A Reunion of Sorts

In this photo Lucas Westblade, Joe McAvoy, and Morgan Mc­Cririe met while competing in the Illinois Intercollegiate Cross Country meet in Nor­mal, Ill. on Sept. 18.

Lucas was a 2007 graduate of Will Carleton Academy and runs for Augustana Col­lege in Rock Island, Illinois. He is the son of Don and Joni Westblade of Hillsdale.

Augustana took third place out of 25 teams at the event.

Joe is the son of Patrick and Robin McAvoy of Hills­dale and runs for North Cen­tral College in Naperville, Illinois. He is a 2009 graduate of Hillsdale High School.

He finished 53rd at the meet in a time of 26:02 and the Cardinal men won the meet, their third straight vic­tory.

McAvoy already has two Top 10 finishes to his credit this season.

The Cardinals are cur­rently ranked No. 1 in the Di­vision III coaches’ poll.

Morgan runs for Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois and was a 2009 graduate of Will Carleton Academy.

She is the daughter of Dale and Laura McCririe.

McCririe finished the course in a time of 23:02.
 
— Photo courtesy of Dale McCririe

Read more...

Young and hungry: GLIAC newcomers to watch for in 2009

It's just 35 days until the Hillsdale College football Chargers take on St. Josephs in their first game of the 2009 season and fans are starting to get antsy, me included. We all want to see if Troy Weatherhead can hold off Anthony Mifsud in the QB department, and freshman like Joe "The Show" Glendening are keeping the "hype-ometer" cranked high.

The truth is the GLIAC isn't getting any easier, with two preseason Top 10 teams, including the locked and re-loaded Grand Valley State Chargers.

Like any good athletics conference the GLIAC is run by mainly upperclassmen who have paid their dues, but there are always a couple of exceptions.

Here are some new faces to watch out for this season as the Chargers try to continue their success despite the infusion of talent the conference has been receiving.

Darris Sawtelle, Offensive Lineman, Grand Valley State
New Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin told Sawtelle he "lacked the explosiveness to play in UT's new offensive system" and the SEC's hand-me-down could now be a force in the GLIAC, with all four years of elgibility still remaining.
Sawtelle lines up at 6-6, 315 pounds and he was ranked the No. 14 overall offensive tackle prospect in the country by Rivals.com as a senior at Birmingham Brother Rice High School in 2007.
He is just a little over a year removed from surgery to both of his shoulders, but he will play right away and two years of practice in Knoxville should play to his advantage while in Allendale.

Read more...

Things to read other than Facebook and People magazine

Although I sometimes feel like I hold an unfair monopoly on the Hillsdale County sports media market (which by the way I am completely willing to give up for a few good writers and an iced coffee!) there are certainly stories that pop up about things relevant to the 'Dale once in a while.

Here are four good reads to check out if you have time:

2009 Scholar Athletes: Laughlin wants to be remembered for more than just basketball

[caption id="attachment_807" align="alignright" width="108" caption="Aubrey Laughlin"][/caption]



An article on Hudson's all-time leading scorer in girl's basketball Aubrey Laughlin. This piece, done by Sarah Beaubien of the Adrian Daily Telgram, talks about Laughlin's future, including her hopes of playing D-I basketball at Tennessee-Chattanooga.

2009 Scholar Athletes: Embry aims to continue academic and athletic success at Hillsdale

[caption id="attachment_808" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Steven Embry"][/caption]

In the same series as the Laughlin piece, Telegram sports editor Brian Calloway talks about why Clinton High School Graduate Steven Embry choose the Chargers to continue his football career and what is most important to the youngster.

Scott Lantis of Hillsdale High School named Citizen Patriot Baseball Player of the Year

[caption id="attachment_809" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Scott Lantis"][/caption]



In fitting fashion, Lantis, who will play baseball at Hillsdale College next season, capped off his career with a notable honor from one of the region's best publications. Several Jonesville and Hillsdale stars get their due as well in the article by Gary Kalahar, a former HDN sports editor himself.

Hudson boy recovering after being hit by bat

[caption id="attachment_810" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Pierce Mitchell"][/caption]

Another Calloway article from the Telegram and one that caught my interest because of whose bat caused the injury. Toledo Mud Hens star Jeff Larish, who has had many a stint with the Detroit Tigers, let go of his bat which hit an 8-year-old Hudson boy in the stands. What I enjoyed most about this story is the fact that Larish showed compassion toward the kid and family following the incident.

Read more...

