Michel Finishes with Story to Tell
June 11, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Andrew Michel received the heart-breaking news only moments before leaving his golf team’s Regional on Friday to get ready for that night’s Brownstown-Woodhaven prom.
But missing making the MHSAA Finals by a stroke was not the first thing he shared with those who asked about his day at West Shore Golf and Country Club in Grosse Ile.
Instead, the graduating senior told of the 132-yard shot he dropped for a hole-in-one on the par-3 12th hole, his second ace but first in competition.
Michel finished with a season-best 76, missing the cut for this weekend’s Lower Peninsula Division 1 Final by a stroke despite firing another eagle during the final holes of his round.
“At the start of the day, I told myself don’t leave anything on the table. Go for it on every hole, make every shot and just have fun at your last tournament,” Michel said Tuesday afternoon as he readied for that night’s graduation ceremony. “Being a senior, I went for everything.”
The best part might’ve been how he came back from a disappointing previous hole.
Michel had just finished off a triple bogey on No. 11, and admitted he was down on himself. He stepped to the next tee with his pitching wedge, and “I didn’t really care what happened. I chose the club I like to hit on that hole, and in the air I was thinking it was really good,” he said.
The ball touched down on the green and spun back into the hole.
Michel also played golf and soccer at Brownstown-Woodhaven. He’ll attend Grand Valley State University in the fall, study engineering, and will try to walk-on the Lakers’ golf team.
“Deep down inside,” he said he’s disappointed he won’t be playing at Michigan State’s Forest Akers West on Friday. But he’s got a quite a highlight to take with him from his final high school round.
“It was very bittersweet. I really wanted to go to state,” Michel said. “But the hole-in-one balanced it out a bit.”
Eye on the official
Hopefully you caught our MHSAA benchmarks piece (also published on Second Half) on longtime official Lamont Simpson, who has worked not only MHSAA Finals but NCAA tournaments and is one of 32 officials in the WNBA. (Here’s the link in case you missed it.)
He also became that league’s first to wear the referee cam, debuting the new gear during a recent game between the Phoenix Mercury and Indiana Fever.
The camera provides plenty of ref’s-eye views. Click the video below to check it out.
Wheels of Steele
We’ve been watching the inspiring progress of Frankenmuth runner Bobby Steele especially over the last few years as his story became known across the Lower Peninsula.
Steele, who is visually impaired, has run cross country and track for the Eagles, thanks to the help of guides who ran with him to help him stay on course.
If you haven’t heard Steele’s awesome story, check out this 8-minute video. Not only did Steele run, but he cut roughly 12 minutes off his first cross country times over the course of his career.
Painesdale Jeffers Roster Filled with Jets Earns Historic Opportunity
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
February 25, 2025
HOUGHTON — Many talented hockey players have gone through the ranks at Painesdale Jeffers High School.
The team, however, has often been low on numbers.
The situation has changed this winter, and the Jets have a 22-4 record to show for it.
“In the past, we could only skate two lines,” coach Aaron Helminen said. “Now our numbers are up. In the last few years we had 25-27 guys, which gives us some depth. You need numbers to have competition. It makes everybody better because the guys push each other. You have to work harder to keep your spot.”
Although Jeffers is a cooperative hockey program, allowing the Jets to roster players from Chassell, Ontonagon, Dollar Bay, Baraga, L’Anse and Ironwood as well, all 18 of this year’s players are Jeffers student-athletes – which is even more impressive as Jeffers’ enrollment total for classification this school year was just 218.
The Jets began their postseason journey with a 4-1 victory over Calumet in a Division 3 Regional opener last Wednesday. They return to the MacInnes Student Ice Arena at Michigan Tech at 7 p.m. today to face Houghton (18-8), which has won two straight Regional titles.
“We got good shifts from our third line,” Helminen said. “We’re just excited to have an opportunity to play another game. Houghton can skate 3-4 lines. They have a very good team. That will be a revenge game for them.”
The Jets – ranked No. 6 in Division 3 entering the postseason – defeated the No. 2 Gremlins 6-2 in their lone regular-season meeting Jan. 22.
“They’re a very fast and physical team,” Jeffers senior Benton Rajala said. “We have to get guys on the puck and play the body. I don’t recall of Jeffers ever winning a Regional, but I have dreamed about it.”
The Jets, however, did capture a Regional title in 1977. A victory tonight would end their drought.
“It feels great to be moving on,” senior Brit Heinonen said after the Calumet win. “This gets the monkey off our back. Having larger numbers makes a big difference. We have a special group which plays well together. We have good chemistry.”
In last Wednesday’s game, Jeffers outshot Calumet 29-17 with junior goaltender Kasen Helminen stopping 16 shots.
“It feels good to win a playoff game, but I haven’t had much chance to think about it yet,” Helminen said after. “I’d rather have some shots taken at me. Clearing the puck helps me out. In practice, we have one or two drills in which shots are fired at me. I also practice a lot on my footwork.”
What kind of challenges are in store for the Jets tonight?
“They (Houghton) try to beat you with the rushes,” the Jets’ goaltender said. “You have to be aware of their odd-man rushes.
”It would feel great to advance.”
Heinonen had similar thoughts about the Gremlins, who defeated Hancock 5-3 in their Regional opener.
“Houghton has been great for many years,” he said. “Teams around here will battle to the end. In playoffs, anything can happen. We have a good chance.”
The winner advances to the Saturday Quarterfinal contest at Lakeview Arena in Marquette to face the winner of another Regional Final tonight between Escanaba (16-10) and Sault Ste. Marie (11-13-1).
John Vrancic has covered high school sports in the Upper Peninsula since joining the Escanaba Daily Press staff in 1985. He is known most prominently across the peninsula for his extensive coverage of cross country and track & field that frequently appears in newspapers from the Wisconsin border to Lake Huron. He received the James Trethewey Award for Distinguished Service in 2015 from the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.
PHOTOS (Top) Painesdale Jeffers’ junior Brogan Turner rips a shot during a game this season. (Middle) The Jets’ Easton Therrian (4) makes his way up ice against Negaunee. (Below) Brit Heinonen advances past the blue line. (Photos by RR Photo.)