Good things come in sets of three

[caption id="attachment_297" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Hillsdale senior guard Mitchell Gabriele was named to the SMAA First-Team for his efforts on the court this season."][/caption]

By RJ Walters / Daily News Sports Editor

As published in the Hillsdale Daily News on March 18, 2009

Trio of Hornets honored by SMAA
Following a 14-7 season that included a an 8-4 mark in SMAA play, three Hillsdale seniors, affectionately called “The Big Three” by Hornet coach Brad Felix were honored by the conference for their play.
Senior guard Mitchell Gabriele, one of the Jackson area’s leading scorers, was the lone SMAA First-Team selection.
He averaged 21.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 3.1 steals per game this season.
He also mae a team-high 53 3-pointers and scored 43 points in a game earlier this year.
At the end of December he was named the Pat Paterson Holiday Tournament MVP for Hillsdale’s pool.
6-4 big man Nick Kelley was named an SMAA Second-Team selection in his final season.
He was a double-double machine, averaging 12.7 points and 10.1 rebounds per contest.
He also averaged 1.8 steals and 1.2 assists per game, while shooting nearly 53 percent from the field.
Senior guard Scott Lantis was an Honorable Mention pick by the league.
He also averaged 12.7 points per contest, to go with 2.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game.
He made 37 3-pointers on the year.
The SMAA First-Team consisted of these four players aside from Gabriele: Thomas Lovachis of Stockbridge, Ryan Hobson of Albion, Nate Scholten of Western and Albion’s Justin Edmonds.

Chargers have three earn All-American status
Each year, the Hillsdale College track teams end up well-represented among the nation's best, and the 2009 version was no different.
Aaron Falk, Andrew Dodson and Jared Krout all earned All-American status this weekend at the 2009 NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships, held in Houston, Texas.
This was the second consecutive year Dodson has been named an indoor track All-American, both times placing among the top eight in the country in the high jump event.
Dodson was tied for seventh in Division II with his best jump of 6 feet, 8 inches. His two-time All-American status makes Dodson one of the best high jumpers in the past decade at Hillsdale.
Falk has emerged as a dominant athlete in the weight throw event over the past two years, and at this year's championships, he only added to that reputation. He placed fourth in the nation with a weight throw mark of 64 feet, 10 inches, also earning five points for the Charger team at the national meet.
Krout, who already has many All-American honors on his impressive resume, tacked on another one with his performance in the long jump event. His mark of 23 feet, 6 3/4 inches was good enough for eighth place, and his fifth All-American honor in three indoor track seasons.
On the women's side in the meet, two impressive performances were turned in by Marta Schiewe and Amanda Putt, though neither were able to advance to the finals in their respective events.
Schiewe ran the 400 meter dash in just 59 seconds, a blazing-fast time. Putt, a freshman, turned in a mile run in 5:10, both performances putting a cap on excellent seasons for each.