2013

The 1947 edition of the Abrahamson-Bannon softball team helped to set up decades to come of softball greatness from Mason County as it won the MASA Class B state championship. The team compiled a 35-4 record that season and went 17-2 in its league. At the state tournament, the team allowed just one run and eight hits while scoring eight runs on 20 hits. Bob VanDyke tossed the first two games, incl ...Read More...

Dick Dennis is one of the pioneers of softball in Mason County as he and good friend Ralph Wienert brought the windmill pitch to fast pitch softball here and perfected it for the ages. Dennis began to play softball at age eight, and he was on his first men's team at age 11 in 1935. He went on play on various teams during his service with the U.S. Army Air Corps and once he came back home, he joine ...Read More...

Jay Hansen was one of the most prolific swimmers to come through Ludington High School. Hansen, a 1988 graduate, won 11 individual Coastal Conference titles and set five league records while an Oriole. He set five school records and still owns four of them and he won three individual state championships and set one state record. He was at his best in the 100-yard butterfly, even recording the 34th ...Read More...

Fred Horstman began the Ludington High School soccer program from scratch and built it into a state powerhouse, including guiding the Orioles to the 2001 Division 3 state championship. In 15 years, Horstman had a record of 258-54-22 as Ludington won 11 conference, 10 district and six regional championships. Before the state title, Ludington was the 1994 and 1997 state runners-up. The 2001 Division ...Read More...

Paul Spencer Peterson used a great distance-running career at Ludington and propelled himself into a wonderful runner for Saginaw Valley State University. Peterson was the runner-up at the 1978 Class B state meet. But once he became a Cardinal, he earned NAIA All-American honors in several events. He is three-time All-American in the 10,000-meter run and a two-time All-American in the 5,000-meter ...Read More...

Bonita "Bonnie" Vasicek put the footprints down for girls and women's softball in Mason County starting at the age of nine. Vasicek's 40-year career included playing for Custer High School and attempting to get a contract at 15 with the Grand Rapids Chicks, a semipro team. She won a state title with the 1959 Carr's Rockets, the 1969 Baldwin Merchant Team and the 1971 Baldwin Girls' Team. She also ...Read More...

Bob Wolff is a two-time world record holder in archery. Wolff, known as the "The Bow Bender" or the "Bull of the Woods", had one of the greatest years in 1969 in archery, scoring a state title with a record for the highest score and highest margin of victory. He set his two world records at Cobo Hall in Detroit, competing in the sport before the advent of the compound bow. And in that year, throug ...Read More...

Elena Luce of Mason County Eastern earned 17 total letters for participating in cross country, volleyball, basketball, softball and soccer. She earned all-Western Michigan D League recognition in each of those sports, with basketball being her strongest sport. She was a three-time Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan Academic All-State selection and a two-time BCAM All-State choice. She won ...Read More...

D'Erika Varenhorst of Ludington competed in basketball, volleyball and track in her high school career with the Orioles and basketball proved to be her top game. In all, she earned eight varsity letters while an Oriole. Varenhorst was one of just a few Ludington girls basketball players to be named to the Associated Press, BCAM and Detroit Free Press Class B All-State teams in school history. Vare ...Read More...

Payton Tyndall accumulated six letters during his high school career in cross country, basketball, baseball and football. In basketball, he earned honors from the West Michigan Conference, all-district from the coaches and all-area from the Ludington Daily News. In baseball, Tyndall was all-conference honorable mention and all-district. Tyndall has spent time with 4-H, in the Mason County Reform C ...Read More...