From the Desk of the Athletic Director-Fall 2012 Sport Season Kick Off!

Welcome back to Cranbrook athletics 2012-13! We hope everyone had a great summer!

The MHSAA and Cranbrook athletics calendar recognized a very early start this year with the football team reporting on the 6^th of August and many of the rest of our fall teams starting training and tryouts on the 8^th. 171 girls and 144 boys will be representing Cranbrook in interscholastic athletics this fall season.

 

The 2012 Volleyball program is off to a great start, thanks in part, to the addition of 3 new coaches.  CK Alum ('06) Katie Lamb is heading up the freshmen team, while CK Alum (03') Carolyn Moss is assisting the new JV Head coach Jen O'Connor.  The freshmen and JV teams are training 20 eager athletes, while the Varsity team is rolling with 12.  

Fourth year head coach Kathy O’Connor’s Varsity Volleyball team returns 5 letter winners from last year.  Senior Olivia Chen, Juniors Greer Clausen and team captains Dee Dee Morrow and Katie Payne, as well as Sophomore Meg Harney.  The rest of the squad is rounded out nicely with 4 additional juniors: Serena Bian, Isabelle Georgeson, Katie Kernen and Skyla Matthews, 1 additional Sophomore Rachel Deradoorian and 2 Freshmen: Margaret Payne and Jordan Faulkner.  While the team is relatively young in age they are rich in experience through a commitment to off season club teams, camps or clinics, and strength/conditioning programs. The girls have a lofty, yet attainable goal of besting any previous CKVB state playoff run with bringing home a Regional title. These players bring a high level of energy and skill to every match.  If you have not been to a Cranbrook volleyball match recently now is the time to reserve your seat in the stands and enjoy the excitement!

 

The CK Girls Golf Team lead by head coach Mark Moyer (6^th season) looks to challenge for a State Championship in Division 3, as they return their top seven players from last season. The team is led by Co-Captain Greer Clausen ( Jr), who earned 2011 All- State First Team honors, as well as Cordelia Chan ( Soph), who received Honorable Mention All- State. Other returning letter winners include Co-Captain Holly Meers (Jr), Sydney Shuert (Jr), Chase Sui Wonders (Jr), Gabby Shuert (Soph) and Lily Thompson (Soph).The CK Golfers began the season on August 20, placing third (out of 24 teams) in the Holiday Inn Express Invitational at Forest Lake Country Club.  Their score of 361, tied a seven year tournament low for Cranbrook. In addition to four Catholic league foes, the field included seven of the top D1 and D2 schools from 2011.

 

Head JV coach Doctor Daryl Taylor has a record 21 girls started the season on the Junior Varsity squad. They opened their season with a victory over Birmingham Marian at Pine Lake CC.  Participants included: Emme Coleman, Kasey Coleman, Leah Dolik, Alayna Margulis, Molly Wiener and Masha Zhuraveleva.

 

The 2012 Girls swimming and diving team lead by first year head coach Chris Bagley and new assistant coach Monica Johnson has had a great start to their season. The preseason started with 28 girls swimming outdoors at the Bloomfield Hills Swim and Tennis club. The team grinded through tough 4 hour practices in the rain and cold, preparing for competition. The Aardvarks have posted a 3-0 record in the early season, with wins against Milan and Seaholm high schools, by the scores of 109-72 and 94-92 respectively.

 

The team’s fast start has yielded great results that will pay off at the end of the season. The team has already qualified 12 girls individually for the state championship meet in November, as well as all three relays. The team is led by senior captains Emme Reasoner, Kendall Young and Aarthi Manjunathan. All three have led the team in the pool and out, including the annual Miles Levin car wash, which raised close to $1000 toward the Miles Levin Foundation.

Moving forward, the girls look forward to big meets against Catholic League opponents Marian High School and Mercy High School, as well as the League Championship on November 3^rd. Most importantly, the Aardvarks look to repeat as Division III champions. The team will rely on their strong captain leadership, as well as youthful talent to make it a second consecutive state title.

 

 

The CKXC boys and girls teams led by head coach Greg Miller (26^th season) have kicked off the 59^th season at CK with the largest number of participants for preseason in recent memory.  With summer running completed, and the team working to the most summer miles logged in recent memory, top mileage kids were invited to a one week camp in Wilderness State Park earlier in August.  Returning to Cranbrook, the nearly full team has since been practicing on campus and the outlook is good.  This has already been seen in the first competition of the season at the Grizzly Invite (Oakland University).  Both teams, on an individual and team basis, far surpassed their efforts at this same meet one year ago. The boys’ and girls’ teams look forward to times falling in conjunction with the falling leaves of autumn. 

