Mourning Those Who Contributed Much
April 14, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
This weekend was a sad one for those who work in Michigan high school athletics or have appreciated the contributions from three who gave significantly to our games but died after long fights with cancer.
Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart's Keisha Brown, Grand Haven's Robin Bye and Haslett's Jamie Gent left memorable legacies in their passing – Brown on Thursday, Gent on Friday and Bye on Saturday.
Following are just a few details of their contributions to schools and sports, followed by a handful of Twitter posts celebrating their commitments.
- Brown in 2006 became the first and only female coach to lead a boys team to the MHSAA Basketball Finals, guiding the Irish to the Class D Final before they fell to Wyoming Tri-unity Christian. She also served as principal and athletic director at Sacred Heart and coached the boys basketball team to a 114-30 record before taking over the Alma College women’s program, which she coached through this season. Click to read the memorial column from the Mount Pleasant Morning Sun’s Jim Lahde.
"RIP Keisha Brown. What a truly inspiring human being that battled cancer with courage and strength. My thoughts are with her family.” – Oakland Press reporter Drew Ellis, formerly of the Morning Sun
“Rest in Peace Keisha Brown #TrueWarrior. Words cannot express my sadness #HeartBroken.” – Alma College Sports Information Director Mike Hanson
- Bye worked in the Grand Haven school system for 34 years, including the last two-plus as athletic director after formerly serving as an assistant and a girls basketball coach. He also had been a middle school art teacher in the district, and last year received its “Spirit of Grand Haven” award for commitment and dedication to Grand Haven schools. Click to read the story on his passing from the Muskegon Chronicle’s Scott Brandenburg.
“Thinking of the Bye family tonight. Robin will be missed. As a person and an AD, he made me want to be better a person/coach. God Bless.” – Grand Haven boys basketball coach Steve Hewitt.
“I will miss Robin Bye. He made a big difference for the youth in our town, more than an athletic director; an inspiration.” – Grand Haven parent Pat McGinnis
- Gent began his career at Haslett in 1967 as a middle school teacher and high school coach in three sports. He was head coach of the track and field, boys basketball and football varsity teams at different times and began his second stint as the school’s athletic director in 1991. He also was an MHSAA registered official for more than 15 years and a mentor to many both in the Lansing area and statewide through his contributions to the Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association. He received the MHSAA’s Charles E. Forsythe Award in 2008. See below for a video posted that year in honor of Gent as he retired as athletic director, and click for Dick Hoekstra's piece in the Lansing State Journal posted today.
“Sad to hear of the passing of Jamie Gent, long time Haslett HS athletic director. Really great guy, very kind hearted.” – former Haslett athlete, current White Pigeon teacher/coach Kurt Twichell
“Jamie Gent was one of the best ADs I had the privilege to know. A great loss tonight for the Haslett community.” – Chelsea football coach Brad Bush
PHOTOS: (Clockwise from left) Former Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart boys basketball coach Keisha Brown comforts one of her players after the Irish fell in the Class D Final in 2006. Jamie Gent, left, receives his Charles E. Forsythe Award from Negaunee's Jim Derocher during the 2008 Boys Basketball Finals. Grand Haven athletic director, Robin Bye, is recognized as an assistant coach on the 1981 girls basketball team inducted into the Grand Haven sports Hall of Fame.
Wayne's Derrick Powers Past Reigning Champ to Clinch Division 1 Title
By
Perry A. Farrell
Special for MHSAA.com
March 1, 2025
ALLEN PARK – All Dylan Harnden could do was shake his head.
In attempt to repeat as Division 1 singles champion Saturday at Thunderbowl Lanes, he ran into a buzzsaw named Lyman Derrick III.
The Wayne Memorial sophomore, standing just 5-foot-3, couldn’t miss. His two-handed style produced games of 257-233 and he emerged as champion over Harnden, who shot 444.
“He had the front seven and the front six; there was nothing I could do,’’ admitted Harnden.
Said Derrick: “I would describe my style as unusual.’’
Derrick broke 200 pins in 11 of his 14 games Saturday. His dad, Lynam Derrick Jr., saw this coming.
“He has been bowling since he was 4,’’ said Derrick Jr. “At 6 he almost threw a 300. My friends won’t even bowl with him anymore.
“He has put in a ton of work. So proud of him.’’
Said former PBA pro John Mazza: “He is amazing.’’
Derek Kern of Muskegon Mona Shores shot a 300 in the second game of qualifying. He eventually finished as the ninth qualifier at 1,320.
The top spot went to Haden Hebel of Hartland at 1,372, followed by Davison’s Joe Merz at 1,366, Jenison’s Benjamin Slagter at 1,355 and Matt Sprau of Portage Central with a score of 1,351. Harnden was seventh at 1,331.
Hebel advanced against Cole Rogus of Macomb Dakota, 459-453 to face Andrew Fsadni of Salem, who had knocked out Kern, 401-385.
Merz eliminated Johnathan Hatcher of Belleville, 466-453, then took on Harnden, who had defeated Jacob Kondratyev of Troy, 450-383.
Slagter also moved on by defeating Noah VanderVelde of Zeeland West, 435-424, but Sprau was defeated by Andy Folks of Belleville 439-344 to move on against Derrick. Derrick had downed Devin Harris of Kalamazoo Loy Norrix, 385-339
Feeling right at home, Harnden moved past Merz to reach the semifinals with a 477-402 victory. Derrick advanced to the semifinals, besting Folks 428-361 with top seed Hebel then in the way. Hebel advanced with a 459-452 thriller over Fsadni.
Slagter joined him in the semis with a 482-420 victory over Roberts, which included a 277 game, and squared off against Harnden, who won 435-383. Derrick ended the top seed’s run, eliminating Hebel, 390-369.