EATON PARK CHAMPS!…The Hartford 12U All-Star team won the Eaton Park tournament on July 12 after going undefeated. Hartford defeated St. Joe 7-0, Benton Harbor 5-3, and Bridgman 4-2 for the win. The games against Benton Harbor and Bridgman went into extra innings. Team members include front row (left to right): Blair Barchett, Dylan Voss, Jared Foerester, Nicholas Milliken, and Hunter Bloom. Back row (left to right): Coach John Johnson, Logan Fairbanks, Donovan Sikes, Oscar Trevino, Kaden Johnson, Aaron Sin-clair, Tanner Kinchen, and Coach Shaggy Sinclair.
Busch brings home fourth win of 2016
Kyle Busch won Sunday’s Crown Royal Presents the Combat Wounded Coalition 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Busch also set a new track record for the most laps led at Indy; he headed up the line of drivers for 149 of the overtime race’s 170 laps. It took two overtime restarts before the NASCAR pole sitter Busch could lay claim to the trophy. The win gives Busch his fourth of the 2016 season and marks his 38 career victory as well as his second consecutive win at the Brickyard. Matt Kenseth raced his way through the pack from an 18 place start to a second place finish. He earned his fourth top of this season. Jimmie Johnson now has seven top five finishes – including two wins – in 20 races after he ended the day in third place. Denny Hamlin crossed the finish line in fourth place. He was the third Toyota driver in the top four. Hamlin, who started in fourth, earned his sixth top five finishes. Kyle Larson collected his fourth top five finishes after being the fifth car across the line. Other notable finishes included Tony Stewart in 11 and Jeff Gordon in 13. Stewart is retiring after this season, while Gordon came out of retirement to drive for a concussed Dale Earnhardt Jr. Stewart and Gordon drove one last lap together at the Brickyard after the conclusion of the race. What a great moment! Gordon has been tapped again to drive for Earnhardt this weekend. Sunday’s race featured four lead changes and eight caution periods, most coming in the later laps of the race, including a seven-minute stoppage that occurred on lap 154. The Race for the Chase picture is beginning to become clear. Five drivers are locked into the top 30 after their performance thus far this season. Making the cut are Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, and Carl Edwards. Another six drivers have one win on the season, and their chances of making the Chase are very good. Those drivers include Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., Kurt Busch, and Joey Logano. Another five spots are up for grabs. And, as the season progresses, it is anyone’s game. Everyone heads to Pocono to compete in Sunday’s Pennsylvania 400. The 160-lap race had a track record set by Kyle Larson in 2014. But, Kurt Busch won the track’s last NASCAR event in June. With both drivers finishing in the top five at Indy, it’s a good bet that either one will come out on top Sunday.
Jewell honored at Open House, tapped for Lake
Michigan College Softball Head Coach Position
Retirement from the world of softball certainly didn’t last very long for John Jewell. Jewell, who recently retired from coaching varsity softball at Grace Chris
Jewell
tian High School after 16 years at the helm, was named the new head softball coach of the Lake Michigan College. Jewell will take his entire coaching staff with him to the college. Laurie Jewell, John’s wife, and Bill Shembarger will act as assistant coaches to the Lady Red Hawks beginning with the 2017 softball season. John Jewell is looking forward to his new position. “I want to put LMC back on the map softball-wise,” he said. LMC’s softball program has struggled to find its footing in terms of coaches the last few years. In August 2014, Assistant Coach Tony Hamann was promoted to head coach for the 2015 season. In early 2016, assistant softball coach Melissa Grau was named interim head coach and began recruiting players for the 2017 season. On Sunday, Jewell and his wife Laurie were feted at an open house in the Grace Christian gym for their impressive coaching tenure . With district trophies and Coach of the Year plaques lining tables in front of photo collages, former players, community and family members, as well as parents of players celebrated the Jewells’ success at Grace. Denise Gardner spoke of the Jewell’s contributions to the Grace softball teams and used “dedicated” as one word to describe the duo. Gardner shared that the Jewells coached 468 varsity softball games at Grace and ended their run with a 323-145 record. Former players also spoke during the special presentation portion of the open house. Sarah Reeve, one of Jewell’s players on the 2015-2016 roster, said, “Thank you for investing time in me.” Following the speakers and video presentation, emotions were flying high. Laurie Jewell expressed surprise at being remembered and appreciated so fondly. She said, “Wow! I guess you don’t realize how many lives you touch. You live your life and you treat people the way you were raised. Until you stop, step back, and see, you don’t know what impact you make.” John Jewell was also filled with emotion following the presentation. Upon being asked to describe how the accolades and memories made him feel, he shared, “It’s hard to put into words. We try to make [the team] a family. [The softball players] are like our daughters.” The Red Hawks season begins in spring 2017. Grace Christian has not yet determined who will take over in the varsity and assistant Coaches positions of their softball team.
