Athletic News

Seniors Commit to College Athletic Programs

On February 1, 2017, “Signing Day,” several De La Salle seniors signed letters of intent to play college athletics. These students included

• Sebastian Grillo (Soccer), Northwood (MI) University, Division 2, GLIAC

Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic

Conference • Ethan Harrington (Lacrosse & Ice

Hockey), Lawrence Technological

University, NAIA, Wolverine-Hoosier

Athletic Conference. Front row: Jacob Nunner, Don Cameron McNeill, Vincent Manzo, Ethan Harrington, • Evan Holland (Football), Northwood and Paul Manuszak. Back row: Kevin Lee, Allen Stritzinger, Sebastian Grillo, Keegan (MI) University, Division 2, GLIAC Kresevich, Jack Skrzycki, Mike Karam, Evan Holland, and Charlie Stover.

Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Baseball Championship Banner Raised • Mike Karam (Baseball), Northwood (MI) University,

Division 2, GLIAC Great Lakes Intercollegiate

Athletic Conference • Keegan Kresevich (Baseball), Saginaw Valley

State University, Division 2, GLIAC Great Lakes

Intercollegiate Athletic Conference • Kevin Lee (Football), Michigan Technological

University, Division 2, GLIAC Great Lakes

Intercollegiate Athletic Conference • Paul Manuszak (Lacrosse), University of Detroit

Mercy, Division 1, Horizon League • Vincent Manzo (Soccer), Villanova University,

Division 1, Big East • Don Cameron McNeil III (Soccer), Marshall

University, Division 1, Conference USA • Jacob Nunner (Soccer), University of Michigan,

Division 1, Big Ten • Jack Skrzycki (Football), Northwood (MI) University,

Division 2, GLIAC Great Lakes Intercollegiate

Athletic Conference • Charlie Stover (Lacrosse), Capital (OH) University,

Division III, Ohio Athletic Conference The 2016 Division 1 State Champion Baseball Team gathered in the Bill Fox Gymnasium on Jan. 27, prior to the DLS vs. Brother • Allen Stritzinger (Football), Syracuse University, Rice basketball game, for the unveiling of the Championship

Division 1, Atlantic Coast Conference Banner, the fourth state Baseball Championship in school history. Other championships were in 1993, 2000, and 2009.

Athletic News

Champions! Hockey Captures First Ever State Title

Above: Coach Craig Staskowski with senior Captains Matt Pelto, Tom Hernandez, and Greg Pine. Below: Bro Zone supporters at the Finals.

The DLS Varsity Hockey Team made its first trip to the State Hockey Finals, and came up winners with a 6-3 victory over the Calumet team, winners of multiple state championships. In the Division 3 championship game, first year DLS hockey player Tom Hernandez, talked into playing for his school rather than travel hockey, scored the hat trick. Also scoring were Austin Scott, Greg Pine, and James Corbett. The road to the U.S. Ice Arena and a shot at history was paved with shutout victories over University Liggett School in the pre-regional, Royal Oak in the Regional Championship, and Country Day in the quarterfinal. The Pilots beat Divine Child 5-2 in the semi-final. All together, through five playoff games, DLS outscored their opponents 25-5. “I don’t know if it is the guys I am around or what, but this is the most relaxed I have ever been throughout the playoffs,” said Coach Staskowski. “There is something about these guys that created a sense of confidence.” Hockey was inaugurated at DLS in 1999. The Pilots’ last trip to the Frozen Four was in 2014. “I couldn’t be prouder of Coach Staskowski and the entire team,” De La Salle Athletic Director Mike Watson said. “The team faced adversity this season, but bought into the process of a very talented staff and made history for De La Salle. They played for each other. They are skilled and they are smart. Those ingredients are rarely a bad combination.” The Pilots play a strong schedule in the state’s toughest league, the Michigan Interscholastic Hockey League (MIHL), with Brother Rice, Catholic Central, University of Detroit Jesuit, Orchard Lake St. Mary, Trenton, Cranbrook, Port Huron Northern, and Grosse Pointe North.

