Sports briefs
Johnson leads GHS on mat
MUNISING – Ryan Johnson led a contingent of four Gwinn High School wrestlers who placed at the MHSAA Division 4 individual district tournament at Munising on Saturday.
Johnson, a junior, claimed the 285-pound championship.
“He had a really good day,” GHS head coach Dustin Luoma said. “It’s the best I’ve seen him wrestle in his three years here. He just put it all together.”
Gwinn junior Kevin Roberts placed third at 189 pounds, while senior Trevor Kirkpatrick-Bray at 215 and freshman Jaden Martinez at 124 both placed fourth.
“We did well. It was a pretty good showing,” Luoma said.
NMU thinclads shine
ALLENDALE – Northern Michigan University’s track and field performers Michelle Juergen, Kameron Burmeister and Kieren Becker finished in the top five in their respective events at the GVSU Big Meet Saturdayin downstate Allendale.
Juergen claimed a third-place finish in the long jump with a distance of 17-11.5.
Burmeister, of Menominee, finished fourth in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 10:12.75 while Becker took fifth in the mile after crossing the line in 5:08.22.
More than 50 athletes competed in each of their events.
The Wildcats’ 4×400 relay team of Danielle Brzezinski, Paige Dutcher, Becker and Shayla Huebner of Marquette timed in at 3:59.88 to take sixth in a field of 20.
“We had a great meet today against top-level competition,” NMU head coach Jenny Ryan said. “The team came out of this meet with a lot of personal records and looks prepared for the upcoming GLIAC championship meet.”
Northern returns to competition at the GLIAC Indoor Track & Field Championships Feb. 27-28 in Tiffin, Ohio.
Red Wings recall Ouellet
DETROIT (AP) – The Detroit Red Wings have recalled defensemen Xavier Ouellet from Grand Rapids of the AHL.
The team announced the move Saturday. The 22-year-old Ouellet has appeared in 38 games for the Griffins this season, scoring three goals with 14 assists.
He has been named to the AHL All-Star Game in each of the past two seasons.
Drafted by the Red Wings in the second round in 2011, Ouellet has played 25 career NHL games.
He has scored two goals with one assist for the Red Wings – all of those points came last season.
Hazing leads to end of season
RINDGE, N.H. (AP) – Officials at a New Hampshire college say they are suspending the rest of the men’s hockey season over hazing allegations.
Franklin Pierce University Athletic Director Bruce Kirsh notified the Northeast-10 Conference of the school’s decision after the school wrapped up an internal investigation on the allegations.
WMUR-TV reports (http://bit.ly/1odXSFF ) that no details of the allegations or any actions against students were given.
University President Andrew Card apologized to the three schools Franklin Pierce had left to play this season, saying the incident “is not who we are.”
Langer opens 7-stroke lead
NAPLES, Fla. (AP) – Bernhard Langer followed his opening 10-under 62 with a 66 on Saturday to increase his lead to seven strokes in the PGA Tour Champions’ Chubb Classic at TwinEagles.
The 58-year-old German star’s lead is the largest in the event after 36 holes. At 16-under 128, he’s closing in on the tournament-record 20-under total that he set in 2011 and Kenny Perry matched in 2012.
Langer eagled the par-5 fifth and added birdies on Nos. 5, 6, 16 and 17.
Perry and Scott Dunlap were tied for second. Perry had a 67, and Dunlap shot 66.
Wild fires Yeo
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – The Minnesota Wild have fired coach Mike Yeo, following their eighth straight loss.
Owner Craig Leipold confirmed the decision Saturday night in an email to The Associated Press, after Yeo told the Star Tribune of Minneapolis he’d been let go.
The firing came a few hours after the Wild’s 4-2 home loss to the Boston Bruins. That matched the franchise’s longest home winless streak at eight.
They’ve lost 13 of their last 14 games overall.
while plummeting toward the bottom of the Western Conference.
General manager Chuck Fletcher said recently Yeo’s job was safe, but even Yeo said after the game the Wild couldn’t keep losing without changes being made.
The 42-year-old Yeo was 173-132-44 in five seasons with the Wilds. He was 11-17 in the playoffs.
Sports briefs
Varline leads Baraga past R-M
BARAGA – Senior Brendan Varline sank a trio of 3-pointers and finished with 20 points to lead Baraga to a 38-19 victory over Republic-Michigamme in high school boys basketball action on Friday.
“Varline is a good player and he has a good jump shot,” R-M coach Rob Carlson said. “He made a couple of 3s from a different zip code, and it’s hard to defend that.”
The Vikings, who also got seven points from senior Austin Smith, improved to 4-7 overall and 2-5 in the Copper Country Division of the Copper Mountain Conference. R-M slipped to 2-13 and 0-11.
Baraga jumped out to an 11-4 advantage after one quarter and led 16-7 at halftime. They put the game away with a 13-4 third quarter to go ahead 29-11 heading into the final period.
