Grayling Plays On as Healing Continues

December 15, 2014

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The Grayling community was rocked by a two-vehicle collision in 2013 that resulted in the deaths of a coach, a golfer and another passenger in the other vehicle, as well as numerous serious injuries, while the boys golf team was driving to a tournament. 

As the community began to heal, the team played the rest of the 2013 season for classmates who could not. Last spring, more than 30 golfers came out as the team fell just one place short of making the MHSAA Finals but sent an individual, Jake Hinkle, to the Lower Peninsula Division 3 tournament at Grand Valley State University.  

In a few short months, Grayling's boys golf team will again begin the journey to play at the Finals as a team, backed by a community that continues to rally. 

The NBC Golf Channel tells this incredible story below:

Diamond Inspiration (Oakland Press)

April 30, 2012

Kate Rendi's biggest contributions to the Walled Lake Central baseball team formerly came with a pencil and scorebook.

But the Oakland Press' Keith Dunlap tells us about the inspiration Rendi is providing this spring as she battles Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Dunlap sums it up:

Yes, her teammates no doubt appreciate her chronicling things such as doubles, stolen bases or strikeouts, but these days they appreciate even more something Rendi provides that can’t simply be written down on a scoresheet.

Instead, Rendi’s big contributions have been how she’s touched the hearts and minds of the players and been an inspiration, providing a life example that the baseball players will likely never forget.

Click below to read the entire piece: 

Walled Lake Central's Rendi inspiring baseball team (Oakland Press)