Unstoppable
John Hendler • November 3, 2020
Marshall High School girls cross country puts unbeaten record on the line at regional
On Oct. 31, the Marshall High School girls cross country team will put its unbeaten season record of 79-0 on the line at the Div. 2 regional in Portage with a berth to the state meet on the line. The team qualified for the 11:30 a.m. regional as the number one seed after winning the pre-regional in Vicksburg Oct. 24.
Heading into this season, Wissink believed his three incoming freshmen were decent runners in middle school, but one of those runners, Camille DeCola surprised in the season’s opening meet. “I knew Camille was going to be special when she was our third runner in the first meet,” said Wissink. “I have the girls do their workouts in groups based on ability level, and she quickly worked her way into our top group. It became clear early on that she wanted to improve, to be her best, and she worked hard every day. When she finished fifth overall at the second I-8 Jamboree, I knew she was special.”
Of all the twists and turns this year and season have taken, Wissink said Brophy’s solo workouts in the spring may be his favorite. “Shawn ran last year as a freshman but ran most of her races in the 23-minute range,” said Wissink. “She just didn't seem into it. Then I started seeing her running when the lockdown began. She ran all winter, spring and summer, and is now on the verge of breaking 20 minutes. Shawn is a very intelligent girl who keeps primarily to herself, but she has transformed herself into a top-notch runner.”
“Our freshman and sophomore-year teams were extremely talented and had a lot of depth which we didn’t think we would ever have in a team again, but we have clearly been proven wrong,” said Egnatuk. “This season has been so much fun, and all around, the 17 girls on the team have all worked so hard and built a very strong bond this season through everything we have been through. Looking back, I didn’t even think we would be having a full season and thought most meets would be cancelled. I am so grateful that we have been able to make the most out of the challenges we have been put through.”
Wissink said even though he has had many talented and successful teams over the years, this year’s team will stand out for sure in this one-of-a-kind season. “A lot of people can't wait to forget all about 2020,” he said. “But this group of girls has made it a year to remember.”
How the team got to this point in a year like no other has its roots back at the beginning of 2020, before any of us had any inkling that life as we knew it would be turned upside down.MHS girls cross country coach Steve Wissink says he isn’t a gambling man, but last February, he said some good fortune came his way while he and his wife attended a concert at FireKeepers Casino Hotel.Wissink said, to quote legendary Grateful Dead member Jerry Garcia, “What a long, strange trip it’s been.”
“Although cross country is a fall sport, for some coaches, it's a year-round thing,” said Wissink. “This year's season started for me on that cold February night. I got a text message from Tyler Tucker, an All-State track athlete who had run for me. The message went something like this, ‘Hey Wis, if you're coaching cross country again this fall, my sister (Mallory) and Brooke Waito want to run.’ As a cross country coach, you live for messages like that. Brooke and Mallory were both outstanding middle school track athletes and were varsity standouts in both basketball and soccer at MHS.” A few weeks later, Wissink said he got another hint that this season was going to be special.
“The lockdown had begun, and I was handing out free breakfasts and lunches at Gordon Elementary where I teach half time,” he said. “Three times in two weeks I saw Shawn Brophy running. And she wasn't just jogging through Marshall. She was running with a purpose. I also found out that team member Abbie Schoepke was running every day. And it was only April. “None of us knew what was going to happen. Pretty much all my runners either run track or play soccer, and their spring seasons had been wiped out. Things were bleak. I decided to talk to one of my parents about the possibility of having our summer camp to give the girls something to look forward to. We usually hold a four-day cross country camp every July at Van Buren State Park, but it seemed absurd to consider. No other schools were having camps. He said he'd consider it for his daughter if precautions were in place. I texted the team, told them to share it with their parents, and decide if they would consider attending camp? The overwhelming response was yes.”
In early June, athletes and coaches got the green light to begin summer workouts.“It was immediately apparent that the girls were so happy to have something to do that our numbers were the best ever,” said Wissink. “We were averaging 12 girls per day. They worked hard, running five or six days a week. We had our camp with precautions in place and it was awesome. The team formed bonds. It was clear that with the veterans we had and the new girls joining the team, we had the potential to have a very successful season.”