A few more scraps to nibble on

CHARGERS ALUMNI FOOTBALL GAME BEING ORGANIZED
Not only will former Hills­dale College football players gather for an all-class reunion this Homecoming on Oct. 9-­10, but they will also have a chance to demonstrate what skills they may have left.
The first ever alumni flag football game will be played on Oct. 10 at 11 a.m. on the turf at Muddy Waters Stadium.
Those who are interested in participating can register at www.chargerblue.com.
The Chargers host GLIAC powerhouse Grand Valley State at 2 p.m. that day.

LOCAL DIVERS PLACE HIGH AT STATES
Local divers from Victory Athletics took second place out of six teams at the first Future Champions state meet at Western Michigan University's Gable Natato­rium June 27-28. Five divers from levels two to six represented Victory Athletics.
Sisters Kylee (9 years old) and Samantha Vear (7) com­peted against each other in Level 4 with Samantha sneaking winning with a 104.0 and Kylee placing a close second with a 103.
Maya Vanbuskirk (9) and Adrianna Willes (10) were both level 2s who competed in Level 3 against six other divers. First place went to Bri Jones, from West Michi­gan Diving Association, with a 111.0 . Vanbuskirk placed fourth with a 94.0 and Willes took sixth with an 85.0 Issac Giggs (5) was un­challenged as the youngest diver at the state meet, scor­ing an 85.5 and bringing home the youngest state championship gold medal.
Head coach Nancy Vear stated that her divers worked hard and were young and well prepared.
"We had a great time at our first state meet and the kids enjoyed finishing up the season with titles and medals," she said. "The divers are so young, but they can’t wait to start training for the Junior Olympic program in the fall."

JONESVILLE FOOTBALL HOSTING GOLF SCRAMBLE
With a new varsity head football coach in place the Jonesville Comets football program is trying to gener­ate funds for extra training equipment among other things.
Their first effort will be the Jonesville Football Golf Scramble at 10 a.m. on July 11 at Mill Race Golf Club, 200 Adrian Road, Jonesville.
Dalous Kelley organized the event and athletic direc­tor Kathy Bondsteel said she expects a great community turnout with recently hired head coach Joshua Linde­man and most of the Comet players in attendance.
The cost to participate is $50 per person or $200 per team.
Prize money will be awarded to the top three fin­ishing teams as follows: $400 for first, $200 for sec­ond and $100 for third.
Bondsteel said the foot­ball program needs extra fi­nancial support as it attempts to climb to the next level of stability and success.
"Our program is stable right now, but this money can help provide extras such as more equipment and things like tackle dummies," she said. "There are some things our coaches would like to have to help train their players, but we haven't been able to buy."

SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT RAISES MONEY THROUGH GOLF OUTING
The Hillsdale County Sheriff 's Department is ex­hausting every avenue to raise money for it's educa­tional fund and athletics are not being left out.
A little over a week ago Hillsdale County’s high school seniors benefitted from the hard work of Sher­iff 's Office personnel who organized the first-ever Sheriff 's Office Golf Tourna­ment.
The tournament was held in an effort to raise scholar­ship support for Hillsdale County seniors interested in pursuing a college degree in criminal justice.
The tournament was co­ordinated by Deputy Todd Moore with the assistance of over a dozen of Sheriff Office volunteers who put in a full day of service at White Oaks Golf Course on Saturday, June 27.
Undersheriff Jeremiah Hodshire said a golf outing is one way to use corporate sponsors to help maintain the department's education fund despite the poor economy.
The event brought in more than $1,000 to be ap­plied toward scholarships.
The WCSR radio team took home first place hon­ors, leading the tournament all day long.
Each player at the scram­ble was a awarded a door prize, thanks to businesses and individuals throughout the county who generously donated them.
Some of the door prizes included gas cards, certifi­cates for free massages and tool sets, according to Hod­shire.
The event's corporate sponsor was Stewart Avia­tion from Osseo.
The department hopes to continue their fundraising with the ongoing sale of raf­fle tickets for a special event that will culminate at the Hillsdale County Fair in September.
The grand prize is a pair of roundtrip tickets on American Airlines. The sec­ond place prize is a set of Callaway X18R golf clubs that are being donated by Clor's Outpost and third prize is a pair of 14k gold .37 carat diamond earrings from Meyer's Diamond Cen­ter.
Tickets are $5 each and every penny of the proceeds will benefit the education fund.
Hodshire said people don't realize how much money it takes to educate the public through such simple things as brochures, bumper stickers and flyers, which is another use of the fund's money.
'The fair cost us about $2,100 last year. The pen­cils, stickers, bike safety ma­terials — those types of brochures,' he said.
Hodshire emphasized that the messages in that kind of material begins dialogue on important topics.

