
‘I was happy so many kids showed up and really did their best,? said Lisa Loetzner, parent volunteer. ‘They really fought hard for their positions. It was a real good team effort and the team bonding was great.?
Hannah Seaman finished in first place in the 11-14 Women’s race.
‘It was a good win for her and the team,? Loetzner said.
Mason Sitar finished fourth in the varsity race, beating a Detroit Country Day racer.
‘He really secured our victory,? Loetzner added. ‘He had to fight really hard for it.?
Also for varsity, Marlin Loetzner finished in eighth and Derek VanItallie finished in ninth. Liam Fries led the JV team, finishing in first. Jacob Shook took second; Aiden Keith, 15th; and Zach Keith, 16th. Aiden Fries, finished in sixth; and Tom Seaman, seventh, for the 11-14 Men’s race.
Lisa explained every course is different and has unique features to it.
‘Addison is not a technical course but very fast,? she added. ‘It is very fluid and it gets difficult because of the speed you are riding.?
The cyclists also finished first in the MiSCA Bloomer MTB race this past Saturday. Sitar led the varsity team, finishing in fifth as Liam finished first in the JV races and Aiden finished in second for the 11-14 Men’s race.
The team meets two times a week to train and the cyclists sometimes go out on rides on their own to get more preparation in. They also have support from Kinetics Systems Bicycle, in downtown Clarkston.
The team heads to Novi on Sept. 28 for the next race. The MiSCA Championship is set for Oct. 5 in Lake Orion.
For more information, contact Coach Jake Schmitt at jake_schmitt@yahoo.com, or visit their Facebook page – Clarkston Cycling Team or www.clarkstoncycling.com.

The Wolves have faced tough teams the first few weeks of the season and seniors Jared D’Autremont, Mitch McCord and Jack O’Rilley have helped out in each challenge.
‘They are our senior anchors in defense,? said Clarkston Boys Varsity Soccer Coach Curtis Payment.
‘Brother Rice pushed us to our limits,? said McCord about one of the challenges in the 2-1 win. ‘We had a great team effort.
‘It made us come out really strong,? D’Autremont added. ‘It helped us grow a lot as a team especially since we managed to end up winning in the last 20 seconds of the game. It was a big confidence boost.?
O’Rilley and D’Autremont joined the varsity team two years ago and McCord joined last year.
For their final year on soccer they have been working on new techniques and plays in the back of defense.
D’Autremont explained it is important to build off the back of defense and to organize.
‘Mistakes in the back are a lot more crucial,? O’Rilley said. ‘If you mess up on top you might lose the ball but you still have people in the back.?
‘If we have a breakdown in the back it hurts you bad,? D’Autremont continued. ‘Giving up one goal can mean winning or losing.?
They are also lending their experience and knowledge to the younger athletes to prepare them.
‘They are picking up really well,? said O’Rilley. ‘They have been working hard like we have all year.?
‘The sophomores have really stepped up and filled a big role on the team,? D’Autremont added. ‘Alec Jones in the back has been playing really well on the outside back and so has Ben Seicinski. They have helped a lot on the outside.?
McCord added as the season continues they expect to get better as they plan to make a longer run in the playoffs.
The boys ended their junior year in the district playoffs against Lake Orion and it boosted in their motivation to get stronger during the off season. They added their new coach, Payment, also helped.
‘He has really pushed us to go further,? said McCord. ‘He has pushed us to our limits with off season weight training and better conditioning sessions.?
‘He always talks about with us how it is our last chance for everything and give it our all,? O’Rilley added.
The boys have been playing soccer since Kiddy Kickers with most of their teammates.
‘It makes our bond stronger,? McCord added.
If an opportunity comes up they would consider continuing to play in college.
‘It is definitely a possibility,? McCord said. ‘It would be great to play a sport in college.?
‘It is a huge commitment,? D’Autremont considered. ‘Obviously it would be fun. If the opportunity came up it would be something to think about.?
O’Rilley agreed it was a huge commitment, ‘I don’t know if I want to put aside that time in college. Plus at that point you are trying to move on in your life and get a job.?
Since they have played since they were young they shared advice for aspiring athletes.
O’Rilley noted to do what you love.
‘If you are not going to enjoy what you are doing there is no point going out for it,? he said.
‘Like coach was saying, you have to commit to it no matter what you do,? McCord added.
‘If you have aspirations to play at a higher level or play in college than you will want to commit everything you have to it.?
D’Autremont pointed out to put in the effort.
‘It is all about effort,? he said. ‘You get what you put in and you have to be ready to sacrifice yourself and your individual goals for the team.?
See D’Autremont, McCord and O’Rilley lead the defense players when the Wolves host Goodrich on Friday and on Tuesday when they host Troy Athens.
Clarkston hosts Youth Soccer Night on Sept. 19 when they play Holly High School.
For home games JV begins at 5:30 p.m., varsity follows.

The Clarkston Girls Swim and Dive team opened the season ruling the pool as they took first place at the Waterford Relay Meet at Waterford Mott High School, Aug. 24.
They scored 442 points, the most out of seven teams. They finished first in six relays and first in the synchronized diving competition, scoring 40 points.
‘It was pretty exciting,? said Coach Kenwyn Chock. ‘It was a great way to kick off the season.?
Finishing in first place: Ceren Ege, Sami Stelpflug, Natalie Vela and Kathryn Culver in the 400-yard medley relay, 4:10.93, and the 800-yard medley relay, 8:51.03;
Vela, Delaney Brown, Deanna Cumming, Kelsey Gilbert, 400-yard butterfly relay, 4:37.92; Stelpflug, Kiley Ferer, CJ Hughes, Kirkland Maguire, 400-yard breaststroke relay, 5:03.38; Megan Stelpflug, Barnes, Gilbert and Ege, 400-yard freestyle relay, 3:36.31;
Gilbert, Megan, Barnes, and Seguin, 850-yard freestyle relay, 9:06.83; Culver, Barnes, Megan, Hughes, 800-yard freestyle relay, 8:13.59.
‘There were a lot of strong performances from everyone,? added Dan McGinty, diving coach.
Oldman, Ferer, Maguire and Brown took second place in the 200-yard medley at 2:07.01 as Ashley Locher, Rebecca Didion, Sivhaun Sera and Jessica Moster, 200-yard freestyle divers and two relay, 2:10.88.
The 400-yard backstroke relay team finished third with Hughes, Seguin, Stauffer and Oldman, 4:34.17 as Kathryn Rogowski, Bridget McGinty, Locher and Kirkland finished fourth in the 8×50-yard freestyle relay.
The 2013 team has 34 Lady Wolves on the roster each bringing years of experience to the largest team since the program was established. Nine on the team are divers. Many are returning from last year when their finished in third place in the OAA and ninth at the Division 1 Girls Swim and Dive State Finals.
The team won their meet against Grand Blanc on Aug. 27, 127-59, and against Avondale on Aug. 29, 147-37.
They head to Lake Orion on Thursday, 6 p.m. and Birmingham Seaholm on Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
Look for more about the Lady Wolves in their season preview in an upcoming edition of The Clarkston News.

The Clarkston Girls Varsity Tennis team were a force to be reckoned with during the spring season.
They continued their tradition of being a strong and talented team on the court throughout their 2013 season finishing with an overall record 20-1.
The season ended at the MHSAA State Finals in Midland taking third place with 20 points.
“They did well,? said Becky Freeman, head coach. ‘They had a lot of fun.?
It was the third consecutive trip for the Lady Wolves and third time finishing in the top three with a second place finish in 2012 and winning the championship in 2011.
They earned their spot winning title at the MHSAA Regionals with 28 points. Lexi Baylis, Isabella Spindler and Dana Olsen finished in first place on the singles courts. Paige Olsen and Alex Whall won the championship on the Doubles No. 1 court.
‘It was tremendous,? said Freeman. “I was proud. It was a true team effort. I was excited.”
The Lady Wolves spent the whole season preparing by taking on not only tough competition in the OAA Red but also the toughest teams around the state in matches and tournaments. They finished in the OAA Red undefeated, 6-0. They also won three tournaments – the Pioneer Invitationals and two Holly Invitationals.
Freeman noted the team’s dedication led to their success for the season. She added the girls would continue to hit after practice and they were very focused.
The strength and talent continues next year as they return all but four players – Mackenzie Bedor, Kendra Mantz, Jordan Stuart and Monique Zentner graduated in June.
“We will miss our seniors,” said Freeman. “The depth of my lineup is returning. My top six girls are returning. I am looking forward to them improving and coming back at it strong next year.”

Congratulations to Clarkston High School 2013 graduates Rachel Dickerson and Nathan Yeloushan.
Both were recognized for their athletic achievements during the senior award ceremony, May 14. They received the male/female athletic award.
Dickerson heads to Grand Valley State University this fall where she will continue playing volleyball.
She began playing volleyball in seventh grade after her friends introduced her to the sport through Clarkston Volleyball Camp.
‘I loved being on a team and have everyone pick each other up,? she said earlier this year.
Dickerson assisted her teammates on the varsity volleyball team as they finished the season winning the OAA league and district titles with a 53-7 record.
Yeloushan was instrumental for two teams this year as he used his skills on the football field and the basketball court with the Wolves.
He heads to Sienna Heights University where he will continue his role as tight end and linebacker.He signed his letter of intent earlier this year fulfilling his dream to play college football.
Yeloushan began playing football in sixth grade and admitted the passion began when he went to Friday night games with his parents.
‘It looked like fun,? he said. He added the Clarkston program was a great role model for him growing up and will help him in life.
He helped gridiron heroes finish with a 11-1 record and as OAA Red and district champions. During the winter season, he assisted the basketball team capture another OAA Red title and finish the season 18-4.

The Wolves took down three teams in the Roy Warner Classic tournament on Saturday to take home the crown.
‘It was a nice to go out there and win,? said senior Ryan Slaugher. ‘It was a lot of fun, too. We played well.?
The Clarkston Varsity Baseball team beat Lahser in the championship game in five innings, 12-2. Alex Peck had three hits against Lahser.
They also had a shorter game against Birmingham Groves with a 15-0 win in three innings. Jacob LaPorter scored three runs in the game. They also beat Waterford Kettering, 9-4.
‘We played really well,? said Phil Price, head coach. ‘Weston Sielaff pitched and did a nice job. Everybody got to play and everybody hit the ball well. Slaughter had a great day. Our kids came to play and we did everything well.?
He added a nice bonus to the day was Roy ‘Pops? Warner came to the tournament.
‘It was nice to see him,? Price smiled.
The boys followed it up with a double header against Oxford on Monday. They won the first game 10-8. The boys took the lead and Oxford tied it at eight points. The Wolves came back for the win with two runs.
The boys took the lead in the second game in the top of the second inning when Blake Rehahn hit a double and brought in one run. Mitchell Smith was next to score off his hit putting the score, 2-0.
Oxford caught up and led the game at the end of the fifth inning, 8-2.
The Wolves put up a fight in the seventh inning with a double from Slaughter with two RBIs and a hit from Joe Popp with two more runs.
The game ended on account of darkness before the Wolves could continue the momentum with two runners on bases with one out
‘It is a lesson for our kids,? said Price. ‘They can’t wait until the end of play.?

It was an unforgettable season for the Lady Wolves.
The Clarkston Girls Varsity Basketball team lost six seniors from their 2011-2012 season. Many saw it as a rebuilding year as they saw it as keeping the momentum going.
They won 20 consecutive games before their season ended, with a 22-2 record.
They claimed their third consecutive district championship by defeating Oxford, 36-17, and Lake Orion, 50-16.
Before they began the playoff season they won their second consecutive OAA Red league title after winning the last game of the regular season against Pontiac. The win put them undefeated in the OAA Red, 14-0.
‘I am really proud of them,? said head coach, Tim Wasilk. ‘They had to beat teams twice and go on the road to some tough opponents? gyms.?
The Lady Wolves finished their season in the regional finals with a 40-37 loss to Birmingham Marian.
“It was a great season,” said Wasilk. “Our girls far exceeded expectations I had for them and they probably had for themselves. The team chemistry was great. It was a great team to coach. I couldn’t be happier for these kids.”
The team graduates three seniors – Erin Davenport, Delaney Kenny and Patrice Matthews.
“Our seniors did a heck of a job,” Wasilk added. “What those girls have meant to our program is beyond words. We wouldn’t be even in this game if we didn’t have those three on the floor and in the program. They are great kids. I am excited for their future.”
They have nine returners coming back – freshman Mariah Hood; sophomores Jessica Altene, Erika Davenport; juniors Remia Bryant, Alaina Cook, Haley Daugherty, Carly Giroux, Katelyn Kuenzel and Kacy Robinson.

Clarkston residents helped their teammates at Pontiac Notre Dame Prep go all the way to the MHSAA Competitive Cheer Division 4 State Finals on Saturday.
The team finished in second place with 765.84 points, scoring 226.7 points in the first round, 223.04 in the second round and 316.10 in the final round. Richmond took first with 768.64 points.
‘We have had an amazing season,? said Coach Beth Campbell. ‘We have won first place in every competition except for one where we had suffered an injury and had to replace someone.?
Going into the state finals they were picked as one of the top two teams.
‘We are definitely vying for the state championship,? Campbell said going into the weekend. ‘We have a wonderful chance.?
The road for finals began when they placed first at the MHSAA District competition at Richmond High School, Feb. 15. They scored 772.22 with 230.7 points in the first round, 224.72 in the second round, and 316.8 in the final round.
‘It is the first year Notre Dame Prep won the district championship so it was a really big deal,? Campbell added. ‘The program has been improving year after year. This year we had a group of senior leaders who really helped to lead the team. Also the team is very focused on winning. They want to be the best and they are not willing to give it up for anyone.?
They finished second in the the MHSAA Regional competition, Feb. 23 with 762.38 points.
They prepared by doing the same things at practice as they had done all season long and not putting pressure on themselves.
Clarkston residents are Kennedy Quirk, Morgan Gales, and Campbell.

Lady Cagers took the court by storm this season, going undefeated.
The Clarkston Girls Freshman basketball team opened with a 40-9 win over Davison in their season opener, Nov. 30, and followed it up with a close win over Lake Orion, 29-28, on Dec. 4.
They would beat Lake Orion in another close match in January to keep their streak going, 25-24.
Coach Dan Vanaman added beating the Dragons twice was a few of the many highlights during the season.
‘It is pretty big and good for the program,? he said. ‘We have a special group of players.?
The season began with players making a list of goals and techniques they wanted to work on during the year.
‘Goals were working on dribbling,? said Vanaman. ‘Some wanted to to be more comfortable with left handed dribbling and ball control. They had their goals and I think all of them improved in at least one area.?
The girls added their last win on Feb. 19 as they closed the season at West Bloomfield, 38-14.
‘It was a big win. We finished very well,? said Vanaman. ‘We played a really solid defense. Everything worked for us. We finished strong. They didn’t give up and fought hard to the end.?
He added they will have a lot to add to the Lady Wolves basketball program as they continue onto the JV and varsity teams in the future.
‘They are solid basketball players,? said Vanaman. ‘They understand the game. They work well with each other. They understand our system and what we are trying to accomplish. They fit in really well with what we are trying to do out there.?
The 2012-2013 team is Nydia Batiste, Alyssa Bey, Rachel Bojanowski, Madeline Bullinger, Kelsey Catania, Mary Costa, Theresa Guevara, Sarah Klimczak, Kailan Mehta, Ashley Miles, Lauren Moore, Nickola Olivia, Lauren Tait and Simone Williams.

Clarkston residents Haley Howell and Ava Doetsch, both students at Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes High School, are ready to take their athletic skills to college after signing their letters of intent on Feb. 6.
Howell committed to play volleyball at Walsh University in North Canton, Ohio, a NCAA Division II college and part of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
Howell, a setter for OLL, was a four year varsity team member and a captain for two years. During the four years, she was awarded All-State, All-Catholic, All-Region and All-County honors, in addition to being named team Most Valuable Player. In her senior year, she accumulated 904 assists, 138 kills and 127 service aces.
In addition to volleyball, Howell has a 3.98 GPA and is three year member of the varsity ladies basketball team. She is the daughter of Doug and Carol Howell.
Doetsch committed to play soccer at the University of Nebraska – Omaha, a NCAA Division I college part of the Summit League.
In her first three years at Our Lady of the Lakes, was named first-team All-State, All-Catholic and All-League each year.
Doetsch has scored 117 career goals entering her final season this spring.
Her talents don’t end with soccer as she is also a three-peat state champion and All-State basketball player with the Our Lady of the Lakes varsity team. She has also participated in track. She is the daughter of Mark and Denise Doetsch.
Joining Howell and Doetsch on signing day were two of their classmates, Jessica Parry and Garrett Ross, both from Waterford.
Parry will play soccer for Schoolcraft College in Livonia and Ross committed to play football at Michigan Tech.

The spirit of blue and gold took over Troy Athens High School on Feb. 2 as the Clarkston Varsity Competitive Cheer team competed in the OAA White League Championship.
They finished in first place after three rounds of competition, scoring 718.74. West Bloomfield finished in second place with 711.8 points. Farmington took third’ Hazel Park, fourth; and Royal Oak, fifth.
“We consider this a very big accomplishment considering this was expected to be mostly a rebuilding year for our girls,” said parent, Jessica Wilson. “We have a new coach, a group of girls who are just getting to know each other as a team, and we are very young.?
The Lady Wolves finished the first round in third place, scoring 215.1 points. They topped the second round with a first place finish with 211.64 points and took second in the final round.
It wasn’t the first time the team took first place in the league. During the season they finished first in the OAA White Jamboree #1 with 663.96, Jan. 9.
In the OAA White Jamboree #2 on Jan. 23, they finished in second place with 652.92 points as West Bloomfield took first.
The girls followed it up with another first place finish this past weekend at the Fenton Tiger Invitational at Fenton High School. The JV team took second place.
The team consists of five freshmen, nine sophomores, five juniors and two seniors.
The Lady Wolves are: Jordan Ames, Lexi Anastasi, Brianna Callahan, Gabby Carusello, Jennifer Checkowsky, Rachel Christensen, Katie Clements, Kayleigh Goodrich, Courtney Kennedy, Haley Layson, Kaitlyn Milano, Paige Morrison, Tyler Pearce, Alyse Richards, Rachel Rooks, Alexis Rouse, Lauren Scott, Katheryn Sullivan, Megan Sullivan, Shelby Weiler, and Hannah Wilson. They are coached by Beth Markey.
They compete in the MHSAA Districts at Davison on Friday, 6 p.m.

The Wolves have taken over their league, remaining undefeated and ranked eighth in the state.
“We have had an awesome year,” said Lenny Kersten, a coach for the Clarkston Bowling Program. “We have six strong kids this year.”
The Clarkston Boys Varsity Bowling recently took down two tough opponents – North Farmington, 18-12, and Oxford, 17-13.
The boys lost both their baker games to North Farmington and were down 0-10. When it came time for the team games they came back by winning the first game with nine points, the second game with seven points.
“It is one of the hardest things to do,” Kersten explained. “I compare it to being down 20 points in a basketball game in the fourth quarter and coming back and winning. It seems when our backs are against the wall, we come out fighting. We tell the boys we are down 0-10 and all the sudden the lights click on. They start going to town and bowl really well.”
Eric Wagner bowled scores of 255 and 257 for a 512 and Kyle Kirby bowled a 225 game and finished with a 405 set.
“We have four kids who are averaging over 200,” Kersten added. “To me it is pretty awesome.”
They also beat Oxford for the second time after a close battle after losing the first two games.
The boys also won LCN Baker’s Dozen tournament, Jan. 12. They bowled 13 baker games and qualified in 11th place. Then bowled 11 more games to beat Lakeview, DeLaSalle, Troy and Oxford in the finals to become champion.
He added the close matches will help as the Wolves go into playoffs with MHSAA Regionals at Drakeshire Lanes in Farmington, Feb. 22-23.
“It is going to be a huge factor because when you bowl in playoffs it’s a different mindset,” he said. “There is so much more at stake. It’s not just your reputation as a bowler but representing your school. We always remind the kids it isn’t for yourself; you are representing Clarkston.”
“They know they have the talent and they can do it,” said Kersten. “We are excited and looking forward to the end of February.”
The boys varsity team is Timothy Cuthrell, Anthony Hernandez, Jacob Kersten, Kyle Kirby, Brock Nowak, and Eric Wagner.

The Clarkston Chiefs JV teams battled each other for the second consecutive year in the Northern Youth Football League Super Bowl, Nov. 4.
The JV Gold went in looking to conquer and take the title from the JV White team who won last year.
The JV White team prevailed and won the game for the championship, 12-6.
The JV White team finished the season with a 10-1 record and the JV Gold team finished with an 8-2 record.
Both teams won their respective division championships to move on to the superbowl, Oct. 28.
The JV White team won the American Division after a close 8-6 battle over Troy.
The JV Gold prevailed after two overtime periods for a win over Oxford JV Gold. They won the National Division, 18-12.