A successful season is nothing new to Wissink or his runners over the past decade and a half as MHS consistently challenged for its league title, were state ranked and more times than not, had representation at the state meet. This season began in late August and everything was different. No spectators. No food after races. No team dinners. Masks. Smaller races. Cancelled races. “The only constant - we were beating everyone we ran against,” said Wissink. “Six meets, six wins, 48 opponents and we beat them all. We were on a roll.” And then, on Sept. 22, things came to screeching halt.
“One of our girls was feeling ill and got tested for COVID and it came back positive ,” said Wissink. “Our entire varsity was quarantined for two weeks. Devastation. Was the season over? I texted the girls, explained the situation in more detail, and their response was unanimous. They were going to support their teammate, they were going to complete their workouts individually and remotely, and they were going to come back together with more resolve than ever to finish what they started. And they've done just that.” “Amazingly,” added Wissink, is that despite this season’s unparalleled run, his team has not had one meet when the team’s seven best runners were all healthy and competing.
“A long-standing knee injury has prevented Mallory from competing this year, but she has been a huge support to the team with her presence and encouragement,” said Wissink. “Laraya Warnsley, an All-League runner a year ago, has struggled with injury. But our depth and resolve have led us to where we are now. We're hoping to have everyone healthy and ready for the regional and state meets.” Warnsley said she is “very thankful to be a part of such a well-driven team.” “I've had some complications throughout the season running with an injury which caused me to not be at my best,” she said. “But that didn't stop me from giving it my all because that's what we all do, always give our best. Our team has come a long way from practicing really hard over the summer and all of our hard work really paid off. Our team did not let this pandemic hold us back. We have risen from this even better, stronger and most importantly, together.”
DeCola said she was inspired by the older girls on the team to push herself every day.“I never expected to play a big part, but it's so rewarding when all your hard work adds up to make you better than you were,” she said. “Everyone plays such an important role on the team. We all work together, support each other, and push the other girls to be better. We've been working hard since June to get to where we are, and I'm so thankful to get to run with this team! I can't wait to compete with them for the regional title!”Wissink said he likes the team’s chances win the regional.“Out of the eight teams and 14 individual runners from teams which didn’t qualify, we have the third, seventh, eighth, ninth, 10th, 11th and 12th-ranked runners,” he said. “So, our chances of winning are excellent.”
Wissink said Maliyah Gore had led the team the past three seasons, but her season got “totally sidetracked” when she had to quarantine for two weeks and then was sick for a week. That was about the same time DeCola stepped up to post the top Marshall time at several races. “Maliyah has been improving with each meet,” said Wissink. “Brooke Waito is a first-year runner and has had an outstanding season, but she too was sidetracked by illness, but is running her best right now when it matters most. She has already dipped below the 20-minute mark, and her best races are yet to come.”
Waito said her first year running cross country has been “very exciting and challenging.” “We started off the season very strong, winning all of our meets, but then I tested positive for COVID-19,” she said. “Despite the team having to quarantine for two weeks, we came back even stronger. I think our biggest reason for success is having an amazing group of girls and a coach who constantly encourage one another.” Gore shared Waito’s sentiment, adding that this season’s team is the best one she has been on. “We’ve never won league until this season and we were never supposed to win the regional,” said Gore. “That is insane and I’m so proud of my team. For all this stuff going on in the world, our team has really stayed strong and pulled through it all and I am so amazed at that. I’m so excited to run the regional meet and I think we can really win it this year and get some nice hardware.”
Brophy said she sees how her hard work has paid off to help the team. “Last year, I was in the 23-24-minute range and I was never as good as I wanted to be,” she said. “I saw being quarantined as a way to get better at running. I ran every day over the course of quarantine, and coming into the season, I saw the difference. After my first few races I had already dropped a minute off my previous PR (personal record), and as we continued to work hard throughout the season my time continued to drop, and now my current PR is 20:10. I never thought I would be able to run as fast as I have. As we are heading to regional and hopefully the state meet, I am so proud that I get to be a part of this team… Everybody is willing to step it up when needed, which is why it is tough to beat us. It is a special experience to have so many talented runners on a team, that it is impossible not to push yourself to work harder. Even with difficulties we faced throughout the season we managed to go all season undefeated, and we definitely could not have done any of it without an amazing coach.”
Wissink said another surprise this season was Zariah Ozuzu, who came out to June workouts, never having run cross country. “She has worked hard, and steadily moved up our depth chart,” he said. “She made the All-League team and continues to improve each week.” Ozuzu said she is happy she made the decision to join the team.“We have some great runners on our team and a great coach,” she said. “I am happy to be a part of it and look forward to getting another trophy for our school…And I can’t wait to do it again next year.”
