Strikeout Masters

** Courtesy of  BRENDAN QUEALY bquealy@record-eagle.com    BRETHREN — The pitching was on point for the Buckley Bears in their varsity softball doubleheader against Brethren on Thursday. Of the 36 outs the Bears recorded in their twinbill sweep of the Bobcats, 31 of those came via the strikeout. Maddie Chilson went six innings and struck out 17 in the Bears' 11-0 victory in game one, and Kayla Milarch K'd 14 in her six innings of work as Buckley won 7-4. Chilson allowed just three hits in her shutout victory. The duo of strikeout artists also did well with a bat in their hands as Chilson and Milarch each picked up two hits in game one. Both of Milarch's base knocks were doubles, and she scored three times. Allie Brimmer also had two hits, including a double. Allison Moyer had a pair of hits that included a triple, and Aiden Harrand also picked up two hits. In game two, Chilson hit two home runs, drove in three and scored three times. Mila

Buckley sweeps LLSM

*Courtesy of James Cook &Tthe Record Eagle BUCKLEY — Kayla Milarch went off for seven hits as Buckley softball swept Lake Leelanau St. Mary. Milarch struck out 12 and surrendered only two hits in the opening-game 14-3 victory Saturday, adding four hits, including a triple, and four RBI. Maddie Chilson pitched in a double, two runs and three RBI, while Lucy Moyer scored three runs. The Bears won the nightcap 14-9 as Chilson struck out 14 and Milarch added three more hits, including a double and a triple along with three RBI. Chilson scored three runs, and Addisen Harrand came around to score twice.

Buckley, Kingsley tie 1-1 in Bears' Rachel Wienclaw's head coaching debut

*Courtesy of the Record Eagle BUCKLEY — The Rachel Wienclaw era in Buckley has begun. Wienclaw is still searching for her first win as the new Buckley's girl's varsity soccer head coach after a 1-1 split with Kingsley (0-0-1, 0-0-1 Northwest) on Wednesday in front of the Bears' faithful. Wienclaw, a Mesick graduate who was a senior during the Buckley-Mesick co-op team's inaugural season in 2018.  The 22-year-old began her coaching career assisting with the West Michigan Storm and Mona Shores High School girls soccer team. After recently moving back home, Wienclaw was shocked to see Buckley was hiring a girl's soccer head coach after searching for jobs. She knew she had to give it a shot by sending in an application. "I thought it was the perfect way to give back to the program that helped me become the athlete I am today and continue my career into college," Wienclaw noted as her reasoning for accepting the job to becom

Regional Champs ! !

*Courtesy of the Cadillac News BUCKLEY — One step closer to their biggest goal. Buckley took first in an MHSAA Division 4 cross country regional it hosted Saturday, putting the Bears closer to the big prize — the top tier of teams at the state finals. Buckley was first Saturday with 44 points while Mason County Eastern was second at 50 and Grand Traverse Academy third at 67. Those three schools qualify as a team for next Saturday’s state finals at Michigan International Speedway. It’s the first time in 23 years that the Bears have qualified as a team for the state finals, coach Jolie King said. She’s still searching for if and when Buckley had taken first. Winning it wasn’t easy. “Mason County Eastern came on tough today,” King said. “Those girls wanted it badly and gave some of us — myself included — a little scare. Our girls stayed with the plan and ran really well.” Senior standout Aiden

Buckley XC wins 1st NWC title

BY JAMES COOK jcook@record-eagle.com  BENZONIA — Buckley cross country head coach Jolie King said the Bears made her job easy. The Buckley girls put in the hard work, and it paid off Tuesday with a Northwest Conference championship, the first female NWC title from any Bears squad since joining the league 17 years ago. "It's pretty dang cool," said King, the Bears' second-year coach. "It's been building up. The girls have been running together since elementary school." Buckley held a sizable 50-104 lead over Benzie Central in the girls team standings after the Northwest's first two meets, and the Bears just needed to take care of business Tuesday. They did just that, with seven Bears crossing the finish line before any other team had five. Benzie Central claimed the boys title. Buckley senior Aiden Harrand won her third individual NWC crown and second in a row, and six Buckley runners earned all-conference honors

Bears Claim First State Title in School History

*Courtesy of the Cadillac News Top of Form Bottom of Form HUDSONVILLE — Aiden Harrand knew what the bigger picture was. The points meant way more than the times. Way, way, way more.   The Buckley junior phenom was so glad she could contribute to that bigger picture because she remembers the other side of the coin. It all paid off on a scorching Saturday as Harrand and her teammates won the MHSAA Division 4 Track and Field state title at Hudsonville’s Baldwin Middle School. Anchored by Harrand’s three first-place finishes and one by freshman Brooklynn Frazee, the Bears totaled 52 points to win the title. Portland St. Patrick was second at 49 and Indian River Inland Lakes third at 38. “It’s the most amazing thing ever,” Harrand said after the long, hot day had finally wrapped up. “My freshman year, I came in with two girls and so to come back my junior year and have a team win it means the world to me.