FORMER RAM CORTRIGHT EARNS ACADEMIC HONORS

[caption id="attachment_801" align="alignleft" width="95" caption="Kelsey Cortright"][/caption]

Kelsey Cortright, a graduate of North Adams Jerome High School, is one of 121 Albion College scholar-athletes who have been named to the Michigan Intercol­legiate Athletic Associ­ation’s (MIAA) Academic Honor Roll for the 2008-2009 year.Cortright, the daugh­ter of Rodney Cortright and Susan Cortright of Jonesville, is a mem­ber of the volleyball team at Albion. She played in one game this season for the 12-16 Britons.
An individual making the MIAA’s Academic Honor Roll must have earned a varsity letter in a sport and main­tained a 3.5 grade point average or better for the entire school year.

Read more...

Catchin' up on 'Dale-related action

Unfortunately I can't make up news, coaches and athletes are busy pretending they can play golf and working on their tans and I've managed to fool my boss into actually believing I can write hard news stories.

In the meantime there have been several interesting tidbits of information that I feel obliged to pass along. If you've already seen it or heard it then good for you. If not, at least it's something to chew on — albeit only about as tasty as those cardboard cookies you find at the dollar store.

FORMER CHARGER NICOLET BREAKS GREEN BAY BLIZZARD RECORD

[caption id="attachment_470" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Mark Nicolet"][/caption]

Former Hillsdale College star Mark Nicolet had one of his most memorable games as a professional football player last weekend.Against the AF2’s top­ranked defense of the Milwaukee Irons he got in the act late, during the Green Bay Bliz­zard’s 86-42 blowout win.
In backup QB duty he threw only five passes, but went 2-for-5 for 78 yards and two touch­downs.
The real kicker though was that Nicolet also took a quarterback draw 44 yards for a score, setting a Bliz­zard record for the longest run from scrimmage.
The Blizzard are now 8-5 on the season.

HILLSDALE TEEN EARNS PTHA WORLD CHAMPION TITLE

Roni Jo Roth, 19, daughter of Troy & Renee Roth, has earned the title of Pinto Horse Association of American (PtHA) World Champion. Roth earned her title showing her nine-year-old gelding, Chero­kee, in English riding classes at the annual World Show in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The 2009 competition was simulcast in 52 countries around the world with 7,585 entries. During the 12 day competition Roth competed at the junior amateur level, ages 19-39. Her World Champion title was achieved in Disciplined Rail English. Additional placings included 3rd in English Pleasure, 4th in Ideal Pinto English, and 9th in Hunter Under Saddle. Roni is a 2008 graduate of Hillsdale High School and currently a sophomore at Hillsdale College studying pre-veterinary science.

LOCALS NAMED TO ALL-STATE BASEBALL TEAM
A pair of recently graduated Hillsdale County stars were named to the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association All­State teams earlier this month. After being named to the MHS­BCA All-State Second Team as a sophomore and junior, Reading’s Ryan Dillon was named to the Division 4 All-State First Team as a catcher. Likewise, Hillsdale senior Scott Lantis was named a utility player on the Division 3 All-State First Team. He will play baseball at Hillsdale College next year.

GLIAC COUPLE WINS FREE TV WEDDING
Ashland University cross country/track and field coaches Leigh Daniel and Nick Cordes have captured the hearts of viewers during the 10th annual NBC's 'Today Throws a Wed­ding.' The Ashland cou­ple have won a free wedding and the oppor­tunity to get married live on national televi­sion on July 15.
Following tradition, viewers will plan the winning finalists' wed­ding by texting and vot­ing on TODAYShow.com for the couple's rings, the wedding gown, the attendants' attire and the honeymoon.
Cordes and Daniel have dated for five years.
They met at an Olympic Development Program, but dating was prohib­ited so they had to keep their relationship silent.
Check out a video about the couple on MSNBC here if interested.

Read more...

Tickets for tokens: The quest for a summer of Midwest sports for $100 or less

Cuts are being made all over the place.

In offices and factories, with budgets and loans, and to the hearts of many Americans who are struggling to pay their utility bills, let alone find extra cash to have some fun.

This is a juncture in our country's history where resourcefulness is at a premium and people are looking for cheap pick-me-ups more than ever.

Lucky for area sports fans, I've found a summer solution that is easy on the pocketbook, full of adventure and requires only an Internet connection.

