From the Desk of the Athletic Director: Winter Season Wrap Up

Well, here we are back from spring break! Cranbrook’s longest sport season started in October and we just finished up Saturday March 9^th. This was another season full of great action, cheers and tears, and memorable moments.

 

The Cranbrook Girls Basketball Team finished the season with a 15-7 record and a second place finish in the Catholic League East Division! The team was short in numbers but strong in determination and attitude. Captains Tierra Binder (Sr) and Katie Payne (Jr) earned All-Catholic Honors. Captain Le Shay Edwards (Sr) was selected to the All-League Team. Tierra was also honored on the All-Academic Team.

 

Boys Basketball also had a winning season finishing 11-10 and a second place in the Catholic League Intersectional I Division. Senior Captain Jason Miller and Brandon Moore (Jr) earned All-Catholic honors. Sam Orley (Jr) was chosen to the All-League Team and Senior Captain Alex David earned All-Academic Honors.

 

Cranbrook hosted the District 6 Division 2 Regional Downhill Ski Championships at Pine Knob in Clarkston. It was a beautiful 40 degree afternoon and the coaches and many volunteers put on a great competition! The Boys Team finished as Regional Runner-up! Senior Colin Ghesquiere finished 4^th overall in the Slalom event and Greg Aikens (Soph) finished 6^th. In the Giant Slalom, Aikens placed 3^rd overall and Ghesquiere finished 5^th. Ghesquiere, Aikens and Andy Hartmann (Sr) were recognized on the All Region Team and were joined by Aric Homovec (Sr), Stephane Teste (Jr), Alex Papa (Sr) and Colin Petzold (Fr) to represent Cranbrook at the State Championships. Additional season accolades for the boys included Aikens, Homovec and Ghesquiere on the All Division Team

 

Cranbrook’s Girls Team finished the day fourth overall with Captain Julia Briggs (Jr) finishing Regional Runner-up in the Slalom event and third in the Giant Slalom advancing her to State in both events. Sydney Shuert (Jr) also had a great day at the Slalom finishing 3^rd overall and will join Julia at the State Championships in Marquette Michigan. Both Briggs and Shuert earned All Region for their performances and were joined by Captain Brooke Boccia on the All Region Team. Briggs and Boccia also made the All Divisional Team. At States, Sydney Shuert had a top twenty finish (19^th) in the slalom event (earning her Honorable Mention All-State) and Greg Aikens had an 11^th place finish in the slalom event (earning him 2^nd Team All-State honors). Ghesquiere and Homovec also earned Honorable Mention All-State honors. Stephane Teste also put together two nice runs at the giant slalom to lead the boys team in that event at States.

 

The Boys Swim Team has also had an excellent season. Sixteen boys qualified for the State Championships! Leading the charge to States were seniors Kenta Araki (100 Breast), Webster Burton (100 Back), Russell Lee (100 Fly), Matthew Liu (200 IM and 100 Fly), Daniel Misra (200 Free and 500 Free), and Jonathan Pang (100 Free). Juniors Peerasorn Chantadansuwan (100 Fly and 100 Back), Ben Schneider (200 Free and 500 Free), and Nate Tattrie (100 Back) filled in the ranks of CK upper classmen at States. With a young team, sophomores Mitch Buccalo (200 IM and 100 Back), Alessandro Guttilla (200 Free and 500 Free), and Frank Misra (100 Free and 100 Back) along with freshmen Giorgio DelGrosso (100 Breast), Andrew Guan (200 Free, 100 Fly), Spencer Keoleian (100 Fly), Andrew Trunsky (500 Free and 100 Back) made an impact at the State Meet.

 

 

Let’s talk about March 9^th…what a great day for CK!