Track & Field Roundup - Reed City Invitational

*Courtesy of the Record Eagle REED CITY — The Kingsley girls and Reed City boys earned team championships at Saturday's Coyote Invitational at Reed City as Traverse City St. Francis finished runner-up in both divisions. The Kingsley girls took home first place with 176 points to St. Francis' 150 and Buckley's 111. The host Coyotes won the boys division with 138 as the Glads placed second with 120.5 and Kingsley took third with 99. The Buckley boys finished fifth. Buckley's Nick Simon and Brooklynn Frazee won the 100-meter dash with times of 11.57 seconds and 12.91 seconds, respectively. St. Francis' Cam Sellers was third at 11.67, and fellow Gladiator Sophia Tucker was second with a 13.31.  Simon and Frazee also won the 200m with times of 23.09 and 27.44. Sellers was second with a 23.23. Frazee kept the good times rolling with a win in the 400m, running a 1:04.23. Kingsley's Emilee Robinson was third at 1:08.2. Mancelona's Elijah We

Buckley taps Josh Gray as new boys hoops coach

**Courtesy of the Record Eagle BUCKLEY — Buckley High School officials announced the hiring of Josh Gray as the new head coach of the Bears' varsity boys basketball program. Gray replaces Jared Milarch, who had been a part of the Buckley boys basketball program for the last eight season. "We are extremely excited to have Josh joining to lead our program after the departure of Jared Milarch," Buckley Athletic Director Todd Frazee said. "Jared did a good job and has been a part of the Buckley program for 8 years. We have nothing but good things to say about him and where the program stands as he hands off the reigns." The Bears finished 14-9 overall and took second in the Northwest Conference in the 2022-23 season. Buckley suffered a first-round defeat in the district tournament, falling to Mesick by a 58-43 final. Frazee said what really jumped out about Gray was how much importance he placed on developing the program from the ground up, startin

Bears prowl to a win in season opener

*Courtesy of Jordan Puente of the Record Eagle BUCKLEY — If there’s anyone excited about starting their season with a win, it’s the Buckley girls basketball team. The Bears started the 2021-22 season 0-18 after not having a 2020-21 season, which set back preparation time. Being able to prepare and having a lot more to work with, they ran away with a 50-29 road win against Forest Area. “We played the game we wanted to play. We pushed it up the floor and that's something that we worked on all the last two weeks,” Buckley coach Doug Moyer said. “We have a very young and inexperienced team when you consider last year was the first year back with the team. “Lots of mistakes and things we can work on, but for the home opener to start that way compared to how we started last year, it was a great feeling.” Buckley had its bumps in the road with the girls basketball program over the years. For the past eight years, the Bears hav

On Repeat

NMC wins 2nd straight D4 soccer district By Marc Vieau Cadillac News Top of Form Bottom of Form MCBAIN — A year ago, it was the euphoria of finally breaking through. This time around, they want more. Northern Michigan Christian won its second straight Division 4 girls soccer district title, beating Buckley 5-0 Friday at home in the title match. The win sends the Comets (18-0-1) into regional semifinal play Tuesday at the CASA fields in Cadillac against Harbor Springs. Game time is 5 p.m. NMC won its first district title as a program last spring before being eliminated by perennial power North Muskegon in the regional opener. “I think it’s really special that we’ve done it two years in a row and it means a lot, especially being a senior,” NMC’s Maggie Yount said. “I definitely think we’re more confident. “We were a pretty young, inexperienced team last year and now this is our second year wi

Humor us PLEASE....

The middle-school girls 7th grade basketball team wrapped up an undefeated season this past weekend at Frankfort.  They played one of the most memorable seasons in recent history and look to provide first year varsity coach Doug Moyer some talent in the coming years as we rebuild/tool our girls basketball program!!  Great job ladies....we are proud of you all!!

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