 

The 83^rd Cranbrook Football Team coached by Steve Graf (3^rd season) reported for training camp with a total of 34 players on the varsity and JV combined. Staying together in the Cranbrook residence halls during the first week of camp has traditionally been a great team bonding experience for the boys. The boys worked hard to prepare for the tough Catholic League season and opened the season with a victory over Lutheran Westland. The varsity is lead by the passing connection of seniors Jake Hall at quarterback and Danny Mogill at wide receiver. The running attack is led by 3^rd year starter Joe Myrick (JR) and senior Andy Thelen. Seniors Adam Bloomer, Steve Yang, Chris Lopez and Ted Coy will have to open holes and pass protect on the line for Crane offense to have success. The defense will be counting on senior inside linebacker Chris Lopez to help shut down opponent’s offensive attack with the help of seniors Keegan Kelln, Adam Bloomer, Kevin Shand, Gerard Sanford and junior Belvin Liles.

Cranbrook’s athletic department has brought some new faces and talent to the coaching staff this year.

 

Chris Bagley has taken the reigns of the defending state champions girls swim team replacing Tony Kurth who returned to his alma mater in Toledo Ohio. Chris has served as head coach of the Bloomfield Surf Club, assistant at the Orchard Lake Country Club and was an All American at Dennison University and Brother Rice. Coach Bagley will be assisted by Brookside teacher and long-time Seaholm HS assistant swim coach, Monica Johnson. On the boys swim team, storied Head Girls Coach at Seaholm HS (26 years) Karl Hodgson will step up from his assistant role for the boys the past two seasons at Cranbrook to assume the head coach position and continue to build our excellent young team. Coach Bagley will support coach Hodgson as assistant to the boys team.

 

Michigan High School Track and Field Hall of Fame Coach and long-time Cranbrook Head Coach Greg Miller came back from a short hiatus to again assume the Head Track Coach position this spring.

 

Former Michigan State Champion (Country Day), Coach of the Year, Michigan High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Famer and coaching legend Joe D’Angelo has joined the football coaching staff serving as Associate Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator. JD Reed has also joined Cranbrook as faculty in the English Department, Assistant House Advisor serving residential life and assistant football coach. Coach Reed played football at Hillsdale College and Orchard Lake St Marys.

 

Joining Coach Etterbeek as Assistant Varsity Tennis Coach is Brian DeVirgilio who comes to us as a Pro from the Troy Tennis Academy. Mark Taylor is another new face on the tennis courts. Coach Taylor will serve as Head Junior Varsity Coach and has coaching experience at Pontiac, Lake Orion, Avondale, Howell, Goodrich, The Valley School, Williamston and Stockbridge Schools.

 

Zubair Ahmed joins the Cranbrook coaching staff as Head Junior Varsity Field Hockey Coach. Coach Ahmed brings a wealth of experience as a player and coach in Bangladesh.

 

On the Volleyball court Jennifer O’Connor (sister of Head Varsity VB Coach Kathy) will assume the role of Head Junior Varsity Volleyball Coach. Coach O’Connor brings coaching experience from the Club ranks and playing experience at Oakland Community College and Devine Child. Joining Coach O’Connor as an assistant to the JV Girls is Carolyn Moss. Coach Moss is a former CK volleyball athlete and graduate and has coaching experience at the NY Military Academy. Another CK volleyball athlete and graduate, Katie Lamb, has come back to serve as Head Freshman Volleyball Coach along with assuming roles in residential life and faculty in Humanities. Katie coached volleyball in our middle school last year.

 

Please mark your calendars for the Booster Club Golf Outing October 8^th to be held at the Bloomfield Hills Country Club. It is a great day of golf and fellowship. All proceeds help to support the CK athletics budget and provide equipment, team awards, facilities improvements and professional development for the coaching staff to make Cranbrook Athletics stellar. Also don’t forget to get involved in the Homecoming activities October 13^th!

 

Last but surely not least we congratulate our wonderful Athletics Dept. Administrative Assistant Rebecca Tufts Bhowmick and her husband Raj on the birth of their new daughter Norah Lou!