I decided to budget myself $100 to go to professional and college sporting events from now until the middle of September, while going no further than Columbus or Indianapolis.

With online resources such as StubHub.com, StubSearch.com, Ebay and Craigslist it's basically a "Google-me-a-ticket" world, where the nimble fingered take charge.

With this I want to prove that having a good time doesn't always mean sending your savings account to Haddes  and I also want to remind you of just how many great sporting venues we have within a three-and-a-half hour ride.

Here is my itinerary for a fantastically sportarific summer. Feel free to hop on board.

July 7: Louisville Bats at Toledo Mudhens Price: $9
Location: Lower level behind bullpen
Source: Mudhen’s box office
There's no better way to keep tabs on up-and-coming Tigers than to hit up gorgeous Fifth Third Field in downtown Toledo. And the way things are going this year you may even get a chance to see the likes of a Dontrelle Willis, Clete Thomas or Marcus Thames. Although the way things are going, watching Willis pitch is kind of like watching your dog get hit by a a car.

July 11: Cleveland Indians at Detroit Tigers
Price: $10 for two
Location: Right field grandstand
Source: StubHub
This is possibly the steal of the bunch. At just five bucks a pop for lower level tickets close to concessions and restrooms you can't go wrong. That's why I'm grabbing two of these. My wife isn't a sports fan, although I'm working on it. But she loves getting a good tan and likes hanging out with me, or at least she pretends to.

July 18: Real Salt Lake at Columbus Crew (MLS soccer)
Price: $10 for two
Location: Upper sidelines
Source: Ebay
The Americans beat Spain, oh my word! American soccer is soaring to new heights.....wrong. There's a reason you can get a pair of tickets to the best soccer in America for the same price as a medium pizza. I personally appreciate some quality fútbol though, and I'll take my grandpa in Columbus with me to guarantee a good time.

July 19: Syracuse Chiefs at Columbus Clippers
Price: $10
Location: Lower level, third base
Source: Clippers’ box office
If I'm going to travel to Columbus, why do a hit-and-run? Instead I'll check out some more Triple-A action, with the Yankees farm team playing host. Plus I am a Brighton High School alum and still fondly remember Drew Henson striking out three times a game for this club.

August 7: Charlotte Knights at Indianapolis Indians
Price: $10 for two
Location: Box seats
Source: Craigslist
After taking a few weeks off and resigning to my couch and big-screen for my sports fix I'm back on the road.
More International League Triple-A ball is my fancy. I was able to find a season ticket holder on Craigslist who apparently could find better things to do with his money than watch baseball. I can't. That's why I'm taking my old college roomy who lives in Indianapolis out for a night on the town.

August 15: Atlanta Falcons at Detroit Lions (Preseason)
Price: $8
Location: Lower level end zone
Source: StubSearch.com
I know it's the preseason, and believe me, I know it's the Detroit Dandelions, but still it's NFL football for $8 with a good view to boot. I'm headed here to get a first-person perspective on the QB battle and to get autographs before the players start getting hated on and return the favor to the so-called "fans."

August 19: Seattle Mariners at Detroit Tigers
Price: $8
Location: Lower level bleachers
Source: StubHub
Seeing Ken Griffey Jr. and his tantalizingly beautiful follow-through at the plate is worth the price of admission by itself. Plus in the middle of August Ichiro may appear more as a mirage than a person on the base paths and in centerfield in the smoldering heat. One Tigers game a summer is the equivalent of watching only the first in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Once you've got a taste you surely must go back for more. Thus, here I come Comerica.

September 5: Toledo at Purdue football
Price: $6
Location: Home end zone
Source: StubHub
Marching bands, tailgating, warpaint and Big Ten action all for the cost of doing a load at the local laundromat? Toledo took advantage of a Wolverine tailspin in 2008 to pull a major stunner, and the Boilermakers are a team who graduated its starting quarterback, top two receivers and all-purpose yardage leader from a year ago. I'm not predicting anything, but for six bucks I'll take a chance that Toledo could provide a wild and crazy time in West Lafayette.

September 12: Central Michigan at Michigan State football
Price: $18
Location: Visitors end zone
Source: StubHub
With $29 still to spare I decided to splurge. For less than $20 I'm treating myself to a more intriguing contest then most people realize. The Chippewas are lead by Hesiman trophy candidate Dan Lefevour at QB and like it or not Wolverine fans, the Spartans are the state's most talented team in 2009. Given that I'm an NMU alum maybe I'll even give Tom Izzo a call and trade stories about jumping off dorm roofs into the snow.

