Two state titles highlight 2013 sports, year in review

While many accomplishments were recorded during 2013 two stand out as the greatest accomplishment possible in Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) sports with a pair of state titles won by Tecumseh High School athletes. Tecumseh’s Jordan Richard made history as the first ever to win back-to-back individual Division II state bowling championships. Richard won her second consecutive state title on March 2, at Century Lanes in Waterford. No other champion has won consecutive titles in any MHSAA division, girls or boys, since the program records began being listed in 2004. Jordan is only the third champion (Adi Pointer, White Lake Lakeland, girls division 1, 2005, 2008 — Tylor Greene, Davison, boys division 1, 2010, 2012) to win two state bowling tiles.Richard is a senior this year and has another chance to pick up a state title before her high school bowling career ends.Tecumseh’s varsity softball team earned the Indians their third state championship under first year head coach Jeff Nowak and assistants Paul Kane and Mark Rowe. The Indians dominated their opponents during the MHSAA Division II state tournament in Battle Creek, June 14-15, 2013, shutting out No. 1 ranked Stevensville Lakeshore 8-0 in the quarterfinals and giving up just one run each to No. 2 ranked Livonia Ladywood in the semifinal and Swan Valley, the runner up at state last year, in the championship final. The Indians scored five runs against its opponents in both the semifinal and final for 5-1 victories.Tecumseh also earned state softball titles in 2007 and 2008 under head coach Kristalyn Smith [Musselman].Clinton’s varsity football team made history by advancing to the division 6 state championship and finishing the season as runners-up.January:• Tecumseh High School hires new coach Lindsey Day, reinstates varsity girls lacrosse program • Tecumseh’s varsity girls basketball team defeats rival Clinton 42-25• Manchester won Clinton’s 38th Annual Dave Elliott Invitational title this year while the hosting Redskins finished fourth overall• Tecumseh’s varsity wrestling team placed first at the Gibraltar Carlson Team Tournament with an undefeated 5-0 record• Five of Tecumseh’s varsity boys basketball team players recorded double digit scoring to help the Indians easily defeat visiting Ann Arbor Prep Academy 77-47 • Battle Creek Lakeview’s Spartans beat Tecumseh 44-15 to secure the annual Phillip Jaimes Memorial Tournament title• Britton Deerfield’s varsity girls basketball team beat Morenci 39-9 while the Patriot’s boys win 42-34• Tecumseh’s AJ Smith Recreation Center officially opens with large numbers of residents, visitors and officials attending• After finishing the third quarter down by nine points against Madison, Clinton’s varsity boys basketball team put together a comeback and beat the Trojans 49-48 • Four state cut times recorded by Tecumseh swimmers in victory over Bedford• Tecumseh’s varsity wrestling team has Preston Pelham, Cole Amstutz and Anthony Lesko pick up All-County wrestling titles.February:• Clinton crowns Kellen Craig queen and Johnny Allen king during homecoming basketball game with 68-57 win over Whitmore Lake• Britton Deerfield’s varsity girls basketball team soundly defeated Whiteford 63-39 in what coach Craig Tanis feels was the Patriots’ best game so far• Tecumseh High School hosted five teams at its annual competitive cheer invitational with Saline placing first and the Indians finishing fifth• Tecumseh’s varsity gymnastics team traveled to Sturgis and lost 130.3-123.425 despite posting its season high and final team regional score• Tecumseh and Adrian’s varsity boys basketball teams fought to the finish and the Indians came out on top with a 45-39 victory• Eight of Tecumseh’s varsity wrestlers qualified to advance to the regionals after helping the Indians’ to their 11th consecutive District Championship at Adrian• Britton Deerfield’s varsity boys basketball team lost 55-49 to Clinton after holding a 28-25 lead at the end of the first half • Tecumseh High School’s varsity girls basketball team defeated Adrian 33-29 • In its final regular season meet of the season, Tecumseh’s varsity boys swim and dive team out-stroked visiting Adrian for a 116-70 victory.