'Go-To Guy' Kanitz Sets Selfless Example in Helping Make St. Francis Sports Go
By
Tom Spencer
Special for MHSAA.com
August 26, 2022
Traverse City has had a few head football coaches named Kanitz.
But Mike Kanitz has no interest in becoming a head football coach. In fact, no interest in being a head coach of any sport.
So far he’s worked for nine head coaches. He’s seen what it takes to be a head varsity coach and he’ll stay where he is, which is pretty much anywhere there is a high school sporting event.
Kanitz spends his days and nights dedicated to the Traverse City St. Francis student-athletes, staff, administration and Gladiators community. He is the junior varsity girls basketball coach, volleyball game manager, volleyball announcer and volleyball scorekeeper, football press box manager, and the Glads’ soccer game manager. Additionally, as director of basketball operations at St. Francis, he finds himself at the scorer’s table for boys basketball games.
The volleyball, soccer and football duties are performed at every home game. He doesn’t take a paycheck for any of it. If the school does pay for his services, he promptly donates the funds to the source.
The soft-spoken and renowned St. Francis supporter is not the slightest bit interested in getting any recognition for his efforts.
Tonight he’ll run the Thirlby Field press box as the Gladiators host Ogemaw Heights. And, he’s ready for the Glads’ first home volleyball match Sept. 8.
“He is one of those unique people that shies away from the spotlight — he is a pure servant, said Aaron Biggar, St. Francis’ athletic director. “He doesn’t want any accolades or anything like that.”
Kanitz’ father, Hugo Kanitz – who also went by Mike all his life – was the head football coach of Traverse City St. Francis during the 1960s. Another Kanitz, Dutch — not related to the father-son combo —was at the helm of the Traverse City Central High School football program.
Mike Kanitz finds himself regularly receiving phone calls and letters from former players intended for the Kanitz coaches. He has to explain he’s not the deceased Central coach, nor his father. And he’s glad he gets to pass on positive feedback to his father, also a former athletic director for St. Francis.
“My grandmother said, ‘Never call him Hugo – his name is Mike,’” Kanitz said. “Don’t ask me where it came from, but he was Mike his whole life.
“I am junior in most people’s minds,” Kanitz went on. “Traverse City was a small town back then; to have two Coach Kanitz was confusing.”
His father now lives in Traverse City after retiring as a teacher and professor. The son enjoys picking his brain.
“I am blessed to still be able to run stuff by him (because) that’s really where I got my coaching start,” he said. “I used to get calls after coming back to Traverse City and the callers would say, ‘Is this Coach Kanitz?’ and I started to catch on that these were his former students.
“I don’t think my dad ever knew the impact he was having on kids,” Kanitz continued. “I don’t think coaches really know what an impact they have on kids.”
Hearing from his father’s former players helped shape his coaching.
“It made me realize as a coach you have the ability every time you open your mouth to either hurt a kid or help a kid,” he said. “So helping a kid is my desire.”
Officials, media and visiting coaches for many sports have noted Kanitz’ demeanor and contributions. They also know he’ll do anything to make sure they have a good experience at St. Francis.
Among other things, Mike reportedly once became a makeshift tailor when a basketball official showed up without his referee pants. Mostly using safety pins, a borrowed pair of pants went from 2XL to large in time for tip-off.
“Mike Kanitz should have a name tag that says, ‘Nicest Man on the Planet,’” said former St. Francis AD Tom Hardy. “Mike is the perfect representative that you can have for any event at school.
“He greets every team, official, and spectator with such grace and compassion, which leads to a very positive experience for all involved,” Hardy continued. “Mike has volunteered too many hours to count at basketball and soccer games as a game manager and coach.”
Hardy believes all sports fans need to follow Kanitz’ lead.
“Mike Kanitz is the example of how people should treat each other at any athletic event,” he said. “You truly would have to look long and hard to find a more compassionate and caring individual, and I would challenge anyone to find a person that has a negative thing to say about him.”
Barb Becket, a longtime MHSAA official and assignor, has similar views of Kanitz. She’s worked with him while he’s served as a coach, game manager and during community activities through her role with the Grand Traverse YMCA.
“Mike is the go-to guy,” she said. “He is a servant in the true sense of the word.
“Besides being the go-to guy for coaches, admin, and players, Mike also acts as the liaison between the sports officials and the sports participants,” she continued. “Mike handles his responsibilities with grace, humility, common sense, and accountability.”
