From the Desk of the Athletic Director: Let the Spring Sport Season Begin!

The spring season is upon us! Our teams and coaches have been working hard preparing for success. This can be a challenging time navigating drastic changes in weather, spring break, and tryouts but let the games begin. We have 353 students participating this spring (178 girls and 175 boys) and we wish all a safe and enjoyable season.

 

Coach Karl Mathieu (4^th yr Head Coach) and the 2013 Cranbrook Softball Team returns nine players from last year’s varsity team (six starters). The team has two seniors, three juniors, seven sophomores, and six freshmen. The underclassmen will play a major role as starters in the lineup. Senior captain Arlene Haselhuhn and junior captain Ana Sperling worked very hard during the off-season leading teammates in the weight room and conditioning sessions, and taking batting and throwing practice. The addition of pitching coach Olivia Claus and batting coach Katrina VanDenBoom are paying dividends very quickly, and the improvement in the skill level of all of the players is obvious. The re-alignment of our division of the Catholic League provides an opportunity for the team to compete against teams with similar rosters and experience. Everyone is very excited about this year’s prospects and are looking to improve upon last year’s 9-21 record. Interest in the program continues to grow. We are committed to developing a JV team in the future so that the program becomes more competitive each year.

Coach Andy Fairman (7^th year head Coach) and the Varsity baseball team returns 6 players off last year’s squad that won 20 games.  The team should compete for the C-D Division title behind a strong pitching staff of Zach Feldman, Grant Reuss, Alex Roed and Evan Homovec.  The Cranes will rely on Seniors Jeremy Loewenstein, Feldman, Matt Rosen and Danny Mogill to lead a relatively young team which includes 5 sophomores.  Junior left-hander Grant Reuss, who verbally committed to Michigan, and fellow junior captain Alex Roed anchor a solid offense.  This is the beginning of a new era in Cranbrook baseball as it is the first season without legendary coach and mentor Jack Sanders

 

Our girls soccer season under 17^th year Head Coach Chad O’Kulich, will work to improve on last year’s Catholic League Division 2^nd place finish. The girls have been training and conditioning intensely. The TEAM is led by junior co-captains Katie Payne and Dee Dee Morrow.

The eighty-fourth season of track and field at Cranbrook is off to a solid start under Hall of Fame Coach Greg Miller (22^nd year) with sixty boys and girls participating.  Early indications suggest that by season’s end, there will be much for which the school, coaches, and students can be proud.  Stay tuned for a “hot” spring!

The 2013 varsity crew season under 5^th year Coach Mike German, will begin with high expectations. A strong senior class will set the tone for the team. With 32 boys and 18 girls on the team this spring, and over 30 returning rowers, this year’s squad has the most depth in the team’s relatively short history. The boys’ varsity eight will be led by senior captains Jack Coleman, Giancarlo Stefanutti, and Nick Sheehan, and their coxswain, junior Mackenzie Hibbard. The girls’ varsity will be led by junior coxswain and captain Audrey Elkus and senior captain Haley Harper. The four-regatta racing season will culminate in the Midwest Scholastic Rowing Association Championships in Zanesville, OH, with over 50 schools from 7 states competing.

Seventeenth year Head Coach Melinda Saylor and the Girls Lacrosse Team anticipates a strong repeat of last year with the goal of repeating as Catholic League Division and MHSAA Regional Champions and achieving the ultimate goal of winning the State championship. The players and captains have written their mission statement for the season which is driven and geared for success. The junior varsity girls look to be an incredible team this year with some unstoppable talent. There is a strong core group of sophomores with many freshmen that are tremendous players which bodes well for the future! The coaching staff has a combined 41 years of coaching at CK.

 

Second year Head Coach Mat Wilson and the Cranbrook boys lacrosse program returns most of it’s firepower from last year on offense.  Junior’s Matthew Giampetroni, Christopher Brown and Taylor Ghesquiere look to capitalize on the chemistry they’ve been developing over the last two years.  Bennett Faliski and Johnny Wagner compliment the offensive firepower.  In addition to taking most of Cranbrook’s face-offs, Jeff Martin brings leadership and heart to the offensive group.  Senior Jason Miller is a rangy midfielder who optimizes his athletic ability, which has been developed through the experience of being a 3 sport varsity athlete while at Cranbrook.  The presence of Billy Young, Michael Romund, John Luciani, Bryce Becker, Charlie Pistner, Andrew DeClerck, Connor Paulus, Greg Aikens, Stephen Luckoff and Peter Augier add much needed depth to the Cranbrook midfield.  Defensively the team is anchored by returning players Webster Burton, Michael Langdon and Danny Ryan.  The additions of Trey Greissing, Jack Blumberg and Brock DuCoin give the Cranes a strong physical presence.  DuCoin is also developing his abilities at the face-off X which will help keep Martin fresh.  Heading into the season Ryan Rosenthal and Brad Forbes have worked hard to fill the starting goalie position. The defensive unit is rounded out by Ben Sullivan, Michael Haan, Joey Files and Chase Ghesquiere.

 

The boys golf teams under first year varsity Coach Brett Hudson and first year JV Coach John Minnich will experience some growing pains with the loss of an outstanding senior State Championship class of 2012. The team will be comprised of underclassmen and returners and is anxious for the weather to improve to get on the course for practice. The upcoming season is filled with tournaments and four nine-hole tri-matches. CK was honored with an invitation to play in a State Champions only tourney in April.