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1 sport or 2? High schools encourage athletes to branch out

Forty five percent of high school student-athletes are playing multiple sports, according to MHSAA study, Schools across metro Detroit have been recognized as “high achievers” for encouraging student-athletes to play more than one sport. At 17, Drew Sikora signed a letter of intent to play college football, fulfilling a childhood dream. What helped him get […]

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1 sport or 2? High schools encourage athletes to branch out

  • Forty five percent of high school student-athletes are playing multiple sports, according to MHSAA study,
  • Schools across metro Detroit have been recognized as “high achievers” for encouraging student-athletes to play more than one sport.

At 17, Drew Sikora signed a letter of intent to play college football, fulfilling a childhood dream. What helped him get there?

Playing basketball and running track and field.

Hitting the court helped Sikora’s hand-eye coordination and running track helped him with his speed on the gridiron. Those who lead the governing body for high school sports in Michigan want to see more student-athletes like Sikora.

Drew Sikora, a football player at Carlson High School, is surrounded by teammates on signing day where he signed on to play tight end at Michigan Tech, at the school in Gibraltar on Feb. 6, 2025.

Since 2016, the Michigan High School Athletic Association has surveyed hundreds of schools to learn how many athletes are choosing to play more than one sport. Turns out the percentage of athletes who are making that decision is growing steadily.

MHSAA’s annual survey reported that 45% of all student-athletes played more than one sponsored sport during the 2023-24 school year, compared with 43% during the 2017-18 season when the association started the survey.

The MHSAA started the survey as part of its effort to encourage athletes to play more than one sport to “prevent burnout and overuse injuries.”

It also strengthens athletic programs, said Geoff Kimmerly, the association’s director of communication.

“I think it’s helped athletic programs to thrive. You need help across programs, especially at smaller schools where you just don’t have as many athletes,” Kimmerly said. “But I think that at some schools, there has to be a philosophical move toward that. I think that’s what we’ve seen.”

High achievers

Sikora’s school, Gibraltar Carlson is among the survey’s high achievers — defined as “schools that exceed participation norms” — in metro Detroit, along with Hamtramck, Livonia Franklin, Warren Fitzgerald and Detroit Douglass. All have been in the top 10% in three different school years. Michigan Collegiate has been ranked in the top 10% for four years and Detroit Cody has been the most consistent for five of the six years.

“I think down here, it’s kind of a cultural thing to be involved,” Carlson athletic director Dan Kalbfleisch said. “My principal, my superintendent, really encourage our students to get involved in some way while they’re here. And so, once they get involved in one thing, they have fun and want to try other stuff.”

At Detroit Douglass, the state’s only all-boys public school, with an enrollment of 70, athletic director Pierre Brooks credits the students for their school’s success.

“I’m aware of that ranking, but I’m not surprised because being in such a small school, to me, it’s a true brotherhood,” Brooks said.

‘I believe that’s the culture we’ve built here …’

Over 68,000 student-athletes were accounted for in the survey. Fifty-five percent reported playing one sport and 32% played two at their school.

The combinations of sports varies but there are some trends. For boys, it’s football and basketball. Other sports include track and field, cross-country and wrestling. Girls tend to play volleyball and basketball, along with track and field, according to athletic directors.

Detroit Cody has nearly 600 students and offers 13 sponsored sports with the overall roster growing. The school started an Esports team in 2023 that has seven players and Cody is one of 18 schools that joined the Detroit Lions Girls High School Flag Football program this spring.

Antonio Baker, the school’s athletic director, said that “a large percent” of the student-athletes at his school are playing three sports throughout the school year to stay in shape, and that students play additional sports, in part, because of their coaches.

“Some of the coaches, they coach multiple sports, so the athletes move with the coaches from those sports, ” Baker said.

Drew Sikora signs ceremonially to play as a tight end at Michigan Tech this fall, at Carlson High School in Gibraltar on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025.

At Gibraltar Carlson, coaches serve as teachers, hall monitors and other roles for roughly 1,050 students.

“Can you build an environment at a high school where coaches collaborate and coaches support each other’s successes and coaches believe that a student-athlete can play multiple sports?” asked Kalbfleisch. “I believe that’s the culture we’ve built here in this building.”