The last pieces of the puzzle for the team’s success are Wissink’s most veteran runners, seniors Anna Zacharski, Natalia Egnatuk and Schoepke, all four-year varsity runners and team captains. “After last season ended very disappointingly, they decided that this year would be different,” said Wissink. “They have worked hard and led the team all season. Abbie is probably our most steady performer and made the All-League team after coming very close in the past. Anna also made the All-League team this year and is certainly the team's verbal leader. Natalia is a former All-League runner, who in my opinion, has demonstrated more heart this season than anyone else. All three of these girls are amazing and we will certainly miss them next year.” Egnatuk said that she, Zacharski and Schoepke have been looking for a season like this one since their freshman year after falling short of championships and regional titles for the past three years.
Larsen Morehouse is a senior and team captain, and although not part of the top varsity runners who will compete at the regional, noted that she is “really proud of all the hard work everybody has put in this year and over the summer and how everyone has taken the obstacles of this year in stride.”“It has been great to see how the team has overcome illness, injury, and quarantine to still win the pre-regional and peak at the right time,” Morehouse added.
Zacharski said the team needed to seize the opportunity this season, precisely because of so much uncertainty.“During these unfortunate times, the next race is never a guarantee, so we always go out and give it our all,” she said. “The team has shown so much heart in every single race. It has truly been a team effort to get to regionals being undefeated. Our team has such an amazing bond, and we make each other grow as runners and people every day!”
Schoepke said the summer was key in preparing for the season and that the strong turnout was maybe a result of the quarantine. “We had more girls running at our optional practices than ever, possibly due to the fact that we were all bored from quarantining for so long,” she said. “I’m just extremely glad we all conclusively decided this year was going to be our year. Being undefeated in cross country is quite challenging because you run against so many teams, but our team is stacked solid. We usually run in a pack finishing just seconds away from each other. This means that each girl on the team is almost exactly equal in talent, which is a major reason we’ve been able to defeat every team we’ve come across. I personally believe our key to success is that our team doesn’t just contain talent, but every girl is willing to put in tons of hard work. I’m excited to race at the regional and hopefully win. I could not have asked for a better senior season!”


Get to know MPS Superintendent Becky Jones as she looks ahead to the new school year Marshall Public Schools Superintendent Becky Jones said she has always had a passion for wanting to work in education. Even though her master’s degree is in business from Spring Arbor University, Jones originally went to school at Eastern Michigan University to be a special education teacher when she was an undergraduate before making the switch to the business field. “I always wanted to work in some sort of line in education and be a part of the school system,” Jones said. “My aunt was a special education teacher in an early childhood role and she worked for Jackson ISD. That was part of the reason why I wanted to go to school to be a special education teacher when I started. I ended up changing and I’m not 100% sure why I changed, but it’s interesting that I ended up into the system in the career path of doing that.” After Jones graduated from EMU, she landed a job in Jackson as a business manager for a construction company before being hired at Jackson County Intermediate School District in business operations. Jones has been in the school system ever since her time at Jackson County ISD before coming over to Marshall Public Schools, where she served as the director of business operations for the district for eight years. Jones said the relationships she built over the eight years in that role has helped her transition into the superintendent role. “I think with how I am as a leader and how I am as a person, I like to build a lot of personal relationships,” said Jones. “So I think that’s just something that has come natural for me over the eight years, I’ve just always built really good relationships with the people that I work with. I care about the people, I care about families, I care about our students. It didn’t seem unnatural for me to fill into the role of interim, because it was something I wanted to do.” Jones was appointed interim superintendent in May 2021 after the departure of former Superintendent Randy Davis. After eight months, the Marshall Public Schools Board of Education unanimously agreed to hire Jones into the permanent role. When reflecting on when she officially was hired into the permanent role, Jones commended