Spikers are ready for playoff action – starting this week with MHSAA Districts.
They finished their regular season with a bang by winning the Andover Tournament during the weekend.
They were undefeated going 6-0 for the day. They beat Utica Eisenhower in the championship match, 25-20 and 25-18.
Emily Popp had 50 digs and was 41 for 41 in serve receives. Brianna Frakes had 99 assists and 10 aces and Rachel Dickerson had 36 kills and 28 digs.
“We ended on a good note,” said Clarkston Girls Varsity Volleyball Coach Kelly Avenall. “It is a little bit of confidence as we go into playoffs. I think the girls feel pretty good about how they are playing.”
The Lady Wolves face different opponents in this year’s district as they go against Rochester Adams in the first round. If they win they will play against Romeo on Thursday with a chance to go against Oxford or Lake Orion in the finals.
“We definitely have a tough district and we have a lot of work to do this week,” said Avenall. “It is different than it has been the last couple of years. The MHSAA likes to reboot throughout the district lines. Now Orion is in our district and they haven’t been the last couple of years. They are also ranked in the state.”
Though the girls beat them a few weeks ago for the OAA Red title it was a close match.
“A team like that is hard to beat twice,” said Avenall. “It is not something we can walk through because we did it one time. We have to get through our first few rounds. I won’t focus on Orion until we get to that point. I don’t want the girls to look that far ahead but we do know it is looming over our heads during this first round of playoffs.”
Avenall added the Lady Wolves strengths going in the playoffs is finishing the regular season with a 49-6-1 record – one of the best in the school’s history.
“It is a strength for them to know they have been successful,” she said. “We’ve won some tight matches.”
Another strength is having five seniors with experience. All know the pressure teams face in the playoffs after experiencing it themselves last year during the semifinals.
The district playoffs began Tuesday with Clarkston against Rochester Adams. It continues Thursday, 5:30 p.m., and finals on Saturday, 11 a.m. All games are at Romeo High School, 11091 W. 32 Mile Road in Romeo.
Check for updates on www.ClarkstonNews.com, Clarkston News Facebook or on Twitter – CNewsWRSports.

Clarkston runners have dominated the paths throughout the season.
Their most recent victories included taking second place in the OAA Jamboree, Oct. 18, and the Oakland County Meet, Oct. 3. Both races Birmingham Seaholm took first place.
“They performed really well,” said Coach Kevin Breen. “Out of the 44 teams in the county we took second place to the number one ranked team in the state.”
The top three runners for the meet were Nicole Hanson, in ninth place; Lynsie Gram, in 16th; and Erin Billette, in 28th place.
Leading the Lady Wolves in the OAA Red Jamboree were Hanson and Billette, who both finished the season as All-League.
“Across the board we had solid performances,” Breen said, adding “it’s nice to know we’ve got a couple of runners on our JV team that are close to the varsity line up. It’s nice to know we have runners coming up that can take the place of the varsity runners – Molly Jeffers, Kaitlyn Cavallo, Hannah Hawkins and Morgan Martin.”
The Lady Wolves took second place in the OAA Red Jamboree #2, Sept. 24. as well in the OAA Red Jamboree #1, Sept. 11., both times finishing behind Seaholm.
“It was a very respectable finish,” said Breen at the time. “Rochester Adams (finished third) is up there as one of the better teams so beating them was a step in the right direction for us.”
Earlier in the season both the varsity and JV teams took second place in their respective races at the Hanson’s Invitational.
The JV and varsity runners making up the the Girls Cross Country team are Taylor Beach, Sage Bearegard, Erin Billette, Amanda Casetti, Kaitlin Catania, Kelsey Catania, Kaitlyn Cavallo, Amanda Chamberlain, Briana Crist, Kelley Fitzpatrick, Lynsie Gram, Nicole Hanson, Hannah Hawkins, Kelsey Hunt, Helen Jeffers, Molly Jeffers, Jillian Kurolvech, Morgan Martin, Sydni Miller, Haleigh Orr, Mackenzie Proper, Karina Ramirez, Katie Sperry, Rebecca Thompson, Amanda Wakefield, Monica Wanat and Clara Zeder.
The runners head to the MHSAA Regionals this week.
“We are really confident going into regionals,” said Breen. “If we keep carrying the performances and improve slightly on that we are ready to take on the top position at regionals.”

The ICE Silver 10U team continues a winning tradition.
The ICE Fastpitch Softball organization hosted the third annual Ice Breaker tournament. They welcomed teams from around Michigan to participate.
ICE Silver represented the organization by going undefeated and taking home the championship trophy.
The team outscored their opponents 52-8 over the five game span including a 3-0 shutout in the championship game against Motor City Madness from Novi.
Highlights from the tournament included Abbey Barta shutout performance in pitching. She struck out six and only allowed two hits during the championship game. Her teammates held defense with key plays to stop their opponents. One of them was Hannah Workman with a diving catch in the outfield that saved two runs from scoring.
Motor City Madness held their own as a tough opponent. They only allowed a total of three hits to Abbey Tolmie, Hannah Cady, and Barta.
Coaches Holly Workman, Scott Tolmie, and Bill Wycoff didn’t let it deter them though.
As soon as ICE players reached the bases due to hits or walks, they were going to get them home anyway possible.
With solid base running Cady, Samantha Hackman, and Samantha Wycoff were able to score the only runs the team would need to seal the victory.
This tournament was the first one on the ICE Silver schedule this season.
The bar has definitely been set high and ICE Silver 10U welcomes the challenges for the rest of the season.
ICE Silver 10U is a travel softball team based in Clarkston. For more information about ICE Softball, please contact Holly Workman, coach for ICE Silver 10U or Paul Workman, coach for ICE Black 9U, through the organization’s team website www.icefastpitch.net.

The Lady Hitters held onto their title as they became champions at the Marysville Tournament for the second year last Friday.
“I am very excited about how the girls played,” said Clarkston Girls Varsity Volleyball Coach Kelly Avenall. “I told the girls you don’t win every tournament you are in. We are in seven tournaments. Winning a tournament is certainly exciting. Petoskey is a good team. They have a middle hitter that is going to Michigan State University. They gave us a little bit of trouble.”
The Lady Wolves went 5-0-1 for the day. They beat Petoskey in the championships, 25-21, 25-21. They lost their first game earlier in the day to Petoskey in pool play.
Leading the team were Rachel Dickerson with 66 kills, eight blocks and eight aces, Emily Popp with 49 digs and three aces and Brianna Frakes had 100 assists and seven aces.
“Kaley Konjarevich has been hurt. The girls stepped up and rallied around each other,” Avenall added. “Brooke Huisman came off the bench and proved to the team and me she deserves to be out there. She played hard and had some blocks for us.”
She also had some key kills against Petoskey during the championship game.
“She was a pleasant surprise to have step up for us on Friday,” Avenall said.
The girls also played in the Mercy Volleyball Showcase on Wednesday for the first time.
They finished in second place after two close sets with Novi. Novi won, 25-23 and 25-23.
“It gave them a lot of confidence,” said Avenall. “They knew going in what kind of competition they were going to face. The returners know and have been telling them what reputation the teams have and what kind of players they have. No one likes to lose, but it proved to them we can hang with these top teams in the state. We can still compete against them.”
Dickerson had 70 kills on Wednesday and Popp had 66 digs.
The games for the week now put the girls at a overall 10-3-1 record.
The girls played at North Branch on Tuesday and head to the Grand Blanc Classic on Sept. 8.
“They are playing a lot better than I expected them to play right now,” Avenall added. “I thought we were going to struggle.”

Alyssa Bey and Kayla Russell made a run for the 46th USATF National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships.
They were on the 400-meter relay team and the 1,600-meter relay team.
They won the state level and the regional meet in Ohio before they advanced to the Junior Olympics, held July 23-29 at Hughes Stadium at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland.
They ran the 400-meter relay run in 50.96 and the 1,600-meter relay in 4:08, both were the team’s best.
They even knocked 19 seconds off their 4×400 time and they were running in temperatures over 100 degrees.
Forty-five teams from around the nation made it to the Junior Olympics for each relay.
Bey and Russell helped their other teammates by finishing 10th overall in the 4×400 and 14th in the 4×100 event.
They joined the track club in early July and had less than a month to train.
They are looking forward to training with the team and coaches more to continue to improve their times.
Both begin their freshman year at Clarkston Junior High School in September. They both broke two school records when they were eighth graders in track. They also play on the junior high basketball team and a travel basketball team.
They are also honor roll students.
The USATF Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships is the most visible youth athletic development program in the world.
Many of today’s Olympic stars began their track and field careers competing in the USATF National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships.
Entry for this championship is based on athlete performances at preliminary, Association, and Regional levels of the 2012 USATF Junior Olympic Program.
For more information, visit the USATF website at www.usatf.org.

Dylan Peck and Shauna Siwicki received the 2012 Steve Howe Scholarship Fund Award.
“It was really exciting,” said Siwicki. “I wasn’t expecting to get the scholarship so it was cool to get it.”
The scholarship is awarded every year to a varsity baseball and a varsity softball player. It is given to honor the tradition of sportsmanship and outstanding performance in Clarkston Baseball and Softball.
The scholarship award was started by the family of Steve Howe, who passed away in a traffic accident in 2006. Howe was a Clarkston graduate and a member of the 1976 State Championship Team.
He went to the University of Michigan and then played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees. Howe was the National League Rookie of the Year in 1980. He helped the Dodgers win a World Series in 1981.

Don Peters described the Clarkston Girls Varsity Softball season in one word – awesome.
“Obviously having a 36-5 season is awesome,” added the head coach. “But more important was how they played together. It was the teamwork they had and the support from parents. It was a lot of fun.”
They ended the season with the most wins the team has had in Clarkston High School history and capped it off with winning the MHSAA District title.
The Lady Wolves also took first place at the University of Michigan tournament, May 19. They took second place in the 20th Annual Michigan Stars Tournament, May 6.
The team also gave back by hosting their first Girls in Pink Classic to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
“The girls are one of the best teams in the state this year,” Peters said, adding their talent, team chemistry and hard work helped them to get to their high skill level.
The honors players received at the end of the season prove it with seven players receiving accolades.
Honors for players were freshman Madeline Maday: All-State, All-Region, All-District and All-League; junior Sydney Hasselbach: All-State, All-Region, All-District, All-League; senior Megan Hastings: All-Region, All-District, All-League, Honorable Mention All-State; senior Shauna Siwicki: All-Region, All-District, All-League, Honorable Mention All-State; senior Tara Perry: All-Region, All-District, All-League, Honorable Mention All-State; senior Rachel Pytel: All-District, All-Region; and sophomore Rachel Alli: All-District.
Peters received honor of All-Star Coach.
“The honors are well-deserved,” added Peters. “I was pleasantly surprised so many got them but so many of them had outstanding individual seasons.”
The team graduated four seniors this season: Hastings, Perry, Pytel and Siwicki.
“They had great leadership,” Peters smiled. “They had a positive attitude and just love to play the game. I think it rubbed off on a lot of the girls.”
Hastings will play in the Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association All-Star game next Wednesday. Peters was chosen as one of the coaches for the game. It is at Secchia Stadium in East Lansing, 1:30 p.m.
“It is neat for the community to be represented at that level,” he said. “I really enjoyed the girls and their families this year. I love being a coach in Clarkston.”

Megan Hastings and Matt Dellinger finished their high school career honored as Senior Athletes of the Year.
Dellinger opened the year in the fall season filling in for multiple positions for the Clarkston Wolves Varsity Football team. Hastings ended the year playing softball during the spring season for the Lady Wolves. Both spent the winter on the basketball court.
They aided their teams to the OAA Red championships for all their sports.
Hastings helped her basketball and softball teams win district titles for her senior year.
Dellinger helped to boost his teams in the playoff seasons but was part of the 2009 team to get to the MHSAA Semifinals.
Both are heading to college in the fall, Dellinger signed to Kent State University to continue his football last February. He will study aeronautics as a major and criminal justice as a minor with a goal to be a Navy Seal.
“Kent State has a whole new coaching staff,” he said when he signed. “I was one of their first offers and on the top of the list. They came from good programs. It really helped.”
Hastings is heading to the University of Kentucky with her focus in pharmacy. She will not be playing sports because the field is competitive. She prepared by taking Advanced Placement courses ans was in CSMTech.
The leaders shared advice for aspiring athletes.
“They just need to keep practicing and practicing,” said Hastings, adding they need to work hard and stick with the game. “I know there are a lot of girls that aren’t coming out so basketball is dropping out.”
“It’s good to get out there,” said Dellinger for athletes wanting to continue in college. “The earlier the better. A lot of times it is hard to get anything after being a senior. It is more difficult. If you want to play there is always a spot someplace no matter what division.”
Both graduated from Clarkston High School on June 4. Hastings graduated Summa Cum Laude and part of the National Honor Society. Dellinger graduated Cum Laude and a International Baccalaureate Diploma Candidate.
Parents are Matt and Stephanie Dellinger and Stu and Kaye Hastings.

The Lady Wolves were prepping for their MHSAA Tennis State Finals and practicing hitting tennis balls back and forth to their teammates
Then they stopped, they spun around going to the ground and jumped back up. They started singing and dancing to Carly Rae’s song “Call Me Maybe.”
“They practiced for a couple of weeks,” said Clarkston Girls Varsity Tennis Head Coach Becky Freeman. “They all worked together as a team and it was very cute.”
As a team, they finished at the state finals in second place, one point away from first place. They also tied with Port Huron Northern with 25 points.
“They all played well,” said Freeman. “It was a strong second place finish.”
Lexi Baylis won her second state championship in Singles #1 and finished at the state tournament, 4-0. Paige Olsen won her first championship in Singles #3 and also went 4-0.
For doubles, Dana Olsen and Olivia Dunn won the state title in court one, going 4-0 for the meet.
Katie Brozovich finished her senior season as runner-up in Singles #1, finishing 3-1 at the meet.
Abbey Hubregsen went 1-1 for the state finals in Singles #4 and ended her season in the quarterfinals.
Amy Wozniak and Allie Wilson, in court two for doubles went 1-1 in the state meet; Mackenzie Bedor and Jordan Stuart, in court three, finished 0-1; Monique Zentner and Katie Hubregsen, in court four, finished 2-1.
The girls won their second consecutive regional title during the season. They scored 30 points out of a possible 32 points. Each court had a Clarkston player on it for the championship rounds. The Lady Wolves ended finishing with six players winning their match.
They finished the season ranked second place in Division 1. They went 17-3-1 in dual matches and finished the OAA Red sharing the title with Birmingham Seaholm this season. For tournamenths, they tied for first at the Holly Red and White Tournament and placed second at the Ann Arbor Pioneer Invitational.

Megan Hastings and Matt Dellinger finished their high school career honored as Senior Athletes of the Year.
Dellinger opened the year in the fall season filling in for multiple positions for the Clarkston Wolves Varsity Football team. Hastings ended the year playing softball during the spring season for the Lady Wolves. Both spent the winter on the basketball court.
They aided their teams to the OAA Red championships for all their sports.
Hastings helped her basketball and softball teams win district titles for her senior year.
Dellinger helped to boost his teams in the playoff seasons but was part of the 2009 team to get to the MHSAA Semifinals.
Both are heading to college in the fall, Dellinger signed to Kent State University to continue his football last February. He will study aeronautics as a major and criminal justice as a minor with a goal to be a Navy Seal.
“Kent State has a whole new coaching staff,” he said when he signed. “I was one of their first offers and on the top of the list. They came from good programs. It really helped.”
Hastings is heading to the University of Kentucky with her focus in pharmacy. She will not be playing sports because the field is competitive. She prepared by taking Advanced Placement courses ans was in CSMTech.
The leaders shared advice for aspiring athletes.
“They just need to keep practicing and practicing,” said Hastings, adding they need to work hard and stick with the game. “I know there are a lot of girls that aren’t coming out so basketball is dropping out.”
“It’s good to get out there,” said Dellinger for athletes wanting to continue in college. “The earlier the better. A lot of times it is hard to get anything after being a senior. It is more difficult. If you want to play there is always a spot someplace no matter what division.”
Both graduated from Clarkston High School on June 4. Hastings graduated Summa Cum Laude and part of the National Honor Society. Dellinger graduated Cum Laude and a International Baccalaureate Diploma Candidate.
Parents are Matt and Stephanie Dellinger and Stu and Kaye Hastings.

Madeline and Gabrielle Maday share a passion for softball – a passion leading both to no-hitter games, May 5.
Madeline, a freshman at Clarkston Junior High School, pitched her no-hitter against Farmington Hills Harrison for Clarkston Girls Varsity Softball during the Michigan Stars tournament.
The right handed pitcher had 15 strikeouts relying on her curveball and screwball.
“I was feeling really good and pitching really well,” she smiled. “My team was doing an awesome job backing me up. I didn’t realize it until the end. It was a big moment for me because I am a freshman on a varsity team and I feel like I have to prove myself.”
Gabrielle, a Clarkston Elementary fifth-grader, received the news her sister pitched a no-hitter and was inspired.
“I was really excited,” she said. “I wanted to get one, too.”
Gabrielle went into the championship game at the Hawks Invitational confident and ready to help her ICE-Black 10U team with their victory and to succeed with her goal.
“She was doing really well,” Madeline smiled. “I thought ‘oh my gosh, she is going to get it.'”
Gabrielle, a left-handed pitcher, struck out nine hitters and used her curveball and rise ball against the Hawks, to keep her team undefeated in the tournament.
“It was really cool we both got a chance to shine on the same day with a sport we both love,” said Madeline.
“Everyone was saying ‘oh my gosh, the Maday sisters are on fire,'” Gabrielle added. “It showed you can do something when you worked so hard to get.”
Both added softball is in their blood – their mom, aunt and cousins played and their grandfather is not only their pitching instructor but coached for college and high school teams. They plan to continue playing as long as they can.
Though they are working on different techniques in their pitching they help each other.
“Before games she will help me warm up and she knows the things I have been working on,” added Gabrielle.

The Michigan Impact took the west side of Michigan by storm during the 2012 Crusader Cup, April 27-29.
Boy from the U-10 and U-12 battled through rain, wind and cold to a great finish with the U-10 team winning the championship in their division. The U-12 team finished as finalists in their division.
The U-10 boys went undefeated on their way to the championship as they posted wins over: Caledonia, 5-1, Grand Rapids, 5-0, Middleton, 7-3, and Paw Paw, 4-2
Everyone on the team scored at least one goal and Zac Senko had a hat trick.
The U-12 boys beat Middleton, 3-1, Galesburg, 6-2, and Caledonia. They lost the championship round to Kentwood, 3-1.
Tryouts for the next season are June 16 and 17 at Clintonwood Park. Please visit www.MichiganImpactSoccer.com for more information about their boys and girls teams.

The stage was set for the third time as players from Our Lady of the Lakes stepped onto the court at Breslin Center at Michigan State University in East Lansing for the third consecutive time, March 17.
For the third time, they won the MHSAA State Championship for Class D Girls Basketball.
The team is comprised with players from Marina Anderson, Ava Doetsch, Lexi Robak, from Clarkston; Micaela Mallory, Jessica Parry, Emmalee Peck, Lindsay Ross, Brianna Topolewski, from Waterford; Gabby Troy, from Lake Orion; Anna Robb, from White Lake; Carlee Cottrell, from West Bloomfield; and Tori Duffey, from Commerce.
They claimed their third title after beating Athens, 53-37, and finishing their season with an overall 23-4 record.
The team held onto the lead as they went into the half time break after going on a 13-3 run. Robak scored eight points to help boost the Lakers, 29-19.
During the third quarter, they continued to hold control of the board. Duffey aided in the surge, scoring three shots past the arc. They outscored Athens to go into the final quarter with a 42-26 lead
Duffey and Doetsch led the team with 13 points each. Robak scored 12 points. Robb and Cottrell added seven points each.
Four players were named to the All-State Class D team by the Associated Press.
Cottrell and Robak were named to the first team. Doestch and Duffey received an honorable mention.
The Lakers beat Portland St. Patrick in the semifinals in a close battle to make it the finals spot, 54-44.
They went on a 13-0 run to pull away from their 3-point lead over Portland into a 16-point lead with less than four minutes to go in the game.
The team not only made history at Our Lady of the Lakes but history for MHSAA Girls Basketball.
Only 12 teams in all four classes have reached the finals in three consecutive season. Only half of them have won three consecutive titles. The Lady Lakers have become the third team in Class D to win three in a row.
The Lakers coaching staff is head coach Steve Robak, from Clarkston, and assistant coaches Paul Robak, John Avery and Paul Boyea.