A parent’s viewFor Sikora, playing basketball and running track was really all about football.”I know a lot of the skills and different sports transfer over,” Drew Sikora said. “Like, I know playing basketball is really helpful for a receiver of football. And then track helps a lot with explosive ability and all that stuff; and, obviously, helps with speed. So mostly, I’ve just been enjoying myself and supplementing for football.”Sikora’s parents, Kent and Melissa, said all of that hard work added up to the moment he signed his commitment letter.“It’s an opportunity for him to go be the best version of himself and go chase dreams that hopefully surpass everything that Melissa and I have ever done,” said Kent Sikora, 52, of Gibraltar.It’s common for young athletes to specialize in one sport. Drew Sikora’s parents credit their son’s participation in football, basketball and track with making him a more well-rounded athlete.“It helps him learn how to be a part of the team,” Kent Sikora said. Melissa Sikora added that her son avoided “pigeon-holing” himself.That’s what DeMarko Thurman, a former Division 2 athlete, said he experienced when he played high school ball.“I played basketball and I put all my eggs in one basket,” Thurman, 52, of Detroit, said. “But looking back on it … I totally regret not playing football. I kinda let my mom, (talk) me out of it, and then so it just kinda (became) tunnel vision with me.”Thurman advised his 17-year-old son Jeremiah, who plays basketball, to branch out.Douglass’ track athlete Jeremiah Thurman practices long jump at Mumford High School in Detroit on Tuesday, May 6, 2025.Jeremiah Thurman played a bit of football in middle school but focused on basketball. He didn’t get involved in another sport in high school until students at Detroit Douglass recruited him to participate in track and field. He was inspired by three seniors on the team who competed in the state championships.“I saw an opportunity to learn from those guys because they were all really, really athletic,” Jeremiah Thurman said. He learned breathing techniques and leg exercises that he says improved his basketball skills. “I could definitely tell it was a difference. I actually felt a lot more athletic when I was playing track.”But sports aren’t cheap. DeMarko Thurman, who works for the Ann Arbor school district, said he works multiple side jobs to cover the costs of in-season basketball and track and Amateur Athletic Union basketball.“I have to work harder, too, in a different way to be able to support these things and at the same time, not set our family back,” he said.Student-athletes will always specialize, athletic directors say, in hopes of getting noticed and playing at the next level. But the chances of becoming a professional athlete are slim, and playing different sports offers lessons.“Play as much as you can and try as much as you can. Because you’re going to be coached by different people. You’re going to meet different kids. You’re going to be exposed to different backgrounds, and I think all of that is just so valuable to a kid growing up. … You’re gonna have to get along with different bosses,” Kent Sikora said. “You’re gonna have to get along with different employees and colleagues throughout your life. So I think that is the greatest lesson that you can learn by playing along.”Eric Guzmán covers youth sports culture at the Free Press as a corps member for Report for America, an initiative of The GroundTruth Project. Make a tax-deductible contribution to support this work.

Contact Eric Guzmán: eguzman@freepress.com; 313-222-1850. Follow him on X: @EricGuzman90.

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College Sports

Terri Runnels Says She Begged Vince McMahon To Not Make Her Wrestle, Preferred To …

Terri Runnels never wanted to wrestle. After spending years as a manager in both WCW and WWE, Terri Runnels made her in-ring debut in 1999, teaming with Ivory, Jacqueline, and Luna against Debra, Mae Young, The Fabulous Moolah & Tori. Related Article Randy Orton And Cody Rhodes Advance To Semifinals In WWE King Of The […]

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Terri Runnels Says She Begged Vince McMahon To Not Make Her Wrestle, Preferred To ...

Terri Runnels never wanted to wrestle.

After spending years as a manager in both WCW and WWE, Terri Runnels made her in-ring debut in 1999, teaming with Ivory, Jacqueline, and Luna against Debra, Mae Young, The Fabulous Moolah & Tori.

Related Article
Randy Orton And Cody Rhodes Advance To Semifinals In WWE King Of The Ring Tournament

Over the next three years, Runnels competed in a handful of matches, most of which were under the five minute mark.

In a new interview with Ring The Belle, Runnels recalled learning how to wrestle on the spot, despite begging Vince McMahon to not make her compete.

“Imagine getting to TVs. You love managing, you love everything about what you do, and then all of the sudden, one day they go, ‘Tonight, you’re going to wrestle in front of millions of people on live television.’ Not to mention the thousands and thousands in the arena that are packed here. We’re going to teach you what you’re going to do in about 10 minutes from now. Yeah, it was brutal. I begged Vince, please don’t make me wrestle. Yeah, it was pretty clear that I was going to wrestle.”

Runnels continued on and said that she preferred taking bumps from the guys.