Kanitz’ favorite sport to play is baseball, but his favorite sport to coach is basketball. After graduating from Alma College where he competed in track & field, he was thrilled to move back to Traverse City to start a family with his wife Marcy, a Traverse City obstetrician.
The couple’s three children graduated from St. Francis, and Kanitz first focused on elementary baseball. He was able to step away from his pharmaceutical career to step in and fill pretty much any need the St. Francis community had.
Kanitz points to his wife’s passion for caring for women as a motivator for him to get more girls involved in sports and receiving the benefits they provide.
“Marcy spent her whole life taking care of women,” he said. “So she sees the side effects of women not being given opportunities.
“So we’ve got to correct that stuff.”
Kanitz’s first job was as a water boy, along with his siblings born to Hugo and Margo Kanitz. If he ever can’t coach or serve in other capacities for the Gladiators, he hopes to return to the very first job he had as a preschooler.
“I am sincere when I say I started as a water boy, and I am going to finish as a water boy,” Kanitz said. “I am very blessed and I am thankful for the life I’ve had here in Traverse City.
“I am thankful for the school allowing me to be a part of it.”
Tom Spencer is a longtime MHSAA-registered basketball and soccer official, and former softball and baseball official, and he also has coached in the northern Lower Peninsula area. He previously has written for the Saginaw News, Bay County Sports Page and Midland Daily News. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Mike Kanitz fills many roles for Traverse City St. Francis including girls junior varsity basketball coach and game manager for a variety of sports including volleyball. (Middle) Kanitz walks the sideline during one of his games leading the JV Gladiators. (Below) Mike Kanitz enjoys his daughter Delin’s Senior Night game with wife Marcy Verplank-Kanitz. (Top photo by Mike Spencer; middle and below photos by Julie English.)
Breslin Bound: 2024-25 Girls Quarterfinal Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 18, 2025
We always try to celebrate the rare or unique when it comes to MHSAA Tournament success, and we welcome two first-time Regional champions and a few more first-time-in-a-long-time contenders who have advanced to tonight’s Girls Basketball Quarterfinals.
But you’re right on if this field also looks a little familiar.
Of 32 teams competing to reach Breslin Center this time, 16 also played in Quarterfinals in 2024. Of those 16, 10 advanced to last year’s Semifinals – so there is plenty of championship week experience to go around as we look at tonight’s matchups below.
“Breslin Bound” is powered by MI Student Aid and based on results and schedules posted for each school at MHSAA.com. (Abbreviations below denote ppg - points per game, rpg - rebounds per game, apg - assists per game, spg - steals per game, and bpg - blocks per game.)
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Tecumseh 50, Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard 39 In this Regional Final, Tecumseh (24-1) avenged last season’s five-point Quarterfinal loss to FGR (24-2), which went on to finish Division 2 runner-up.
2. Grandville Calvin Christian 39, Pewamo-Westphalia 36 Calvin (20-6) clinched a Division 3 Regional championship by handing the Pirates (25-1) their lone loss of the winter.
3. Goodrich 58, Haslett 56 The Martians (23-3) claimed a Division 2 Regional title with their closest win of the season; the Vikings finished 22-4.
4. Fowler 57, Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart 36 The Eagles advanced to this week in Division 4 by dealing Sacred Heart (21-1) its only defeat.
5. Genesee Christian 45, Kingston 40 The Soldiers (23-2) moved on to championship week by edging a Kingston team that ended 21-3 coming off last year’s Division 4 runner-up finish.
Quarterfinals at a Glance
DIVISION 1
DeWitt (25-1) vs. Belleville (25-1) at Holt
Belleville is seeking a second-straight trip to the Semifinals and is led again by sophomore guard Sydney Savoury (26.1 ppg, 3.0 apg, 4.2 spg) and junior guard Se’Crette Carter (19.3 ppg). But the Panthers can counter with a pair of 1,000-point career scorers in senior guards Tara Kurncz (13.4 ppg) and Madi Uyl (12.2 ppg, 2.4 apg), the former having become the program’s all-time leading scorer last month. Both teams avenged their lone defeats.
West Bloomfield (18-8) vs. Utica Ford at University of Detroit Mercy, 7:30 p.m.
The reigning Division 1 champion Lakers graduated four starters from last season’s team, but the new crew has won 15 of its last 18 games led by that lone returning starter, junior guard Sheridan Beal (16 ppg, 54 3-pointers). Ford has taken a strong step this season, winning its first Regional title since 1984. Senior guard Anayya Davis leads with 21.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists and just over a block per game.