the many who have supported her during the process and said she feels honored to now be serving in the role. “I think that educating people’s children and educating our youth is a very important role,” said Jones. “It’s an honor and a blessing in how I look at it.” Jones added that she is driven and inspired by being able to serve two communities, being students and families in both Marshall and Albion. “When I look at the district as a whole, I look at it as serving two communities,” Jones said. “Obviously we have an interesting history as a school system with bringing Albion into the system and serving both Albion and Marshall. That to me alone, just having the two communities that we get to serve, is a wonderful thing. Both communities have a lot to offer when you look at it. There are a lot of great people, leaders and businesses that are really supportive of the school system and really supportive of our kids. That’s one of the many benefits of this role.” Jones added she is also inspired by being able to serve the students as a whole and being able to interact with them and the teachers who are involved in their learning development. “Also the kids and the interaction with the kids. We get to go out to buildings and interact with the kids and interact with the teachers,” Jones added. “We have a wonderful staff in the district. When I look at the role, I don’t look at it as a superintendent role, I look at it as ‘I get to work with these amazing people who work for Marshall Public Schools and I get to meet all of these wonderful community members.’” In a March article from the Battle Creek Enquirer, former Board President Richard Lindsey acknowledged Jones played a key role in the annexation of the Albion School District and Marshall Public Schools in 2016. Jones further explained how she was involved in that process. “I walked alongside Dr. Davis when annexation happened,” she said. “I sat in all the meetings, went through all the financials and worked on all those things and what it would look like. So I was right alongside working through the annexation piece of it. Through annexation, there were a lot of people that care about both communities and about wanting to make sure that all of our kids have equal opportunity and equal access to good education. To me, in my eyes, that’s the one thing that matters, is equal access to kids for education.” As superintendent, there are both challenges ahead for Jones along with some things that she is excited about in terms of plans the district is implementing going into the school year. “I’m really excited about our strategic plan,” Jones said. “I think it’s really important for organizations to have a vision for what they are working towards. And I think that we’ve clearly written out what our vision is as an organization. I’m really looking forward to putting that in place.” As far as challenges go, Jones brought up being able to educate students in a post-pandemic world and focusing on providing support for students and families on what they need to further their education in light of all the disruptions that took place in schools during the past two years. “I think we still have a lot of challenges post pandemic when we’re looking at children and we’re looking at education,” Jones said. “We as a district need to sit down and focus on where our kids are at and where we need our kids to be in terms of education. So, I think for this year it’s really going to be a huge focus on what support we can give our families and the things we can do to really get our kids educated and where they need to be in a post pandemic world.” Another challenge in Jones’ eyes is how to put a new bond on the table and how to get community members to support one this time around. Last November, a $45.6 million bond was voted down by a 2 to 1 margin. She also mentioned the school’s sinking fund millage that she said will be on the ballot for voters this November. “We have $75 million worth of needs,” said Jones. “We obviously had a failed bond attempt and those needs haven’t gone away. So we’re going to have to go back out to the community in looking at a bond and (figure out) what we need to do. We need to sit down and talk about where we’re at with that. Another thing is with our sinking fund millage. That is set to expire and we’re going to be putting a renewal on the November ballot. It is a renewal but it’s not going to be worded as a renewal, because we’re going to add in security and technology services for that. So we’re really going to have to get out there and communicate effectively with the communities about that.” When Jones’ time is done at MPS, whenever that may be, she said she just hopes for both communities to look at the school district and be proud of what it represents. “I want both communities to be proud of their school system,” she said. “I want Marshall Public Schools serving both Marshall and Albion communities and for it to be a choice district for those communities. I want them to be proud of the work we do here and how we educate their kids.”