• Nick Coffin and Emily Maves named Tecumseh High School’s TICWSS king and queen• Britton Deerfield’s varsity girls basketball team defeated Erie Mason 50-31 in Districts• Tecumseh varsity wrestling team ends season with loss against Niles in MHSAA Division II state quarterfinals• Four Tecumseh varsity football players committed to colleges on National Signing Day• Tecumseh girls win regional bowling title, THS qualifies six for individual state finals• Clinton’s varsity boys basketball team earns a share of Tri-County Conference titleMarch:• History was made by Tecumseh High School junior Jordan Richard by winning back-to-back Michigan High School Athletic Association Division II girls singles bowling titles• A 10th place finish was recorded by Tecumseh High School’s varsity gymnastics team at the MHSAA team and individual regionals• Four Tecumseh High School wrestlers, Landon Pelham, Joe Rebottaro, Ricky Azelton and Preston Pelham, earned All-State honors at the MHSAA Division II Individual State finals• Clinton’s varsity girls basketball team lost 64-29 against Ypsilanti Arbor Prep in the Class C district semifinal• Clinton’s varsity boys basketball team beats Manchester 82-55 in opening round of districts• Tecumseh varsity boys basketball team ends season with 40-31 loss in district semifinal against Adrian• Clinton High School’s varsity boys basketball team won the Class C District championship with a 65-43 victory against Ann Arbor Greenhills and followed with a 52-29 victory against Hanover Horton in the regional opener• Tecumseh’s varsity boys swim and dive team placed 25th in the Division 3 state competition at Eastern Michigan University • Blissfield’s varsity boys basketball team hit a last second shot to pull off a 48-47 win over Britton Deerfield in the Class C district opener • Tecumseh’s Jim Gilmore named a 2013 recipient of the MHSAA’s Charles E. Forsythe Award•THS graduate Amanda (Putt) Eccleston, helps U-of-M pick up a national title in Distance Medley Relay race• Clinton’s varsity boys basketball team’s season came to an end at 21-4 overall with a 51-40 regional final loss to Monroe St. Mary’s Catholic Central • Jeff Nowak takes over Tecumseh High School’s varsity softball team, replacing Kristalyn MusselmanApril:• Coach Leslie Tanis takes over Britton Deerfield’s varsity softball team, replacing Dawn Cousino• Tecumseh’s varsity girls soccer team records a big 8-1 victory over visiting Grass Lake’s Warriors• Family Drop In Nights have been scheduled at the AJ Smith Recreation Center from 6-8 p.m. on Friday evenings• Kurt Hillegonds was the overall winner of this year’s annual Acres of Fun 5K Run• Eddy Foley replaced his wife, Kim Foley, as Tecumseh High School’s head varsity girls track coach• Kim Phillip takes over Clinton’s varsity softball team after coach Al Roberts steps down• A three game sweep to open the season gave Tecumseh’s varsity baseball team the championship title at Carleton Airport’s Invitational• Britton Deerfield’s varsity baseball team traveled to Addison and won its opening season game 13-1 in just five innings• Clinton’s varsity boys track team improved its record to 3-0 with a 81-24 victory over Morenci• Clinton’s varsity boys golf team placed first at the Summerfield Tri-County Conference Jamboree• Tecumseh’s varsity girls track team placed third while the Indians’ boys were second as hosts of the Tecumseh Relays• Tecumseh High School’s varsity boys golf team hosted its annual invitational and placed seventh overallMay:• Infectious outbreak in Tecumseh wrestling program involves more than 22 athletes• John Terry is first Tecumseh football player named to play in Michigan High School Coaches Association (MHSCA) East vs. West All-Star Football game since 1988• Tecumseh’s varsity girls lacrosse team beat Kalamazoo United 6-4• Tecumseh’s varsity boys lacrosse team beat Southeastern Conference rival Chelsea 16-6• Indians varsity softball team improves to 13-3 with sweeps over Lincoln, Onsted, Bedford• A two game sweep over visiting Adrian gave Tecumseh’s varsity baseball team the Southeastern Conference White Division championship• BD’s varsity baseball team (16-5 overall) improved to 13-1 in the TCC with a victory over Clinton, wins conference title outright• Clinton’s varsity boys track team placed second at the Division 3 track regional at Erie Mason• Tecumseh’s varsity boys track team placed eighth while the Indians’ girls finished 12th at the MHSAA regional meet • Britton Deerfield’s (BD) varsity boys track team tied Pittsford for second place at regionals with Leighton Merritt breaking the school record in the 400-meter dash• Tecumseh High School’s varsity boys lacrosse team becomes the new MHSAA record holder in most goals scored by a team in a single season• Tecumseh’s varsity softball team finishes first in the SEC after splitting two games with AdrianJune:• Tecumseh varsity baseball team beats Chelsea, Adrian for District title• Tecumseh High School’s varsity boys golf team finished its season with a seventh place in districts• Clinton’s varsity baseball and softball teams extend seasons with victories in the district