When the seniors stepped off of the basketball court for the last time they had left a mark on the Clarkston Girls Varsity Basketball team for years to come.
“We had six very talented and hard working seniors that showed a great deal of leadership,” said Tim Wasilk, head coach. “They definitely helped to put our program back on the map.”
The seniors – Breanca Cantrell, Megan Hastings, Christina Joskich, Anna Manilla, Jessica Ming and Tori Trimmer – had successfully led the team to two consecutive MHSAA District championships after a five year drought.
They also led in the league, finishing the regular season as OAA Red champions with a 12-2 league record adding to their 21-3 overall record.
“The biggest thing they pass on is how to come to work every day and practice every day,” Wasilk said. “How to come with a focused effort and not take days off. I was proud of what they accomplished this year. They taught the younger kids how to be competitive and how to win. Hopefully that will carry on.”
During their first season together in 2010-2011, the Lady Wolves had a successful boost from their 6-15 finish the previous year. They finished in March 2011 with a 18-6 record after their loss in the MHSAA Regional finals to Midland.
“It was a special group of seniors and a special group to be part of this year,” Wasilk added. “I was proud of what they accomplished. We have three captains graduating. It is nice to see them do well and be successful.”
The team loses 18 years of varsity playing experience – including four years from both Hastings and Manilla. Both have played on the team since their freshman year.
The team has nine players returning next year to continue the leadership and what they learned from the seniors.

Hard work paid off for the eighth grade cheerleaders at Clarkston Junior High School.
The Lady Wolves participated in four competitions this season and took place in all of them.
It was not the first time for the team. They also had success as seventh graders at Sashabaw Middle School . They participated in three competitions and took first place in all three.
The team can be found cheering from the sidelines for the football team during the fall season and the basketball team during the winter season.
They work on their skills year-round in not only cheers but their tumbling and stunting as well.
Fans of the team have added they will be a force to be reckoned with when they are in high school competitions.
The season is over for the Lady Wolves but they will be back in the fall as they head into ninth grade at the junior high school.
The Clarkston Junior High Eighth Grade Cheer team is: Meagan Boyd, Brianna Callahan, Bailey Carter, Jennifer Checkowsky, Sarah Frank, Nichole Gould, Mollie Gram, Sierra Koleber, Kailey Levely, Taylor McKay, Rebecca Milano, Alexandra Ottman, Caylee Price, Alyse Richards, Kayla Saplala, Lauren Scott, McKenna Seibert, Elizabeth Sheill, Julie Smail, Halley Sosnowski, Sydney Steger, Abby Wilson and Hannah Wilson. They are coached by Chandra Price and Marie Fahrner.

The pins fall back as the bowling ball strikes them and the Clarkston Boys Varsity Bowling team celebrates with the teammate who made it happen.
The Wolves have been working hard after school at Cherry Hill Lanes North on their techniques and their skills to get to their 5-1 record.
They knocked Lake Orion out of a tournament during the weekend and the Dragons were out for revenge on Monday at Collier Lanes.
The Wolves fought back with Max Wolfgang leading the way with a 464 series from a 234 and a 230 game. Kyle Kirby had a 459 series, with games of 235 and 224. Eric Wagner had the high game of 255 putting his series to 455.
They ended up losing the match, 20-10.
Prior to their meet against Lake Orion on Monday night they were undefeated after beating Troy-Athens, 27-3 on Jan. 17.
Tyler Hanscak had games of 225 and 214 for high series of 439. Wolfgang with close with games of 219 and 216 for a 435 set. Kirby had the high game with a 256.
The Wolves beat Troy at Cherry Hill North, Jan. 9, 28-2. Chris Gemborys had a 223 for the game high.
They also beat Oxford, 22-8, on Jan. 5.
Gemborys had a 213 and 202 for a 415 game. Wagner shot a 233 and 418 for a 451 series.
The boys opened the season at the OAA Singles Meet on Dec. 5.
Wagner placed first and Gemborys placed in third.
The boys also finished in third place at the Farmington Early Bird tournament at Drakeshire Lanes. Hancsak finished in sixth place with a 654 series and Wagner in seventh with a 652 series.
They head to the Swami Invitational this Saturday at Imperial Lanes in and host Oxford next Wednesday at Cherry Hill North, 3:45 p.m.

The PlayAllBasketball.Net Pride team recently finished their fall season winning the season and the playoff championship.
The team, made of high school boys basketball players, defeated a strong Troy Athens squad 75-56 to win the championship – their third championship season in a row for the club.
They competed in the high school boys elite upper division and it made out of Clarkston area players. The roster is Nick Tatu, Alan Kamieniecki, Connor Giroux, Tanner Schulte, Mike Risi as well as Taylor Perry, Zach Littleson and Joe Turnbull.
Tatu and Kamieniecki opened their winter season for the Clarkston Wolves Boys Varsity Basketball team with a 60-49 win over Orchard Lake St. Mary’s last Friday.
The team is proudly sponsored by Clarkston area business PlayAllBasketball.Net which was created by Dave Smith, a coach of a girls’ Amateur Athletic Union basketball team.
He noticed schools being closed and gym space disappearing and a continuously growing number of children living more and more sedentary lifestyles. He decided to do something about it and created Play All Basketball with the aim to maximize the usage of basketball facilities in the Clarkston and Waterford areas.
Play All Basketball provides social, educational, athletic and career improvement opportunities for youth and adult basketball fans. They specialize in gym rentals, basketball training and programming and connects players, parents, coaches, fans and vendors with convenient, affordable basketball resources.
Watch Tatu, Kamieniecki and their fellow Wolves in action at their next home game on Dec. 22 against Troy Athens.

Spikers rewrote the history books during their 2011 fall season – making it into the Final Four in the run for the MHSAA Volleyball State Championship.
Their run at the Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek ended to Lake Orion, Nov. 17 but their journey was spectacular. They won the OAA Red league, their fifth consecutive MHSAA District crown and their second consecutive MHSAA Regional crown.
They had fans on their edge of their seats as the Spikers won a close fifth game against Canton to win 16-14, to take the Quarterfinals win with 3-2.
“It was an epic season,” said Clarkston Girls Varsity Volleyball Coach Kelly Avenall.
“These girls are amazing. They made some awesome memories, friends and experience. A lot of people are giving us a lot more credit especially after this year.They made a name in the state for our program. I am proud of them.”
When the team lost seven seniors last year, Avenall admitted she would be happy with what the new players could bring to the court.
Then, the Lady Wolves opened the season with 25 wins and a possibility anything could happen.
“This team has mental game,” explained Avenall during the season. “The girls mold better together. When we make a mistake or lose a point you don’t see it on anyone’s face. You see ‘okay, my teammate made a mistake I am going to step up and work harder for them.’ It is why we have won so many tight matches – they just step up.
The 2011 Lady Wolves are: sophomores, Katie Chadwell, Franzi Loetzner, Brianna Frakes; juniors, Courtney Blaszkowski, Sarah Bullen, Rachel Dickerson, Brooke Huisman, Kaley Konjarevich, Emily Popp; seniors Stephani Marani, Angela Niezgoda and Maddie Lightfoot.
“We are going to miss them,” said Avenall about Marani, Niezgoda and Lightfoot. “I am going to miss them. They are the first group I coached in eighth grade. Maddie has been coming to camp since she was a little kid.”
Congratulations on a great season and finishing with an overall 56-6 record.

The Wolves from the Clarkston JV Football team celebrated after their game at Lake Orion High School, Oct. 20.
They had finished the season as OAA Red league champions after beating the Dragons in their last game for the season, 28-21.
The boys were undefeated throughout the season finishing with a stellar 9-0 record.
The home opener began the momentum as the boys successfully sent Rochester Adams home after the Wolves won on Aug. 25, 42-12.
The Wolves continued adding on a 31-14 win over West Bloomfield; 34-27 win over Troy-Athens; 28-17 win over Troy and a 35-10 win over Pontiac.
For their next two home games on Sept. 29 and Oct. 6, they kept their opponents in the single digits. They defeated Rochester first scoring 32 points and only allowed the Falcons to score eight. Then, against Pontiac the defense line kept the Phoenix to seven points as the offensive line rallied 42.
The boys visited Oxford to add a 49-22 win to their record.
The team had five freshman players; Cole Chewins, Adam Kline, Joe Popp, D.J. Zezula and Bryce Witherspoon and one junior Jerome Clevidence.
The rest of the roster included sophomores: Scott Allen, Jacob Armstrong, Griffin Barta, Gavin Butler, Marco Carlesimo, Tim Cason, Alex Deherder, Eric Dumas, Ian Eriksen, Ryan Feeley, Stevan Franko, Joe Friend, Jacob Gozdor, Tyler Grant, George Haight, Shane Hynes, A.J. Johnson, Jeremy Kalisz, Reid Kaminski, Adam Klebba, John Kreski, Stephon Lester, Grant McCallister, Jason McCowan, Jim McKillop, Joe Miller, Dominik Monson, Quinn Montgomery, Nick Morey, Brenden Newvine, Alex Peck, Jesse Pierson, Ryan Rea, Zach Roberts, Alex Salim, Ben Schuster, Nick Seguin, Jacob Smith, Kyle Smith, Mitch Smith, Jordan Stauffer, John Suarez, Chatfield Summers, Michael Yates, Caine Watlington, and Taylor Winiger.
Fifteen players were brought onto the varsity team as they continue on in the MHSAA playoffs.
Congrats on a great season!

The Lady Wolves head into their races for the MHSAA Regional this Saturday after finishing fifth at the OAA Red Championship.
“We knew going into it we were going up against four of the top 20 teams in the state,” said Girls Cross Country Coach Kevin Breen.
Natalie Smith led the team, finishing in fourth.
“She had a great day,” said Breen. “She beat some of the top competitors in the state including Gabby Thivierge from Rochester Adams and she held tight to the front of the pack.”
Kaitlin Catania finished in 20th; Lynsie Gram in 22nd; Kylie Knavish; Erin Billette in 33rd; Sage Beauregard in 35th. Molly Jeffers and Mackenzie Proper made their mark by pushing other runners into lower places.
“Kaitlin also had a nice race,” said Breen. “Lynsie really ran well. She PRed by 40 seconds. It was a big improvement on her last race. I think she has the capability to go even faster.”
Throughout the season they have taking first place at two race at the Hanson Invite, second place finish at the Father Gabriel Cross Country Invitational, tenth in the Oakland County Championships, and six members finished in the top 30 at the Chesaning Invitational.
The team’s biggest competition going to the regional meet is from Rochester Adams and Oxford.
“On a good day we might beat them by 15 points,” said Breen. “On a rough day, we may lose by 15 points. It depends on who has the most heart. Ideally we want to make it to states and get one more race in.”
He added the seventh and eighth runners will help by scoring extra points and taking the points from their opponents.
“It will be entirely a team effort,” said Breen. “It is going to be tough.”
The race is held at Goodells County Park, 8264 County Park, Goodells, Mich.

Seniors Zach Finn and Alex Richards ruled the doubles team portion of the OAA White Championship for tennis on Sept. 27.
Competing in Doubles #1 court, they took first place for the Clarkston Boys Varsity Tennis team, beating Lake Orion, Lahser and Rochester.
“It was a very good day,” said Richards. “We really had it going that day. We pulled off a upset when we beat Lahser.”
“Large upset,” Finn added.
The dual had competed against Lahser before and lost, 0-2. The comeback for the Wolves started when Lahser made mistakes Finn and Richards were able to take advantage of.
“Once we got the momentum we just kept it,” said Richards. “They underestimated us.”
Finna and Richards didn’t become doubles partners until after this season began but both have been playing tennis for a while. Richards began his freshman year.
“I started playing for fun,” he said. “I kept playing because I liked it. The team is cool. The guys are cool.”
Finn began taking lessons in seventh grade.
“My parents would say I have been playing my whole life,” he added. “The family outings on Sundays really got me started. It spiraled out of control from there and here I am on varsity.”
He also played soccer but when soccer was moved to the same season as tennis, he had to make a choice.
“It was really disappointing,” Finn said. “I chose tennis. Tennis is a lot of technique rather than athleticism.”
Richards currently has a grade point average of 3.7 and Finn holds a 3.6 GPA.
Both will continue to play after graduation for fun. Richards added it depended on the college he goes to and the tennis program they have.
Richards plans on studying engineering in college and Finn plans on computer science or some kind of engineering.

The Clarkston Equestrian Team is ready to launch their 2011 season after finishing as district and regional champions last year.
With their sights on the state championship this season, they open with their first meet, Saturday in Imlay City.
The riders then compete in a back-to-back meet at the Oakland County Fairgrounds in Davisburg, Sept. 24-25.
Eight members make up this year’s team: Denise Garbe, Becka Leek, Riana Leek, Emma Johnson, Emily Pobuda, Sarah Pobuda, Lili Pyscher and Rachel Vieira.
“We are small in number, but we are mighty,” added Darci Molina, assistant coach and alumni member.
Emily Pobuda and Riana Leek are returning as senior captains and will lead the team in Showmanship, Saddleseat, Western, Hunt Seat and Bareback.
Senior Denise Garbe, a second year team member who brought her horse from Germany, will lead in Jumping and also ride in Saddleseat and Hunt Seat.
“While the team is smaller in number of riders this year, its strength is versatility,” said Coach Tim Pobuda.
Sophomore Emma Johnson and three freshman riders, Becka Leek, Rachel Vieira and Sarah Pobuda finished strong in summer show season and are excited to contribute with performances in Showmanship, Saddleseat, Huntseat, Jumping, Western and Speed.
Tim added the three freshman showed their strong riding skills throughout the summer and during practices, with Becka in showmanship and riding in Western classes, Vieira in jumping and showing in Hunt Seat and Sarah in speed classes.
They are helped by non-riding team member Lili Pyscher.
“All of the girls are willing to push their boundaries and do whatever it takes to achieve their goals,” said Tim.

Spikers fought through adversity to win their first tournament of the season on Aug. 26 at the Marysville Invitational.
The Clarkston High School Girls Varsity Volleyball team beat Port Huron in the finals to take home the honor by winning both sets, 25-18 and 25-13.
But the most memorable game for the team was the semi-final match against Petoskey, where the girls won 25-23 and 25-21.
The Lady Wolves were down both sets and climbed their way through a 10 point deficit in the first set and a eight point deficit to win.
“It was a true test to see if the girls could play through adversity and not get frazzled,” said Kelly Avenall, head coach. “They continued, got through it and didn’t get nervous. They played well.”
With five returners from last season, the team is young and it was a test of where they are for the season.
“They just kept fighting and chipping away at it,” said Avenall. They didn’t really give up at all.”
Rachel Dickerson had 55 kills and six blocks during the day. Kaley Konjarevich had 39 kills and 23 aces; Stephanie Marani had 39 kills and 15 blocks and Maddie Lightfoot had 76 digs and seven aces.
“We served pretty well and it helped us,” said Avenall.
Clarkston beat seven games including Sterling Heights in the quarterfinals.

Hitters from the Clarkston Riverdawgs 10U team finished another great summer season.
One of their feats included winning the North Oakland Baseball Federation league championship. They took the title by defeating the Oakland Diamondbacks, 9-3, in their final game of the season on July 28.
The win put them at a league record of 19-3 and overall record 39-12.
Their second feat was their performances at their tournaments.
They finished as runner-ups at the BPA World Series in Warsaw, Indiana. The boys made it to the championship game after beating teams from Indiana, Kentucky and Michigan.
The boys played in five other tournaments. They finished in second place at three of them – the Clarkston Classic, South Farmington and the BPA State Tournament.
The Clarkston Riverdawgs 10U team is Jack Anderson, Seth Bacon, Ryan Barber, Wade Bonnici, Carson Butterfield, Patrick Deardorff, Alex Giroux, Brock Henley, Garrett Lanker, Matt McClellan, Connor McClennan and Drew Waite.

Moo-ove on over lacrosse teams the Cash Cows are dominating the field.
They became champions at the Cherry Bomb tournament in Traverse City for the high school “A” division, held July 29-31. They beat eight teams during the weekend to take the title.
“We had great performances,” said Coach Justin Tuma. “We went undefeated. It was great for the guys to make a run during the playoffs. Everyone played well which was nice.”
Over 100 teams from all over the Midwest traveled to the weekend tournament and competed in eight different divisions.
The boys opened the first day taking down TI Rising Stars Gold, 7-3. They went for three more wins in the second day against West Side Lacrosse, 11-4, Milwaukee Select, 18-1, and the Mud Dogs, 8-6.
The Cash Cows headed into the playoff round on Sunday were they kept up the momentum beating Mount Carmel, 13-0, CA Domers, 8-4, and Eastside, 8-2, putting them in the championship round against the Heat.
“We started off with a solid lead of five goals,” said Tuma. “They battled their way back and got within one goal.”
With a minute left in the game the Heat scored a goal to tie but they stepped into the crease and the point didn’t count.
The Cows kept up the pressure and held onto the lead to win 8-7.
“We pulled it off at the last second,” said Tuma. “It was close.”
Tuma explained experience helped the boys during the game – the team has players from Clarkston, Lake Orion, Notre Dame Prep and Flint Powers varsity teams.
“They have been in those situations before and they knew how to handle it,” Tuma added. “They handled it well.”
Most of the players have been on the team since it was started a few years ago and some joined this summer for their first season.
“The guys played well,” said Tuma. “They bought into the system I was trying to run and that was a college system. Most of the guys are sophomores, juniors and seniors so for them to play a college system will help them for the next level. Plus, it was good to end on a high note at the Cherry Bomb tournament for the end of the summer season.”

Oakland Sidewinders 16U is more than a team of young ladies from the Clarkston area but sisters.
They showed their unity during the National Softball Association Michigan State Softball Championship during June 23-26 and brought home the title in the “A” division.
“We played very well,” said Coach Stu Hastings adding all 55 teams at the championship were good. “When you play very well things seem to come easy even though they are not.”
The Sidewinders dominated the fields going 5-0 for the weekend starting with a 8-0 win over Eagles Fastpitch. During the next three games they continued to lead, taking down HangTuf Fastpitch, 10-5, Hurricanes Fastpitch Black, 7-2, and Gold Softpitch, 3-0.
The championship round brought them against Compuware, a team they lost to in the state finals a few years ago.
“Compuware is a very good team and a very good program,” said Hastings. “In softball when it is close it is whoever gets the breaks, whoever makes a big hit here or a big defensive play there. Last time they did it and this time we did it.”
The game was close until the girls blew Compuware away with their hitting during the middle of the game.
“Once we got the leverage the confidence grew and everybody started hitting,” said Hastings. “They had the bases loaded and we kept them from scoring a lot of runs that took us from being even to having the advantage. Then we came back and scored.”
They ended with a 9-0 win and are currently, 16-1 in the season.
The girls continue playing in college exposure tournaments before they head to the USSSA World Series where they finished as champions last year.
Hastings added the tournaments prepares the team for nationals because they are playing at such a high level of play.

Kickers from the Michigan Impact U9 finished their spring season in smiles.
They secured the Michigan Youth Soccer League Division title after an undefeated season and taking the division crown from PSG Nova North on June 12, 3-0.
They opened the season with their first tie against CW3 Extreme White on April 17, 1-1. Then, scored a 3-1 win against Romeo on April 29. They finished the season 7-0-3.
Michigan Impact tied three of their games but when they put their skills together they broke ties and sent their opponents home with a loss.
“The boys did very well for their first season playing together as a travel team,” said Brad Senko. “Most came from playing recreational soccer and decided they wanted to move up to the next level. It was an adjustment for them early on as they learned new skills.”
The team is part of the Michigan Impact Soccer Club, a regional travel soccer club based in Clarkston. They play in the Michigan Youth Soccer League in the northern Detroit Metro area as well as in the Michigan Premier Soccer League against teams around the state.
As members of the Michigan Impact Soccer Club they learn fundamental skills they can take with them to the next competition level.
The Michigan Impact U9 team plays again in the fall for their next outdoor season and are gearing to move up to the 10 and under division. They also play in two indoor sessions in November and December and in February and March
“They incorporated their individual talents, learned leadership and life skills by working together and growing as a team,” said Senko. “The boys are looking forward to playing and growing together again this year as they move up to the U-10 division.”

Lady Hitters headed to mid-Michigan to win the Alma Tournament, May 7.
The girls started out with a win against tournament host, Alma, 13-4 in five innings.
Shauna Siwicki hit a home run and had three RBIs for the first game. Teammates Sydney Hasselbach and Sarah Altene hit a double for the game and had one RBI each.
They mercied Berkley in the next game, 9-0. They opened the game with six runs and had a double from batters Liz Zezula, Megan Hastings, Rachel Pytel and Hasselbach.
Next came New Lothrop, which only scored one run on Clarkston. The Lady Wolves finished the game in the fifth inning with seven runs, putting the score 11-1.
Zezula had three RBIs, hit a double and stole two bases in the win. Altene and Hasselbach also hit a double.
During their final game they beat Breckenridge, 5-2, after scoring a pair of runs in the first and fifth inning.
Altene hit a double and Siwicki had two RBIs.
Hastings and Sam Hoeksema were winning pitchers, each with two games.
The varsity softball team is: freshmen, Rachel Alli, Hoeksema; sophomores, Alyssa Armstrong, Brenna Cooper, Hasselbach; juniors, Hastings, Tara Perry, Rachel Pytel, Shauna Siwicki; seniors, Altene, Allie Reeves and Zezula.

