MUSKEGON TWP. — Syann Fairfield recently got her elementary education degree from Ferris State University.

Now at age 22, Fairfield is now the new Reeths-Puffer varsity head volleyball coach.

But despite her age, her volleyball background is strong.

As a three-year starter at Ferris State, Fairfield helped the Bulldogs win two regular season championships and two conference tournament championships in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Conference (GLIAC).

About hiring Fairfield, Rockets Athletic Director Cliff Sandee said, “Syann has been successful in every aspect of life, as a standout student-athlete at North Muskegon and Ferris State.”

“More impressively, she has routinely made people around her more successful,” Sandee also said.

“Her playing experience at Ferris State and her coaching experience at Inside Out and at Muskegon Community College has prepared Syann to lead right away,” Sandee continued to say.

Sandee said, “She will develop champions in all areas of life.

As a young first-time varsity coach, Fairfield is eager to take on a team that’s going to have a lot of very young talent.

Her predecessor, Justin Birr, resigned in the fall at the end of last season.

Fairfield said that parents and other coaches in the area asked her to apply for the Rockets job when it got posted, and that she decided to do it.

Fairfield also said that she was also seeking to gain experience of interviewing for a high school coaching job.

But as she learned more about Reeths-Puffer and its volleyball program, she became more excited about the job and was thrilled when she got the job.

“I figured, why not,” Fairfield said. “Let’s go through the process and get the feel of things.”

“But the more I talked to people and learned about the school, it just seemed like the place to be,” Fairfield said.

Fairfield also said, “I work hard and go all-in on everything I do, and I am ready to tackle it!”

“I know it’s not common for people to take a chance on someone who just graduated a few weeks ago from college, but I think they could see my passion and what my goals would be for the program for the next few years,” Fairfield said.

She stood out as a four-year player on North Muskegon’s volleyball team and graduated in 2021.

She attained all-state honors in her sophomore, junior and senior years, helping North Muskegon win two district championships and one conference title.

In 2021, she helped North Muskegon win a state championship in girls soccer in 2021, showing that she had talents in more than one sport.

BOZEMAN — Five legendary athletes and Montana State University’s president during an era of athletics and university-wide success enter the Bobcat Athletics Hall of Fame in January.

President Waded Cruzado, who led Montana State University from 2009-25, headlines a highly distinguished class of inductees. The list features Elvis Akpla (football, 2009-11), Jasmine Hommes Moeakiola (women’s basketball, 2012-16), Dan Johnson (track and field, 2004-08), Cody Kirk (football, 2010-13) and Cristian Soratos (cross country/track and field, 2012-15).

The ceremony is Jan. 16 at the Strand Union Building on the MSU campus. The evening begins with a social at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner and the inductions. Purchase tickets here.

The 2025-26 inductees:

President Waded Cruzado — Montana State University’s president during a period of historic growth and success … her support and vision drove the reconfiguration of the Bobcat Athletics physical plant, including the Sonny Holland End Zone, the Bobcat Athletic Complex, the Kennedy-Stark Athletic Center and renovations in Brick Breeden Fieldhouse.

Elvis Akpla, football — 2011 third-team All-America and first-team All-Big Sky, second in MSU history in career and single-season receiving yards, third in career touchdown catches, eighth in career receptions.

Jasmine Hommes Moeakiola, women’s basketball — 2016 Big Sky MVP, first-team All-Big Sky … 2015 second-team All-Big Sky … sixth in MSU history in scoring, seventh in blocked shots.

Dan Johnson, track and field — One of the most productive long-sprint athletes in MSU men’s track and field history … he won Big Sky 400-meter championships indoors in 2007 and 2008 and outdoors in 2008 and 2009.

Cody Kirk, football — First-team All-Big Sky in 2011, second-team in 2013 … MSU’s all-time leader in touchdowns with 47 and second with 3,422 career yards … his 666 career rushes are also second in school history.

Cristian Soratos, track and field/cross country — Two-time All-America (2015 mile, 2015 1,500) … 2015 Big Sky Championships outstanding performer indoor and outdoor … four-time Big Sky indoor champion (2015 800, mile; 2014/2015 distance medley relay), three-time Big Sky outdoor champion (2015 800 and 1,500; 2014 1,500)

MSU director of athletics Leon Costello also announced that Ben and Sue Schmitt, long-time supporters and volunteers with deep family ties to Bobcat Athletics, will be presented the second Torleif Aasheim Service Award. Both MSU grads, the Schmitts not only support Bobcat teams but have long aided individual staff members, coaches and student-athletes.

