2011

Born in Ludington in 1897, Claire served in the Navy in World War I, after which he was a strong-armed shortstop with the Ludington Mariners of the Class B Central League in 1920. He was scouted and purchased for $2,000 by the Detroit Tigers, and played three games in September of that year, hitting in front of Ty Cobb and collecting one hit in seven at bats. Claire played three years of professio ...Read More...

Lee Edmundson, as a high school sophomore in 1964, shot an 80 in the Class B state golf tournament, helping Ludington High to a share of second place, three strokes behind co-champions Kalamazoo University High and Whitehall. In his junior year, the Orioles finished ninth as a team but Edmundson was co-medalist in the state meet with a 77. As a senior in 1966, Ludington was fifth and Edmundson sho ...Read More...

On the 50th anniversary year of its Class D state runnerup season, the 1961 Free Soil High boys basketball team went 25-1 and finished second in the state. Called "Carey's Comets," the team won its first 25 games, most by wide margins, before losing to Marquette Pierce, 68-61, in the Class D State championship game. Led by Jim Jackoviak (20.9 points per game), Norm Clausen (17.9), and Mel Carey (1 ...Read More...

Chadd Holmes is one of only three Ludington High School basketball players to earn first-team all-state honors twice. He did it in 1994 when he averaged 18.9 points a game and again in 1995 when he averaged 22.4 points per game for the 22-4 Orioles. In high school, the 6-foot-9-inch Holmes also started on Ludington's state-ranked soccer teams. After high school, Holmes attended Division 1 Davidson ...Read More...

In 2001, Mason County Eastern rode the pitching and hitting of Jeanne (Cole) Miller to the Division 4 state championship. She was 31-1 and in 195 innings she struck out 288 batters, walked 38 while allowing just 52 base hits and 16 earned runs for what was then the lowest earned run average (0.11) ever by a prep softball player in Michigan. She also hit .648 with 27 doubles, seven triples, six hom ...Read More...

Ed Papes was a three-sport star for Free Soil High School, graduating in 1967. In track and field, he held the school record in the 100-yard dash (10.4 seconds) and also helped set school records in the 880- and mile relays. As a basketball player, Papes was a key member on Pirate teams that advanced to the Class D state semifinals in 1966 and 1967. He led the latter squad in scoring at 18.2 point ...Read More...

Kada Knizacky, of Mason County Eastern, was chosen the Mason County Sports Hall of Fame’s Femaie Scholar Athlete of the Year. Knizacky earned a total of 15 varsity letters in her four-year athletic career at Eastern. She lettered four times each in cross country and track and field, three times in volleyball, twice in basketball and once each in softball and soccer. In track and field, Kni ...Read More...

Nick Allen, of Mason County Central, lettered four times in cross country and wrestling and three times in baseball, and was named Mason County Central’s Senior Male Athlete of the Year. In wrestling, Nick earned All West Michigan Conference honors, as well as all-district, all-area, and all-state honors and served as the Spartan’s team captain. He set a school record with 56 victories in t ...Read More...

Brandon Melchert lettered three times in both baseball and football and twice in basketball. In football, he was the team’s co-captain and most valuable defensive player. As a junior, he was first team All-West Michigan Conference, all-district and all-area in baseball, earning the team’s Most Valuable Player Award. He also earned All-WMC Scholar Athlete honors in each of his varsity se ...Read More...