Get to know MPS Superintendent Becky Jones as she looks ahead to the new school year Marshall Public Schools Superintendent Becky Jones said she has always had a passion for wanting to work in education. Even though her master’s degree is in business from Spring Arbor University, Jones originally went to school at Eastern Michigan University to be a special education teacher when she was an undergraduate before making the switch to the business field. “I always wanted to work in some sort of line in education and be a part of the school system,” Jones said. “My aunt was a special education teacher in an early childhood role and she worked for Jackson ISD. That was part of the reason why I wanted to go to school to be a special education teacher when I started. I ended up changing and I’m not 100% sure why I changed, but it’s interesting that I ended up into the system in the career path of doing that.” After Jones graduated from EMU, she landed a job in Jackson as a business manager for a construction company before being hired at Jackson County Intermediate School District in business operations. Jones has been in the school system ever since her time at Jackson County ISD before coming over to Marshall Public Schools, where she served as the director of business operations for the district for eight years. Jones said the relationships she built over the eight years in that role has helped her transition into the superintendent role. “I think with how I am as a leader and how I am as a person, I like to build a lot of personal relationships,” said Jones. “So I think that’s just something that has come natural for me over the eight years, I’ve just always built really good relationships with the people that I work with. I care about the people, I care about families, I care about our students. It didn’t seem unnatural for me to fill into the role of interim, because it was something I wanted to do.” Jones was appointed interim superintendent in May 2021 after the departure of former Superintendent Randy Davis. After eight months, the Marshall Public Schools Board of Education unanimously agreed to hire Jones into the permanent role. When reflecting on when she officially was hired into the permanent role, Jones commended the many who have supported her during the process and said she feels honored to now be serving in the role. “I think that educating people’s children and educating our youth is a very important role,” said Jones. “It’s an honor and a blessing in how I look at it.” Jones added that she is driven and inspired by being able to serve two communities, being students and families in both Marshall and Albion. “When I look at the district as a whole, I look at it as serving two communities,” Jones said. “Obviously we have an interesting history as a school system with bringing Albion into the system and serving both Albion and Marshall. That to me alone, just having the two communities that we get to serve, is a wonderful thing. Both communities have a lot to offer when you look at it. There are a lot of great people, leaders and businesses that are really supportive of the school system and really supportive of our kids. That’s one of the many benefits of this role.” Jones added she is also inspired by being able to serve the students as a whole and being able to interact with them and the teachers who are involved in their learning development. “Also the kids and the interaction with the kids. We get to go out to buildings and interact with the kids and interact with the teachers,” Jones added. “We have a wonderful staff in the district. When I look at the role, I don’t look at it as a superintendent role, I look at it as ‘I get to work with these amazing people who work for Marshall Public Schools and I get to meet all of these wonderful community members.’” In a March article from the Battle Creek Enquirer, former Board President Richard Lindsey acknowledged Jones played a key role in the annexation of the Albion School District and Marshall Public Schools in 2016. Jones further explained how she was involved in that process. “I walked alongside Dr. Davis when annexation happened,” she said. “I sat in all the meetings, went through all the financials and worked on all those things and what it would look like. So I was right alongside working through the annexation piece of it. Through annexation, there were a lot of people that care about both communities and about wanting to make sure that all of our kids have equal opportunity and equal access to good education. To me, in my eyes, that’s the one thing that matters, is equal access to kids for education.” As superintendent, there are both challenges ahead for Jones along with some things that she is excited about in terms of plans the district is implementing going into the school year. “I’m really excited about our strategic plan,” Jones said. “I think it’s really important for organizations to have a vision for what they are working towards. And I think that we’ve clearly written out what our vision is as an organization. I’m really looking forward to putting that in place.” As far as challenges go, Jones brought up being able to educate students in a post-pandemic world and focusing on providing support for students and families on what they need to further their education in light of all the disruptions that took place in schools during the past two years. “I think we still have a lot of challenges post pandemic when we’re looking at children and we’re looking at education,” Jones said. “We as a district need to sit down and focus on where our kids are at and where we need our kids to be in terms of education. So, I think for this year it’s really going to be a huge focus on what support we can give our families and the things we can do to really get our kids educated and where they need to be in a post pandemic world.” Another challenge in Jones’ eyes is how to put a new bond on the table and how to get community members to support one this time around. Last November, a $45.6 million bond was voted down by a 2 to 1 margin. She also mentioned the school’s sinking fund millage that she said will be on the ballot for voters this November. “We have $75 million worth of needs,” said Jones. “We obviously had a failed bond attempt and those needs haven’t gone away. So we’re going to have to go back out to the community in looking at a bond and (figure out) what we need to do. We need to sit down and talk about where we’re at with that. Another thing is with our sinking fund millage. That is set to expire and we’re going to be putting a renewal on the November ballot. It is a renewal but it’s not going to be worded as a renewal, because we’re going to add in security and technology services for that. So we’re really going to have to get out there and communicate effectively with the communities about that.” When Jones’ time is done at MPS, whenever that may be, she said she just hopes for both communities to look at the school district and be proud of what it represents. “I want both communities to be proud of their school system,” she said. “I want Marshall Public Schools serving both Marshall and Albion communities and for it to be a choice district for those communities. I want them to be proud of the work we do here and how we educate their kids.”