“All these women and people want to be wrestlers and train for years and years just to be able to wrestle and I didn’t want to. I loved taking bumps from the guys, Kane picked me up from the neck and tossed me to the front row chairs, Dudleys put me through the table, great. But I did not want to wrestle and the bad thing was, I had to memorize it as if it were a ballet, which god forbid when they needed to go home early or stretch that match out, they’re like, ‘Terri is in the match, we can’t do either.’

Runnels had her last match in 2003, teaming with Lita against Gail Kim and Molly Holly.

Elsewhere in the interview, Runnels criticized the female legends segment on Raw’s 25th anniversary show. Check out her full comments on the matter by clicking here.

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IU basketball recruiting

Indiana has extended an offer to one of the biggest risers of the spring, guard Kohl Rosario. The 6-foot-5 Rosario played in front of the IU staff at the NBPA Top-100 Camp this week. Rosario is in the 2026 class but is currently contemplating a reclassification to 2025.  Indiana has two open spots on the […]

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IU basketball recruiting

Indiana has extended an offer to one of the biggest risers of the spring, guard Kohl Rosario.

The 6-foot-5 Rosario played in front of the IU staff at the NBPA Top-100 Camp this week.

Rosario is in the 2026 class but is currently contemplating a reclassification to 2025.  Indiana has two open spots on the roster at the moment, pending waiver decisions for Luke Goode and Anthony Leal.  Rosario is currently 18.

From Miami, Fla., Rosario attended Overtime Elite this past season and now appears to be enrolled at Moravian Prep in North Carolina.  He averaged 15.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists for the OTE Dreamerz this past season.

After a strong showing this spring, Rosario was bumped up from No. 91 to No. 27 at On3.  He’s a high-end 4-star prospect.

For spring and summer basketball, Rosario plays for Team CP3 on the Nike EYBL Circuit.  He’s been one of the best three-point shooters there, making 44.4% from long range on 45 attempts.  He’s averaging 14.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.

IU will have ground to make up as Rosario has already started taking visits.  He just visited Oregon and Florida State, and has visits set with Duke, Kansas, and Miami.

For a complete look at IU’s 2026 through 2028 offers and prospects, GO HERE.

For complete coverage of IU basketball recruiting, GO HERE.   


The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”

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Penn State Wrestling

Two of Penn State wrestling’s brightest young stars have their hands full this weekend at Final X. At 57 KG, Luke Lilledahl, going into his sophomore season, will take on Spencer Lee, who many believe will win an Olympic Gold Medal in 2028. At 70 KG, PJ Duke, who just finished his senior year of […]

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Penn State Wrestling

Two of Penn State wrestling’s brightest young stars have their hands full this weekend at Final X.

At 57 KG, Luke Lilledahl, going into his sophomore season, will take on Spencer Lee, who many believe will win an Olympic Gold Medal in 2028.

At 70 KG, PJ Duke, who just finished his senior year of high school, will take on a four-time NCAA champ in Cornell great Yianni Diakomihalis.

A spot in the World Championships, scheduled for this September in Croatia, is on the line.

NSN’s Joe Smeltzer talks with Zach Seyko of Locked On Nittany Lions to preview it all. Final X is scheduled for Saturday, June 14, in Newark, New Jersey.

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High School Sports

Another wrestling title highlights West

When looking back on the past school year, West-Oak High School athletic director Tim Sheriff succinctly summed it up regarding the Warriors’ wrestling team winning its fourth straight state championship in February. “Not much you can say,” he said with a laugh. 1

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Another wrestling title highlights West

When looking back on the past school year, West-Oak High School athletic director Tim Sheriff succinctly summed it up regarding the Warriors’ wrestling team winning its fourth straight state championship in February.

“Not much you can say,” he said with a laugh.

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High School Sports

Mason Howell US Open tracker

Mason Howell, the youngest player in the 125th U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club, won’t be playing the weekend, but he proved he belonged in the 156-player field. The 17-year-old from Thomasville, Georgia, hovered around the cut line for more than half of the second round before ultimately being undone by a string of bogeys. […]

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Mason Howell US Open tracker


Mason Howell, the youngest player in the 125th U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club, won’t be playing the weekend, but he proved he belonged in the 156-player field.

The 17-year-old from Thomasville, Georgia, hovered around the cut line for more than half of the second round before ultimately being undone by a string of bogeys. Howell was in the middle of his final hole when second-round play was suspended because of lightning in the area. Howell had shot a +5 on the day and was sitting at 12-over for the tournament, with the projected cut sitting at +7.

