Fairbanks makes all-state, first team; all conference selections set
The winter sports have come to an end and the Straits Area All-Conference selections have been announced for both boys basketball and girls volleyball. IN VOLLEYBALL, senior Lauren Fairbanks received Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association First Team All-State recognition. Fairbanks was named honorable mention all-state in her sophomore year and second team all-state in her junior year. Teammate Ashley Fleming was named honorable mention All-State for the second year running.
Both Fleming and Fairbanks were named to First Team all-conference. The pair also were named First Team all region and both were given ?Dream Team? designation, an honor selected by regional coaches over all classes.
?Lauren was a team leader, all-around great consistent player, and kept the team focused,? said Huron coach Kristy Smolinski, whose four-year coaching record is 152-46-11. ?She?s strong in every aspect of the game.? Smolinski said the all-state designation for two players meant more recognition for both the players and the team and helped put northern Michigan teams on the volleyball map.
As to what drives Fairbanks to the levels she is able to accomplish in sports, Smolinski said, ?I think Lauren just loves sports…she?s a rare player.? Senior Megan Grulke and sophomore Becky Bruning were named Second Team all-conference, and honorable mentions went to sophomores Lindsey Fleming and Megan Hanson. The Rogers City girls made a great run all the way to the state semifinals in Kalamazoo this year, ending with a team match record of 38 wins, 18 loses, and 4 ties.
WITH CAREER TOTALS bouncing off the record page, Fairbanks holds a 12-year record in total kills in a season with 627 and a one-day tournament record in kills with 85. In her four years on varsity, her team was conference champs four times, district champs three times, and regional champs twice, with two runs to the state semifinals. Lauren has a career high 1,288 kills, 182 blocks, 257 assists, 257 aces, 1,298 digs, and served up 91 percent good serves. She played a total of 446 games and attempted an amazing 1,467 attacks. There is no doubt why regional coaches named her to the all region ?Dream Team.? A young Ashley Fleming is right on track to break all career kills, blocks, and dig records at Rogers City High School.
The sophomore already has 690 kills, 168 blocks, 125 aces, 742 digs, and has played a total of 254 games with a 68 percent serve record. Ashley was the only freshman in the past 12 years to earn First Team honors in the conference and region along with her all-state recognition. With improvements over time, Ashley may have her name up in record lights before her volleyball career comes to an end with graduation.
Senior Grulke had 97 kills this year, 88 aces, 535 good serves for a 77 percent serve rate, and had 529 digs, second only to Fairbanks? yearly record. Hanson managed 20 kills this season, 49 aces, 300 good serves, 665 assists, and 322 digs. Bruning had 150 kills, 46 aces, 336 good serves, 39 blocks, and 348 digs. Lindsey Fleming demonstrated the Fleming flare for volleyball with her 31 kills this se
Jenna Vogelheim had three kills this year, 44 assists, 12 aces, and 103 digs while playing in 63 games this season. Carrie Haselhuhn had six kills, 105 assists, 16 aces, 133 good serves for a 75 percent serving rate, and 68 digs. Angie Asam had three kills, five assists, six aces, and 53 digs in her 44 games this season. Sara Dove contributed three kills, four aces, four assists, 40 good serves for a 70 percent good serving rate, and 49 digs.
Megan Brietzke had one kill, five aces, 23 good serves, and 22 digs for the season.
In boys basketball, Kyle Greene, a Rogers City junior, was named First Team all-conference and teammates Adam LaLonde and Tim Cercone, both juniors, were given honorable mention. No statistics have yet been made available.