Paw Paw Lake Yacht Club schools kids and adults in Sailing
A BEAUTIFUL DAY FOR A SAIL….Young sailors and in-structors alike hit the water in front of Paw Paw Lake Yacht Club for a sailing lesson in an Opti dinghy on July 15. Sponsored by the yacht club and St. Joseph Junior Foundation, the sailing classes were a huge success.
The Paw Paw Lake Yacht Club sailing school opened for two week-long sessions in July, one beginning July 11 and the second session beginning July 18. Under the direction of PPLYC former commodore Jeff Phillips, member Kitty Mann, and sailing director Caroline Joyce, the two sessions introduced the sport of sailing to 40 kids and three adults. According to Phillips, “We had a great sailing school this summer!” The sailing school teaches the attendees water safety, rules of boating, use and purpose of sailing equipment, and how to have fun on the water. The classes also build social skills including self-confidence, independence, and teamwork. The youngsters learned sailing techniques on Optimists (or Opti’s) with the help of certified sailing instructors. The partnership with St. Joseph Junior Foundation provides both the foundation and yacht club with continuing benefits. The foundation is introduced to a new sailing venue, while the yacht club is able to build awareness of Paw Paw Lake and exposure to an increasing sailing presence in the community. Phillips was extremely pleased with this year’s program, from the instructors to the students to the helpers. He said, “Many other members have volunteered their time every summer to make this program a success.” The St. Joseph Junior Foundation is under the direction of executive director Petra Dietz. The Paw Paw Lake Yacht Club’s current commodore is Carolyn Lill.
Bolin Settling in with Spokane Indians
BOLIN A HIT WITH SPOKANE INDIANS…minor league baseball team. After being drafted earlier this summer Watervliet native Travis Bolin has played in 13 games for the Spokane Indians, a minor league baseball team affiliated with the Texas Rangers
Travis Bolin, former Watervliet High School baseball standout and recent Texas Rangers draft pick, is settling in with the minor league Spokane Indians of the Northwest League. Bolin has 13 games under his belt as an Indian. He has been to the plate 42 times and has ten hits including three doubles and two triples. He has been walked seven times and struck out 16 times. Bolin is sporting a .238 batting average, .373 on-base percentage, and .405 slugging percentage. Bolin’s on-base plus slugging percentage stands at .777. He has scored eight runs. Spokane is one of eight teams in the Northwest League north division. The Indians compete against the Boise Hawks, Eugene Emeralds, Everest AquaSox, Hillsboro Hops, Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, Tri-City Dust Devils, and Vancouver Canadians. Currently, Spokane is trailing Tri-City by one game in the NWL standings and holds an 18-19 record. Bolin and the team faced Boise Monday night before beginning a three-game home stand against Tri-City on Tuesday. Bolin graduated from Watervliet High School as a member of the Class of 2013. He was selected in the 32nd round of the 2016 Major League Baseball as the 969th overall pick.