At the Swim and Dive State Championships hosted by Eastern Michigan University, our Cranbrook boys swim team had a GREAT day! The meet was quoted as being “one of the best and most exciting ever” and went right down to the wire! Cranbrook came up just 4 points short of East Grand Rapids but the boys were the Cinderella team and surprised everyone! Matthew Liu brought home the gold medal in the 100 Butterfly and anchored the State Championship 400 freestyle relay team along with teammates Andrew Guan, Frankie Misra, and Alessandro Guttilla. Matthew also finished runner up in the 200 IM. The 200 medley team of Liu, Misra, Mitch Buccalo, and Sun Chantadansuwan finished a close third. Buccalo also finished 3^rd in the 100 backstroke with Frank Misra finishing 7^th. Danny Misra finished 4^th in the 500 freestyle and Ben Schneider took 7^th, Guttilla 8^th in the same event. Buccalo also finished 4^th in the 200 IM. Guttilla finished 5^th in the 200 freestyle along with Schneider (6^th), Guan (9^th) and Danny Misra (10^th). Chantadansuwan finished 7^th and Guan took 9^th place in the 100 butterfly. Our 200 freestyle relay team of Guan, Guttilla, Nate Tattrie and Webster Burton finished 9^th. Giorgio DelGrosso placed 14^th in the 100 backstroke and Frank Misra took a 15^th place in the 100 freestyle. The top eight finishers in each event earned All-State honors and Honorable Mention goes to those finishing 9^th to 16^th place in each event.

 

While our swim team was battling for the State championship, our Boys Hockey team that had earlier in the season secured the MIHL Championship outright for only the second time since the 1999 inception of the League….. brought home the Division 3 State Championship trophy! The boys finished 28-2-1….a school record! In the tradition of giving back to community and the Outdoor Classic, Operation Home Front, and the Faceoff Against Hunger (Gleaners Community Food Bank) charity games, the top two teams in the State (Cranbrook and Brother Rice) went head to head to benefit Beaumont Hospital’s Student Athlete Healthy Heart Screening Program. We had a great turnout and our boys played an inspired game knocking off Brother Rice 9-3! The boys then took charge in the Pre-Regionals and the Regional Final hosted by Cranbrook defeating Notre Dame Prep, Avondale, and St Clair (Regional Championship) soundly to qualify for the MHSAA quarter finals against defending State Champion Liggett. After a great Liggett game the boys went on to defeat Riverview in the Semi-Finals and Sault Ste Marie for the State Championship.

 

On the season, senior captain Alex Alger was honored as the MIHL MVP! Alex was also recognized on the All-State Team and was joined by fellow captains Jeremy Lowenstein (Sr) and Jeff Martin (Sr), Zach Feldman (Sr), Michael Romund (Sr) and Goalie Spencer Applebaum (Soph). Martin and Andrew DeClerck (Sr) also earned Academic All-State honors. Alex Alger, Martin and Austin Alger (Soph) also earned 1^st Team All MIHL honors. Applebaum, Feldman, Romund and Christopher Brown (Jr) were recognized on the MIHL Second Team. On the MIHL Honorable Mention Team, Lowenstein was joined by Noah Gilreath (Jr), Bill Young (Sr) and Kevin Shand (Sr). Martin and both of the Alger brothers were chosen to the All County Dream Team while Feldman (2^nd team), Brown (3^rd Team), Romund (4^th Team), Applebaum (5^th Team) and Honorable Mention Team Lowenstein, Shand and Young rounded out the All County honors. Alex Alger also earned All-Catholic Honors and Lowenstein was recognized on the All-League Team. Senior Andrew DeClerck was honored on the Academic All-League Team. Coach Weidenbach was recognized by his peers by being selected as the MHSAA Division III Coach of the Year!

 

Cranbook’s Girls Hockey Team rounded out the day by bringing home Cranbrooks third State Championship trophy! After defeating Ladywood and Grosse Pointe North in the playoffs, the girls faced Grosse Pointe South for the State Championship. It was a great battle that went into overtime until Keiko DeClerck (Soph) scored the winning goal to seal the deal!

Keiko was elected 1st Team All-State and also received the "Perseverance Award". Junior captains, Tara Chelios and Leah Israel along with goalie Annie Chen (Jr) and Lucy Dembeck (soph) earned All-State Honorable Mention recognition. Senior Captain Darby Stahl was named to the Academic All-State and All-League Teams. Israel, Chelios and Keiko DeClerck also earned All-Catholic Team honors. Francesca White Levin (Soph) and Freshmen Hana DeClerck and Hannah Eibner were recognized on the All-League Team.

 

Congratulations to our athletes, coaches, support staff and fans for a job well done!