It was another terrific week for our Sailor student-athletes! Some highlights...
Some high schools go years in between regional final appearances, let alone victories! In a two-day stretch though, our Sailors clinched two regional championships! It was barely a year ago when our hockey team last hoisted a regional trophy, but one has to go back to 1994 – before many of our high school students were even born – to recall the last time our gymnastics program claimed a regional title.
1) The regional meet was the culmination of a fine season for Coach Carol Schneller and the girls gymnastics squad. They took first in many invitational tournaments, swept through conference competition (including wrapping up its fifth conference championship in school history), and overcame an unusual deficit to Rockford and Kenowa Hills going into the last rotation on Saturday to hoist the hardware. Their clutch combination of floor routines (all earning 9.0+ scores) erased the deficit and any doubt surrounding the team’s ability to achieve greatness this season. Made up of mostly seniors, the dream season continues for the Sailors as they go for the state title later this week.
2) Some call it luck, some call it talent, and some consider the hockey team’s recent success destiny. They started the season losing games to east side opponents. Then the squad began conference play with a 2-3 record. However, since those early days of January, Coach Charlie Link’s boys ripped off six straight conference wins en route to yet another O-K Conference Championship (shared with GR Catholic Central) and blanked its first two state tournament opponents (6-0 over Grand Haven; 4-0 over Reeths-Puffer). Friday night was simply another chapter in the thick story of Mona Shores High School Hockey. Up early in the first period on a David Coppock goal, the story (yet again) was the Sailor defense and the goaltending of freshman Reed Schlender. Numerous scoring chances were stifled by the young Sailor and if it weren’t for a late third period power-play goal by Forest Hills, Schlender would have his third shutout in a row. Although it has seemingly become customary for the varsity hockey team to hoist regional hardware, the 2009-10 campaign has truly been a memorable one.
3) The boys bowling squad met some adversity in Friday’s team state finals finishing just off the cut after eight Baker games, but senior Chris Dempsey got a chance to shine on Saturday at the Division II individual state finals in Canton. Together, Dempsey and fellow senior Nick Yadlosky competed against over 100 other bowlers for a chance to crack the top sixteen and compete head-to-head against the state’s best for individual championships. Not only did Dempsey make the final sixteen, he entered the finals seeded third! Despite his early bow, both boys, the team and Coach Greg Schmeling turned out a fine season and ought to be pleased with their accomplishments and progress.
Upcoming events this week:
1) Hockey takes on highly touted Traverse City Bay Reps in Big Rapids on Tuesday at 7:00 pm. Directions are available upon request in the athletic office.
2) Gymnastics competes for its third state title in school history at Rockford this Friday starting at 3:30 pm. The competition will be inside Rockford High School’s main gymnasium.
3) Boys basketball looks to avenge its earlier loss to Grand Haven when it takes on the Buccaneers at Kenowa Hills High School at 6:00 pm Monday night in the opener of MHSAA district tournament action.
4) We have a ton of Sailors in the state swimming finals at the Holland Aquatic Center! Swimming preliminaries begin Friday at 12:00 pm and go until about 3:30 pm. The finals are on Saturday starting at 12:00 pm. Doors open at 10:00 am... hope to see you there!
Finally, did you know...
Fan of ESPN’s Rick Reilly? Fan of good journalism with a sarcastic flavor? Read up on the “rules” for fans desiring to storm the basketball court or football field following a memorable victory: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=4961547