In February of 1921, while what would eventually become the Marshall Country Club was being organized, 70 acres on the south shore of Lyon Lake was purchased for the golf course. That summer was spent by members raking stones, tearing down fences and leveling off and cleaning land while Harold C. Brooks, the club’s first president, hired golf architect Tom Bendelow of Chicago to help design the course. The following year, Brooks erected the club house that was planned by his architect friend Howard Young of Kalamazoo. A breezeway connected the club house with a pro shop and the country club was up and running. There have been a few changes made to Marshall Country Club over time, including the course being renovated into an 18-hole course from a nine-hole course in 1972. But 100 years later, the country club is still serving area golfers, with numerous events on tap as MCC celebrates its centennial year. Director of Communications Nancy Card said she believes Marshall Country Club’s ability to adapt over time has allowed the golf course to stay open even during ever-changing times. “It (country clubs) used to be much more formal,” said Card. “It used to be the ‘good ol' boys club.’ It used to be a high stakes kind of a thing. And now, through the evolution of all of these years, it’s interesting to me to see how creative we’ve had to become in order to continue to operate in the new world. It’s so different and we can’t operate like we used to back then. Just watching the changes and the evolution and how things have made us who we are today, that’s very important. And it’s so exciting to see how people are consumed with this. They really love our country club.” According to a 2019 article from Business Insider , country club memberships dropped 20% from 1990 to 2014. The number of clubs are also diminishing, as there were over 5,000 member-owned full-service golf and country clubs in the U.S., according to the article. By 2017, that number had fallen to about 3,900. MCC used to be a strictly private country club, but over time has morphed into a quasi-private, quasi-public course, with a restaurant, Lyon Lake Grill, that is open to the public. Feef Dillon, a member of the centennial celebration committee, said offering a warm environment has been one of the main keys to making the country club a successful operation. “I think we have to have a welcoming environment that welcomes all walks of life,” said Dillon. “Female, low and high income, we have to make it affordable for people to want to be here and make it worth their while and offer activities that are appealing to people. Long gone are the days where you could write off your country club membership. It used to be that companies would foot the bill. That’s no longer the case. Now we have to find ways (to gain members) and the relationships make it happen.” Tom Duffey, an MCC Board member and past club president, added it’s not only the friendships that are created, but the community environment that has made the country club a special place for him and many others. “This is a great place for family activities,” Duffey said. “We have both Marshall golf teams here, Homer golf teams, Albion College, Olivet College. I brought my kids out to play and now I’m bringing my grandkids out to play. It’s just a friendly, nice place to bring kids. You’ll see a bunch of kids out here hitting balls. It’s just a nice place to come out to.” The COVID-19 pandemic brought tough times to many businesses across the country, and MCC was no exception. House Manager Sarah Coco has been at MCC for four years and said while there have been some difficult times to get through, she did not ever want to leave because of her passion for the country club and seeing how much it matters to so many people she interacts with. “This is my first time working at a country club and it is different than any other restaurant, bar or hospitality place that I’ve ever worked at,” said Coco. “It was pretty challenging during COVID in that situation to get creative with how to be open, how to serve the members. It was a struggle, a huge struggle. You kind of step back and think ‘why am I doing this? You could go anywhere right now and get a job.’ But for me, I can’t do that because this place just means so much to so many people that it becomes special to you.” Vicki Knickerbocker, another member of the centennial celebration committee and MCC member said the country club is special to her in many ways, from building friendships to simply giving her and her husband a hobby. “I think it’s very important for both myself and my husband because it gives us something to do,” Knickerbocker said. “We could be working in our yard or doing something (else), but we’re outside and it’s beautiful out here. My husband is out here (frequently). I’m here maybe a couple days a week, but if it wasn't here where (would we be)?” To date, MCC has held monthly celebrations to honor its centennial year. On Aug. 13, two golf tournaments and a dinner will be held at the country club. The first tournament of the day is for current and past members only and will begin at 8:30 a.m., while the second tournament—a four-person scramble, is open to anyone and is set for an approximate 1:30 p.m. start time. Both tournaments have limited spots available. The centennial dinner is open to the public and tickets are currently on sale. Anyone interested in purchasing tickets can contact MCC. There will also be a raffle drawing that event organizers hope will be held that night, where ticket holders will have a chance to win a variety of prizes, with the top prize being a free membership to the country club. MCC will conclude its celebrations on Oct. 1 with “100 years of fun” and standup comedian Dave Dyer, an event that will also be open to the public. “We want people to know that we are celebrating, why we are celebrating and that we invite them to come and celebrate with us,” Card said.