Wayne Memorial (20-6) vs. Temperance Bedford (24-2) at University of Detroit Mercy, 5:30 p.m.
Wayne is the lone team to defeat Belleville this season, splitting with the Tigers to share the Kensington Lakes Activities Association East title. Junior Mariah Cross (19.4 ppg) and senior Colleena Bryant (17.2 ppg) make up a high-scoring backcourt, and Bryant was a Miss Basketball Award finalist. Bedford is returning to the Quarterfinals for the second-straight season and with plenty of power in the post. Senior forward Victoria Gray sets the pace at 20.6 points, 15 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game.
Rockford (25-1) vs. Grand Haven (22-3) at Muskegon Mona Shores
Senior forward Anna Wypych (21.8 ppg, 85 3-pointers) was named Miss Basketball on Monday, and tonight she’ll attempt to lead the Rams to back to Breslin with a third win over Grand Haven this season after Rockford won the first two meetings by 12 and 11 points. The Buccaneers are making their first Quarterfinal appearance since winning the Class A championship in 2013, and their only other defeat this winter was to Hudsonville.
DIVISION 2
Gladstone (24-2) vs. Frankenmuth (22-4) at Cheboygan
Gladstone is making its first Quarterfinal appearance since 2012 having avenged its only losses with a District Final win over Negaunee. Junior guard Lillie Johnson has made her name known statewide, averaging 22.4 points, 12.1 rebounds and 3.6 steals per game. Frankenmuth has reached at least the Quarterfinals three of senior Clare Conzelmann’s four seasons and avenged its two losses to Division 2 opponents this winter in winning last week’s Regional.
Goodrich (23-3) vs. Tecumseh (24-1) at Northville
All three of Goodrich’s losses came to opponents that reached at least Regional Finals, and the Martians follow a pair of playmakers in junior guard Kayla Hairston (12 ppg, 3.6 apg) and sophomore guard Baylor Lauinger (11.3, 4.4). Tecumseh’s only defeat came to Rockford two months ago on the way to reaching the Quarterfinals for the second-straight season. Senior 6-foot-2 forward Alli Zajac (14.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg) and sister 6-0 sophomore center Addi Zajac (13.8 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 1.1 bpg) combine to give their team a powerful post presence, and Alli was a Miss Basketball finalist.
Grand Rapids West Catholic (22-3) vs. Grand Rapids South Christin (24-2) at Hudsonville Unity Christian
These Ottawa-Kent Conference Gold co-champions split their regular season meetings, West Catholic winning the first by 13 points and South Christian taking the rematch by seven. West Catholic was the Division 2 runner-up in 2022 and reached the Semifinals the last two seasons, and senior guard Elisha Dykstra (10.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.2 apg) has started all four years. South Christian will attempt to reach Finals weekend for the first time since 2016 led by junior guard Sophia Prins (14.3 ppg, 4.1 apg, 3.2 spg).
Detroit Edison (18-6) vs. Detroit Country Day (20-5) at St. Clair County Community College
Edison is playing for a second-straight Division 2 title and third over the last four seasons, and with three of its losses this winter to teams still playing. Senior Isis Johnson-Musah (17.3 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 3.9 apg, 3.7 spg) was another Miss Basketball Award finalist and the team’s leading scorer in last year’s championship win. Country Day is seeking to return to the Semifinals for the second time in four seasons and keyed in part by high-scoring guards junior Jayla Jackson (19.6 ppg) and sophomore Cece Arico (16.5).
DIVISION 3
Calumet (21-5) vs. Sanford Meridian (23-3) at Manistique
The Copper Kings have jumped from 11-12 a year ago to reach the Quarterfinals for the second time in five seasons, and downed reigning Division 4 champion Ishpeming in the District Final. Guard Jackie Kiilunun is the lone senior starter and lead scorer at 14 ppg. After falling a win shy last season, Meridian won its first Regional title last week and also follows a talented senior guard in Halen McLaughlin (28 ppg, 77 3-pointers, 8.4 rpg, 3.4 apg, 4.5 spg).
Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest (19-6) vs. Sandusky (24-2) at West Bloomfield, 6 p.m.
Northwest won this same matchup last season 38-16 to reach the Semifinals and has four starters back from that team, with junior forward Addie Troska moving up from super sub last winter and becoming the fifth starter and leading scorer (10.2 ppg). Sandusky has won three straight Regional titles and is seeking to return to the Semifinals for the first time since 1999. Sophomore guard Caroline Reinke fills the stat sheet at 10 points, 7.2 rebounds, four assists and 5.8 steals per game.
