2010

Charles Dennis was a two-time state mile champion for Ludington High in 1931 and 1932. In both years, his coach, Mitch Read, entered him in the University of Chicago National Interscholastic Track and Field Championships, which drew elite athletes from all over the United States. Dennis was fifth in the mile in 1931 and second in 1932. He attended Michigan State College where he lettered in track ...Read More...

Howard Jensen coached Ludington High's boys tennis teams for 29 years during which the Orioles won 17 conference and 14 state regional championships. His teams won 292 dual matches and lost 77, a .791 percentage. During one 12-year span, his teams were 174-5 in duals and won 12 conference and 11 state regional titles. Eight of his teams finished in the top 10 at the state finals. His players went ...Read More...

A 1963 graduate of Mason County Eastern, Rich Leonard was one of that school's finest all-around athletes. He was the leading scorer and rebounder during one of Eastern's most successful runs in basketball. He was also an outstanding athlete in track and field, baseball, and football. Growing up on a farm in Fountain, Leonard grew into a 6-foot, 3-inch, 220-pound slugger who is arguably the finest ...Read More...

When Ludington High started its five-year state championship run in gymnastics, it had been competing in the sport for only two years. The first state title came in 1975 and Martha Garrett was the lone all-stater on the team. She was second in floor exercise, third on the uneven parallel bars, fourth in vaulting and tumbling and third in the all-around competiton as the team went 19-0 in duals. In ...Read More...

Martha Garrett was a three-time first-team all-state gymnast. She was a key performer for the Orioles in all four years of her high school career. During her prep career, Ludington never lost a meet, winning four consecutive state championships. The team was undefeated in 73 straight competitions that included duals, conference and regional championship meets and state finals. As a freshman at sta ...Read More...

Jay Stielstra participated in track and field, football and basketball in all four years of his high school career. In track and field, he long-jumped 22 feet, 9 5/8 inches, setting a school and Mason County record that still stands. It is the oldest county record still standing. In 1950, Stielstra was the Class B state champion in the 180-yard hurdles with a time of 20.9 seconds. In 1951, he fini ...Read More...

Nikki Arner earned four letters in basketball and two in volleyball. She was named to the Associated Press Class B All-State team as a sophomore, junior and senior. Arner, who will attend Ferris State University on a basketball scholarship, played in more winning games (76) in her four-year high school career than any other Oriole. Her 1,430 career points places her second on the school's al ...Read More...

Chris Conrad earned four letters in track and field, three in cross country and one in soccer. He holds school records in the 400-meter dash and was a member of Mason County Central's state-championship 3,200 meter relay team along with Jake Hernandez, Dan Deller and Jake Lauber. The winning time posted by this team, 7:54.74, was a new school record. He was all-conference and team captain in cross ...Read More...