R-M, which missed sophomore staring point guard Dylan Hanninen due to a concussion suffered in Tuesday’s game at Lake Linden-Hubbell, was led by junior AJ Ball with eight points. Sophomore teammate Kasey Ball added six.
The Vikings, who also won the JV game, 37-31, play at Dollar Bay on Tuesday, while the Hawks are off until Tuesday, Feb. 23, when they host North Dickinson.
NMU football plays 6 home games
MARQUETTE – The Northern Michigan University football schedule for this fall was released on Thursday.
The Wildcats have six home dates, including its annual rivalry game against Michigan Tech on Nov. 5, which is also Senior Day. The game against the Huskies will be at 1 p.m.
NMU opens the season on Sept. 3 at Lake Erie where they will face the Storm for the first time.
The following Saturday, Sept. 10, Northern hosts Angelo State of San Angelo, Texas, in its home opener. This is the first time the Wildcats have played the Rams since they defeated them in the NCAA Division II playoffs in 1987.
The remaining home games are Sept. 24 vs. Northwood, Oct. 1 vs. Walsh, Oct. 22 vs. Ohio Dominican and Oct. 29 vs. Hillsdale.
The other road contests are Sept. 17 at Grand Valley State, Oct. 8 at Saginaw Valley State, Oct. 15 at Ferris State and Nov. 12 at Tiffin.
Williams sets NMU record
ALLENDALE – Northern Michigan University track and field athlete Jasmine Williams set a school record at the Grand Valley State University Big Meet on Friday.
Williams had a weight throw of 59 feet, 4 inches, a full foot better than her previous season-best throw. This is the fourth time that she has won the event this season.
Teammate Ine Mylie finished fifth in the triple jump, while Michelle Juergen took 11th in the high jump. Kameron Burmeister finished 27th in the 5,000-meter run.
The GVSU Big Meet continues today.
YMCA hosts youth tennis days
MARQUETTE – The YMCA of Marquette will host free youth tennis play days on Monday and Tuesday.
Times for these events are from 4 to 5 p.m. Monday for ages 6 to 10 and 4 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday for ages 11 to 14.
Both events are free for both YMCA members and nonmembers.
Walk-ins are accepted each day but reservations are encouraged by calling the YMCA at 227-9622 or emailing Josh Kitto at crossbone1976@gmail.com.
Pickleball clinic next week
SANDS – The Sands Township Gym will host a pickleball clinic next week.
The clinic will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday with a cost of $12. Preregistration is required and must be made by 1 p.m. Wednesday.
For more information, call Josh Kitto at 250-0669 or email him at crossbone1976@gmail.
Gold Medal basketball set
HERMANSVILLE – The 78th annual Gold Medal basketball tournament will be held in Hermansville from March 31 to April 10.
Organizers plan to conduct seven men’s divisions along with women’s and junior high boys and girls brackets if there is enough turnout.
For more information, contact Ray Bray by calling him at 906-282-0451, emailing him at Raybray6@hotmail.com or writing him at 1333 Curry Road, Norway, MI 49870.
Ads pay for high school gym floor
PORT HURON (AP) – A high school that’s been raising money to replace its gym floor has reached its goal of $120,000 after selling ads to be displayed on the floor.
Port Huron Northern High School’s athletic director and assistant principal Jason Kasparian tells the Times Herald of Port Huron that the new floor should be completed this summer.
Fundraising efforts were announced in February 2015 and coincided with the celebration of the school’s 50th year. Corporate sponsorship helped the school make its goal, with 10 spots planned for 3-by-5-foot business logos on the floor. One spot still is available for $10,000.
Any funds raised over the cost of the floor will stay in Northern High School’s budget and be spent on additional updates and equipment for the gym.
Lions sign offensive lineman
ALLEN PARK (AP) – The Detroit Lions have signed tackle Lamar Holmes.
The team announced the deal Friday but did not provide contract terms. Holmes played for the Atlanta Falcons previously but has not appeared in a game since the 2014 season. He started 15 games in 2013.
Holmes was waived by the Falcons in December. Foot problems have hampered his progress throughout his career, and he broke his right foot last June.
Holmes was taken by Atlanta in the third round of the 2012 draft. He’s played 21 games in the NFL.
Bears’ Forte to be sent packing
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) – Matt Forte won’t be returning to the Chicago Bears for a ninth season.
The two-time Pro Bowl running back announced on Instagram Friday morning that the team informed him this week it will not offer him a contract for next season. The team confirmed it, calling him one of the “all-time great Bears.”
He will be an unrestricted free agent and can sign with any team beginning March 9.
Drafted in the second round by the Bears in 2008, the 30-year-old Forte emerged as one of the most successful running backs in franchise history.
Forte says his “only regret” is not winning a Super Bowl with Chicago.