Pioneer graduate sets world record and more community briefs

Posted on Thu, Jul 18, 2013 : 6:13 p.m.

Pioneer graduate sets world record and more community briefs

By Pete Cunningham

Pioneer graduate Grace Luczak, center, and her teammates on the United States National Rowing Team celebrate after winning the women's 8-race at the Samsung World Rowing Cup in Lucerne, Switzerland.

Photo by Allison Frederick, USRowing

Post-Olympic years rarely produce world record times in the sport of rowing. Don’t tell that to Pioneer High School graduate Grace Luczak.

Racers competing at the Samsung World Rowing Cup over the weekend in Lucerne, Switzerland.

Associated Press

Luczak is a member of the United States National Rowing team and rowed in the women’s 8-boat which won the Samsung World Rowing Cup in Lucerne, Switzerland on Saturday. Luczak’s boat finished in a time of five minutes, 54.16 seconds, which was 6.25 seconds faster than second-place Romania and one-hundredth of a second faster than the old world record.

The United States boat set the previous record at last year’s World Rowing Cup and went on to win gold at the 2012 London Olympics. Luczak is a 2007 graduate of Pioneer and 2011 graduate of Stanford where she was an All-American.

Hole-in-one

John Knapp, of Ann Arbor, hit a hole-in-one at Tullymore Golf Course in Stanwood on Tuesday, July 16. Knapp recorded the ace with his 7-iron on hole No. 4, a 150-yard Par 3. Bud Edmond was a witness.

A-Square Fight Club hosting annual showcase on Friday

A-Square Fight Club will hold its second annual summer boxing showcase, Battle at A-Square II at 7 p.m. Friday at A-Square Fight Club, at 2287 Ellsworth Road in Ypsilanti Township. There are 18 amateur bouts scheduled for the night.

Admission is $10 per person. For information visit A2FightClub.com.

Willow Run wrestlers keep memory of school alive at reunion

Willow Run High School's two wrestling state champions Marvin Miller, left, and Ron Coleman.

Photo courtesy of Tim Craiger

The Willow Run High School wrestling program, much like the now-closed school, has seen better days. Willow Run Community Schools and Ypsilanti Public Schools recently merged to form Ypsilanti Community Schools and in its final years of existence, the Flyers' wrestling program struggled mightily.

The recent bad fortunes of the school and program didn’t stop alumni from sharing memories from better times over the weekend. The reunion honored the three coaches the program saw from 1969-86, Larry Maynor, Mike Carmony and Marvin Miller. Miller was also the school’s first state champion, winning the 105-pound Class B title in 1972. The school’s only other state champion - Ron Coleman who won at 145 in 1977 - was in attendance as well.

Have a local sports brief to tell us about? Contact us at sports@annarbor.com.

Pete Cunningham covers sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at petercunningham@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @petcunningham.

Comments

cdfa2

Fri, Jul 19, 2013 : 2:44 p.m.

Too bad the rowing picture is of quads (4 rowers, each with 2 sculling oars), NOT the 8+ (8 rowers, each with 1 oar, plus a coxswain), which is the event in which Grace rowed.

Pete Cunningham

Fri, Jul 19, 2013 : 6:06 p.m.

You are correct about the photo. Pulling from the Associated Press's available photos, there were no pictures of the women's 8 boat. Fortunately, USRowing provided a picture of the championship team this morning, which is now included in the post.

Charley Sullivan

Thu, Jul 18, 2013 : 11:51 p.m.

To nitpick, the US women's eight set a Worlds Best Time; we have no world records in rowing because of the differences from one course to another, and because of the different conditions involved in the outdoor sport. Nonetheless, an incredible row by the boat. At the same event, the US men's eight, stroked by former U-M rower and Olympian Tom Peszek, also won the gold medal, ending a four-year winning streak by the German men's eight. Two alumnae of the Michigan women's team also raced in the final of their respective events: Ellen Tomek took bronze in the women's double, locking in a spot for the World Championships in South Korea later this summer, and Stesha Carlé finished sixth in the women's quadruple sculls. Luczak, Peszek and Tomek will also race at the World Championships.

Pete Cunningham

Thu, Jul 18, 2013 : 10:39 p.m.

I'll be at the A-Square Fight Club event tomorrow night. It's always a good event, though I was disappointed to learn Jasmine Hampton won't be fighting. She's a very talented young fighter I saw fight for A-Square Fight Club a couple years ago. Leader of the gym Eric McGuire told me it's been tough to find Jasmine competitive bouts.