ESCANABA - For the first time since 2009, the best basketball players in the Upper Peninsula will display their skills in Escanaba.
The 39th annual Upper Peninsula All-Star Classic will be held at Bay College at 5:30 p.m. Thursday night , the first time the game will not be held on a Saturday. The last three games were played in St. Ignace.
Gladstone hosted games in 2003-2004 and Escanaba was host in 2008-2009. The first game was held at NMU in 1986.
Proceeds benefit the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame and its scholarship fund. Each year, two female graduates and two male student athletes receive $1,000 for one year of college studies.
Among the scholars this spring was Cole Baij of Norway, who will be among the participants in Thursday's boys game at about 8:30.
The players are split among the East and West girls and boys, using basically highway's M-28 and M-95 as dividing roads
They will participate in several skill events, slam dunk, 3-point field goal and free throw shooting, The winners will receive trophies.
The players/ coaches are:
East girls: Addison and Candece and Jillian Fraser, St. Ignace, Allie Wallen, Newberry, Bailey Corcoran, Munising, Brianna Anderson and Aubree Blackburn, Marquette, Adria Ruleau, Stephenson, Mayce Hanson. Coach Andy Cretems. Gladstone
West girls: Emilee Jokela, Lake Linden-Hubbell, Eva Gerard, Houghton; Hanna Vaughn. Ironwood; and Brooklyn Dompier and Mylee Londo. L'Anse; Macy Linsenberger. Iron Mountain; Peyton Kakurri, Ishpeming; Aubrey Johnson, Evelynn Moilanen, Dollar Bay; Kaitlyn Smith, West Iron County; Negaunee; Aubrey Johnson, Negaunee; Coach: Jacky Bessonen, Ewen-Trout Creek.
East boys: Carson Keinitz and Trevor Nolan, Munising; Eli MacDonald, Pickford; Trey Lynn Brimley; Javon Stevenson, Escanaba; Jaxon Jurmu and Kyle Sager and Jacob MacPhee, Marquette; Jordan Guennette, Gwinn; Coach Tracy Peterson Pickford
West boys: Cole Baij. Norway; Luck Hill, Houghton; Gavin Grondin and Morgan Sleik Kingsford; Erald Sampoll Torres, Iron Mountain; Oskar Kangas; Elijah Oberlin, Jayden Sagataw, Nay Tah Wahsh, Hannahville; Austin Gordon, Ewen-Trout Creek, West Iron County; Triastan Miller, Westwood, Coach Ben Carlson, Kingsford.
Story by Dennis Grall