Scheuer receives NJCAA and MCCAA All-Conference Awards
Katie Scheuer, a 2014 graduate of Coloma High School and Lake Michigan College softball standout recently received three honors. Scheuer earned a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) award for Superior Academic Achievement. She also earned All Michigan Community College Athletic Association (MCCAA) and MCCAA All-Conference honors. The NJCAA award
SCHEUER WINS NJCAA AND MCCAA AWARDS….Katie Scheuer, 2014 graduate of Coloma High School, earned three excellence in academia awards following her two-year stint with the Lake Michigan College softball team. (Contributed photo)
for Superior Academic Achievement is awarded to athletes who post a 3.80 to 3.99 grade point average with at least 24 semester hours. The MCCAA celebrates student athletes’ success by issuing All MCCAA awards to those who achieve a minimum 3.2 GPA with 36 credit hours, while the MCCAA All-Conference honors require 36 credit hours with a minimum 3.0 GPA. Scheuer recently completed her sophomore year of college, having played in the outfield for two years of collegiate softball at LMC. She will continue her education and softball career as a walk on for the Ferris University softball team.
Hartford’s Council for Recreation sets football and cheerleading sign up date
Hartford’s Council for Recreation has set Wednesday, August 10 as the last date to get your child signed up for the fall 2016 flag football, rocket football, and cheerleading season. Registration for interested youth will be held at Indian Pride Park at 130 Lincoln in Hartford from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The registration fee for flag football is $35 per child. Anyone interested in playing rocket football will encounter an $85 fee or $75 if you have two or more children signing up. The registration fee for cheerleaders has been set at $45 per child or $40 for two or more family members. To save time during registration, visit www.hartfordrecreation.org and print off the registration form. Completed copies will be accepted on the 10th and expedite the registration process. Flag football is open to first and second graders up to eight years of age. Second through sixth graders can play rocket football as long as they are between the ages of eight and 13 as of September 1. Cheerleaders between kindergarten and sixth grade can participate in the 2016 season. The Council also announced that Wednesday, August 17 will be their next regular meeting. Please join council members from 7:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. New members or interested parties are encouraged to attend the meeting at Indian Pride Park.
Two more Admirals sign Basketball contracts for teams overseas
Lake Michigan Admirals team president Chris Glisson has announced that two more members of his basketball team have secured basketball contracts that will take them overseas. Jaywuan Hill was signed to play for the Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam) City Wings. Additionally, Anthony Brown was signed by the Rosa Radom (Poland) basketball team. Both Hill and Brown will see action in the upcoming basketball season.
Coloma Glad Peach 5k and 10k event registration is under way
Registration for the 2016 Coloma Glad Peach fun run; 5k walk, bike, run; and 10k walk, bike, and run is underway. The event, part of Coloma’s Glad Peach festival, will be held Saturday, August 6. The 5k and 10k bike portion as well as the 10k walk hit the road with a 7:45 a.m. start. The 5k walk, 5k run, and 10k run kick off at 8:30 a.m. The fun run begins at 9:45 a.m. You can register online at signmeup.com/site/online-event-registration/1100068. The cost is $25 if you sign up prior to August 6. Registration on race day will increase to $30. Race packets will be available beginning at 6:30 a.m. the day of the event at Salem Lutheran Church on Park Street in Coloma. That location is also the site of the start and finish lines. Race organizers remind you that the Glad Peach event is part of the Michigan Fruit Belt Series. The Fruit Belt Series offers you a chance to win a special commemorative coin, provided you complete at least five Fruit Belt Series races. The series highlights the benefits of exercise, the importance of including fruit in your diet, and healthy living. There’s still a chance to qualify for a coin this year. Six more races dot the summer/fall schedule. Once you compete in the Glad Peach race, you need only walk or run in the South Haven Blueberry event on August 13, Lawrence Watermelon 5k on September 3, Paw Paw Grape Lake event on September 10, Benton Harbor Pumpkin race on September 17, or the Bangor Harvest Apple event on October 1. To earn the gold coin, you have to post a finishing time in five events. Get fit in the mitt; go walk or run!