The Clarkston High School Girls Varsity Tennis team dominated the court on Saturday at the Grand Blanc Quad.
They won all 24 matches they played during the match and were undefeated during the day, finishing with 24 points.
The success meant all players finished in first place for the day.
For singles, Gabriella Spindler in Singles 1; Lexi Baylis in Singles 2; Katie Brozovich in Singles 3 and Kristina Lucas in Singles 4.
For doubles, Dana and Paige Olsen took first place in Doubles 1; Amy Wozniak and Abbey Hubregsen in Doubles 2; Olivia Dunn and Allie Wilson in Doubles 3 and Annie Gencay and Monique Zentner in Doubles 4.
Doubles 5 and 6, with MacKenzie Bedor, Jordan Stuart, Courtney Parkhill and Alaina Nido were present for the day but did not compete.
Grand Blanc followed in second place with 15 wins, Holly won six matches and Carman-Ainsworth won three matches.
The girls host West Bloomfield on Thursday, 4:30 p.m. and head to Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor on Saturday.

The Clarkston Boys Varsity Lacrosse team stormed into the spring season shooting, posting wins in their first two games.
Leading the Wolfpack were juniors Travis Craft and Kevin O’Grady.
Craft scored four goals and aided with two assists in the boys first win against Saline, 15-1 on March 30.
“It was wonderful,” said Brian Kaminskas, head coach. “We had him in the driver’s seat of the offense. When he is able to do what he did Wednesday night we know we are going to have a good night on offense.”
O’Grady scored six goals in the following game against Plymouth, aiding in the 13-3 win.
“It was really something nice,” said Kaminskas. “He was in the zone where we knew when he was shooting he was going to score. He was on the money.”
Both are returners from last year’s season.
The boys are on the road as they head to Troy-Athens on Thursday and Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Preparatory School next Tuesday.
They are back home on Thursday, April 21 when they take on Farmington.

The Clarkston Boys Varsity Hockey team ended their season as champions, claiming their fifth regional title.
They took down three teams to get to the trophy, beginning with Grand Blanc in a 5-3 win.
They followed it with a shut-out against Flint-Kearsley Holly, 8-0 in the next round. Then sealed their fate against Bay City in the final round, 5-4.
The boys finished the season on March 9 after losing in the Division 1 State Quarterfinal to Novi, 9-1.
The Regional Champs for the 2010-2011 season are: freshman, Jack Viazanko; sophomores Zach Gootee, Adam Johns, Adam Larkin, Nate Lowell; juniors, Adam Bruderick, Ian Clark, Chad Frost, Matt Harrington, Jordan Henney, Brad Pizzey, Adam Seel, Joshua Sowers; seniors, Dillon Drayer, Troy Fasseel, Alec Gildner, Connor Hughes, Adam Matynowski, Austin Morse, Macario Torres and Chad Wotton.
The boys ended with a 16-10-1 record. Read about their season online or in past print editions.

It was five years in the making as the Clarkston Girls Varsity Basketball beat Grand Blanc in the MHSAA District Championship, 42-20.
They ended their season at regional championships bringing their record to 18-6, a boost from the previous season.
“I am really proud of them,” said Tim Wasilk, head coach. “We had a good run. Not a lot of people thought we would be in this spot. Our girls just believed.”
The District Champions are freshman Kacy Robinson; sophomores, Erin Davenport, Natalie Drumb, Delaney Kenny; juniors, Anna Manilla, Breanca Cantrell, Tori Trimmer, Sarah Rooding, Jessica Ming, Megan Hastings, Christina Jokisch; and senior Lindsey Reppuhn.

Five grapplers stepped onto the podium under the bright lights of the Palace of Auburn Hills on March 5.
Each accepted a medal for their All-State finish in the MHSAA Wrestling Individual Finals.
Leading the pack was senior Matt Vandermeer, finishing his last year as state champion in the 171-pound weight class after going 4-0 for the tournament. He finished 53-4 for the season.
Senior Jeff Sloney ended his third consecutive visit at the finals in second place with a 3-1 record for the day, 46-8 for the season in the 130-pound weight class.
Senior Mike Henige ended his visit to the finals in fifth place for 160 pounds after going 3-2 for the three days, ending with a 48-12 record.
Junior Scott Devos took fourth place in his first visit to the Palace after winning four matches and losing two. He ended the season in his 285-pound weight class with a 44-15 record for the season.
Sophomore Nick Vandermeer stook on the last step of the podium for his eighth place finish, the youngest in the 135-pound weight class. He ended the season 41-21.

The Girls Varsity Bowling team finished their last set on Friday against Hazel Park with a celebration.
They beat Hazel Park in a shutout 30-0 and locked claiming the OAA league title with an undefeated season, 10-0.
“I am really proud of their performance,” said Coach Elanor Hallman. “The key to moving forward this season is the girls mental game. These girls know how to bowl.”
They followed the win with the OAA Tournament on Sunday, where they took first team and received awards for their season.
Caitlyn Stebbins and Stephanie Lavely were named to All-League first team; Erika Nowak to the All-League second team; and Alice Meyer to the All-League third team.
They also took first place at the Divine Child School Invitational on Saturday.
“This is the best team we have had since I have been on the team,” said Lavely in her third year. “We act like a team.”
“We have improved over time,” Nowak added.
They have known each other for awhile helping their unique team dynamics – when one of them is having problems the others help out.
“I was half an hour late to the meet against Lake Orion,” Lavely explained about the Feb. 7 meet. “We were both undefeated and I was late because of traffic.”
“It is about staying calm,” said Stebbins. “Stephanie was really freaked out and were worried about her. It didn’t help she was really anxious.”
They ended up beating Lake Orion and said it was their toughest opponent so far in the season.
Working as a team also works when they cheer each other on during their meets.
“It definitely helps we are as loud as we are,” Stebbins smiled. “It brings out the competition.”
“It intimidates the other team,” Nowak added.
The girls also finished second in the Oakland County Bowling Team Championship, scoring 3,254 after series of regular and baker games. Walled Lake Central took first place, scoring 46 more points.
Danielle Hopkins had the fifth spot for high game score with a 226. Nowak bowled a 545 series and Lavely bowled a 531, both finishing in the top 25 for singles match play with Stebbins and Hopkins.
Nowak, Lavely, Stebbins and Hopkins finished in the top 25 for singles match play. They finished third in the Motor City Challenge on Feb. 5.
“Their success is truly a testament to the work that they have put in this season.,” said Hallman.
“Many of the teams we compete against have more than five people on their varsity teams. Having more players makes it easier on the team because they are able to substitute players if someone is having a difficult time,” she said. “We have not had that luxury this season. The girls have done a great job helping each other to make adjustments in their shots, to support each other
emotionally and picking up the slack if someone else is struggling.”

The Clarkston High School Girls JV Basketball team have led the court during the first half of the season.
They currently have 11 wins and have only lost one game.
“We’ve been playing pretty well,” said Mike Greve, head coach.
Among the talented roster of 14 are three freshman, nine sophomores and one junior.
The team’s next home game is next Thursday against Troy-Athens at Clarkston High School’s gym.
They play at Southfield-Lathrup on Friday and at Southfield next Tuesday.
JV games begin at 5:30 p.m.

The ink dried on the paper as five Clarkston High School athletes celebrated with family and friends on Nov. 12.
The seniors chose which direction they wanted to go in the future. They committed themselves to colleges to play in the respective sports.
Spiker Haley Barker and gymnast Halle Moraw chose to stay close to home and are attending Central Michigan University in the fall.
Barker’s teammates Allison Reis and Alexis Egler are heading out of state. Reis is going to Niagara University, New York.Egler is off to Youngstown State University in Ohio.
Kenny Stelpflug will lend his skills to the swim team at University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Unstoppable would be an understatement when describing the Clarkston’s Girls Varsity Volleyball team.
During the weekend they won their third tournament when they went to Andover High School on Saturday.
They went 6-0 for the day, beating Port Huron in the championship round, 25-15 and 25-8.
Seniors Alexis Egler and Allison Reis led the team. Egler had 30 kills, 39 assists and 32 digs and Reis added 31 kills and 11 aces. Junior Stephanie Marani had 21 kills and 21 blocks.
The girls finished the regular season undefeated in the OAA Red, claiming their fourth consecutive league title.
They went into the post season defeating Fenton in the first round of district playoffs on Monday night. They won 3-1.
They host Swartz Creek on Wednesday night at 5:30 p.m.
For more on the district playoffs, visit www.ClarkstonNews.com.

Brothers Nathan and Jacob Murray enjoy biking, swimming and running.
Their passion showed as they broke records on Oct. 7 at the 8th Annual Cross Country Challenge run for elementary students in Clarkston.
Jacob took first place for the boys Kindergarten to second-grader group, finishing his half mile race in 3:16.56. Jacob also broke the record for first-graders.
Nathan took first for the boys third to fifth-grader group, finishing at 6:16.72. He set a new record for the fifth graders.
Nathan remembered vividly the race at Clarkston High School
“There were two big hills, one was gravel and one was grass,” he said. “Everytime I got to the top of the hill I usually sprinted so I could have a better finished.”
Throughout the rest of the race he maintained his speed by jogging. He admitted he got a good lead on the second place runner after passing him on the grass hill.
“It is pretty amazing,” said mom, Laura. “They are fast runners.After Jacob ran the half mile he said he wanted to run with Nathan’s group.”
Last year the boys took second place in their grade levels.
“I did it for fun,” said Nathan on how he got started in the challenge. “Our gym teacher at Bailey Lake Elementary talked about it a lot. He said if we had the most people from the school come to the race, we get a big trophy for having the most people.”
Nathan, Jacob, along with their Bulldog classmates were successful this year and brought the traveling trophy to the school. Their five-year-old brother, Mitchell, also ran in the race.
Nathan and Jacob participated in a triathlon during the summer and continued to run to prepare for the elementary cross country race.
“We bike and swim a lot and I am good at running,” said Nathan. “The triathlon is all those things combined.”
In the triathlon they ran for two miles, swam for a quarter of a mile and biked for six miles.
Nathan also participated in a mountain bike race for the distance of 16 miles.
The boys finished their soccer season in the middle of October and are now preparing for travel soccer.

Senior Kramer Kamp and junior J.P. Budzinski left Romeo High School’s tennis courts feeling good on Sept. 25.
They had won their flights during the Van Dyke Invitational for the second consecutive year and took home the championships, Kamp for Singles #3 and Budzinski for Singles #4.
With both Kamp and Budzinski going 6-0 for the day helped the Boys Varsity Tennis team win the tournament.
“It’s a good win,” said Kamp. “I am proud of it.”
Both contribute the win to the continued success from the entire team.
“We are an older team,” said Kramer. “We are a lot more experienced. We are a lot closer and a lot better team than last year.”
Budzinski agreed, adding they are a deep team.
“We picked up a few freshmen,” he said adding they have helped.
“Both have been having a great season,” said Coach Chas Claus, in the team’s overall 5-5 season.
Kamp and Budzinski are looking towards the state finals on Sept. 15 as they head into Regionals this week.
“We have hope,” said Budzinski.
“The team has never made finals,” Kamp added. “It would be a good finish this year.”
Budzinski has played tennis for almost six years and plays through the summer and winter.
“I live at a country club and just started to play,” said Budzinski. “I used to play tennis but they are the same seasons.”
Kamp picked up the sport one summer and has played over the last few summers. He spends his winter competing with the high school’s swim team in the winter.
Kamp currently holds a 3.7 grade point average and Budzinski has a 3.4 GPA.
“It’s a lot of fun being part of a high school team,” Kamp invited for any aspiring players.
“Come out and play,” Budzinski added. “We can make you better.”

The Clarkston High School Varsity Equestrian team are poised for another successful season.
They finished last year as District and Regional Champions – this year state champs is in their sights in the Michigan Interscholastic Horsemanship Association.
They compete in District 2 against Lake Orion, Oxford, Brandon, Goodrich, Armada, Dryden, Imlay City, International Academy, Lapeer East, Lapeer West, Marion, Notre Dame Prep, Rochester, Rochester Adams, Romeo, Sacred Hart, Shine, and Stoney Creek.
They thank their family, friends, and sponsors who supported the team at their annual bowling fundraiser, Michigan Greenskeepers, Pulse Magnetics, Bouchard Family, Dr. Ryker and Associates, Scramlin Feed, Caroline and Craig Miller, Bridge Lake Market, Sackett Insurance Agency, Advanced Eye Care, Johnson/Birch Family, Camp Bow-Wow, Hansen Family, Pobuda Family, Rio Wraps, Hawkins Family, Pink the Salon, The Village Place, Jimmy Johns, Clarkston Auto Wash, Bellezza Salon, Luxor Tanning, The Blaszkowski Family, Clarkston Self Defense, College Planning Network, Royal Remediation, Clarkston Family Dentist, Lisa’s Confection Connection, LaVida, 7-11 on Sashabaw, Jewels Yoga and Fitness, Morgan & Milzow Realtors

“Our team would not possible with your help,” said Jill Hawkins.

Throughout the off season the Clarkston Wolves have proven themselves on and off the field.
Doing much of the work on the field, and getting none of the glory are the offensive linemen. This year’s starting line up includes seniors Matt Goebel, 6’0″ 225 pounds and Adam Wright, 5’9″ 215 pounds; junior Lucas Sanders, 6’3″ 305 pounds; sophomore Craig Columbo, 6’2″ 240 pounds; and freshman Nick Matich, 6’0″ 230 pounds.
Senior Nick McInally is starting offensive tackle, 6’1″ 250 pounds.

Max Collins and Joey Goss represented two of the many standouts during Saturday’s intra-squad scrimmage for Clarkston’s Football for a Cure.
Wearing a pink jersey, Collins, a senior fullback and linebacker scored the first touchdown for the pink team.
He delivered when his team needed the points after the Blue team pulled ahead of the Pink team’s field goal with a touchdown.
Goss, a junior running back, quick feet kept him out of reach of Pink’s defensemen. When faced with one block he whirled around and escaped. The momentum got Pink closer.
The Pink team did manage to catch Goss was caught a few times but quick thinking and zig-zags led him out traps.
The boys practice the next week to get ready for their home opener against Rochester Adams on Aug. 27.

Rachel Vieira and Alex Favazza, of Clarkston, knew it would be a tough fight for their team Finesse Fastpitch 12U at the PONY National Tournament in Cary, North Carolina in July.
One loss had put the team into the loser’s bracket and another loss would finish the season.
‘We knew we could come back because we had before,? said Favazza, remembering the 4-2 loss to CJ Lighting from New Jersey.
Vieira kept her eyes on the ball catching pop ups in centerfield and not holding back when it came to throwing the opponent out of the game. Favazza worked her talents in the outfield and as pitcher.
‘We had to step up, have no mistakes and work harder than we had before,? Vieira said.
One by one they took other teams in the tournament out and landed in the top eight for a chance at the championship.
As the tournament neared the close on July 22, Finesse Fastpitch had taken the title from the undefeated Delaware Express in four innings in 100 degree weather, 10-0.
‘It was a great accomplishment for my team and me,? said Favazza. ‘We have worked so hard throughout the season. Our conditioning from the winter and the season helped us get to the last game. We weren’t as tired as most teams. They only played five teams and we played 15 teams.?
Throughout the five day tournament Finesse scored 85 runs for the team and had only 29 runs against them.
They finished the season with an overall record, 56-7.
The team won eight of their ten tournaments including the USSSA State Championship. They beat MI Athletics in Canton on July 11, 8-5.
‘It was exciting to win states, too,? said Vieira. ‘All the hard work from practice paid off.?
Finesse Fastpitch 12U team is coached by Paul Nieto, of South Lyon, and John Sobjczak, of Bloomfield, as assistant and Dave Payne, of Plymouth, for pitching.

The Sea Wolves swim team jumped into the pool at Oakhurst County Club, celebrating their win.
Ths team won the Rochester Area Swim League Championship.
The Sea Wolves won the championship with an impressive showing during the finals on July 24 and 25.
They won six of the eight relay events and set six new RASL records.
After their celebration they made sure the coaches, Kenwyn Chock, Kelly Haynes, Tim Hickey, and Maria Henige, were in on the action and dunked them.
The RASL consists of eight teams representing communities, neighborhoods, and health and fitness organizations.
The league included the Sea Wolves, Oakhurst Country Club, two teams from Lifetime Fitness, Fox Hills Pool, Wyndgate Country Club, Twin Lakes Golf and Swim Club, and Great Lakes Athletic Club.
The teams swam against each other in meets during the summer, with events for swimmers ranging from under the age of six to over 15- years-old.
The teams came together at Oakhurst Country Club for the finals, July 24 and 25.
The Sea Wolves is open to any family in the Clarkston area. Practices and home meets use the Clarkston High School pool.
There are five individual programs for children, based on their swimming ability and time they can dedicate to practices. There is also a masters program designed for adults looking for additional exercise or to improve their swimming skills. The next session starts September 7. More information can be found through Clarkston Community Education or at www.clarkstonseawolves.com.

Clarkston High School Seniors Matt Vandermeer and Jeff Sloney are heading to Virginia Beach this week for some sun, some fun and lots of wins.
Both are heading to Virginia with Team Michigan to compete in wrestling during the AAU Junior Olympics, starting Aug. 2.
Vandermeer and Sloney already went against tough wrestlers from around the state to take the first seed in their respective weight classes for the first team, Vandermeer in 171-pounds and Sloney in 130-pound.
Besides seeing the best wrestlers from throughout the United States they will also compete in a different style.
‘It’s freestyle wrestling,? said Sloney and through his 12 years in the sport, he hasn’t done it before.
Neither has Vandermeer – so both are practicing.
Freestyle wrestling allows the wrestlers to use their legs in offense and defense – a technique they have to keep on alert.
‘It is not a style we normally wrestle in America. I am iffy on how I am going to do because it’s something I haven’t done before,? said Vandermeer.
They compete August 2-6, with the team championships on the sixth.
‘I look at it as it is all the same wrestling match,? said Vandermeer. ‘It doesn’t matter what level you are on – it’s the same match. I take every match as the same for each one.?
‘Michigan has always been a strong force in the past years,? said Pete Vandermeer. ‘They won the team tournament last year. Each year the team has different kids.?
Vandermeer and Sloney are the only returning All-State wrestlers for the Clarkston High School team.

Boys from the Clarkston Riverdawgs 10U team showed their competition it’s hard to keep a good Dawg down.
They were down 4-0 when they went against the Michigan Red Sox. Knowing they could do better, they fought back during the ‘Best of the Best? Grand Blanc Baseball Tournament.
They finished the game with a 13-7 win and won the tournament.
They also won five back-to-back games against teams from all over the state, July 10-11 at Bicentenial Park in Grand Blanc.
The team ended the season with 17 wins, two tournament championships. They won 10 of their last 12 games.
‘The boys should be very proud of themselves,? said Scott Cooper, assistant coach.
The Riverdawgs 10U team is Owen Alexander, Ryan Cooper, Joe Dipillo, Zach Erwin, Jake Galiatso, Sam Gayford, Joe Halligan, Trevor Gilman, Jason Richards, Kyle Sabin, Jake Spicer and Nathan Uballe.
Their coaches are Rich Hynes, as head coach, Scott Cooper, Paul Dipillo and Matt Halligan, as assistant coaches.
For more information on the Dawgs, visit www.riverdawgs.org.

Riders on the Clarkston Junior Equestrian team took to the fairgrounds on June 12 and 13 and finished third.
They competed in the Michigan Interscholastic Horsemanship Association junior competition at the 4H County Fairgrounds at Springfield Oaks County Park.
They competed in Showmanship, English, Western, Saddle Seat and Speed with middle school teams in district two, including Lake Orion, Oxford, Brandon, Lapeer, Romeo and Imlay City.
All of the riders show their horses in the off season either on a specific circuit or in 4H. The riders are in sixth, seventh and eighth grade and live in Clarkston.

The kickers of Clarkston Select Soccer Club Shadows 97 finished their spring season high in the league.
The team took second place in 13U Girls Red in the Michigan Youth Soccer League.
They tied for first place but took second because WAZA FC 98 allowed one less shot into their goal during the season. WAZA finished in first place.
Both ended the spring season, 9-1-2. The Shadows scored 48 more goals than WAZA’s 32 goals.
The girls last game was June 5 against GPSA Breakers 97 White and won in a 2-0 shutout.The girls are coached by Dave Heinemann.

Despite a busy week of final exams, picnics, prom and graduation, Phil Price has seen his seniors Chris Mocerino and Tyle Scarlett put their attention on the diamond.
‘It’s nice to see seniors really busting their butt and focus,? said the boys varsity baseball head coach. ‘It’s a tough time of the year. It’s nice to see seniors step up.?
Both have been three year starters on the team and have aided the team offensively and defensively.
‘Mocerino has solidified our team defensively. He has done a tremendous job for us. Offensively he has come into his own. He has hit the ball all over the field,? said Price.
‘Scarlett is a hitting machine and he has helped us pitching recently,? Price continued. ‘He has been our closer a few games and has been hitting the cover off the ball.?
Both felt good about winning the district final on Saturday afternoon but admit all the credit goes to the team.
‘The team is more together,? said Scarlett. ‘Everyone has each other’s back.?
‘We are closer,? Mocerino added.