Jerry Sacharski was a recreation league director in Albion who pioneered T-ball as an organized youth sport in 1956 because he couldn’t stand to turn away young children with the desire to play baseball. Sacharski passed away in February of 2009, but his memory has lived on, which was apparent on June 25 when well over 100 community members came together at Tee-Ball Garden in Albion, where a new T-ball statue and historic plaque was unveiled under the leadership of the Restore Our Coke Sign: Bring Art and History Downtown campaign team. Many of Sacharski’s former players and their families were present to celebrate the event, along with members of the Sacharski family, including Jerry’s three sons—David, Michael and William. Following the ceremony, current T-ball players played a short game in Victory Park near Hannah Street, which was followed by an “Old-Timers” game. John Sims, one of Sacharski’s former players who spoke at the ceremony, expressed appreciation for his former coach and the impact he left on him and many others who played for him growing up. “I go down to that field and I can see him (Sacharski),” Sims said. “I think everyone who played “pee-wee” ball with him remembers him. We have very few people in our lives as young people who make a mark like that. I’m 70 years old and I still remember that guy with very great kindness. He was good to us.” Sims also cited a 1960 T-ball exhibition game, when Sacharski took him and other pee wee players to Michigan State University to put the sport on display in front of a TV audience as the game was videotaped by a local television station. In 2000, the video was accepted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, N.Y. Sacharski was also a teacher with Albion Public Schools for nearly three decades. His son David said his father was great at teaching the fundamentals of the game and brought his teaching qualities to the baseball field. “My dad wanted the kids to learn the fundamentals of baseball while playing T-ball, which was sometimes called pee wee ball,” said David. “Notice the word ‘fun’ in fundamentals. He wanted the kids to have fun and at the same time, learn basic skills. Being a teacher, he made T-ball a classroom activity on grass.” William, another of the three Sacharski sons, said he was one of the original 60 T-ball players in Albion. He remembers the summer of 1956 when “everything changed” in terms of how the game of baseball was played when he was a young boy. “The whole game that we played changed,” said William. “As a 7-year-old kid, we actually got to go up to bat and we actually got to hit the ball (instead of getting walked or striking out). You could take a stance and that ball was sitting there on the tee and you could just kind of drive through it. There were no free passes, there were no strikeouts. Every play, something happened. Just like Dave said, after a while, your fundamentals and your skills (improve) because you’re not standing around.” Michael is the oldest of the Sacharski boys and said he was an umpire during the first T-ball game in June of 1956. He thanked everyone who showed up to the event and commended all who helped his father make the sport successful. He told a story about his father after Jerry retired from school teaching when he was in Hawaii that embodied the type of person and coach Jerry was. “I think the second spring he was there, he ambled up to the park that was near our home, because they were staying in our home,” Michael said. “And he ambled up in the park, and in Hawaii they have springtime youth baseball. He was sitting around on a picnic table watching how teams were practicing on the various fields and he did that a few times. Finally, one of the coaches of one of the teams—the players would have been T-ball players here, but they had (the pitcher) throw the ball, they don’t hit it off the tee—the coach said ‘I’ve seen you here, do you know anything about baseball? Would you like to help coach?’ And he said ‘yes, I will do that.’ The name of the team was the Padres, and they were already 0-3 and by the end of the season, they were I think about 12-3 and took the championship. He never told anybody who he was or where he came from. And to this day, the coaches, the players, the parents—have no idea who this guy was.” Janet Domingo and Linda Kolmodin lead the Coca-Cola team and led the effort for the new plaque and statue at the Tee-Ball Garden. The garden is a cooperative venture with the Calhoun County Land Bank and Albion Community Foundation. Money was raised for these art installations and additional landscape improvements through a matching Patronicity campaign through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, according to a press release that ran in the ad-visor in the June 25 edition. Donated funds were held by an Albion Community Foundation. Other completed projects included the iconic Coca-Cola sign restoration and the new Malleable Mural celebrating Albion’s long foundry history. “This is the completion of our three (main) projects,” said Domingo. “Many years ago, when I was working at the hospital, I made a video about Albion. I named it, ‘Small Town, Big Heart.’ Well, the town’s a bit smaller (now), but it hasn’t changed. As a result of a very successful campaign, we were able to continue with our goal to bring art and history downtown. We’re not quite done yet. We have a couple other small projects in the works. Thanks again to everyone and to everyone who supported us.”