There you have it, $89 for nine sporting events, three with friends. With the extra $11 I can buy a foam finger, splurge on the super ultimate supremely stale ballpark nachos, complete with discolored olives, or just stash it away for next summer.

To keep costs at a bare minimum I recommend eating ramen noodles or hitting up bagel shops just before close, driving a friend's Smart Car or hitchhiking, and finding family members or even friends of friends to stay with.

Obviously my having your best interests at heart stopped with the ticket recommendations, but you get the point — a little legwork can go a long ways, and if you lay off the $10 brewskies and aren't a prima-donna who requires luxury suites stocked with 12 types of sausage, you can do a lot of living without a lot of spending.

Read more...

If I were in charge of the GLIAC...

I'm going from small-town sports know-it-all (yeah right, more like know-it-kinda-sorta) to GLIAC commissioner for a day.

That's right, from pushing across stories about college sports from my keyboard to pushing buttons that dictate one of Division II's most powerful, competitive athletic conferences.

[caption id="attachment_771" align="alignright" width="150" caption="No, not really, but only if."][/caption]

Before you chuckle, or put down the paper for that matter, hear me out.

I am a Northern Michigan Wildcat for life, with student debt to prove it, a bunch of my buddies either did attend or still do attend Grand Valley State and I'm trying to making a living covering your beloved Chargers.

Not a bad resumé right?

Kidding aside, I have a better chance of becoming a Detroit Lions practice squad player than I do of being the next commish, but I do have plenty of well-thought postulations the GLIAC should consider.

For example, yesterday the conference announced that it has provisionally accepted Ohio Dominican and Lake Erie College (Ohio) as its 13th and 14th members.

[caption id="attachment_772" align="alignright" width="150" caption="St. Francis (Ind.)"][/caption]

GLIAC Director of Media Relations Jeff Ligney has said time and again that ideally the league will house 16 teams and have two distinct divisions for as many sports as possible.

Well lucky for him, I have two more schools to add to the roster. All I'm waiting on is a signature from a pair of university presidents, some top-notch presentations, a handful of successful votes and full cooperation of the NCAA. That's not to much to ask for, is it?

I think not, and that's why if I were GLIAC Commissioner Dell Robinson for a day I would take the executive authority to offer an open invitation to the University of Saint Francis (Ind.) and Central State University (Ohio).

That would give the conference eight private schools and eight public schools and a fairly straightforward way to divide up the conference.

The South Division could include the following schools: Ashland, Findlay, Hillsdale, Lake Erie, Northwood, Ohio Dominican, St. Francis and Tiffin. And the North would be comprised of the subsequent programs: Central State, Ferris State, Grand Valley State, Lake Superior State, Michigan Tech, Northern Michigan, Saginaw Valley State and Wayne State.

[caption id="attachment_773" align="alignright" width="96" caption="Central State (Ohio)"][/caption]

That would put all of the private schools in one division and all of the public institutions in another.

The only real complaints would likely come from Wayne State and Central State as far as travel costs and time away from the classroom are concerned.

But as the commissioner, here's my response to them.

The Warriors have the largest enrollment of any GLIAC school and they should be playing the major D-II universities in the state no matter what. If they want to be like Grand Valley they should have to beat them — regularly.

And for Central State, league membership would be an honor, not a right, and to go from NAIA to D-II provisional status to the GLIAC would likely cause an enrollment boost and a chance to go from 0 to 60 in a matter of years.

Plus, they would have non-divisional conference match-ups all over their backyard with four more Ohio schools and programs in Indiana and Pennsylvania.

As far as meeting membership requirements St. Francis is a shoe-in.

Read more...

Former Spartan Lockwood making a name for herself at SVSU

[caption id="attachment_559" align="alignright" width="225" caption="Former Waldron high school sports star Sarah Lockwood was recently named Saginaw Valley State University's Club Sports Athlete of the Year."][/caption]

A­pparently S­arah L­ockwood i­s t­he  k­ind o­f g­irl w­ho i­sn't a­fraid t­o t­ry    n­ew t­hings a­nd w­hose a­thletic          p­rowess i­s n­ot c­onfined t­o t­he          b­oundaries o­f a  s­ingle p­laying field.