The ICE Silver 12 and under fastpitch softball team is heading west in July.
The players, their three coaches and families are going to Bellevue, Nebraska for one week while they attend the Cat Osterman Experience.
Cat Osterman, a former Olympic pitcher for the USA Woman’s Softball team and current professional fastpitch player, organized and built an Olympic-type facility.
The players and coaches stay at the village and have the opportunity to meet and trade pins with 45 other 12U teams from around the nation and possibly other countries.
During their stay they participate in an opening ceremony much like the Olympic opening ceremony as well as clinics, team building activities. They play eight games leading to the championship and have the chance to meet with Olympic and college players and coaches.
Until then the girls continue to keep their reign on the diamond. They competed in the Oakland Edge Tournament on May 8-9 and went 4-2, taking second place. They took first place at the Davison Spring Fling tournament.
Players representing Clarkston are Mikayla Blaska, Mariah Hood, Ashley Irwin, Candace Kitchen, Madeline Maday and Abby Skvarce. Lake Orion players are Sierra Gonzales and Kendra Ruddy. Madison Lester, from Davison, and Lauren Vance, from Shelby Township, complete the team.
For more information, check www.eteamz.com/ICEFastpitch.

The Clarkston Varsity Girls Soccer team has a vision for the 2010 spring season.
They want to win the league title and the district championship.
Each practice and win gets them closer and closer to achieving it. They undefeated in the league, 6-0, as of Monday night, after a 4-0 defeat over Ferndale. They also have not lost any games and have an overall record, 10-0.
The girls are on the road until their home game against Birmingham Groves on May 13, 7 p.m. They host Youth Night on May 21.
The team is made out of a handful of sophomores, juniors and seniors. The Lady Wolves are sophomores, Lindsey Adams, Mikayla Ferer, Jackie Gipe, Caitlyn Kirby, Lisa Lyons, Sarah McCallum and Taylor Stokes; juniors, Gina Bollini, Andrea Butler, Julia Douglas, Amanda Ejups, Samantha Johnson, Kaylee Liddle, Josilyn Roberts and Claire Viazanko, and seniors, Jenna Kirby, Breanne Time, Katie Viazanko, Katie Vondette, Lauren Wagner and Demaree Wells.
The coaching staff is Sarah Wasilk, head coach, and Kendall Aliber, assistant coach.

Seniors Jordan Clark, Matt Kamieniecki and Tyler Scarlett have earned various honors during their years on the Boys Varsity Basketball team and the most recent honor is All-league for their last season.
All three agreed it was an accomplishment brought on with the help of their teammates.
‘Winning a share of the league championship is always a goal of mine set before the season,? said Dan Fife, Wolves head coach. ‘I always think we have a chance to contend. I wasn’t sure this year to be able to do it was really the main reason was our three seniors because of what they went through.?
Each one played a different role for the team on the court. Kamieniecki was the scorer and created an inside presence on both offense and defense. Scarlett defended against the opponent’s best player and brought the ball up the court. Clark filled in his spot as a role player as he scored point and did what he needed to get the Wolves a win.
They guided the younger players showing them what they had learned being a Wolf and showed them what it takes mentally and physically to get to the Final Four in state finals – as the three did in 2009.
‘It’s easier for the kids to take it from guys who have been there then me,? said Fife. ‘If they work as hard as Kami, Scarlett and Clark, we are fine. If they don’t, we are in trouble.?
As their roles on the court were important – so were their roles off of the court and leaving their legacy on the team’s to come.
They continue to excel in their classes as they did throughout the winter season.
‘It’s more important to me they leave the legacy of hard work and doing the best they can in the classroom,? said Fife. ‘As well as conducting themselves in the hallway and the leadership.?
The boys finished their senior year as OAA Red champs, sharing the title with Southfield and Southfield-Lathrup and District Champs.
They pass on words of wisdom as they leave their legacy for the next players to come through the team.
‘Leave it on the court,? said Scarlett.
‘Play hard, play smart,? added Kamieniecki.
‘Very few people can say we weren’t successful this year because those kids are great students and great role models for young kids in our athletic program,? said Fife. ‘I don’t know if they did any more then the rest of our kids have done in the past, but they didn’t do any less either.?
After graduation, Kamieniecki heads to Ball State University to play basketball. Scarlett is going to Michigan Tech and Clark is going to Adrian College, both to play football.

Their names are as synonymous across Oakland County and the state as the Clarkston program they play for.
Seniors Bailee Braunreuther and Taylor Hasselbach begin the first week of games in their fourth and final year on Clarkston Girls Varsity Softball team.
‘I expect a lot from them,? said Don Peters, head coach. ‘They have had great seasons and I expect more of the same. They both have been successful.?
This year they step into leadership roles as they co-captain with senior Amanda Martin.
‘I think Taylor is one of the best softball players in the state and will be in the running for Miss Softball,? said Peters. ‘Bailee is also another one, obviously, to watch.?
Hasselbach plays short stop and third base and Braunreuther is one of the pitchers.
‘They know what it takes to be successful and pull the other girls to where they need to be,? said Peters.

Alexis Doetsch held the MHSAA State Championsip trophy over her head as she and her teammates showed it to their fans.
Doetsch, a Springfield Township resident, had just finished her final girls basketball season for Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes and the memory would last a lifetime.
She aided in the school’s win on March 20 in the Class D state championship game after defeating Adrian Lenawee Christian, 48-43.
‘It was something we wanted but wasn’t expecting,? said Doetsch. ‘It was an experience, especially to share it with Lauren (Robak), who I have played with for the past four years and my sister, Ava.?
Robak, also from Springfield Township, scored a game-high of 19 points, leading the team. Her sister, Lexie, scored 10 points and Ava added nine to the board.
Alexis said what helped during the season was how the team faced every practice and every game.
‘We tried to have as much fun as possible,? she explained. ‘We realized we couldn’t win if we weren’t having fun and enjoying what we were doing.?
The team also had a goal to win the Catholic League – East championship and to appear at the state championship.
‘We set it as a goal from the beginning,? said Alexis.
Last year the team ended the season at the quarterfinals, helping with their motivation when the 2009-2010 season began.
‘We had a team motto the entire year – not back, but beyond,? said Steve Robak, head coach. ‘Our goal wasn’t to get back to where we were but doing things that would help us get beyond the quarterfinals. We felt once we got that far we could definitely win the championship.?
‘They worked really hard and played tremendous when we got to the finals,? said Steve.
Also, aiding in the 21-5 season was Haley Howell, from Clarkston; Kaitlin Glynn, Jessica Parry, Farrah Nordman, Mackenzie Novak, and Meghan Topolewski, from Waterford; Emily O’Brien, from White Lake, and Kayleigh Meloni, from West Bloomfield.
Head Coach Steve Robak is from Springfield Township, Bench Coach Sue Robak and Assistant Coach Paul Robak are from Waterford.

Bright personalities and big smiles have led the Liberty Cheer teams to a sensational season ending.
The Sparklers, who compete in the Youth Level 1 division, and Firestorm, which competes in Junior Level 2, are both National Champions after competing at the Contest of Champions All Star Cheer Nationals at Disney World on February 27.
The Firestorm team was also named High Point Champion among the 16 teams competing in Level 2.
They earned an additional trophy, banner, and an invitation to participate in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this November.
This is the third time Liberty Cheer teams have attended and the third time that they have won.
The girls train at the Stars and Stripes Kids Activity Center at 4630 White Lake Rd. in Clarkston.
Open call selection for new team members is this Sunday, 2-6 p.m. Registration is FREE and required. Interest is so high, that plans are already under way to add a third team.
For more information, please call 248- 625-3547 or check out www.StarsandStripesKids.com.

They went, they wrestled, they conquered and in the end – all five Clarkston wrestlers finished in the top eight and were named All-State.
Matt Deitz finished the three-day tournament taking state championship away from Matt Frisch, from Oxford, in the 140-pound weight class.
Evan King (160) defeated Holt’s Seth Hanton, 8-1, for third place.
Zac Roberson (112) took fourth after a 8-6 loss to Howell’s Alex Calandrino.
Matt Vandermeer (171) finished in sixth when Northville’s Nick Mudar won with a fall.
Jeff Sloney (125) defeated Kaelen Richards from Rochester, 10-5, for seventh.
‘I am really proud of everyone this weekend,? said Joe DeGain, head varsity coach.
‘It’s something for the entire team to be proud of. It’s a real tribute to all the 40 guys on the team that they were able to produce five All-State wrestlers.?

It was an Oakland Athletic Association waiting to be broken since 1995.
The Clarkston relay team of Steven Nelson, Zachary Rabideau, Kenny Stelpflug and Michael Inch knew it was up to them to be the ones to break the 200 yard medley relay record of 1:40.91.
They finished in 1:40.51 – setting a new record during the OAA White meet on Thursday at their pool.
The Wolves finished with 354 points to win the league championship.
‘Every swimmer swam their best performance,? said Coach Kenwyn Chock.
‘All season I asked them to ‘bring it? and they did. They earned the OAA Champions title.?
Clarkston also took over the top spot for another relay event. Nelson, Stelpflug and Inch were joined by Eric Misteravich as they won the 400 yard freestyle relay in 3:21.36.
Jordan Zendejas placed first in the one meter diving event with 469.45 points.
Stelpflug also placed first in the 200 yard IM with 1:57.74; second in the 100 yard breaststroke, 1:02.35
Inch first in the 500 yard freestyle event, finishing in 4:54.03. His brother, Kyle finished in sixth place in the same event, with the time 5:12.75.
Michael also finished third in 200 yard freestyle, 1:50.46,
Zachary Rabideau third in 50 yard freestyle,22.76; fourth in 100 yard butterfly, 56.16,
Steven Nelson placed first in the 100 yard backstroke at 54.88; third in 100 yard freestyle, 50.02
The 200 freestyle relay team of Rabideau, Misteravich, Aaron Jones and Kramer Kamp took sixth place, 1:34.74.
Rochester Adams took second with 330.5 points, Farmington Hills-Harrison, in third with 288 points, West Bloomfield was in fourth with 282 points, and North Farmington and and Avondale tied for fifth.

Clarkston fans showed their spirit as they supported their Varsity Cheerleaders during the MHSAA District meet on Saturday, Feb. 20.
In Lake Orion’s gymnasium the girls tumbled and cheered, showing off their talent to get the crowd revved during the basketball season.
The girls didn’t score enough points to move on to the regional competition next week but can be found courtside cheering on the Boys Varsity Basketball team.
This year’s team is Kelly Baker, Cameron Carey, Sydney Dicea, Anna Foos, Megan Francis, Carly Gardner, Michelle Gieske, Nicole Harris, Shayna Joseph, Stephanie Joseph, Sarah Keller, Hailey Kociszewski, Brianna McVety, Rhea Morrison, Kaylie Ochoa, Gabriella Rodriguez, Taylor Rogers, Alexa Anne Saplala, Jenna Saplala, Emily Thompson, Lacie Turnbull and Chelsea Wood.

The Mountaineers have shown no challenge is too high for them to climb over.
Everest Collegiate High School started their first high school boys basketball varsity team in the school’s history.
They won their first home game on December 11 when they took on Faith Baptist, 42-38.
The Mountaineers trailed as they went into the second half, 23-19.
Creating more defense blocks in the third quarter the boys held Faith Baptist down to four points, while Mountaineers put 12 on the scoreboard.
Both teams scored 11 points in the final quarter, but the boys had enough they needed to with the game.
Sophomore Don Allen led with 18 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks. Freshman Benny Marcial scored six points and had 13 rebounds and Blake Burgess also added six points to the board.
The boys record is currently 3-3, winning their last two games against Our Lady of the Lakes (65-42) and Gabriel Richard (40-30). The Mountainers are coached by Ann Lowney, former girls basketball coach at Clarkston High School, Our Lady of the Lakes, and Birmingham Seaholm.
The Mountaineers play St. Thomas Moore in their Homecoming game this Friday.
They begin at 7 p.m.

The Mountaineers have shown no challenge is too high for them to climb over.
Everest Collegiate High School started their first high school boys basketball varsity team in the school’s history.
They won their first home game on December 11 when they took on Faith Baptist, 42-38.
The Mountaineers trailed as they went into the second half, 23-19.
Creating more defense blocks in the third quarter the boys held Faith Baptist down to four points, while Mountaineers put 12 on the scoreboard.
Both teams scored 11 points in the final quarter, but the boys had enough they needed to with the game.
Sophomore Don Allen led with 18 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks. Freshman Benny Marcial scored six points and had 13 rebounds and Blake Burgess also added six points to the board.
The boys record is currently 3-3, winning their last two games against Our Lady of the Lakes (65-42) and Gabriel Richard (40-30). The Mountainers are coached by Ann Lowney, former girls basketball coach at Clarkston High School, Our Lady of the Lakes, and Birmingham Seaholm.
The Mountaineers play St. Thomas Moore in their Homecoming game this Friday.
They begin at 7 p.m.

Clarkston Boys Varsity Football team composed themselves after Saturday’s game and showed their good sportsmanship as they shook hands with Sterling Heights Stevenson.
The 37-35 loss capped off the end of the fantastic season and the end of the road to the State Championships.
‘The seniors really set the pace,? said Wolves Head Coach Kurt Richardson. ‘It started last year in the weight room and there was outstanding leadership.?
They invaded the weight room after last year’s bitter end against Romeo, 34-7, and got to work for a better season.
They came back to the field at the end of August and showed the fans everything they had worked on during the off-season, beating Rochester Adams, 6-3.
The momentum grew and they beat every opponent and continued getting better every practice and every game.
They remain undefeated in the OAA Red and were crowned the league champs.
‘OAA Red is one of the best leagues,? said Richardson. ‘Anytime you win the Red Division with teams like Lake Orion and Troy that is a great accomplishment. Then winning districts and beating Lake Orion back-to-back, to go the Macomb County route and beat Romeo and Macomb Dakota – we proved this program can play anyone in the state.?
They captured the District 1 Championship from their Romeo foes, and Region 3 title from Macomb Dakota before ending the season 12-1.
‘I couldn’t be prouder of these kids,? Richardson added. ‘These kids were so fun to coach.?

Five fresh faces on the Clarkston Girls Swimming team have already made an impact on the team.
Freshmen Kendall Kamp, Rachel Linton, Shawna Mulcahy, Kady O’Connell and Taylor Tekiele are using the skills from their prior experience to place in their first two meets in their freshmen year.
‘This year’s freshmen class all has competitive swimming experience,? said Coach Kenwyn Chock. ‘I’m really excited about this group, I know they will have a positive impact on the 2009 season.?

In their first meet against Hartland, the team lost 133-53.
Mulcahy and Kamp swam with seniors Amber Fullmer in the 200 yard relay medley to take second place.
Tekiele took third and O’Connell placed fifth in the 200 yard.

Vela qualified for districts in the 200 yard IM and took first place, 2:18.13, Kamp took third.

In the 50 yard freestyle – Andrea Misteravich in fourth, Linton in fifth, and Jaime Kopicko in sixth.

In the one meter diving – Alyssa Spytman in third, Jessica Bacher in fourth, Jenny Godlew in fifth.

In 100 yard freestyle – Mulcahey in fourth, Spytman in fifth, and Linton in sixth.

500 yard free – Tekeile in fourth and O’Connell in fifth.

200 yard free relay – the team of Mulcahy, Spytman, Kamp and Linton took fourth.

100 yard backstroke – Fullmer in second and Misteravisch. Fullmer qualified for state with 1:06.2.

100 yard breast – Mulcahy in third and Kamp in fourth.

400 yard free relay qualified for county when the placed in third. The team was Vela, Tekeile, Misteravisch and Fullmer.

Vela qualified for districts in the 100 yard butterfly with a time 1:00.83. Fullmer place in third.

The girls lost their meet against Groves, 148-34.

Tekiele took fourth and O’Connell placed fifth in the 200 yard.

200 yard IM – Vela third and Kamp took fifth.

In the 50 yard freestyle – Andrea Misteravich in fourth and Linton in fifth.

In the one meter diving – Spytman in third, Godlew in fourth and Bacher in fifth.

In 100 yard freestyle – Mulcahey in fourth, Spytman in fifth, and Linton in sixth.

500 yard free – Tekeile in fourth and O’Connell in fifth.

200 yard free relay – the team of Mulcahy, Spytman, Kamp and Linton took fifth.

100 yard backstroke – Misteravisch in third.

100 yard breaststroke – Mulcahy in fourth and Kamp in fifth.

400 yard free relay finished in fourth.

Vela qualified for districts again in the 100 yard butterfly. This time she swam 1:00.39.

The girls compete against Grand Blanc on Tuesday and Rochester on Thursday.

Taylor Hasselbach of Clarkston helped lead Compuware 18U softball team to finish fifth out of 140 teams at ASA National Tournament in Las Vegas.
In their first game, against the Boston Bat Busters, Hasselbach went 4 for 5, contributing to am 8-2 victory. In the next game against the Louisville Sluggers, Hasselbach had two RBI’s, but they lost 8-4.
Compuware moved on to defeat the Illinois Sparks 3-1. Compuware’s next opponent was the Kansas City Elite. Hasselbach had a double in the team’s 1-0 win.
Compuware advanced in the tournament to face the Wisconsin Badgers, where Hasselbach went 3 for 4 in their 6-3 win.
The team kept their winning steak alive by coming out in full force by beating the Oklahoma City Dynamite 16-4. Hasselbach went 4 for 5.
After falling to the Tampa Mustangs, 2-0, they took on the Ohio Sun Dogs in their final game. The Sun Dogs came out on top by defeating Compuware 5-2.

Mt. Zion Church Men’s Division “A” Softball Team from Clarkston came back from the bottom of the pack to win the league and playoff championship this season.
The ?09 season was the first year this group of men played together as a team. Mt. Zion won the post-season playoff championship, July 25, in Milford.

In its first year, Clarkston’s Ice Fastpitch 12 & Under Blue team placed third in the state NSA “B” championships, then 17th out of 54 teams in the National NSA “B” Championships in Indiana.
Tryouts for next season are at Clarkston High School softball field, 9U,10U, and 12U teams, Aug 8 and 29, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; 14U and 16U teams, Aug. 15 and 16, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Check www.eteamz.com/icefastpitch for more details, or email jjmoore07@sbcglobal.net.

Clarkston’s Riverdawgs U9 finished their season with two games in the win column, but one of them was against first-place Rochester Rockies.
‘The overall record does not show how competetive our team was throughout the season,? said Coach Rob McClellan. ‘Every kid on the team made great progress and we have developed into a very good team.?
The scored a 5-3 win against Oxford as well as two ties. After almost every game, opposing coaches commented on how the team has improved,? McClellan said.
‘I was extremely proud of how our kids handled both wins, but especially the game vs. Rochester,? he said. ‘Each and every kids handled winning as thought they had won every game. The kids were obviously excited to beat the first place team, but they treated the situation like they had been there many times before and expect to be many times in the future.?

For the second year in a row, Clarkston Soccer Club’s U17 Impact ?92 team won their age group championship.
In this year’s preliminary matches in Dublin Ohio, April 24, the team overcame high winds for two shut out victories, 2-0 versus Hilliard of Ohio and 1-0 versus Arsenal of Pennsylvania.
The final preliminary match versus Worthington Crew Juniors of Ohio, April 25, was played to a scoreless draw.
‘Some of the keys to the preliminary round victories were solid team defending and great goalkeeping ? three shutouts prove that,? said coach Adam Heinemann
The April 26 finals versus Michigan Express of Brighton, which plays in Michigan State Premier Soccer League’s top division, was again played in high winds.
While defending against the wind in the first half, Clarkston gave up two goals. Later in the half, they were able to get a goal back on a great cross from the right wing and an even better header into the upper corner, just out of reach of the Express goalkeeper.
The half ended 2-1. With the advantage of the wind, Clarkston evened the score in the second half, sending the game into extra time. Two scoreless 10-minute periods took the game into a penalty kick shootout.
With two excellent saves by Clarkston’s goalkeeper and another two shots over the crossbar, Clarkston was able to net two goals out of four shooters, giving Clarkston the 2009 Nike Challenge Cup Championship.

