Hosted by Bay de Noc Community College, this year’s games are unique as they won’t be held on a Saturday for the first time.

Instead, the games begin at about 5:30 p.m. with the girls contest as the boys is scheduled to follow with an approximate tipoff time of 7:30 p.m. Before those games begin, several skills competitions will be held, including slam dunk, 3-point and free throw shooting, with trophies awarded to winners.

After spending the past three years in St. Ignace, Delta County is hosting the games for the first time in more than 15 years — Escanaba hosted them in 2008 and 2009, while Gladstone had them in 2003 and 2004.

The all-star games originated in 1986 and were held for a number of years at Hedgcock Fieldhouse on the Northern Michigan University campus in Marquette. Since Hedgcock closed as a basketball gym more than two decades ago, the game has moved around to various locations, including back at Marquette Senior High School several times.

Negaunee's Aubrey Johnson, right, follows through on a shot during an MHSAA Division 2 girls district tournament championship game played against Gladstone at Lakeview Memorial Gymnasium in Negaunee on March 7. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

There will be eight players in each game from area teams, which includes schools in Marquette, Alger, Baraga, Schoolcraft and Luce counties.

All players selected are recent seniors, as any high school player who still has eligibility in the Michigan High School Athletic Association would endanger it by participating in an event like this.

Marquette has the most players in today’s games — five.

For the boys, they are Mr. U.P. Basketball Jacob MacPhee, All-U.P. Divisions 1-3 First Team member Jaxon Jurmu and All-U.P. Divisions 1-3 Second Team honoree Kyler Sager.

The Sentinels girls are represented by All-U.P. Divisions 1-3 Second Team honoree Brianna Anderson and All-U.P. Special Mention Aubree Blackburn.

Westwood's Tristan Miller, left, goes up for a shot during an MHSAA Division 3 district tournament boys basketball game played against Calumet at the Patriots gym in Ishpeming on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

Munising has three players listed for tonight. For the boys are All-U.P. Divisions 1-3 First Teamers Carson Kienitz and Trevor Nolan, and for the girls is All-U.P. Division 4 Second Team honoree Bailey Corcoran.

All those players will be on East teams today. Organizers said the dividing line for the teams was roughly highways M-28 and M-95.

There are two all-stars apiece from Negaunee and L’Anse.

The Miners have the other All-U.P. Dream Team player from the area in this game, girls member Aubrey Johnson, who will play for the West team, while the Negaunee boys representative is All-U.P. Divisions 1-3 Second Team honoree Jordan Guenette, who will actually be playing for his East squad.

Both L’Anse players will be on the West girls team, All-U.P. Division 4 Second Teamer Brooklyn Dompier and All-U.P. Special Mention Mylee Londo.

Four schools have one player apiece — Westwood, Ishpeming, Gwinn and Newberry.

Westwood has Tristan Miller, an All-U.P. Divisions 1-3 Second Team member, playing on the West boys team, while Ishpeming has Peyton Kakkuri, also an All-U.P. Divisions 1-3 Second Team honoree, playing for the West girls.

Gwinn has All-U.P. Special Mention player Waylon Sales on the East boys unit, while Newberry has All-U.P. Division 4 Second Team member Allie Whalen for the East girls.

Put on by the U.P. Sports Hall of Fame, the game benefits its scholarship fund, as each year two female and two male graduating student-athletes receive $1,000 scholarships for their studies.

This year, the recipients include Kate Mattson of Munising. The others are Cole Baij of Norway and Madelynn Kreider and Gavin Trevillian of Kingsford.

One of this year’s coaches is current Kingsford and past Gwinn head boys coach Ben Olsen, who will coach the West boys squad.

The other players and their coaches are the following:

GIRLS

East — Addison Cullen, Cadence Cullen and Jillian Fraser, St. Ignace; Adria Ruleau, Stephenson; Mayce Hanson, Gladstone. Coach, Andy Cretens, Gladstone.

West — Emily Jokela, Lake Linden-Hubbell, Eva Gerard, Houghton; Hanna Vaughn, Ironwood; Macy Linsenbigler, Iron Mountain; Kaitlyn Smith, West Iron County. Coach, Jacklyn Besonen, Ewen-Trout Creek.

BOYS

East — Eli McDonald, Pickford; Trey Lynn. Brimley; Javon Stevenson, Escanaba. Coach, Tracy Peterson, Pickford.

West — Luke Hill, Houghton; Gavin Grondin and Morgan Sleik, Kingsford; Oskar Kangas and Gerald Sampoll-Torres, Iron Mountain; Elijah Oberlin, West Iron County; Jayden Sagataw, Hannahville; Kevin Guiliani, Forest Park; Austin Gordon, Ewen-Trout Creek. Coach, Ben Olsen, Kingsford.

Story contents based on email received from a Dennis Grall-preprared news released from Bay College. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.