Still, the incoming high senior recorded a better round than reigning U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, who shot 7-over in the second round and missed the cut with a +10 for the tournament. Howell also carded the same score over two days as two-time major winner Justin Thomas and finished better than three-time major winner Justin Rose, who finished 14-over for the tournament.

After a par on his opening hole of the second round, Howell knocked in a birdie on hole No. 2 and followed with some tough par saves. But things started to unravel on the seventh hole, which began a string of four bogeys in six holes. He recorded an impressive birdie on No. 14, but he followed that up with three consecutive birdies to push him well below the projected cut line.

Howell, who gained a berth in the 2025 U.S. Open by tying for first at the qualifying tournament in Atlanta, has much to look forward to: his senior year at Brookwood School, where he will seek another state title, before heading to the University of Georgia in 2026 to play golf for the Bulldogs.

USA TODAY Sports followed Howell’s second round at the U.S. Open. Scroll below for a full recap:

Mason Howell tees off on hole one during a practice round for the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club on June 9, 2025.

Mason Howell US Open score, results

Mason Howell shot a 7-over-par 77 in the first round, hovering right around the cut line. Keep track of his second-round scores here.

Howell doesn’t finish final hole as round is suspended

The second round of the 2025 U.S. Open was suspended due to lightning in the area, with Howell still needing to finish his final hole. Howell had played his second shot, an approach from the primary rough on the par 4, 498-yard 18th hole, onto the fairway, leaving him 103 yards to the hole. Howell was among a handful of golfers who could not finish the round due to weather.

Mason Howell cards third consecutive bogey

The final hour of Howell’s stay at Oakmont has not gone well. He recorded his third consecutive bogey, carding a 5 on the par 4, 305-yard 17th hole. Howell dropped to 5-over for the round and +12 for the tournament with one hole remaining.

Mason Howell records bogey on hole No. 16

The dream of playing the weekend in the U.S. Open basically came to an end for Howell after a bogey on the par 3, 238-yard 16th hole. That bogey dropped the incoming high school senior to 4-over for the round and +11 for the tournament with two holes remaining and the projected cut still sitting at +7.

Mason Howell drops another shot after bogey on hole No. 15

One hole after an impressive birdie, Howell recorded his fifth bogey of the day on the par 4, 489-yard 15th hole to drop back to +10 for the tournament and +3 for the round. With the projected cut at +7, Howell would need to birdie each of his three remaining holes.

Mason Howell bounces back with birdie on hole No. 14

After recording a par on the par 3, 161-yard 13th hole, Howell scored just his second birdie of the day on the 14th. Howell’s second shot from the fairway on the 368-yard, par 4 hole landed just three feet from the cup, and he tapped in for his first birdie since hole No. 2. Howell now stands at +2 for the round and +9 for the tournament. The projected cut remains at +7.

Bogeys piling up for Mason Howell

After recording a par on the 406-yard, par 4 11th hole, Howell found immediate trouble on the 12th hole. His tee shot on the par 5, 647-yard hole landed in the intermediate rough, and his second shot traveled just 33 feet into the primary rough. His third shot put him back on the fairway, and his fourth landed on the green, but he could not connect on a 36-yard par putt. He tapped in for yet another bogey – his fourth in six holes – dropping him to 3-over for round and +10 for the tournament.

Mason Howell bogeys again as struggles continue

Howell recorded his third bogey in the past four holes as he began his back nine. Howell could not save par on the 10th hole and had to tap in for bogey on the par 4, 472-yard 10th hole. That dropped him to +9 for the tournament (+2 for the round) and below the cut line, which has been fluctuating from +7 to +8.

Mason Howell drops another shot on hole No. 9

Howell, who was sitting right on the cut line at +7, but he dropped another shot after a bogey on the par 4, 465-yard ninth hole. It was his second bogey of the day and second in three holes. He nearly made another impressive par save, but his fourth shot came up just inches from the hole. The bogey drops him to +1 for round and +8 for the tournament, one stoke over the projected cut.

Mason Howell saves par again on hole No. 8

Another erroneous tee shot on the par 3 eighth hole left Howell in danger of dropping another stroke, but he followed that up with a brilliant second shot from the immediate rough to leave himself a 6-foot putt for par. Howell connected to remain at Even for the round and +7 for the tournament, right on the cut line.

