PHOTOGRAPHY BY MALLORY JONES From her vantage point in left field, anticipation was building within Ayannah Jackson. Grand Blanc-based District 4 was one out away from becoming the first Michigan team to capture consecutive Senior League Softball World Series championships in the tournament’s 50-year history. As she watched a routine fly ball ding off the

By Mark Spezia PHOTOS BY JOHN NEPOLITAN AND ADAM STIVERSON Conditions on the day Addyson Stiverson heaved the shot put farther than any female high school competitor in the nation this year were rather off-putting. Records were the furthest thing from Montrose junior Addyson Stiverson’s mind as she stared at a sandy, somewhat damp throwing

With nary a hint of hesitation, Kendreyas White will gladly accept any invitation to display his prowess on a basketball court. Naturally, the recent Carman-Ainsworth graduate jumped at the chance to participate in this year’s editions of theMid-Michigan I-75 Hardwood Classic and the Dreamz Two Reality All-American Game. “When they reached out to me, it

Sporting a newly minted National Championship cap with a piece of the net he had just snipped off dangling from the back, Trey McKenney could finally fully soak in the enormity of the moment. The Michigan freshman and Flint native’s National Championship shirt was soaked with the sprays of the Wolverines’ locker room celebration after

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE DETROIT PISTONS Glass basketball trophies etched with the Detroit Shock logo glistened on a table at center court inside Little Caesars Arena as a beaming Alicia Jeffreys stood beside them. It was March 2023, and the 20th anniversary of the Shock’s WNBA championship was being celebrated during halftime of a Detroit

In 1964, a young Albert Gillespie whisked down the slopes of Mt. Holly Ski Resort for the first time—just eight years after business partners James “Grant” Hanks and Morton Graddis opened it with a modest four runs. “Yes, Mt. Holly was significantly smaller in both terrain and facilities when I first began skiing there in

On a crisp first day of November, Powers Catholic’s deeply talented cross country squad was about to toe the Division 2 state meet starting line following a season of spectacular performances. Coach Dave Wolbert sought to ease the pressure of the moment with his final parting words to a group among the heavy favorites to

“Every Thanksgiving morning, for nearly half a century, two schools — Flint Central and Flint Northern — met on the gridiron for one of the fiercest and most beloved high school football rivalries in Michigan history.” Before the parades and pumpkin pie, before families across Flint sat down to eat, there was one thing that

Michigan State receiver Omari Kelly’s face lit up when asked about his position coach, Courtney Hawkins, during this year’s spring practice. “I love coach Hawk, that’s my guy,” said Kelly, a first-team Conference USA standout who transferred from Middle Tennessee State following last season. “We have our serious moments, but a lot of times, we

There was little doubt about the pitch that made the Grand Blanc-based District 4 squad Senior League Softball World Series Champions. Having thrown strikes on 50 of her 77 pitches while fanning half of the 18 batters she faced in the title game against host Delaware, Kayla Blumenschein was one strike away from forcing a

It’s been a banner year for Greater Flint high school sports – and the championship banners prove it! From the hardwood to the bowling lanes to the ice, our local athletes delivered standout seasons packed with grit, teamwork and unforgettable moments. Let’s take a look at the teams who brought home the titles and made