Clarkston United States Tennis Association adult tennis players advance to State playoffs after winning their match against Midland Tennis Center, 3-2.
The win was during the local district playoffs in Midland held July 11.
‘Midland has gone to state for the last five years,? said Jennifer Arkwright. ‘For us to beat them is a big deal.?
While some of the players continued to play their matches, Arkwright and other teammates sat and watched after their sets were finished. After a few moments of watching, they noticed they had a chance of winning the match.
The win earned the team the title of Northeastern Michigan Tennis Association District Champions.
This is the first time the team has advanced to States.
‘It’s thrilling. It’s exciting. It’s just too much fun,? said Arkwright. ‘It’s a great accomplishment for all of the work we have put in.?
The team is made of 13 women. They play at Deer Lake Athletic Club and Genesys Athletic Club and have been playing together for almost 10 years.
‘It’s such a mix of wonderful women,? Arkwright
All of the players keep busy with their families and working. They play tennis for fun, a way to exercise and to socialize.
‘We feel fortunate and lucky we can do this,? said Arkwright. ‘We have wonderful support from our families. Our husbands and children play tennis, too.?
They have played in tournaments against women ages 18 to 80, and are ready for what will come at the state tournament.
‘We will be competing at a high level of competition, but will see an equal amount of competition from other teams that won their districts. We will be fit and mentally strong.?
The team is affectionately called the ‘Troublemakers.?
They have helped out in the community for Reindeer Races, Christmas in Action, and Toys for Tots.
The State playoffs will be held August 8-10 at Genesys Tennis Club in Grand Blanc. The team will play against district champions from the Southeastern, Western and Northern districts.
‘We’re very happy to go, but would like to go to Indianapolis for Sectionals,? said Arkwright.

The girls from the eighth-grade softball team took to the field, May 29, to finish an undefeated season.
When the dust settled on home plate, Clarkston had defeated Oxford, 8-1.
The girls played in the Lake Orion league against middle schools from Lake Orion, Oxford, and Waterford, and ended the season with a record of 9-0.
‘Twenty girls tried out for the team, and they all made the team,? said Coach Stu Hastings. ‘It will feed the Clarkston high school program later on.?
The team combined talents of experienced players and hard work of those newer to the game.
‘When the new kids came out to practice, they were very professional,? said Hastings. ‘To other teams they looked like they were experienced.?
Pitching and catching were strong contributors to the undefeated season, he said.
Megan Hastings and Shauna Siwicki led the team as captains, and top hitters. They were the outstanding players for this year’s team. Hastings was the top pitcher and Siwicki was top catcher.
Stu Hastings predicts quite a few of the players will make JV and varsity team next year.
‘A promising pitcher for the JV level is Rachel Pytel,? said Hastings. ‘She did a great job for an inexperienced player.?
A majority of the girls will play on the freshmen team.
‘Down the road, they will help varsity,? said Hastings.
He was offered a varsity coaching job in Utica schools, but instead volunteered his time to coach the eighth grade team.
‘Parents and kids got to have varsity training that maybe they wouldn’t have gotten with a parent volunteer,? he said.

The boys from Clarkston Impact 95 came back champions of their division in the Westlake Invitational Soccer Invitational.
The boys won their 13U white division with two shutouts, one win, and one tie. They received a team trophy and individual plaques.
‘They were so happy,? said manager and parent, Debbie Giola. ‘Going down there and winning was big. It was a great way to boost the boys up.?
Impact 95 traveled to Westlake, Ohio where they joined 216 other teams participating in the tournament.
Each team played a minimum of three games during the weekend of May 24.
Champions and runner-ups in the 10U-14U age groups received individual awards.
The boys played in the 13 and under white division, for lower division travel teams and recreational teams.
The team played four games during the Saturday and Sunday and left with a 3-0-1 record. The boys took to the field early Saturday morning and played their first game against Carpathia 95 Blue. They shut out their competition and won, 3-0.
They ended the day with another win. This time it was against X-Treme, 2-1.
They faced two more teams on Sunday. They ended their third game in a tie with the Force, 1-1.
The next game was another shut out for the team as they defeated Sylvania United UK, 3-0.
‘Congratulations to the boys for their hard work,? said Giola.
The boys? season ends this Saturday with their last game against Troy Elite 96 RV at Clintonville Park.
Players can try out for the 2008-2009 season Sunday, June 15, and Monday, June 16, at Clintonville.
For more information about tryouts or how to try out, go to www.clarkstonsoccer.com or call Damian Huffer, Clarkston Soccer Club director of coaching, at 248-807-0482.
The boys are coached by Dave Heinemann and Gary Jbara.

Senior Rob Sims and junior Luke Prudhomme have helped to lead the varsity baseball team, 11-4.
Playing against Groves, Sims hit 4-for-5. He hit a home run, a double and 6 RBIs, out of the teams total 12 RBIs for the game.
Prudhomme was the winning pitcher in last Saturday’s game against Chippewa Valley. The win put the team into first place of the Chippewa Valley tournament. Also, he was one of the leading hitters in his game against Livonia last week. He was 4-for-4 and had 5 RBIs.
‘It’s fun. It’s always different. It’s never the same,? said Sims about baseball.
Coach Phil Price has noticed Sims grow into his roles as a pitcher and a batter.
‘From tenth grade year to junior, I thought he made good improvements,? said Price. ‘This year he has really taken the next step and has done some things, hitting wise, but especially on the mound.
‘He’s a talented kid. But didn’t always complete, didn’t always battle. This year, on the mound he is really competing. He has taken the next step. He is playing at the next level. I am proud of him doing that.
‘Prudhomme has made great strides,? Price said about Prudhomme’s first year on the varsity team. ‘He has had a few games he has gone 4-for-4, 3-for-3, he’s doing things, He is very versatile. He has done a lot of different things.?
Both of the players work hard on the field and in the classroom. Sims is taking three AP classes in Chemistry, Stats and Biology in his last high school year.
‘They are both kids that compete in the classroom, too,? said Price. ‘They are both doing a nice job and taking high level classes. It’s good to see.?
Both have been playing since they were young and plan to continue playing in college.

Clarkston seniors took home the first place trophy in their 55 Plus Volleyball Division 2 League.
The team won the league with their 57-11 record and placed out of the seven teams in their division. They just finished their winter season that ran from November to April.
Every Tuesday, the team would travel to Warren Community Center to play four games.
The team has 30 players that come out to practice, but only seven players go to the games. The remaining members prefer to only practice. For most playing volleyball is a way to get involved.
‘Being on the team is an added bonus,? said manager Bob Brown. ‘We have a good time.?
Most of the team has been playing for at least ten years. Players have benefited by finding a way to be active and healthy.
‘Comraderty between players is a big thing,? said Brown on other ways participants benefit.
Senior volleyball is one of the programs offered by Independence Township Park and Recreation.
This year seniors 50 and over will be able to play volleyball during the summer months.
Starting on May 8, seniors can play volleyball every Thursday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. The indoor volleyball program will run until September 25.
The team sends special thanks to Clarkston Auto Body for sponsoring the team and St. Trinity Lutheran Church for providing them with a place to practice.
The team practices at St. Trinity Lutheran Church off of Sashabaw.
‘We were fortunate to find Trinity,? said Brown. ‘We support ourselves. A fee goes towards cost of building we are practicing in. If we didn’t have a place to I don’t know if we would have program.?
Attendance goes down in summer because of softball. The summer volleyball program will keep players together and an opportunity for them to continue playing and a chance to get new players involved.
For more information call the Independence Township Senior Activity Center at 625-8231.

The Clarkston Grizzlies ended their season March 17 with a grand finale.
The traveling basketball team won their championship game of the playoffs against Flint-based Custom Lawn Care, 46-40.
“It was pretty cool,” said Chance Huth. “It was a revenge for us. We have played Custom Lawn Care before in finals and lost to them.”
“I was impressed on how poised and focused they were,” said mom, Renea Huth-Grabow. “They are a tight knit group.”
The team had time to strategize as they were driven to the game in luxury. One of their sponsors, 24/7 Limo Service, donated an H2 Hummer limo to take them to their championship game.
Most of the boys have been together since the team was formed in 2005.
They played two to three games a week and practiced at Oakland University. While practicing there, the boys would sometimes get a treat and would be helped by Oakland’s Grizzlies
“It was a really experience,” said Huth-Grabow.
They reached the semi-final rounds during their first two seasons in 2005 and 2006. Last year, the Grizzlies advanced to the championship game after competing against 20 teams from Flint, Grand Blanc, Davison and other surrounding communities.
They defeated Flushing, 55-37 in the first round of the playoffs. In the second round, the team secured their spot to play in the championship game after winning against the Hornets, 50-31.
Competing in the fall, winter and spring sessions, they’ve accumulated a winning percentage over .750.
The Clarkston Grizzlies are seven-graders, Daniel Baylis, Jeffrey Bullard, Chris Calvano, Alberto Carlesimo, Jordan Dasuqi, Vine Familiar, Dylan Hank, Chance Huth, Justas Kernel, Kyle Rile, Garrett Ross, and Blake Sutherland.
Bart Familiar and Marry Kernel coach the Grizzlies. They ended the season with an overall record, 12-3.

Four matches were needed for Katie Brozovich and Kendra Sweet to win the Southeastern Michigan Tournament, Feb. 29.
Hours spent training on the tennis court led both of the girls to win their tournaments, Brozovich in 16-and-under, and Sweet, 14-and-under.
‘It was really exciting. We are best friends and we both won our tournaments,? said Brozovich.
‘I was happy that all of our hard work paid off,? said Sweet.
‘I was really excited for them,? said Coach Joe Stepford. ‘They work very hard on their games.?
Brozovich, eighth grader at Clarkston Junior High School, balances school with 20 hours of practice a week. She started playing tennis four years ago.
‘My whole family plays,? said Brozovich. ‘They taught me how to play and I have liked it ever since. I have a good support system. My grandpa is always willing to hit with me when I want to hit.?
Sweet, seventh grader at Sashabaw Middle School, practices 15 hours a week. She began playing six years ago with her mom.
‘I thought it would be fun,? she said.
The two have known each other for two years and met while playing tennis at Deer Lake Athletic Club.
‘We are addicted to tennis,? said Sweet.
They would both like to be professional players, but will definitely play in college if turning pro doesn’t work out.
‘I want to see how far it takes me,? said Sweet.
The girls practice every day together all year. Also, they have a lot of off-court training such as exercising, improving their footwork, and running to build up their endurance.
‘These girls are highly motivated and working on their national ranking,? said Stepford. ‘Going into high school, even as freshmen, they will immediately be impact players in the Clarkston program.?
Sweet is ranked second in 12-and-under division and Brozovich is ranked 13 in 14-and-under in the Southeastern Michigan district.

The boys swim team made a big splash this season.
‘They did so much this year,? said Coach Kenwyn Chock. ‘We did a lot of firsts and set school records.?
They ended their season with a record 6-1. Their only loss to North Farmington and was by two points.
During the regular season, junior Jake Rush set the first school record in the 100 yard backstroke (:56.61).
During the OAA league meet, the team took first place and set more school records.
During preliminaries, senior Greg Dedow set two new records in 200 yard freestyle (1:50.00) and 500 yard freestyle (4:57.27).
On the final day of the league meet, senior Adam Curry set a record in 50 yard freestyle (22.88).
Also, the relay team of Robert Nelson, Ken Stelpflug, Rush, and Dedow set the new record in 200 freestyle (1:33.92).
Sophomore Jordan Zendejas scored 354.25 points throughout the league meet, setting the new record in one meter diving.
This season marked the first year they took a team to the state finals.
The first time Clarkston made an appearance at states was in 2004 and they took one swimmer.
This year they took two relay teams, for 200 yard medley, and 400 free relay; two swimmers, Dedow for 500 yard freestyle event and Rush for 100 yard backstroke, and one meter diver, Zendejas.
‘We swam well,? said Chock. ‘We didn’t place, but we did set school records at states.?
The first relay team was for the 200 yard medley. The relay team was consisted of Curry, Nelson, Rush, and Phil Voorheis. They set the school record with a time of 1:44.82.
The second relay team to make it to finals and set a new school record was 400 free relay.
The team was made by Curry, Nelson, Voorheis, and Stelpflug. They set a new record with the time of 3:23.99.

Clarkston’s Varsity Soccer players earned the 2007 Fall ‘Good Sports Are Winners? Award.
The MHSAA gives out the sportsmanship award to nearly 200 teams during the postseason.
The team had a lot of success on the field, ending the season with a record of 18-4-3.
A lot of their success was attributed to the team’s unity.
‘They act more like family and work hard for each other,? said Coach Adam Bican.
To show their unity, they took the field with a haircut neither their opposition or fans would forget – a mohawk.
The boys ended to regular season in second place, OAA Division 1. They won districts by beating Milford, 3-1, and Lake Orion, 4-3.
Then were regional champions after beating Traverse City West, 2-1, and Rochester, 2-1.
The team celebrated Halloween by taking on Utica Eisenhower and winning the semifinal game, 4-1.
In the state finals, they lost to East Kentwood., 2-0.
The team was made up of seniors, Jimmy McCarty, Steve Nacy, John Timm, Matt Hall, Kavon Khani, Oliver Kupe, Daniel Rathsburg; juniors, Davis VanderVeen, Scott Messer, Alec Pappas, Nick Posawatz, Kevin Pinkos, Craig Miller, Isaac Platte, Colin Rumschlag, Jacob Melvin, Brandon Verlinden, John Verros; sophomores, David Thomas, Andrew Campbell; and freshman, Jarrett Kersten.

Losing the last three games of the season is usually a bad sign when it comes to postseason.
For Clarkston’s Varsity hockey, however, it just meant a bigger challenge.
The Wolves hit the ice Feb. 25 in Port Huron, taking on Port Huron Northern in the first round of pre-regionals.
They lost to Port Huron in a previous effort, but this time took the lead from early on and never looked back. Their team effort gave them a 7-2 win.
They played Rochester Unified (17-4-4) on Wednesday and won again, 4-1. Rochester made 40 shots on goal, but goalie Garrett Knappe put a stop to all but one.
Saturday, they played Grand Blanc to win the final game of Regionals, 6-2.
The Wolves scored 17 goals over the three games last week, keeping their opponents to only five.
‘It’s good to see things come together when you work very hard,? said coach Bryan Krygier.
‘We’re playing as a team, not as individuals,? said Krygier. ‘All efforts are towards winning and everyone has the same purpose.?
Everyone came together to score goals and add assists throughout the games. Together with a great offense, strong defense, and quick goal blocking maneuvers, the team made it through regionals to play in the quarterfinals, he said.
Clarkston Varsity Hockey is made up by seniors: Jeff Thomson, David Morin, Chris Salo, Aaron Podbielski, Zach Rogers, Weston Gleiss, and Joe Harrington; juniors: Garrett Knappe, Jordan Buetow, Dan Smith, Tyler Frakes, Cole Schaffer, Nick Posawatz, Michael Fiteny, Scott Cameron, Hunter Hughes, Jeremy Messing, Matt Campbell, Justin Carroll, and Neeko Muniz; sophomores: David Cannons, Jon Graham, Sean Hancock, Jack Schlau, Adam Frank; and freshman, Austin Morse.

The Varsity Pom Pon team danced their way into first place at the 17th Annual Palace Classic Championship Jan. 5.
Their win allowed them to perform during halftime at the Detroit Pistons versus Celtics basketball game after the competition.
‘The girls and I were very excited!? said Coach Emily Jackson.
The team has a long season that began at the end of June and will continue until the last weekend of February.
The dancers practice 4-5 times a week for two hours a day, with performance during half time of the boys Varsity basketball games.
‘They are all high in academics, and a great group to work with,? said Jackson.
‘This is my first year with the varsity team and I am very proud of them. Each girl is dedicated to this team and represents our school with spirit and class. I have 18 hard working dancers. They are a talented group of girls that never stop working to improve individually and as a team.?
The 18 dancers include seniors Melissa Corazza, Victoria Dennis, Kara Huth, Sarah Johnson, Megan Kuhl, Alexandra Nickolaou, Mary Niezgoda, Kristin Stone, and Emily Wiggins; and juniors Lindsie Blouin, Adrienne Boczar, Elyse Flaugher, Shelby Garza, Alexandra Grosjean, Ashley Kukuk, Kelsey Leicht, Brittany Ricca, and Brittany Sims.
Currently they are learning new dances for the basketball games and preparing for their next and last competition, the Motown Dance Championship at the Birch Run Expo Center on Saturday, Feb. 23.
Fans can see their next performance at the Wolves home game Monday, Feb. 4.

Sisters and teammates Katelyn and Jenna Coates are enjoying the Wolves? Varsity Volleyball team successful season, winning league this past weekend and becoming OAA Champs.
‘Close,? Katelyn described this year’s team. ‘The Varsity team is a good team and the best Clarkston has seen in years.?
For the last six years senior Katelyn, 17, has been playing volleyball. Her sister, Jenna, 15, began playing four years ago. Jenna wanted to play volleyball after watching her sister and her friends play the sport.
They prepare themselves for the upcoming tournaments with conditioning, running and a lot of practicing. The sisters say they are ready for the tournament.
‘I give hundred percent during practice and hope it pays off,? explained Jenna.
Both sisters have fun and enjoy playing on the same court.
‘Jenna is really good. I am proud,? said Katelyn on teaching her sister and playing with her on the court.
Also, they have each other for support when playing
‘It kind of helps to have her there while playing,? said Jenna, ‘if I have a bad game, everyone tries to make you feel better. Katelyn is honest with me.?
Both sisters say volleyball takes up a majority of their time. As a senior, Katelyn spends any extra time she does have by studying, working as yearbook editor, and applying for colleges.
Jenna spends her time enjoying Michigan football games on Saturdays with her dad. Also, she attends the Wolves football games and supports her friends by going to their Pom-Pon events.
‘It is a lot of fun,? said Don Coates of having his daughters on one team. ‘There’s lots of enthusiasm in the bleachers.?
Katelyn does not plan to play volleyball in college. Currently, she plays for fun due to a previous leg injury. She does have plans to study broadcasting and journalism in college.
Jenna plans to play volleyball for the next two years and to continue playing it in college.
‘We have earned it, people underestimated us,? said Katelyn on her thoughts going into the upcoming tournaments. The Varsity Volleyball’s first district tournament game will be held on Nov. 1 at 5 p.m. at Lake Orion High School. They will play against Waterford Mott.

The Michigan Stars 10 and under softball team won the PC Pride Fall Tournament in Canton Sept. 29-30.
The girls, from Clarkston, Troy, and Waterford, went 5-0 for the weekend behind solid pitching. Madeline Maday, tournament MVP, faced 29 batters and struck out 19, while Candace Kitchen faced 19 batters and struck out 9 during Saturday’s pool play. Catcher Abby Skvarce threw out two runners attempting to steal third base during the first game of pool play on Saturday morning. The team allowed an average of 2.4 runs per game ? a tournament best.
The win gives the girls an invitation to the USSSA National Championship tournament at Disney World inFlorida in August, 2008.

Clarkston’s Jade Hearing Instruments B Division senior softball team battled through August rain and heat to win this year’s Warren Tournament Champion trophy.
Due to miscommunication, they missed their first game, but then won their next six games.
In the championship game, they faced an undefeated Allen Park Allstars team. Jade won the first game 4-2. The second game was tied at two runs apiece in the fifth inning when Clarkston scored eight runs. Final game score was 10-3, earning Clarkston the trophy and championship T-shirts.
Jade competed with two other Clarkston teams in the summer tournement, which includes teams from all over southeast Michigan.
Planning is underway for next year’s Independence Senior Softball season, for ballplayers 50 years old or older. For more information, call 248-625-8231.

The Michigan Stars 14U team won the championship at the Hi-White Tournament in Whitelake Aug. 18-19, finishing off their season. In the last two tournaments, they finished fifth out of total of 28 teams.
In front from left: Angela Harris, Courtney Dubay, Allie Reeves, Sarah Stoolmiller, and Ashlee Ogg. Back from left: Assistant Coach Dan Mukomel, Linsey Mukomel, MVP Sarah Altene, Maddie Young, Amanda Martin, Cheyenne Williams, Maya Faison, Head Coach Mark Reeves, and Assistant Coach Jim Altene.

The Oakland Sidewinders 12U team had what is being called a ‘dream season? by coach Stu Hastings. The Sidewinders (83-7) won two state championships, took fifth place at the 75-team National Softball Association national tournament and won two league championships.
The Sidewinders have future high school players that will attend Auburn Hills Avondale, Waterford Mott, Oxford, Lake Orion, Grand Blanc, Ortonville-Brandon, and Clarkston. Three of these ‘dream season? players will attend Clarkston Junior High School this fall as eighth graders.
The Sidewinders have played together for at least three years and in some girls? cases, four or five seasons.
‘We are a very mentally strong team for our age. Being taught at a young age, these young girls have a better understanding of the mental game than most high school players that I have watched compete,? Hastings said.
Tara Perry, a 4-foot-10 right-handed speedster, was transformed into a left-handed bunt/slapper in preperation for high school as a member of Don Peters? team at Clarkston.
‘Peters likes converting average right-handed hitters with speed to lefty slappers, so we taught her young so the move at high school would be easy,? Hastings said. ‘We taught her to use her size as an asset. We have taught her to be selective at the plate to encourage pitchers to work harder which creates more walks. She is a great leadoff hitter that makes our offense go. Tara has learned that her speed means nothing if she can’t get on base.?
Catcher Shauna Sawicki used offseason training to improve behind the plate. She had a terrific year.
‘She blocks like a veteran and has a strong throwing arm with uncanny accuracy,? Hastings said.
Sawicki plucked out 87 percent of attempted base stealers this season. She was a solid piece of the puzzle this year.
Megan Hastings was one of the Sidewinders? top pitchers this summer with a 38-1 record, and served as the team’s starting shortstop.
Work with Peters over the past few seasons has helped Megan’s pitching, Stu Hastings said.
‘Not only did it help her mechanically, but it helped them develop a friendship. Most kids don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care, and Megan likes his positive attitude.?
Megan Hastings batted .425 this season and posted a .750 average for a whole tournament once this summer, her fifth of travel softball.
It looks like Peters is going to have a lot to work with in two years when these girls step to the diamond as sophomores for the Wolves.