Jackson Lumen Christi (19-6) vs. Ypsilanti Arbor Prep (14-12) at Dansville
Lumen Christi has reached its first Quarterfinal since 1988 by defeating three straight opponents that finished with at least 18 wins this season. Center Kathleen Doane is the lone senior. Reigning Division 3 champ Arbor Prep has navigated injury and inexperience to stack up seven straight wins. Senior guard Eliza Bush is the lone returning starter from last year’s team, although junior guard Angela Meggisson was a top sub and starts now.
Grandville Calvin Christian (20-6) vs. Niles Brandywine (26-0) at Kalamazoo Loy Norrix
After heading into the postseason with two straight losses, Calvin has won three straight games by three points or fewer including handing Pewamo-Westphalia its only loss, in the Regional Final. Junior forward Addyson Rhodes (13.6 ppg) and junior guard Leila Nelson (13.3) set the scoring pace. Next up is reigning Division 3 runner-up Brandywine, which is a combined 52-2 over the last two seasons and has six players scoring at least five points per game led by senior Adeline Gill (12.5 ppg).
DIVISION 4
Ewen-Trout Creek (25-1) vs. St. Ignace (25-1) at Gladstone
A loss to Division 2 Negaunee is all that’s kept Ewen-Trout Creek from a perfect season, and this will be the Panthers’ first Quarterfinal since 2005. Freshman guard Bree Besonen (16.9 ppg, 4.5 apg) and junior center Irelyn McGeshick (16.5 ppg, 10.2 rpg) lead a team with no seniors and only three juniors among eight players total. St. Ignace’s lone defeat came to Division 2 Sault Ste. Marie, and the Saints are pursuing their first Semifinal trip since 2019 with guard Jillian Fraser (17 ppg, 6.2 apg) and center Addison Cullen (16.8 ppg, 11.2 rpg) two of only three seniors of their roster.
Byron Center Zion Christian (20-6) vs. Concord (21-4) at Battle Creek Harper Creek
Zion has won 16 of its last 18 games to emerge from third in the Alliance League and claim its first Regional title. Junior forward Audra Kaptein (13 ppg) and junior guard Jayda Steenbergen (12.2 ppg, 5.9 apg, 4.4 spg) lead a lineup with only one senior starter. Concord has won 10 of its last 11 games to reach the Quarterfinals for the second time and first since 2012. Senior Grace Thorrez, at 6-2, is strong in the post with 14.1 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, and sophomore guard Bradie Lehman (13.7 ppg, 4.2 apg, 4.5 spg) provides balance in the backcourt.
Frankfort (18-6) vs. Fowler (24-2) at Cadillac
Frankfort is seeking to reach the Semifinals for the second-straight season and after an 0-3 start and two losses over its final three games heading into the playoffs. They’ve bounced back again, with lone senior Savina Anhalt (12.1 ppg, 7.1 rpg) combining with junior Addie Jarosz (13.5 ppg, 9.5 rpg) to form a solid frontcourt duo. Fowler has reached five straight Semifinals (not counting 2020, when the season ended prior to that round), and three starters are back from last year’s run led by senior guard Katie Spicer (12.5 ppg, 4.5 apg).
Morenci (24-1) vs. Genesee Christian (23-2) at Brighton
A one-point overtime loss is all that’s kept Morenci from a perfect run as the Bulldogs return to the Quarterfinals seeking their first Semifinal trip since 2011. Junior guard Emersyn Bachelder (15.6 ppg) is again the leading scorer, upping her average more than five points from a year ago. Genesee Christian has emerged from 14-10 last winter to reach the Quarterfinals for the second time in four seasons, this time with lone senior starter Haven Chapman (20.7 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 3.8 apg, 4.2 spg, 1.3 bpg) setting the pace.
MHSAA.com's weekly “Breslin Bound” previews and reviews are powered by MI Student Aid, a division within the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Connect with MI Student Aid at www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid and find more information on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.
PHOTOS (Top) Ewen-Trout Creek coach Jacky Besonen presents the Division 4 Regional trophy to her team after last week's win over Norway. (Middle) Fowler's Paige Thelen (10) drives to the basket during her team's Regional clincher over Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart. (E-TC photo by Cara Kamps. Fowler/Sacred Heart photo by Kolleth Photo.)