finals• Britton Deerfield’s varsity girls softball team ended its season with a 16-1 loss in district action against Whiteford • Summerfield ended Britton Deerfield’s varsity baseball season with a 1-0 win in the District baseball final• Clinton’s varsity boys golf team placed sixth at Districts to qualify for regional action• Tecumseh’s varsity softball team breezed past Adrian for a mercy-ruled 10-0 victory and the district title• Clinton’s varsity boys track team sent seven members to the Division 3 State Finals and they tied one school record and broke another• Britton Deerfield’s varsity track teams had members compete at the state meet and school records were broke by the girls and boys• Tecumseh’s varsity girls soccer team had two members, Madison Tedora and Kelsea Schoenberger, named to the All-SEC White Division First Team• Clinton’s varsity baseball team lost 4-2 against Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (SMCC) during the regional semifinal • Tecumseh’s varsity baseball season came to an abrupt end when Milan squeezed out a run to end the regional final game with a 2-1 victory• Tecumseh varsity softball team wins state titleJuly:• Paul Autry of Tecumseh caught a 37-inch pike in Globe Mill Pond and went out four days later and hooked a 40-inch pike• The Leh Nah Weh Native American Organization’s 2013 powwow was held at Mitchell Park in Raisin Township• An open house was held in honor of Britton-Macon High School’s 1963 and 1964 Class D boy’s state basketball championship teams• Life Scout Timothy Soules of Tecumseh Boy Scout Troop 632 created two walking bridges on the outer hiking trail at Indian Crossing Trails Park• Fathers create a 13U youth lacrosse team named Special Forces for area athletes• Four Tecumseh High School softball players, pitcher Emily Maves, third baseman Kelsea Kaliszuk and outfielders Kelsey Rendell and Kylie Hill, were selected for the Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association Division 2 All-Star game scheduled at Michigan State University• YMCA takes over Adrian slow pitch softball program, opens registrations• Tecumseh Area Little League 10-11 year old baseball team won the district title at Mitchell Park in Raisin Township• After four days of competition at the 2013 USA Nationals Clinton’s Rachael Heiden stood at the top of the International Trap podium as a three-time national champion• Lenawee Christian School recently announced the hiring of Bill Wilharms as the Cougars’ new head varsity football coach• Tecumseh High School’s athletic department announced that Josh Lindeman has been hired as the Indians’ new head varsity wrestling coachAugust:• Senior Master Tomas Sandoval of the Tecumseh ATA earned an eighth degree ranking after testing at the American Taekwondo Association (ATA) World Championships in Little Rock, Arkansas.• Clinton Community School’s announced that Tecumseh’s Athletic Director, Casey Randolph, was hired as the Clinton Redskins’ new athletic director• The Detroit Red Wings Foundation and the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association announced that Adrian College’s Arrington Ice Arena was selected to host a “Try Hockey For Free” program • Tecumseh High School’s First Annual Women’s Football Clinic held at Indian Stadium• The Tecumseh Little League’s 10-11 year old baseball team finished second in the State Championships• Tecumseh High School’s varsity boys basketball coach, Marc Comstock, leaves position to be an assistant coach at Siena Heights University• Pete Cravens recorded a hole-in-one in Tecumseh on Hantz Golf Club’s hole No. 13, in July and recorded another in August on the very same hole• Joey Logano, 23, became the youngest driver to win a Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway after crossing the finish line first in NASCAR’s Pure Michigan 400• Tecumseh’s girls cross country program started the season by winning the Lenawee County Preview Championship for the third straight time• Tecumseh High School’s varsity girls golf team placed second at Hantz Golf Club in the Indians’ own tournamentSeptember:• Tecumseh varsity football team opens season with big 47-7 win over Monroe Jefferson• Clinton High School’s varsity football team opens season on the road and picks up a 26-14 victory over rival Manchester• Britton Deerfield’s varsity football team beat 24-16 by Jonesville to open season• Tecumseh’s varsity girls cross country team placed first at Adrian’s Burt Cebulski Invitational at Heritage Park and also places first at Blissfield’s Early Bird Invitational• Tecumseh’s varsity volleyball team dominated all opponents to win the Clinton Redskins’ 26th Annual Varsity Volleyball Invitational• Tecumseh’s varsity