Athletic News

Sports Highlights

Bowling

The DLS Varsity Bowling Team captured the CHSL Regular Season Championship with a 9-1 season, won the CHSL-East, and won the CHSL Tournament. They are the 2016-17 CHSL Overall champions. The JV had a perfect season at 9-0.

At right, Varsity Bowlers, and below, the Freshmen Basketball team.

Wrestling

The Wrestling Team won the Norsemen Classic in early January, and held on to the Challenge Cup for the fourth straight year vs CHSL rivals University of Detroit Jesuit. The team was also a runner-up in the Cougar Classic and Fraser Duals. Junior Reggie Bostock took sixth place in the Macomb County Championships, and along with fellow junior Damani Wallace, qualified for regionals. Both Reggie and Damani were selected to the Macomb County Wrestling Coaches Association All County Honorable Mention Team. The Team earned Academic, All-State Honors.

Basketball

The varsity team competed for the CHSL A-B Championship against University of Detroit Jesuit, coming up short against the defending Class A State Champions. As the Collegiate went to print, the varsity had captured the District Championship and won the Regional semi-final. The JV team finished 10-5 overall; the Freshmen team was also 10-5 and won the CHSL tourney, taking down an undefeated, 17-0 U of D Jesuit team.

Athletic News

Pilots Swim to 17 All-State Medals

The De La Salle Swimming and Diving Team finished 5th at the Division 2 State Finals on Saturday, March 11, at Eastern Michigan University, and earned 17 All-State Medals in 9 of the 12 events. For the first time in school history, the Pilots had qualifiers in all 12 events. The Pilots’ 5th place finish overall was close to third place Birmingham Seaholm and Birmingham Groves. Dexter repeated its 2016 win as the top team. Junior Zach Milke won the 100 Backstroke; he finished 3rd in this event in 2016. He broke his own school record set earlier this year with a time of 50.40. The previous record was set in 2016 by PJ Desmet (‘16). Zach also finished 6th in the 50 Free. At the CHSL Championships, Zach broke his own 50 free record, set in January in a dual meet against Brother Rice. The 50 free record, set in 1994, had been held by David Zulkiewski (‘95). Zach also broke his own 100 freestyle record in the first leg of the 400 freestyle relay (46.31). Daniel Frederick finished 4th in the 500 Free, breaking the school record he set in preliminaries. The previous DLS record of 4:41.60 was set in 1988 by Ron Yokubison (‘88). Daniel’s prelim time was 4:41.13, and he cut his time to 4:34.70 in the finals. Daniel’s time in this event in 2016 was about ten seconds slower, and he was still 4th, showing the tremendous competition in this event.

Zach Milke

Daniel Frederick Other state finishes included • Daniel Frederick, 7th, 200 Free • Josh Hodges, 6th, 200 Individual

Medley • Jake Huttenlocher, 8th, 200 Individual

Medley • Jacob Babe, 7th, 100 Breast • Jake Huttenlocher, 8th, 100 Breast • Josh Hodges, 7th, 100 Fly • Zach Milke, Jake Huttenlocher, Josh

Hodges, and Hunter Broski, 5th, 200

Medley Relay • Zach Milke, Daniel Frederick, Jacob

Babe, and Jake Huttenlocher, 4th, 400

Free Relay Also swimming in the Finals, but not making the All-State top 8, were • Jacob Babe (200 Free, 15th) • Ben Rancilio (100 Fly, 23rd) • Hunter Broski (100 Free, 27th) • Jake Huttenlocher (Diving, 24th) • Justin Burke (Diving, 32nd) • Mike McGinnity, Josh Hodges, Jacob

Babe, Hunter Broski (200 Free Relay, 14th) The Pilots again grabbed the Macomb County Championship for the fifth consecutive year, and finished second behind Brother Rice at the CHSL Championships; the Pilots last finished second in 1972. The dual meet season included wins over Grosse Pointe South, Catholic Central, and University of Detroit Jesuit. The team is also Academic All-State All American for the 8th consecutive year.