As the four-letter network continues to air telecasts of the Little League World Series, the Clarkston Riverdawgs 10U (soon-to-be-11U) team can revel in its own series appearance.
The Riverdawgs advanced all the way to the USSSA World Series in Canton July 12-15. Winning the North Oakland Baseball Federation gave the Riverdawgs a bye through district playoffs. They went 3-0 in one of four regional playoff pools to advance to Canton the following weekend.
The boys were 2-1 in pool play and left the series 3-3 overall, bringing their final season record to 40-10. Five of Clarkston’s losses came within the final week-and-a-half of the season.
?(They’re) a great group of kids top to bottom,? said coach Kirk Stegmeyer. ‘They have a lot of talent.?
The second-year coach said the team’s batting kept them in slugfests.
‘We were a good pitching and defensive team, but hitting was big for us,? he said.
‘It was rare that nobody was hitting.?
Stegmeyer worked with the boys during the offseason on their plate presence, since hitting was key to the then-9-year-olds? previous success.
In 2006, as a 9U team, the Riverdawgs amassed a 29-9 record.
Stegmeyer said the Riverdawgs are going to have to hit and throw harder and run faster when they advance to the 11U ranks next summer. With their past works, the boys should have an easy go of it.

The first season of playing organized baseball wasn’t too big of a factor in the Clarkston Riverdawgs? U9 summer. The boys amassed a 12-8 record during the season and took home first place at the Flushing Tournament June 15-17.
The Riverdawgs were 3-1 in the tournament and knocked out six home runs in the four games.
‘They did outstanding. This was the best they played all year,? coach John Kuczmanski said.
Their record earned the Riverdawgs second place in the North Oakland Baseball Federation. With one season under their caps, the team should be ready for the summers to come.
‘They bonded well by the end of the year,? Kuczmanski said. ‘Top to bottom, they were a class group of kids and they were playing really well.?
Kuczmanski expects the boys to learn to play an even more competitive game as they progress to the next age group.
‘The only thing we can ask is to keep improving. We want them to be competitive and have fun,? he said.

Clarkston’s Michigan Stars 10-under team is making a statement for younger softball players in the area: get involved as soon as possible.
The girls, in the team’s first season, went 15-12 overall and 9-3 in the North Oakland Waterford fast-pitch league, winding up in a tie for second place.
Clarkston softball assistant Mark Pingston was head coach of the Stars.
‘We were playing in a very competitive league and we finished really well and really established what we wanted to do: establishing fast-pitch softball in the Clarkston area,? Pingston said.
‘We’re trying to bring the love of the game to the girls at an early age.?
Pingston and the team worked on fundamentals of the game.
‘It paid off,? Pingston said. ‘And hopefully, they continue all the way through their softball careers with that.
‘If they want to go on and play at the high school level, you have to have good fundamentals (and) we have some really highly skilled girls.?
The Stars asserted themselves as the only travel team in the Clarkston area this season.
‘We’re hoping the intensity built, we think it has,? Pingston said. ?(We need to) sustain so we have girls coming all the way through.
‘It’s a steady growth and the kids are having fun with it and getting into it…we were very successful.?
Pingston has mighty aspirations for the future of the Clarkston-based Stars program.
‘We’re expecting to compete at a national level. We’re growing and we’ve got room to improve,? he said.
The club has added a big element to the Clarkston softball program by getting younger girls interested in the sport.
‘It’s more than a team, it’s a program that’s going to make softball grow in our area and there’s a lot of people working hard at it,? Pingston said.
Angie Vieira, whose daughter Rachel, 9, played shortstop and third base for the Stars, was pumped to make her first travel team.
‘She loved it. All the girls got along. She loves playing softball and she got to play all winter,? Angie said.
The team’s practices during the winter was a blessing for mother and daughter alike. Rachel, who began playing softball at age 5, came through the season a much improved ballplayer.
‘She’s throwing much harder and her bat-speed has gotten a lot quicker,? Angie said.
The Michigan Stars will have tryouts for their 10 and 12-under teams at the Clarkston High School varsity softball fields Sept. 8-9. For more information contact Pingston at 248-620-1164. Also visit the Clarkston/Michigan Stars 10-under team at www.michiganstarssoftball.com.

SuperNova U14 (elite), an AAU Volleyball team comprised primarily of Clarkston and Waterford athletes, finished fifth in the nation after a 16-3 performance in the Asics National Junior Volleyball Championships in Chicago June 15-17. SuperNOVA waded its way through the 61-team field for a second consecutive top-20 finish in the nation. The girls finished 14th in the country in 2006 as members of the team MOJO.
SuperNOVA was undefeated for the first two days of the tournament and stayed true to its season-long streak of semifinals berths in the process. The girls also won two tournaments this season.
‘Our goal was to get into the top 10,? coach Perry Williams said.
‘We had a very good tournament.?
?(This was) beyond my expectations and my imagination,? coach Jack Barker said.
‘They were so mentally tough. It was amazing they could do that well with that much pressure on them.?
SuperNOVA used a tight defense and strong hitting to make it through the national tournament, where the girls hit their stride.
‘The core five of our team have played together for two-and-a-half years. We were getting pretty good after three tournaments and we really peaked at nationals,? Williams said.
In the second and final game in their last match of the tournament, SuperNOVA battled back from a 24-16 game point deficit before falling 26-24 to Uno, a team from Ohio.
The girls encountered teams from several different states at the tournament and were even greeted with leis made of sea shells from the Hawaiian national team, the tournament winners.
‘It was interesting playing teams from all around the nation,? Barker said. ‘The competition was very good.?
Two weeks before the national tournament, SuperNOVA placed fifth in the state at a tournament in Grand Rapids. Collectively, the girls won the state tournament in 2005 and were the runners up last year.
‘If we can keep them together, they could be one of the top teams and keep striding higher. They’re just going to keep getting better and better,? Williams said.

With two teams in first place and two teams in second place in their divisions in the North Oakland Baseball Federation, Clarkston Riverdawgs teams have set a hot pace. The seven-team composite record for the Clarkston Youth Baseball Organization was 65-16 by June 13.
The 14U Riverdawgs won 12 of 13 games to lead the Sandy Koufax-14 division in the NOBF with a record of 14-3. June 11, they beat the Metro Detroit Stars at Bishop Foley High School 6-3. On June 10, the Riverdawgs edged by the Rochester Bulldogs 6-5 at Rochester Adams High School. On June 9 Clarkston split a twin bill with the Oxford Wildcats at Oakland University winning the first game 17-10, but took a 10-7 loss in the double header. On June 4, the Riverdawgs beat out the Orion Chargers at Lake Orion High School 3-2.
The Riverdawgs 15U team won their first three games of the season by beating the Oakland Outlaws at Chief Pontiac American Legion field 8-3 June 12. They also beat the Brandon Hawks at Brandon High School 11-10 and 11-1 in a doubleheader June 9.
The 10U Riverdawgs jumped to second place in a 12-team division with a 10-game winning streak in early June. Their record in the NOBF went to 15-1. At Clintonwood Park, the Riverdawgs beat the Orion Chargers 13-6 June 12, Rochester Rockies 23-8 June 10, and the Clawson Dodgers 6-5.
The 11U Riverdawgs, also got to second in a 14-team division, were 11-2 in the NOBF. They beat the Michigan Red Sox 12-10 at Clintonwood Park June 10.
For additional information regarding any of the Clarkston Riverdawgs baseball teams, visit www.clarkstonriverdawgs.org. For more information about North Oakland Baseball Federation, check www.nobf.net.

After an incredible start, the Clarkston Select Soccer Club Shadows ?94 U13 Girls received finalist trophies and finished second out of eight teams at the 25th Midland Invitational Tournament May 11-13. The Shadows are coached by fifth-year head coach Rean Turner and assistant coach Bob Toth.
The Shadows shut out 3 teams on their way to the finals.’They defeated the Traverse City Northstars 2-0 in their first game.’The Shadows came out strong in their second game against the CW3 Extreme with another 2-0 win.
The Shadows? third game against the Midland Fusion was another 2-0 win, advancing them to the championship game.? The Shadows fell 3-0 to the Michigan Burn in the finals, earning them second place.
‘They really stepped up. They definitely had to play up to their potential,? Turner said.
‘They played well. They got bracketed with higher-level teams and they did well.?
June 10 at the Gaylord Invitational, the Shadows earned another second-place finish.
After scoring two goals in the final 10 minutes of the first game against the Brighton Eclipse, the Shadows pulled into a 2-2 tie. The Shadows won the next two games, setting up a rematch with the Eclipse in the finals. The Eclipse won the finals 2-0 and the Shadows took home second place.
‘They gave absolutely every ounce of energy. I was proud of all of them. I couldn’t ask for a better effort,? Turner said.
The Shadows finished in third place in the Michigan Youth Soccer League Blue division this season, likely earning them a spot in the premiere league next season, Turner said.
‘As a Clarkston Impact coach, our goal is to prepare these girls to be successful at a higher level.
‘It’s our job to feed the high school (soccer program).?
In the past five seasons, Turner has seen the girls? maturity elevate with their skills.
‘They grasp the game easily. They do what they have to do to get the job done,? Turner said.
‘All their skills and maturity level and their passion for the game have come to where they need to be for success at this level.?

Clarkston Select Soccer Club’s under-10 Impact Green team won the Gaylord Invitational Soccer tournament June 10, coached by Rean Turner.
The team beat Central Shoreline Soccer Club 4-2, tied Marquette Blur 2-2, and then beat Clio Thunder 8-1 and Holt Diamondale Thunder 12-0.
The tournament came down to a tie-breaker with the Blur, which Impact won because of a stellar five-goals against performance.
‘It was a tough situation for those guys to play that many games in one day,? Turner said.
‘A lot of kids stepped up and played really well.?
Defenseman Ryan Moreno was Most Valuable Player of the tournament.

SuperNOVA, an AAU volleyball team from Clarkston, made its hometown proud June 2-3 at the Michigan Junior Volleyball Association state tournament in Grand Rapids.
The girls, one of three under-13 teams, finished third in a field of 58.
On their way to the semifinals, SuperNOVA plowed through its division I pool play, coming out undefeated. After defeating the winners of the other DI pools, the girls earned the No. 1 seed in the 11-team field.
SuperNOVA lost 25-11, 25-19 to Northeast Attack from Rockford, Mich., in the semifinals.
‘They played very poised and patient. They played with a lot of heart, even when they were down, they stayed together as a team and pulled off the victory,? coach Kristie Lightfoot said.
‘It was a great experience, I couldn’t be more proud and I have high expectations for next year.?
SuperNOVA Kristie, as the team is called, named after their coach, is comprised of nine girls, eight of whom attend Sashabaw Middle School.
Clarkston SuperNOVA, a new travel volleyball program in the Clarkston area, has teams ranging from under 12- under 18.
The girls? success at the tournament, along with that of an under-14 team that finished ranked fifth nationally, will have a strong impact on the volleyball program at Clarkston High School.
‘That’s only good news for the Clarkston volleyball program as we move forward,? Lightfoot said.
‘That acts as a feeder program.?
Visit www.supernovavolleyball.com for more information about the program.

The Oakland Sidewinders went 6-0 in the Memorial Day Classic in Farmington Hills to earn the tourney crown. The girls? dominance from the plate resulted in a 68-5 advantage over the six-game period.
‘That was the best-hitting tournament in the four years they’ve been together,? coach Stu Hastings said.
The victories marked the beginning of the season for the 12-and-under team from the Waterford fast-pitch softball league. The win also earned the girls a berth in the NSA national competition scheduled for July in Indiana.
The Sidewinders? typical strengths are their defense and pitching, so the awakening of their bats at the tournament was a relief for Hastings.
‘When you have all the hitting, it makes playing defense easier,? he said.
After the Sidewinders lost their team MVP, first-baseman, and third baseman, Hastings approached this season with caution. The season’s first six victories showed him the girls? off-season work was paying dividends.
‘So far the work we did over the winter seems to be paying off, (but) I don’t want to be over-confident based on the tournament,? he said.
‘We’ll be competitive with most teams we’re going to play.?
Hastings said the team does its best to keep the same core of girls together year in and year out, building a stronger foundation for the group.
‘As long as they want to play, there’s going to be a spot for them.
‘The goal is to take these kids and build’our goal is to have no turnover, unless someone moves or (becomes too old for the division).?
The Sidewinders, whose roster is nearly half comprised by Clarkston girls, play their season through late July. The girls play their home games at Waterford Mott high school and travel tournaments on the weekends.

After a slow start to the 2007 softball campaign, Clarkston turned on the jets to go to 22-14 prior to its regional playoff against Birmingham Seaholm Saturday. The Wolves went 12-3 in their final 15 games leading up to the start of regionals. Clarkston won its first district championship since 2004 with a win over Waterford Mott June 1. The girls avenged district disappointments handed down by the Corsairs the past two seasons.
‘They’ve figured it out and bonded together,? Clarkston coach Don Peters said.
‘They talk about what needs to be done and they work at it.?
The girls finished similarly in 2006, 24-13 in the win-loss column, but with less momentum, Peters said.
‘We’ve come on a lot stronger at the end of this year than we did last year,? he said.
‘It’s absolutely vital, the girls are excited about playing and motivated. When you’re playing well, it motivates you to continue doing well.?
Preparing for regional play, Peters said the girls were focusing on tangibles, within their control, like playing fundamentally and executing. And to keep the team sharp, the girls scrimmaged twice last week to avoid an entire week’s layoff from competitive play.
Freshman pitcher Bailee Braunreuther said she and her Wolves teammates were able to put a strong statement on the end of the season after getting better acclimated to one another.
‘We’re working together better than we did early on. We were still trying to get to know each other,? she said. ‘We figured out what we need to do to be successful.?

May 12-13, Clarkston Select Soccer Club’s Impact ?96 boys white under-11 team took the 25th annual Midland Invitational tournament. The boys are one of two teams in the age bracket, which began when the players were between 7-8 years old.
‘Their teamwork really developed this year and helped them do well in the tournament,? Tracey Trim, whose son Alex is in his third year with the team, said.
‘They’re really becoming united and you can see that at this age.?
The boys posted two shutout wins in four games at the tournament and outscored their opponents 11-4.
The boys finished second in the major blue division of the Michigan Youth Soccer League last fall and were rewarded with a jump to the premiere division this spring.
Tryouts for the 2007-?08 team will be June 15-16 at Clintonwood Park.
CSSC will have new team tryouts for boys and girls ages 7-17 June 16-18, also at Clintonwood Park.
For more information, visit www.clarkstonsoccer.org.

Championships aren’t as easy the second time around, but Clarkston wasn’t expected to repeat as regional champs in girls track. After losing girls from their dominant distance-running core, Clarkston was no longer a favorite in the area, even on the heels of a state runner-up finish in 2006. Clarkston not only repeated, but three-peated. The championship was also the girls? fourth in the past five years.
At the regional, the Wolves put together an impressive 99-point performance.
‘We’ve had a great year and we surprised a lot of people. After losing some important distance people, we’ve shown that we’re a good all-around team,? Clarkston coach John Yorke said.
‘We’ll have a good showing at the state meet also.?
For this week’s state meet Autumn Touchstone qualified for the 300- and 100-meter hurdles and the long jump. Touchstone, along with Stephanie Thorstad, Rebecca Culver, and Johanna Kupe, qualified in the 400-meter relay. Tiffany Kincaid and Kristen Smith, both cross-country runners, qualified for the 3200-meter run, and Smith made the cut for the 1600-meter run.
Thorstad also made the state cut in the long jump, as well as the high jump. Dana Johns (pole vault) and Stephanie Carlson (discus) will also represent the Wolves next weekend.
‘A top-five finish would show we can really be strong year in and year out,? Yorke said.

At the 13th Annual Clarkston Classic Baseball Tournament at Clintonwood Park April 27-29, the 13U-Clarkston Riverdawgs team won four straight games to clinch first place and a berth in the USSSA World Series.
In their final game against the Anchor Bay Angels, the Riverdawgs broke the 4-4 tie in the bottom of the 7th inning on a run scored by Luke Rodgers on a sacrifice bunt made by Trent Taylor. Rodgers went 3/3 at the plate and Taylor turned an unassisted double play as shortstop on an infield fly.
Starting pitcher Drew Fairse allowed only one run during the first five innings of play. Tyler Vaughan, the winning pitcher, took the hill during the final two innings. Austin Morse hit a pair of doubles and catcher Trevor Potter threw out two runners and produced an RBI. Phillip Sims went 3/3 at the plate, collecting two RBIs. Jack Margavitch brought a run home with a sacrifice bunt with a runner on third. Jake Forsten led the defense in centerfield by catching four fly balls during the game while Joey Goss aided the team as auxiliary hitter.
‘This team played hard and never gave up,? head coach Steve Potter said.
The Riverdawgs advanced to the final game of the Clarkston Classic by beating the Orion Chargers 7-3, the Michigan Pirates 9-0, and the Rochester Rockies 9-3.
Other Riverdawgs teams came close to winning their respective pools. The 10U Riverdawgs beat the Clarkston Cubs 7-5 and the Rochester Pirates 13-3, but lost to the Lakes Area Dodgers in the bottom of the 6th inning, 8-7.
The 14U Riverdawgs beat the Western Ontario Bulls 6-0, and the Rochester Rockies 11-1, but lost to the Novi Heat 8-0.
The five Riverdawg teams produced a combined record of 10-6-0 for the tournament.
Clarkston Riverdawgs travel baseball teams compete in the North Oakland Baseball Federation through the Clarkston Youth Baseball Organization.
For additional information about all the Riverdawgs teams, visit www.riverdawgs.org.

Two young Clarkston gymnasts, 11-year-old fifth-graders Brian Lormier and Jonathan Pitts, from Gymnastic Training Center of Rochester, helped their level- six team to a second-place finish at the state finals in Cadillac, Mich., March 30.
Pitts, a student from Bailey Lake Elementary, tied for ninth place on the rings as part of his 14th overall finish in the state. In 2006, Pitts was the state champion in the event. Lormier, a Springfield Plains Elementary student, was runner-up in the pole vault and a top-25 finisher overall.
With high marks at the state event, both boys qualified for the regional finals, which include participants from Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky. That event was scheduled for this past weekend in Battle Creek.
Shawn Clement, who has coached Lormier since age 3 and Pitts since age 6, said the boys have bright futures ahead.
‘If they both stick with it, they can compete collegiately,? Clement said.
Fifty percent of graduating high school seniors from GTC continue after high school, Clement said.
Assistant Coach Julie Maurer said Lormier is a determined student.
‘He comes out swinging and won’t stop until he gets it. He’s really come a long way. He comes in and wants to get as good as the older kids. He works hard to accomplish his goal.?
Pitts adjusted to the sport immediately, Maurer said.
‘He was a natural talent when he walked in the door. He’s strong and athletic and he’s got a good shape for the sport. When he walked in, he was just able to get it,? she said.
Dave Pitts, Jonathan’s father, said the same.
‘He seemed to like it quite a bit and he really took off,? he said.
The rings are Jonathan’s favorite of the six gymnastic events, his father said.
‘It’s his love of being airborne, he’s very confident up there,? Dave said.
As a child, Jonathan displayed his ability at home, to the surprise of his parents.
‘At 4 or 5, he would spring backwards off the couch and flip backwards on the floor. We said, ‘If he’s going to do this, we should make sure he does it right.? He took to it like a natural,? Dave said.

The Clarkston High School Powerlifting team got over it’s third-place hump at the state championships at Muskegon High School March 17. The sixth-year program won it’s first state championship by squeezing out a 73-point performance to defeat their hosts by three points.
The Wolves had 11 top-10 finishers, including three individual state champions: Aaron Sharp (155 pound weight class), Jimmy Popp (181) and Casey Dresselhouse (207). Devere Enoch took second place in the super heavyweight division and Aaron Elson (123) and Adam Sharp (145) both earned fourth place.
Tyler Boston (114) took fifth place and Jon Wright (275) placed sixth.
Billy Gooden(155), Xavier Delossantos (165) and Chad Blackstone (194) also placed for Clarkston.
‘The message to the team this year was to be dedicated and intense and to demonstrate mental toughness,? Clarkston coach Chad Looper said.
‘The entire team showed a great amount of mental toughness by overcoming some difficult circumstances during the meet. It was truly a total team effort.?
The team’s youth was an initial cause for concern for Looper.
‘I wasn’t sure how they would perform,? he said.
‘At midseason, I got some confidence about how they would perform.?
The boys were able to execute all season long and carried that poise to the finals with their 18 qualifiers.
Congratulations to the Clarkston powerlifting team on their state championship from The Clarkston News.

