Calumet Invite Produces Northern Stars
September 18, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The Calumet Invitational dates back roughly 30 years as an annual staple of the cross country schedule for schools at the northernmost tip of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
A creative move by the Copper Kings last year added some statewide prestige to the event.
Last week, for the second season, Calumet ran the series of races at Keweenaw Mountain Lodge, a resort near Copper Harbor and the northern bank of the Keweenaw Peninsula.
Calumet is the northernmost high school in Michigan. And moving this race another 35 miles northeast more or less guaranteed it's the northernmost event run in the state.
"We figured it was pretty safe. We're the northernmost school in the state, and you can only go four more miles and you're in Lake Superior," Calumet athletic director Sean Jacques said. "Nobody else is going to do anything more north than that."
A total of 10 schools were represented this fall in the races for boys and girls varsity, junior varsity and middle schoolers.
Jacques said the event formerly was run at a golf course in Calumet. But a few years ago, Calumet graduate and former Copper Kings cross country runner Dan Harri moved home from Florida to become general manager at the Mountain Lodge (he's also a renowned chef and has owned restaurants in Miami with Hall of Fame Dolphins coach Don Shula).
Harri had asked a few times about bringing a cross country or golf event to the lodge. Jacques told him last year they'd give it a try, so Harri set up a course that includes golf course, a couple of bridges, trails and finishes with a climb on the No. 1 fairway. It also provides various points for fans to watch runners go by, not always available on other courses.
"We were looking for a little bit of a change, and it's a beautiful course," Jacques said. "We thought if people were willing to make the extra drive, it would be really nice."
Calumet won the boys race this season, just ahead of runner-up Houghton. Houghton's girls were victorious, followed by the host Copper Kings.
Click to read more about this year's event from the Houghton Mining Gazette.
Michigan's claim to an NFL evolution
As part of its NFL preview this month, Sports Illustrated reported on one of the most significant developments for offenses over the last few decades – the silent snap count, which is used regularly by visiting teams because offensive linemen can’t hear the quarterback calling for the ball over the clamor of the home crowd.
And the article explained that the silent snap count might’ve gotten its start at one of Michigan’s smallest high schools – Flint’s Michigan School for the Deaf.
Offensive linemen during the 1980s were feasted on by pass rushers like Lawrence Taylor and Bruce Smith, who built record sack totals by blasting past blockers who seemed a step slow. Turns out, that was true. Defensive players were getting an edge by attacking as soon as they saw the ball move. But blockers (especially offensive tackles), focused instead on the defensive ends and linebackers lined up across from them, and didn’t have the luxury of watching the ball – and since they also couldn’t hear the snap count, started each play a step behind.
Enter the silent count. The quarterback signals to the center that he is ready to receive the ball (with a pat on the back, by raising a foot, etc.). The center then raises his head, and after a predetermined count of at least one second snaps the ball without a sound. This means an offensive tackle doesn’t have to listen for a snap count – he just counts after seeing the center get set.
The SI report recognized longtime offensive line coach Howard Mudd as the guru of the silent snap count. But Mudd recalled a conversation he’d had while working for the Seattle Seahawks with another coach, the late Andy MacDonald, who also had coached early in his career at a school for the deaf in Michigan.
The article doesn’t mention Michigan School for the Deaf by name. But it seems to make sense that the Tartars were the first to use the now-revolutionary count. MacDonald – who played at Central Michigan University and went on to coach at Michigan State and four other colleges and also for the Buffalo Bills – grew up in Flint and attended Flint Northern before playing for the Chippewas from 1950-53. The historical web site Michigan-football.com has results for Flint’s Michigan School for the Deaf dating to 1950, making it a decent assumption that MacDonald might’ve gotten in a little early coaching experience at the school down the road from his home.
Click for the SI story and go to page 4 for the mention of Michigan’s school.
Michigan mourns trooper, running standout
The law enforcement community is mourning the death of Michigan State Police trooper Paul Butterfield, who was shot Sept. 9 during a traffic stop in Mason County. He also was a well-known distance runner during the 1980s and the MHSAA Class A cross country champion running for Bridgeport in 1987.
According to a Ludington Daily News report, Butterfield continued running after high school at the University of Tennessee, and also competed at the 1989 Pan American Junior Games in Argentina.
Butterfield was stationed in Hart after previously serving in Manistee, and lived in Mason County. He also had served in the U.S. Army. Click to read more from the Ludington Daily News.
PHOTO: Calumet's Chelsea Jacques (right) won this season's Calumet Invitational with a time of 21:08.06, just ahead of Ironwood's Jessica Gering at 21:46.16. (Photo courtesy of Calumet athletic department.)