L­ockwood h­as g­one f­rom e­arning v­arsity l­etters i­n b­asketball, s­oftball, t­rack, cheerleading, a­nd v­olleyball a­t W­aldron H­igh s­chool t­o b­eing n­amed S­aginaw Valley S­tate U­niversity's 2­009 C­lub S­port A­thlete o­f t­he Y­ear a­s a s­enior — f­or her e­fforts a­s a c­aptain o­f t­he l­acrosse t­eam o­f a­ll t­hings.



L­ockwood h­ad n­ever p­icked u­p a l­acrosse s­tick p­rior t­o c­ollege, b­ut w­as s­econd on t­he S­VSU s­quad i­n g­oals (2­0) i­n h­er t­hird c­ampaign t­his s­eason, a­nd a­gainst the l­ikes o­f big­-n­ame c­ompetition l­ike t­he U­niversity o­f Mi­chigan, B­all S­tate a­nd X­avier s­he m­ade a n­ame f­or h­erself a­s o­ne o­f t­he m­ost well­-r­ounded i­ndividuals o­n h­er e­ntire c­ampus.



S­he r­eceived t­he a­ward a­t a y­ear-end c­lub s­ports b­anquet, a­nd a­ccording t­o SVSU's s­tudent l­ife W­eb s­ite t­he a­ward i­s g­iven t­o t­he c­lub a­thlete w­ho b­est exemplifies 'l­eadership, i­nitiative a­nd s­portsmanship.'

L­ockwood, w­ho s­till h­as o­ne y­ear o­f e­ligibility l­eft b­ecause s­he d­idn't j­oin t­he team u­ntil h­er s­ophomore y­ear, s­aid s­he h­ad n­o c­lue s­he w­ould e­ven b­e i­n t­he running f­or s­uch a­n h­onor, c­onsidering h­ow m­any f­ine c­lub a­thletes t­he university h­ouses.

"I­t w­as a h­uge h­onor a­nd s­urprise t­o r­eceive t­his a­ward," s­he s­aid. "E­specially with (o­ur c­lub) h­ockey t­eam w­inning n­ationals a­nd o­ther c­lub s­port t­eams playing w­ell a­nd r­anking (h­igh) n­ationally, s­uch a­s o­ur r­ugby a­nd o­ur p­om squads."

H­ad i­t n­ot b­een f­or s­ome d­ue d­iligence o­n t­he p­art o­f s­everal l­acrosse p­layers a few y­ears a­go L­ockwood m­ay n­ever h­ave b­een i­n p­osition t­o r­eceive s­uch a­n award, b­ut t­he f­act s­he s­tayed a­ctive b­y p­laying i­ntramural s­ports w­hen s­he w­ent o­ff c­ollege h­elped h­er c­ause i­t s­eems.



"I­'ve a­lways b­een i­n t­he g­ym a l­ot a­nd I w­as p­laying i­ntramural b­asketball a­nd some g­irls c­ame u­p t­o m­e," s­he s­aid. "O­bviously I n­ever h­ad a c­hance t­o p­lay lacrosse i­n h­igh s­chool, b­ut t­he l­acrosse t­eam l­ooks f­or a­ll t­ypes o­f a­thletes w­ho can c­ontribute, a­nd I g­uess y­ou c­ould s­ay i­t h­as w­orked o­ut g­reat. I l­oved i­t r­ight o­ff t­he b­at."

N­ow s­he i­s o­ne o­f t­he a­thletes r­ecruiting o­ther p­ossible h­idden g­ems f­rom a­ll o­ver c­ampus t­o j­oin t­he t­eam a­nd s­he a­dmits t­hat "b­eing i­n c­harge l­ike t­hat" i­s p­retty fun, a­nd q­uite r­ewarding.



L­ockwood s­tarted o­ff h­er l­acrosse c­areer p­laying o­n d­efense, w­hich s­he s­aid i­s similar t­o t­rying t­o s­top the opposition in basket­ball, and it wasn't until her junior year, when she was moved to a forward posi­tion, that she scored her first goal.



The memory of that first goal is one of two moments that are at the top of her list to this point in her career.



"My first game made the biggest impact on me. It was the first lacrosse game I'd played in and actually had ever seen and we were playing U of M who had been the national champi­ons the year before. It re­ally put the game in perspective and is when I first loved the game of lacrosse," she said. "My second memory would be when I scored my first goal...we were playing Hope College when I scored my first goal."

Lockwood is on course to graduate with a degree in chemistry with math and biology minors, with a goal of becoming a college pro­fessor one day, but for now she will enjoy one last sea­son of dodging, scooping and hopefully scoring some more goals, all while being recognized as one of SVSU's best.

Read more...