Mason Howell in danger of missing cut

Howell hit an erroneous tee shot on the par 4, seventh hole which landed in the left bunker. But the 17-year-old nearly made a miraculous par when his nearly 49-yard putt stopped just inches before the hole. He settled for a tap-in bogey and dropped to +7 for the tournament and even on the day.

Mason Howell saves par on hole No. 6

On the par 3, 192-yard sixth hole, Howell’s tee shot landed in the rough, leaving him in a perilous position to get up and down. His second shot left him roughly 9 feet from the hole, but he sank the ensuing par putt to remain at +6 for the tournament. The current projected cut line is +7.

Mason Howell knocks in another par

Howell came up just short on a 21-foot, 6-inch putt for birdie on the 420-yard, par 4 fifth hole, but he knocked in a 3-foot par putt to remain -1 for the day and +6 for the tournament.

Mason Howell holds steady at hole No. 4

Howell missed a prime opportunity for a birdie at the par-5 fourth hole, holding steady at 6-over. Howell tapped in for par after his fourth shot left him a couple of feet from the hole.

Mason Howell pars hole No. 3

Howell remains at 6-over for the tournament after getting up and down on the par 4, 454-yard third hole.

Mason Howell birdies hole No. 2

Howell began with a par on his opening hole of the second round. He followed that up with a birdie on the par 4, 359-yard second hole to move to 6-over.

What time does Mason Howell tee off Friday: US Open start time

Mason Howell will be in the 2:31 p.m. grouping off No. 1 alongside Joakim Langergren and Chris Gotterup.

  • 2:31 p.m. (1): Joakim Langergren, Mason Howell (a), Chris Gotterupson Howell (a), Chris Gotterup
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High School Sports

Florida deportation case highlights challenges for families with U.S.

APOPKA, Fla. – A family that has lived in the United States for more than two decades is facing a painful separation as deportations continue. The couple, who have four children — all American citizens — are being torn apart by immigration enforcement actions. Apopka family faces separation  What we know: A family that has […]

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Florida deportation case highlights challenges for families with U.S.

A family that has lived in the United States for more than two decades is facing a painful separation as deportations continue. The couple, who have four children — all American citizens — are being torn apart by immigration enforcement actions.

Apopka family faces separation 

What we know:

A family that has lived in the U.S. for over 20 years is facing separation due to deportation. The father, Esvin Juarez, was deported to Guatemala after a routine ICE check-in where his deferred action status was not honored. His wife, Rosmeri Miranda, is currently being held in Orange County Jail awaiting deportation. Their four children, aged 9 to 17, are U.S. citizens.

What we don’t know:

It remains unclear what will happen next in Rosmeri Miranda’s case and whether state officials will intervene to prevent her deportation. The family’s long-term legal options and potential outcomes for reunification are still uncertain.

The backstory:

The Juarez family came to the U.S. illegally 24 years ago and sought deferred action to avoid deportation. Deferred action is a discretionary policy allowing certain immigrants to temporarily delay removal. Despite this, ICE chose not to honor the father’s deferred status, resulting in his deportation. The family and community argue they have contributed positively to their community and do not pose a threat.

Local perspective:

This case highlights ongoing tensions around immigration enforcement, especially for families with U.S.-born children. Local supporters, including elected officials, are rallying for justice and reform, pointing to what they see as failures in the system to protect due process and family unity.

What they’re saying:

A community rally in Apopka took place on Friday to support the family and demand justice.

“They are not criminals. They are pillars of the community,” said daughter Beverly Juarez of her parents. “Do what’s right!”

Elected officials from the city, county, and state have joined the growing chorus of support.

“I hear this rhetoric all the time: ‘Do it the right way.’ I hate to break it to the American people, but there is no right way in this country that works,” said State Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando.

Many of the speakers at Friday’s rally talked about the justice system, arguing the Juarez family’s rights were violated.

“We are here today because something deeply important is at stake,” said Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet, the Hope Community Center Executive Director. “The right to due process.”

The family’s attorney criticized the handling of the case, saying the Juarez family’s rights to due process were violated. 

“I voted for Trump. I voted for the border to be closed. I voted… I voted for the deportation of illegal people who were criminals,” attorney Grisel Ybarra said. “Not for this, not for people like this.”

Beverly Juarez is still hoping someone will intervene and bring her family back together.

“The country right now has a chance to right this wrong.”

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO:

The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the family of Esvin Juarez, including daughter Beverly Juarez, Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet, the Hope Community Center Executive Directorand, and attorney Grisel Ybarra.

Orange CountyApopkaImmigrationDonald J. TrumpPolitics
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