Tag: "featured"
AOTW: Living the Dream: Troy’s Berti climbing ranks of minor league baseball
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com VANCOUVER, B.C. — Jon Berti grew up in a baseball world, where his father and uncle both played at high levels out on the diamond. He is now living that same dream. At 21 years of age, Berti was drafted last month by the Toronto Blue Jays in the […]
AOTW: Mr. Clean Sheet: Hildebrandt’s goalkeeping a foundation for Bucks’ success
BY ALEX DROPKIN STUDENT CORRESPONDENT PONTIAC — When Mitch Hildebrandt left high school four years ago, he was tabbed as one of the state’s best. Now, he has lived up to that — at a much higher level. With the Michigan Bucks of the United Soccer League Premier Development League headed back to the playoffs […]
2011 ALL-AREA GIRLS SOCCER: Highly-touted players showcased on postseason squad
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com It has been said time and time again that in the sport of prep soccer, sometimes it’s harder to make the All-Area First Team or even the All-County team in Oakland County that it is to reach the all-state lists in one of the four divisions. That didn’t change […]
2011 ALL-AREA GIRLS LACROSSE: Rising stars abundant in state’s fastest growing sport
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com It wasn’t that long ago that girls lacrosse was only a minor sport in Michigan, with only small pockets of public schools or prestigious private and parochial schools sponsoring the sport. That has changed. There were close to 70 programs in the state this season with varsity teams and […]
2011 ALL-AREA SOFTBALL: All-around talents heat up the diamond
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com The 2011 softball season was definitely a year of transition for teams across the state of Michigan. With the pitcher’s circle being pushed back three feet to be the same distance as college, offensive numbers were up significantly while pitching numbers dropped at many schools as those pitchers adapted […]
2011 ALL-AREA BASEBALL: Diamond squad is armed and lethally dangerous
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com The senior class of baseball players in Michigan was known to be as deep of a group since the Class of 1998, where nine in-state prep players were drafted. The state this season again had nine prep players selected in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft and had an […]
2011 ALL-AREA BOYS GOLF: State champion Oakland Christian headlines top linkers
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com Another exceptional boys golf season is in the bag and the postseason honors have been flowing forth for many individuals with local ties. Multiple athletes from the www.northoaklandsports.com coverage area earned all types of postseason success in recent weeks by making the all-league or all-county teams with three others […]
2011 ALL-AREA GIRLS TENNIS: These players made quite the racquet
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com Another exceptional season of girls tennis in the www.northoaklandsports.com coverage area finished with four teams playing at the Division 1 state finals, three finishing in the top 10 and another winning its first-ever state championship. Clarkston rang the bell as the state’s premier team this season, beginning the campaign […]
2011 ALL-AREA GIRLS TRACK & FIELD TEAM: All-State athletes burnt up the grand oval
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com Sometimes years of greatness are very hard to reproduce. The girls track and field season of 2010 in the area was hard to match in 2011. After all, a team state champion and five individual state champions last season was a rarity and several of those athletes departed last […]
AOTW: Givens provides Bucks unmatchable on-field advantage
BY ALEX DROPKIN CORRESPONDENT PONTIAC — Stewart Givens is in his second season as a key marking back for the Michigan Bucks and game after game, he continues to turn the heads of fans, opponents and teammates alike. But it is not with his defensive prowess, leadership or even his ability to attack the net, […]
Fore their memory: Golfers, friends, family unite for fallen colleagues
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com OAKLAND TOWNSHIP — Greg Beckett remembers the time that he surpassed his father as a golfer. “I started golfing around the time I was a freshman in high school. At that time I was way worse than my dad,” said Beckett. “Half a year later and I pretty much […]
Oakland’s Benson selected by Atlanta Hawks in NBA Draft
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com NEWARK, N.J. — During his stellar career at Oakland University, Keith Benson posted several firsts and had countless memorable moments. His latest first will be something that will never be taken away from him. Benson, a 6-foot-11, 230-pound center, became the first basketball player in Oakland history to be […]
Rochester’s Dieters reigns as Miss Tennis
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com ROCHESTER HILLS — After posting her second undefeated season in her stellar four-year career at Rochester, Kelsey Dieters was named Miss Tennis Saturday night by the Michigan High School Tennis Coaches Association. Dieters was the heavy favorite after capping her senior campaign with a No. 1 singles state championship […]
Athens’ Brannon is 28th recipient of Miss Soccer award
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com TROY — In its storied 30-year history, the Troy Athens soccer program has earned much respect and dozens of noteworthy accolades. It continued Sunday afternoon with another right honor. The Red Hawks and retiring coach Tim Storch learned that senior midfielder Olivia Brannon was named the recipient of the […]
Finishing on top: Top-ranked Oakland Christian wins first-ever golf state title
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com ALLENDALE — Auburn Hills Oakland Christian has had several quality golf teams over the past two decades. Finally in 2001, the Lancers sailed through the perfect storm. It all culminated Saturday at the Meadows Golf Course at Grand Valley State University. The Lancers posted a two-day total of 622 […]
Lonely at the top? Novi tops Troy to win fifth D-1 crown in seven years
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com EAST LANSING — For Novi, could it ever be lonely at the top? The Wildcats, the state’s top-ranked girls soccer team all season, posted yet another Division 1 state championship Saturday at Michigan State University’s DeMartin Stadium. Novi won its second straight state title and fifth in seven seasons […]
Colts ready to face top-ranked Novi in state title clash
BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com EAST LANSING — Sometimes in sports a school will lose to an opponent and never get a chance to gain a measure of revenge, at least not in the same time period as the current athletes are still in school. Troy, however, will get that chance. After losing to […]
STATE GOLF PREVIEW — ON COURSE: Top-ranked Lancers eyeing state supremacy
Oakland Christian, Troy, Oxford, Avondale all seeking grand success BY DAN STICKRADT SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com Over the years, Auburn Hills Oakland Christian has had its fair of many near misses. The Lancers have fielded multiple state ranked teams in boys golf without a state title. In fact, this has been commonplace in a lot of […]
