Winter sports wrap

As the winter sports season comes to an end, I wanted to take the opportunity to share some quick thoughts on some interesting and unique experiences I came across somewhat recently before getting to my boys basketball wrap.

While I touched on it a little bit in my story about the Macomb L'Anse Creuse North swim team winning its division meet title, I feel like there's still a little more to be said about LCN senior Chris Ciesinski being named the "Swimmer of the Meet."

Ciesinski won the award after taking home four first-place medals from the division meet, pretty impressive considering that just a few years ago, Ciesinski had barely any experience playing sports, much less swimming competitively.

Yet through hard work and learning from the LCN coaching staff, Ciesinski proved that focus, effort and determination can be huge in an athlete's development and that natural physical talent isn't the only factor in sports success.

LCN coach Mike Owensby recalled that during Ciesinski's early time with the team, he struggled to swim one lone lap.

Big kudos for the kid and the coaches for sticking with it - a move that paid off with big dividends for Ciesinski and the Crusaders.

Sticking with swimming for the moment, I was also recently fortunate enough to be an honored guest at the Clinton Township Chippewa Valley's swim team's final "Circle of Honor" of the season.

The Big Reds athletes and coaches form a circle on the deck before practices to bestow honor on swimmers and divers who recorded personal bests times and set records or achieved other major accomplishments following meets.

As each athlete and their time are announced by coach Jeff Lepler - who came up with the idea after reading about a similar ritual in a book - they enter the circle and go around it getting high-fives and congratulations from their teammates.

Lepler and some of the swimmers talked about the circle as a great confidence booster that gives the athletes something to strive for, while also helping improve team chemistry.

The circle was busy this season over at Chippewa, as the Big Reds took home the division meet and dual-meet titles.

And speaking of unique atmospheres, the bowling state finals are always an exciting event. I was able to catch Ferndale High's boys squad in action during the Division 2 state semifinals against Richmond High over at Sunnybrook Lanes in Sterling Heights.
The tension-filled crowd of mostly parents (whom I suspect were far more nervous than the bowlers themselves) was standing room only.

It was tough to read the scores on the screens above the lanes, but the level of noise of the crowd's reaction seemed to relay the score of the match better anyway.

Silence engulfed the onlookers as a bowler would make his approach. A few stifled gasps would then emerge as the ball was released and began to swing toward the gutter and then straighten out, racing toward the pins. How loud the ensuing erupting noise was indicated how many pins were knocked down.

More often than not, strikes and spares were loudly received as the two talented boys teams battled back and forth.

While Ferndale ended up falling late to Richmond, the experience was a great one that hopefully the Eagles (and their parents) can look back upon one day and smile about. It was certainly an exciting time for me.