AOTW: A little Legacy … Clarkston’s Lightfoot trying to follow in her mother’s footsteps
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
CLARKSTON — A few months ago, Kristie Lightfoot dug deep for an old sweater. Once it was unearthed, she laid it out for her daughter Maddie to see.
Maddie, a senior libero on Clarkston’s volleyball team, tucked the old artifact into the bottom of her sports bag.
This is no ordinary family air loom. The sweater has some great significance.
The sweater is from Flint Kearsley’s 1984 Class A state championship volleyball team. Kristie Lightfoot, then Kristie Hill, was a sophomore on that Hornets team that captured some state glory.
Today, Clarkston’s Maddie Lightfoot, a 5-foot-4 defensive stalwart, is one of the Wolves’ top players. She has been a clutch performer in Clarkston’s run to — you guessed it — the Class A Final Four. She will have a chance to follow in her mother’s footsteps this weekend when the Wolves face off with rival Lake Orion in the semifinals.
The epic match will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at Battle Creek’s Kellogg Arena. The winner of that game will play the winner of the Temperance Bedford and Rockford semifinal in the state championship match at 2 p.m. Saturday at Kellogg Arena.
LOOKING UP: Clarkston'sMAddie Lightfoot has ;looked up to her mother, who was a state champ in high school.Now the younger Lightfoot is two wins shy of winning a state title with her school. File Photo.
“My mom put that out for me to see. I think it might have been for some motivation,” said Maddie following her team’s 3-2 state quarterfinals victory over Plymouth Canton. “I have it in the bottom of my bag and I haven’t touched it since. I haven’t spoken much about it.
The motivation is for the younger Lightfoot to follow up with another state title for the Lightfoot family.
“If they win, I am going to make her wear it all weekend,” said Kristie Lightfoot of the championship sweater. “I am so proud of her, though. She and her teammates have worked so hard to do this. Now, they are only a couple of wins away. It was a once of a lifetime experience for me winning (a state championship). I hope they can do it this week, too.”
Lightfoot, who signed last week with New Hampshire, a small NCAA Division I school, is among the team’s top players in serve receive, digs, serving percentage, service points and aces. She has been a steady hand in the Wolves’ magical run, including several quality plays against Midland in the regional finals and again against Canton’s Division I-caliber hitters in the quarters.
ACE SERVER: Clarkston's Maddie Lightfoot is one of her team's top servers and has helped her team reach the Class A Final Four. File Photo.
“She’s been like that all season,” offered Clarkston coach Kelly Avenall. “She has been one of our best defensive players, both last year and this year. She has come up big for us so many times.”
For the younger Lightfoot, who has been playing “volleyball for years,” she just hopes to bring home some championship hardware this weekend.
“We want to do this more than anything,” said Maddie. “We have worked so hard to get here.”
Now, about that sweater?
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Category: BWW Athlete of the Week, Clarkston, Featured Articles, High School, High School (M-Z), Prep Wraps