All-Tribune Volleyball Teams

Player of the Year

Coach of the Year

Team of the Year

All-Tribune First Team

All-Tribune Second Team

All-Tribune Honorable Mentions

Adel-DeSoto-Minburn senior Elise Coghlan recently played in her final volleyball season of her high school career, hitting many achievements, but is leaving an encouraging message for the younger girls who will be carrying the program from here on out.

Coghlan is leaving a legacy behind for Tigers volleyball, as she is now sixth all-time in school history with 601 Assists in a season, and has a total of 1,273 assists over her four-year career. In addition, Coghlan concluded the season with 57 kills, 181 digs, and 32 blocks. As she’ll be graduating in the spring, Coghlan wants to remind the girls to never forget who they are.

“Just being yourself and showing your actual personality, and just being friends with everyone honestly.”

ADM finished the season with a 23-9 overall record (7-1; 2nd inside the Raccoon River Conference) and fell to Dallas Center-Grimes in the Class 4A Region 4 Championship on October 28th.

The Cheboygan area saw several volleyball players earn nods on the Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association teams, including three all-state honorable mentions.  

Leading the way were Onaway’s Amya Janusky and Brooklyn Boughner, who secured spots on the MIVCA Division 4 all-state team as honorable mentions. Joining the two Onaway stars was Pellston’s Lanie Irwin, who earned honorable mention accolades. 

The Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority faced a challenge rehabilitating a major interceptor line in Wilkes-Barre because it is beneath the Wyoming Valley Levee.

This aging reinforced concrete line, known as the authority’s East Side Interceptor, had to be addressed because it was installed in the 1960s and had reached the end of its service life. It carries wastewater from approximately 100,000 residents in 19 municipalities to the authority’s treatment plant in Hanover Township.

The traditional approach — excavating to remove and replace the line — would have cost an estimated $75 million or more and required extensive permitting and protective measures to ensure the flood control system along the Susquehanna River was not compromised, authority officials said.

Instead, the authority recently deployed a new engineering technology to restore the one-mile line for $14 million.

Authority Chief Technical Officer Samantha Albert said the solution involved steel-reinforced PVC that interlocks as it is fed through manholes into the pipe, creating a new standalone pipe within the existing line.

A machine was used to wind the large spools of PVC through the line, she said. The diameter of the line ranges from 4 to 6 feet, allowing crews to get inside during the installation, Albert said.

The authority could not use a different type of liner that requires a “curing” process with heat to dry and harden because the interceptor line would have to be completely dry for that option, Albert said.

The interceptor line could not be deactivated to dry because it handles a high volume of both wastewater and stormwater when it rains, she said.

“That was a huge advantage of the solution we chose because it still has to flow during the installation,” Albert said.

For the safety of crews, the contractor set up a temporary sewage bypass system — a large black pipe on the ground — to reduce the load passing through the line during installation, she said.

The section of line tackled in this project runs from the area of the Luzerne County Courthouse south to Riverside Drive, Albert said.

Albert said the line is “critical infrastructure” that must remain functioning to service residents and also protect the levee.

“We did not want this line to ever become compromised and impact the integrity of the levee,” Albert said. “It’s all about protecting the environment and the public.”

Georgia-based Ruby-Collins Inc. completed the project. The company has a specialized “trenchless division” to rehabilitate underground lines, its site says.

Luzerne County Council allocated $2 million of its federal American Rescue Plan Act funds toward the project. The authority also received a federal STAG Clean Water Community Project Funding Grant and secured a Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority, or PENNVEST, loan.

Albert said the authority will continue seeking grants to help fund work on other segments of the interceptor.

Christopher Belleman, executive director of the Luzerne County Flood Protection Authority that oversees the Wyoming Valley Levee, said his authority allowed access to land at the site to complete the project.

“They got us involved at the very start. They were a good partner,” Belleman said of the sanitary authority.

Belleman spoke favorably of the sanitary authority’s solution, saying the flood authority has used a lining to address damaged piping — an option available if the original pipe still has structural integrity.

“Fortunately, technology has advanced over the years so this type of work can be done in a way that saves costs without having to excavate,” Belleman said.

Approximately 170 pipes of varying dimensions run through the levee system, officials have said.

Belleman said the flood authority must inspect these pipes every five years in compliance with a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers mandate to keep the levee certified.