girls golf team defeated Chelsea 211-240 in its final home match of the season• Tecumseh’s varsity boys soccer team improved its season record to 4-0 with a 5-2 victory against visiting Milan• The Detroit Lions names Tecumseh High School head coach Al Romano the Football Coach of the Week • A 33-8 victory against visiting Whiteford has Clinton’s varsity football team carrying a perfect 3-0 overall and 1-0 record in the Tri-County Conference• Britton Deerfield’s (BD) varsity volleyball traveled to Summerfield and defeated the Bulldogs in three matches• Clinton’s varsity volleyball team beat visiting Sand Creek High School in three sets• Tecumseh approved adding Athletic Director duties to the Tecumseh Middle School Assistant Principal position of Greg LewisOctober:• Tecumseh varsity girls golfers Carley LaPlant, Ashley Barth and Anneka Hart named to the SEC All-Tournament Team• Tecumseh’s varsity volleyball team defeated visiting Lincoln in just three sets • Tigersharks, Indians raise $3,500 during Swim-A-Thon• Britton Deerfield’s varsity girls cross-country team placed second in a TCC Jamboree while the boys placed fourth• Clinton (6-0) varsity football team qualifies for postseason play with a 61-21 TCC victory over Morenci• Clinton participates in Hudson Booster C.C. Invitational, has Gina Pike honored with Brian and Marsha Evenson Award• Tecumseh’s varsity boys soccer team mercies Adrian in opening round of district soccer action• Tecumseh’s varsity girls cross country team retained the county championship title at Gerber Park• Tecumseh’s varsity football team keeps Adrian off the scoreboard for the first time since 1968 to secure a spot in the playoffs• Tecumseh golfers Ashley Barth and Paige Rupley participate in D3 State Championship• Clinton boys run 13th, girls 15th at regionals• Tecumseh girls cross country team places sixth, boys eighth at D-2 regionals• Britton Deerfield girls, boys both qualify for state cross country meet for first time• Scott Norkey named Tecumseh High School’s new head varsity boys basketball coachNovember:• Tecumseh’s varsity football team wears out Mason to earn a 27-7 playoff victory• Britton Deerfield’s varsity football team eliminates Hudson from further post-season play with a 42-28 victory in Division 7 pre-district action• Clinton beats visiting Whitmore Lake 42-6 in the opening game of Division 6 pre-district playoffs• Tecumseh senior Katie Kasper has a second consecutive appearance at the Division II MHSAA state cross country meet at MIS and places 112th• Britton Deerfield’s varsity boys cross country team places 23rd overall in the Division 4 state meet while the girls finished 20th• Clinton High School’s varsity volleyball team wins first district game against Whitmore Lake at home in three straight sets• Morgan Valley Farm in Tecumseh competes in Oklahoma City at the Morgan Grand National and World Championships and wins both National and World titles• Tecumseh’s varsity football team ends season with 24-20 loss to Eaton Rapids at home in district final• Britton Deerfield’s varsity football team ends season with 57-0 loss to Detroit Loyola in district final• Clinton’s varsity football team earned its first district title since 1999 by defeating visiting Grass Lake 39-14• Clinton’s varsity volleyball team beats Ann Arbor Greenhills to secure district title but closes season with a loss to Whiteford in the regional semifinal• Tecumseh’s varsity volleyball team finishes season with a loss to Monroe St. Mary’s Catholic Central in district semifinal• Tecumseh’s varsity swim and dive team places fourth overall at the Southeastern Conference White Division championships• Clinton High School’s varsity football team beats Constantine 47-28 in regional final• Clinton High School’s varsity football team heading to state final for first time in school history after beating Shelby 49-3 in the state semifinal• Tecumseh swim and dive team places 25th at state meet• Clinton High School’s varsity football team ends season with 41-22 loss to Ithaca in D6 state championship• Tecumseh linebacker Preston Pelham, a 6’3”, 240-pound senior, named to the Associated Press Division 3-4 All-State football teamDecember:• Tecumseh’s varsity girls basketball team opens season with victories over Parma Western and Airport• Britton Deerfield’s varsity girls basketball team defeats Waterford 35-34 to open season• Tecumseh High School’s varsity gymnastics team beats Adrian 117.05-94.675• Britton Deerfield’s varsity boys basketball team beats Ann Arbor Rudolf Steiner 81-48 • Tecumseh High School’s varsity bowling teams improve to 4-0 with wins at Monroe• Tecumseh High School’s varsity wrestling team beats Ann Arbor Pioneer and Lincoln