Byron Center All-Stater Johnson Set to Represent US at Pan American Cup
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
August 26, 2026
BYRON CENTER – Byron Center volleyball coach Missy Ritz-Johnson had known for a while that her daughter, Mallory Johnson, possessed all of the attributes and intangibles to become a top-notch libero.
It became obvious at a young age.
“I would say when she was young that she often knew where the hitters were going to hit the ball better than, sometimes, they did,” Ritz-Johnson said. “She has had an ability to read hitters and anticipate what they are going to do, which makes her a really good defender. A lot of natural ability to read and understand the game, and she’s been thriving at that position.
“She’s really athletic and really competitive, and that's a good combination to have at that position.
Johnson, a 5-foot-6 senior, has blossomed into one of the top liberos in the country and was recently named to the U23 USA Volleyball Pan American Cup roster.
She traveled to Colorado Springs, Colo., earlier this week to train with the team at the United States Olympic Training Center before leaving for Managua, Nicaragua, to compete September 1-6.
“It’s a great opportunity, and every time I step in this gym at this training center (in Colorado) it’s crazy to think that I'm even here,” Johnson said. “But the girls are amazing. They are great people, great athletes and great competitors. It's really fun, and I learn every time I come here and grow as an athlete and as a person.”
Johnson made the team after spending a week at the training center in mid-July.
“Obviously I was so grateful to be selected to try out, and when I made the team I was speechless and overwhelmed with joy,” Johnson said. “I called my mom right away and tried to gauge what was even going on. I really didn’t know what to expect going into it, but it was super competitive.”
After leading the state-ranked Bulldogs to an 8-0 start with four wins at both the Cornerstone Showcase and Traverse City West Invitational, Johnson will take a brief hiatus from her high school team and return on Sept. 7.
“I have talked a lot with my teammates about my absence, and they are all cool with it and doing great,” Johnson said. “I talk to them almost every day and ask them how practice went. They are all set and more than capable of handling business without me. For me, I think competing in these games will only make me grow and get out of my comfort zone. Hopefully I’ll bring my talents back to high school and see what we can do this year.”
Johnson, who first started playing club volleyball when she was 8, is one of nine returners for a talented Bulldogs’ squad that lost a thrilling match (3-2) during last season’s Division 1 Semifinals to eventual champion Farmington Hills Mercy.
That heartbreaking defeat has provided motivation for this year’s group.
“That loss hurt,” said Johnson, who made the Division 1 all-state team last fall as an outside hitter. “I know, personally, I have changed so much from that loss, and I’ve learned so much. I know that it sucked for the other eight returners, too. There’s been a mood switch with this team, and I know we all want it really bad this year.”
Johnson's personality and leadership fit well for her libero position, and she has embraced it fully.
“I’ve known nothing else, and I find myself just loving my position as a libero,” she said. “I love being in charge of the backcourt, getting to celebrate with my teammates and putting them in good positions to make plays.”
Ritz-Johnson said her daughter has been involved with the Olympic Developmental Program since she was in seventh grade and has worked hard to achieve her goals.
“She’s worked really hard to earn these opportunities,” Ritz-Johnson said. “She has a love for the game and has never complained about going to practice. She loves to practice and compete, and her favorite sport is one she is best at, which is not always the case.”
Last June, Johnson committed to a collegiate powerhouse, the University of Nebraska, after receiving interest from about 30 programs.
“It was pretty surreal, and I just remember watching them on TV when I was in sixth grade, and obviously Nebraska is a very big deal,” Johnson said. “I watched them and was thinking, ’Holy cow, I want to go here. I want to play at this level, and I want to be involved in this atmosphere.’”
“I’ve been to camps there since seventh grade and been out to campus every year since then. Every time I went there I loved it, and it felt like home. I knew I wanted to be there, and it wasn't a super-hard decision for me.”
Ritz-Johnson is excited for her daughter to play at such a high-profile program.
“There’s no place like Nebraska, as they say,” she said. “They’ve had attendance records and sell out when they travel and just the way the team is treated. The coaching staff is really special.”
Dean Holzwarth has covered primarily high school sports for Grand Rapids-based WOOD-TV for five years after serving at the Grand Rapids Press and MLive for 16 years along with shorter stints at the Ionia Sentinel and WZZM. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Allegan, Kent and Ottawa counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Mallory Johnson (2) serves during last season’s Division 1 Semifinal against Farmington Hills Mercy. (Middle) Johnson huddles for a moment during that match with her teammates including, from left, Kinsley Whitfield, Lainey VanTol and Caitlin Hartson.