South Bend Cubs Playoff Tickets on Sale August 1!
It’s “fan-”demonium in South Bend as the South Bend Cubs are playoff-bound! Tickets for the first round of playoffs will go on sale Monday, August 1 at 10:00 a.m. Stop by Four Winds Field to purchase dugout box seats for $13 or field box seats for $11. If you’re not in the area, call the box office at (574) 235-9988 or go online to southbendcubs.com. The Cubs will host the West Michigan White Caps from Grand Rapids in game two on Thursday, September 8. Gates open at 6:00 p.m. with the first pitch to be tossed at 7:05 p.m. The best-of-three opening playoffs round will be followed by a best-of-three series to determine the division champions. Once division champions have been crowned, the last two teams standing face off in a best-of-five series for the Midwest League championship. Currently, South Bend leads the Eastern league with a 20-11 record. West Michigan holds a 13-14 record and is in fourth place in the league.
World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to Hartford Speedway on July 29
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to Hartford Speedway in Michigan for the first time since 2011 on Friday, July 29. The event will mark the seventh-ever appearance by the series at the half-mile and the final stop of the season in the state of Michigan for the “Greatest Show on Dirt.” Joey Saldana was victorious in the last World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series event at Hartford Speedway. That win for Saldana was an emotional one, as it was his first race back after suffering injuries a couple of months earlier during the Kings Royal at the famed Eldora Speedway in Ohio. Saldana picked up the win at Hartford over two-time World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series champion Jason Meyers and Craig Dollansky. Saldana is also a past winner at the half-mile with the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions and Bumper to Bumper Interstate Racing Association. A total of four former series champions have won at Hartford Speedway, including Meyers in 2004. Steve Kinser, the 20-time World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series champion, picked up a win at Hartford in 2005. Sammy Swindell, a three-time series titlist won the second-ever Outlaws race at the half-mile in 1996. Dave Blaney, the 1995 World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series champion, won the inaugural race for the series at Hartford Speedway earlier in 1996. Leading the way into Hartford Speedway this year is seven-time and defending series champion Donny Schatz, who has won a series-best 15 races and sits atop the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series championship standings. Hartford Speedway is one of the few tracks the Outlaws visit that Schatz has yet to win at. He is a past winner in the state of Michigan at both I-96 Speedway and Berlin Raceway. David Gravel, who has five wins, including the $25,000 Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup at Lernerville Speedway on July 19, recently moved into the second position in the standings. Brad Sweet, who led the point standings for the first four-plus months of the season, is currently third in points, with seven wins for Kasey Kahne Racing. Daryn Pittman, who has six wins sits fourth in points, while Shane Stewart, who has five victories, rounds out the current top-five. Saldana is sixth in points, on the strength of four wins, with Jason Johnson, who has a victory, sitting seventh. Logan Schuchart, who scored his first-career World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series win earlier this month, recently moved into the eight position in points. Jason Sides, who won earlier this season is ninth, with Paul McMahan completing the top-10. A pair of drivers are contending for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award this season, Greg Wilson and Clyde Knipp. Wilson has raced at Hartford Speedway in the past with the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions, while Knipp will be making his first start at the half-mile. Tickets for the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series return to Hartford Speedway in Hartford, Michigan on Friday, July 29 and can be purchased online at https://slspromotions.ticketforce.com or at the track on race day. Discount General Admission tickets are available for purchase at participating O’Reilly Auto Parts stores. Each General Admission ticket purchased at an O’Reilly Auto Parts location will feature a special $5 discount. Tickets buyers will exchange their O’Reilly receipt for tickets at the Main Grandstand ticket booth on race day.
Comments