Making their fifth consecutive state quarterfinals appearance last week, the Clarkston basketball team finished another stellar season, which included a share of the Oakland Activities Association championship.
The Wolves (21-4), along with fellow champs Pontiac Northern, represented OAA Division I in the elite eight, and another, Southfield Lathrup, advanced to the regional finals.
‘OAA I is going to be strong no matter who is in the division,? Wolves coach Dan Fife said.
Emerging with another 20-plus-win season is a strong showing, Fife said.
‘It was an outstanding year.
‘Any time you win 20 games in high school basketball is a great season.
‘They don’t have anything to be ashamed of and they should be very proud of their season. For our kids to be one of the final eight, that’s quite an accomplishment.?
After rolling over Waterford Mott in the district playoff opener, Clarkston won its 13th consecutive district championship over Lake Orion on the Dragons? home court two weeks ago.
The team’s leading scorer, guard Dan Owens, is committed to play for Ashland University in Ohio next season.
The Wolves return offensive threats Oliver Kupe and Julius Porter, and 6-foot-5-inch Matt Kamieniecki should see more time next season. The betting odds are for another team poised to be in contention for the OAA crown and a deep run in the playoffs.

Assists are a common statistic tracked in basketball. But one local travel team transcended the length of the court, raising more than $600 for Nothing But Nets, a malaria prevention program.
The Clarkston Cavaliers, a group aged 12-13, collected returnable cans and bottles, then contributing the deposit refund to the nets campaign. The boys returned the cans at local grocery stores, which took nearly an hour, and when coach Tom Risi matched the boys? contribution, the group had raised enough money for 67 malaria prevention nets.
Nothing But Nets works with a collective called the Measles Initiative, made of the World Health Organization, the American Red Cross, the CDC, the United Nations Foundation and UNICEF, to purchase and transport mosquito barring nets to Africa and give them to families in need. A net contribution costs $10 and protects a family of four for four years. The nets both restrict infectious mosquitoes, but are also insecticide laced, to help exterminate the insect.
Although the disease is not often found in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports up to 500 million cases are reported annually. The CDC reports most deaths from malaria occur in young children, and in Africa, one child dies every 30 seconds.
Renee Weaver-Wright, mother of team member Matt Wright, introduced the idea of the program to the team’s coaches. Like thousands of other readers of Sports Illustrated columnist Rick Reilly’s May 2006 editorial, the team responded to a challenge put forth to readers to contribute to the campaign.
‘I had just bought my son a brand new pair of basketball shoes,? Weaver-Wright remembered.
‘My kids don’t realize how fortunate we are,? she thought.
Weaver-Wright, a longtime SI reader, agreed with Reilly’s sporting nets analogy of the column.
‘A net is something a 12 or 13-year old can relate to with sports,? she said.
Weaver-Wright wished to thank the accommodating grocers, Kroger and Farmer Jack, for their help with the returns.
Weaver-Wright’s daughter, Allison Wright, was part of the Clarkston High School pom pon team’s collection for the program. The poms team raffled different sports items including autographed basketballs in January to raise money for Nothing But Nets.
The campaign’s Net-O-Meter counts more than 400,000 nets so far.
For more information about the campaign, visit www.nothingbutnets.net.

In late January, the Lakeland Hawks Pee Wee A hockey team won the International Silversticks hockey tournament in New Market, Ontario, Canada. The victory earned the boys the North American Pee Wee A title.
The team, comprised of mostly 11 year olds, was the first team based out of Lakeland Ice Arena to win the tournament.
The core of the travel team has been together for the past four years.
‘These kids are very talented, and if they can stay together, moving forward, they’ll be phenomenal,? said Theresa LaPorte, mother of team member Jacob LaPorte.
‘They’re really gelling and learning how to win, and it’s been fun to watch as a parent.?
LaPorte is one of a handful of kids on the travel team who reside in the Clarkston area.

Clarkston wrestlers have had their way with many opponents this season, in which they have compiled a 32-3 record. The Wolves won their sixth consecutive Oakland County championship and Oakland Activities Division I championship this year.
Last week Clarkston secured its first regional championship since 2004 with a 59-9 win over five-time state champion Davison before an enthusiastic home audience.
‘They’re definitely peaking right now. I hope they can turn that notch three more times,? Coach Joe DeGain said after the Wolves secured a berth in the state finals.
DeGain said the win is beneficial for the future of the program.
‘It’s good for Clarkston wrestling. Hopefully the ninth-graders just saw what happened and they see they can do anything,? he said.
Nearby at Holly High School last Saturday, Clarkston qualified eight individual wrestlers for the state meet at The Palace next weekend.
The addition of Frank Sade from Norway, Mich. has given the Wolves another tour-de-force at the lower weights to go with Mike Maguire.
‘We’ve definitely done a lot of moving around with Frank and putting him where we think we need him,? DeGain said.
‘He’s got a very threatening arsenal to use. Even if he’s losing in the match, he can always win, he can always put somebody on their back at any time.?
The Wolves have been consistently dominant from 152 pounds up to 215 all season with Colton Tweed, Bryant Craft, Adam Lauzun, Tommy Ellsworth and Layne Upcott anchoring the upper weights.
The team goes to Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek for the team state finals this weekend and the final eight individuals go to The Palace of Auburn Hills March 8-10.
Clarkston hopes to have its first individual state champion since that 2004 team. Tony Lajoie, a 130-pounder, was the last Wolves wrestler to take home the crown. The team last won the state championship in 1991 and 171-pounder Damon Michelsen won an individual championship that season.

A pair of 16-year-old archers from the Junior Olympic Archery Development program at the Oakland County Sportsmen’s club in Independence Township earned their Olympian rankings.
Cousins Brian King and Chad Perry, both sophomores at Lakeland High School in White Lake, have been shooting archery since childhood.
‘My dad’s a real big hunter and he took me hunting,? King said.
‘He found the sportsmen’s club and signed me up and I really liked it.?
The duo travels to more than 10 different archery tournaments around the nation each year. Most recently, the two competed in the World Archery Festival in Las Vegas at the Riveria.
The years of shooting have left a lifetime impression on Perry.
‘I’m always going to be shooting a bow because I like it a lot,? he said.
Perry is looking forward to taking hunter’s safety so he can hunt like his cousin.
King enjoys hunting deer both in bow and firearms seasons.
He credits his success to the training at the club.
‘As I see myself shooting better, I enjoy going to different tournaments in different states. I really enjoy that.?
I’ve been improving since I was little.?
To earn their Olympian rankings, Perry shot a 296/300 for his silver ranking and King shot 291/300, both in January.

The Clarkston High School junior varsity volleyball team is on a roll, having won two tournaments on back-to-back weekends.
First, the team took first place in the Davison Deep Freeze tournament at Davison High School on Jan. 13. The girls went undefeated, 5-0, to earn the trophy.
This past Saturday at the annual Grand Blanc JV Invitational at Grand Blanc High School, the girls again went undefeated to win first place.
The Wolves dropped Goodrich, Holly, Grand Blanc, Macomb Dakota and Ann Arbor Pioneer in the finals.
The Pioneers did not roll over for the Wolves, taking Clarkston the distance by rallying the second game down 0-1. Clarkston turned it on in the final game to win the best-of-three match and send the Pioneers packing.
The team is made up of members Morgan Leaym, Paige McClelland, Johanna Kupe, Andrea Foust, Alexa Gentile, Molli Simpson, Jen Heuerman, Kelsey Flaishaus, Katy Schweitzer, Jenny Jochum, Jenna Coates, Mallory Godschalk and Ashley Hall. The team is coached by Colby Gardner.

The Clarkston Select Soccer Club (CSSC) Shadows under-12 team comprised of mostly 11-12 year-old girls from the Clarkston area, completed its 2006 fall youth soccer season by winning the league championship on Oct. 22 at a game in Rochester.
The Shadows? regular season record was 6-0-2 in the Michigan Youth Soccer League’s red division. The girls scored 27 goals, while allowing only six goals (best in the division) in eight games. The Shadows finished on a hot streak with four consecutive shutouts
‘As a team, we decided to set the division championship as our goal before the start of the season,? said Coach Erika Rust.
‘The girls never lost sight of this goal, even after struggling in a pre-season tournament. Instead, the girls rallied as a team and their positive attitudes and hard work resulted in success.?
The girls will play its indoor season at the Oakland Yard in Waterford Township facing other area teams.
The team expects to expand its roster for next season and tryouts are held in June.
More information about the Shadows is available online at http://www.clarkstonsoccer.org.

BY PAUL KAMPE
Clarkston News Staff Writer
With a sound victory over Rochester, 121-65, the Clarkston Wolves girls swim team completed its second consecutive undefeated season.
‘To go undefeated, 8-0, for the second season in a row’I expected us to be successful, but to come in to (OAA playoffs) with an unblemished record, that’s remarkable,? said Wolves Coach Kenwyn Chock.
‘Every year you get a new team, and it’s a long season and you expect them to get sick. Dual meets are grueling. To be successful week in and week out is really remarkable.?
Accomplishing the feat is a huge feat of its own, Chock said, but beating every team in a league where three two-loss teams are tied for the second spot is special.
Chock credits the eight seniors on the 29-member team for the role their leadership has played in the team’s success.
‘Your team is not going to be successful if you don’t have leaders, and those eight seniors (are that),? Chock said.
Megan Bland, Jessica Colombo, Amanda Hassett, Ellie Kuhta, Kelsey Merz, Rachel Napier, Michelle Vandervoord and Ruth Wang make up the seniors on the team.
‘I have the two (senior) captains and the other six really took charge from the beginning. From setting down rules and goals down to putting pictures in every underclassman’s locker for motivation, all the seniors pitched in for this team.?
Chock said Colombo helps keep the diving team in order.
‘They’re kind of separate because they are one event, but Jessie makes sure they’re at the spaghetti dinners and all the social gatherings and that helps.?
Chock is expecting big things from the team at the upcoming league championships at Lake Orion High School from Nov. 1-3.
‘The sky’s the limit, they’re great, watch out,? she said.
‘They’re swimming with a lot of confidence this year, so I’m looking for a good OAA meet.?

Chemistry is something high school students learn in the classroom, but for athletes, it can also be forged on the playing field.
Clarkston Wolves doubles tennis players Kate Cooley, a junior, and Alissa Crawford, a senior, have become friends over the past two years they have played together, something Cooley said is a necessary ingredient for success.
‘We get along really well and we have a lot of fun on the court, you have to have fun or else you’re not going to win the game.? Cooley said.
Crawford echoed Cooley’s perspective on their friendship.
‘We’re really good friends, so on and off the court, we have a really good time together and we work well.?
‘Kate and Alissa have determinedly challenged the elite doubles teams in the area,? Wolves Coach Craig Judd said.
‘These girls are fighters and they don’t give up in tough matches.?
The pair defeated both their opponents in the past week, the top doubles teams from both Birmingham Marian and from Rochester Adams. The latter victory was a sound 6-3, 6-0 defeat of the Highlanders.
Cooley is fast, well coordinated, powerful and a good doubles play strategist, Judd said.
And Crawford adds power and placement with her shots, keeping opponents off-guard, Judd said.
‘During a match, they are each other’s best cheerleaders. They constantly pump each other up between points.?

Clarkston residents Sean Hoffman and Ethan Brewer played key roles on the Flint Affiliation travel team. Their team went 22-4 in the 13-15 age division ths year.
The team won the Ann Arbor, East Lansing and Flint Tournaments and will compete for the state championship in April. Should they win the state championship they will advance to nationals.
The Flint Affiliation League is a try-out league for boys age 10-18.

After becoming individual state champions in their respective weight classes and helping Clarkston to a third place finish at the powerlifting finals on March 18, senior Steve McIsaac and junior Steve Soeder are the Athletes of the Week.
McIsaac won the 207-pound weight class and broke all three of his own state records in claiming his second straight title.
McIsaac’s new state benchmarks are a 585 pound squat, 635 pound deadlift and a herculean 1,525 pounds across three events. He benched 305 at the state meet.
‘I had a lot more confidence coming in. I was more worried about myself than other people this year,? McIsaac said.
Soeder, competing in the 150-pound weight class, saved his best for last this season as the state championship was also his first win of the year. Even in the early going of the state meet, Soeder was concerned with his performance.
‘At the start of the meet I was having what I considered a bad day,? Soeder said.
After squatting 335 and benching 210, Soeder put up a personal record setting deadlift of 365 pounds to vault to the top of the standings with 1,010 total pounds.
The 150-pound division was exceptionally close this year, Soeder ended up tying another lifter and was awarded the victory because he weighed less than his competition.
‘He’s one of those kids you have to kick out of the weight room,? Clarkston Coach Chad Looper said.
‘I always try to find something more to do,? Soeder said.

On Feb. 12 at Lakeland Ice Arena four Clarkston youngsters helped their team, the U.S.A Eagles win the District 4 Pee Wee Travel Hockey Championship, defeating Livonia 2-1. They are (left to right) defenseman Brian Ziola, right wing Brad Pizzey, left wing Luke Rodgers and defenseman Adam Johns. Ziola, Pizzey and Rodgers are sixth graders at Sashabaw Middle School. Johns is in the fifth grade at Andersonville Elementary. The Eagles are one of eight teams to qualify for the state championships held in Livonia, March 9-12.

The Clarkston pom pons competed in the 15th annual Pom/Dance Championships held at the Palace of Auburn Hills and finished in 10th place out of 25 large and medium varsity squads.
‘Our goal was to beat last year’s (showing). We probably had three to four weeks of practice just on that dance,? said Clarkston Coach Erin Montera, who added the girls performance in front of the judges was the best rendition they had done.

What normally is a chilly bike ride along the icy back roads of Clarkston featured a little more mud this year but the Kinetic Systems Bicycles and The Flying Rhino Cycling Club’s 17th annual Polar Rhino Ride still came off with nary a hitch on Jan. 1.
‘Most of the people were aware they were going to see some mud,? said John Meyland, a long time club member. ‘At the end of the ride, people were comparing with one another as to who was muddier. They we all in good sprits. We didn’t hear any compaints about the conditions.?
Departing from Independence Elementary, riders on two courses, of eight miles and 17 miles respectively, left around noon for the New Year’s day tradition.
The next Flying Rhino event is scheduled for Mother’s Day, May 14. For more information on the group visit www.flyingrhinocc.com or call Kinetic Systems Bicycles at 248-625-7000.

Last year Gillian Nordquist and Liz Mengyan played integral roles in the Clarkston cross country team’s second straight state championship.
The duo has enjoyed considerable success as scholarship athletes on the collegiate level as well, Nordquist at Bucknell and Mengyan at Illinois.
Nordquist was named rookie of the year for the Bucknell Bisons cross country team team. The Bisons won their conference championship this past season, with Nordquist figuring prominently in their success.
As a freshman runner on Illinois? cross country team, Mengyan helped her team to 5th in the nation at the NCAA championships. She saved some of her best running for the end of the season as she posted a 6K personal best of 21:40 at the NCAA Championships and was her team’s fifth scorer at the NCAA Midwest Regional with a time of 22:01, helping the Illini to a second place finish.

On Nov. 16, two more members of Clarkston’s three time state champion cross country team signed letters of intent to ply their running talents at NCAA Division I schools.
In the fall, Lisa Sickman will attend Winthrop University in South Carolina. Beth Hoekstra committed to Indiana Purdue at Fort Wayne.
‘Right when I went to their campus, I liked it a lot. My mom said I came home smiling,? said Hoekstra on her initial visit to IPFW.
Hoekstra plans on running both cross country and track in college.
‘I like track more, but I’ll focus on both,? Hoekstra said.
Hoekstra anticipates her transition to collegiate running will be eased by the time she spent on Clarkston’s state championship teams.
?(I want to) help (IPFW) improve and help them move up in the ranks at pre-nationals,? Hoekstra said.
Hoekstra started running cross country in seventh grade.
‘I always played soccer and softball. I just decided to try (cross country) in seventh grade. It’s just something I’ve always enjoyed,? Hoeksta said.
Even with the considerable mileage the cross country and track teams put in each week, Hoeksta attained a 3.5 GPA and is active in church activities at St. Daniel Catholic Church.
Sickman chose Winthrop for a litany of reasons, both athletic and academic.
‘I really like the way their coach runs the team,? Sickman said,
She plans on pursuing psychology at Winthrop after maintaining a 3.9 (32 class rank) at CHS.
Like Hoekstra, Sickman also credits her time under Clarkston Coach Jamie LaBrosse for molding her for the next level.
‘I am used to having girls running next to me who are really fast. I won’t be intimidated,? Sickman said.
The signing of her scholarship papers was quite a relief for Sickman.
‘There is a lot of stress off my back. My goals are more based on running in college now,? Sickman said.
Sickman’s cross country career began the same year as the Wolves? first state championship in 2003.
‘I’ve always loved running, but didn’t run until my sophomore year. (LaBrosse) tracked me down and talked me into running,? Sickman said.

The Mojo traveling volleyball team is this week’s Athletes of the Week for their consistent championship form over the past two seasons of play at the Joe Dumars Field House in Shelby Township.
Comprised of two freshman and seven sophomores from Clarkston High School, team Mojo finished first in their league in 2004. Despite playing in a junior and senior age division the team brought home another league title in 2005.
The team credits much of their success to their Coach Robin Gardner.

While not drab to start with, on Nov. 9 the normally conservatively decorated Clarkston High School library pulsed with maize and blue shirts, hats and decorations ? with a smattering of maroon and white thrown in for good measure. The colors came courtesy of three Wolves as they signed letters of intent to NCAA Division I schools.
Seniors Jenny Morgan and Mike Kittle will ply their athletic talents at the University of Michigan in the fall and senior Lyndsay Smith signed on to become a Cougar at the College of Charleston in South Carolina.
‘I just loved everything about (the College of Charleston),? said Smith on her decision. ‘I couldn’t find anything I didn’t like.?
Smith, a four year member of the varsity cross country team, won three straight state championships to close her high school career.
‘It’s kind of unbelievable. I never thought about being a state champion three years in a row,? Smith said.
Smith intends to study marine biology in college with eyes on becoming a dolphin trainer.
Morgan, who transferred to Clarkston last year when her family moved from Ohio, joined Smith in each of the past two years at the top of the podium.
While many schools were in pursuit of Clarkston’s lead runner each of the past two years, the University of Michigan had everything Morgan, who plans on majoring in pre-med, wanted.
?(Choosing U of M) was an easy decision for me,? Morgan said. ‘They have a perfect balance of academics and athletics.?
U of M’s cross country team is currently ranked No. 3 in the nation and has won four straight Big 10 championships.
‘Their program was something I really wanted to be a part of ? I’d like to be on a fifth straight Big 10 championship team,? Morgan said.
With Morgan and Smith signing this year, Clarkston girls cross country Coach Jamie LaBrosse has now put six runners into Division I programs. In 2003, Mo Kuhta signed on with Depaul. Anne Oltman (Dayton), Gillian Nordquist (Bucknell) and Liz Mengyan (Illinois) followed in 2004.
‘I have a nice hat collection,? LaBrosse said. ‘It’s exciting. Currently, they are all running varsity.?
Also sporting a U of M cap on Wednesday was Mike Kittle, who will play baseball for the maize and blue.
‘I couldn’t turn down (U of M). I’ve been wanting to go there my entire life,? Kittle said.
With his scholarship in hand, Kittle, a career .400 hitter, is looking forward to this year’s baseball season at CHS. He plans on starting in the LSA program with designs on entering the business school as a sophomore.
‘There is a lot of pressure off of me. I think that’s part of why I struggled last year,? Kittle said.
Aside from his work with the Wolves, Kittle gained exposure from playing on the North Oakland Yankees of the Midwest Super League. As a shortstop on the Yankees, he played in tournaments across the state, including Ann Arbor.
A right handed batsman, Kittle prides himself on his ability to play both the outfield and infield.
‘I’ll play wherever I can get playing time,? Kittle said.
Clarkston Principal Jan Meagher, Athletic Director Dan Fife, Baseball Coach Phil Price, LaBrosse, members of the baseball and cross country teams and the athletes? parents were on hand to pose for pictures.

Matt Ullrich and Brent Fisher, seniors at Clarkston High School, played this summer for the Champion Lacrosse Michigan all star team coached by Corey Vann, assistant lacrosse coach of Denver College.
The Champion Lacrosse team is comprised of high school lacrosse players who completed their Junior year. The team participated in three summer tournaments, one camp and played weekly in the Champion Lacrosse summer elite league at Seaholm High School. The team participated in the Notre Dame Team Camp in Indiana; King of the Hill Tournament in Pottsville, PA; and the National Development Program in Malvern, PA.
Both Matt and Brent want to share their experiences and growth in lacrosse skills with their teammates for the upcoming spring season.