Mel Vaara has worn many hats in Clarkston over the years. Aside from writing sports for The Clarkston News in the 1960s, he was the first principal of Sashabaw Junior High in 1969; has coached track, basketball and cross country; was named assistant superintendent in 1972; and was the principal of CHS in 1986 and again in 1991-92. He has held numerous administrative positions over the years.
This will be the first of his guest column series in which he details the history of Clarkston sports. All facts and names presented in this article are from Mr. Vaara’s memories and have been presented as provided.

The following is a brief history of 50 years of sports in Clarkston Community Schools
The history and importance of sports changed when Superintendent of Schools, Dr. L. F. Greene, hired three young men to lead the teams in football (Ed Hintz), basketball (Dom Mauti) and baseball (Gus Birtsas). This was in the early 1950’s.
Hintz, as a coach, restored the power in football by winning league titles. (Later, Hintz became Superintendent of Schools in the Flint area.) His assistant was Mauti. As baseball coach, Birtsas? team won several league titles. He later became principal of Sashabaw Junior High. There were no state playoffs in baseball or football until the 1970’s
Mauti’s team had huge success in basketball. (He later became principal of CHS.) Hintz was his assistant. Mauti coached 12 seasons and his teams won nine district titles. His 1953 team won Clarkston’s first basketball district title. Some members of the team included Tom Bullen, Rob Shebor, Bill Dunston, Chuck Robertson, Rick Huttenlocher and Pete Thompson.
Mauti’s best team was in 1957 with Dick Lippert, Bill Noles, Jim Jensen, George Lang and Leroy Parks. They were defeated in the regionals by Grand Blanc. That year, Mauti’s team was ranked very high in the Detroit Free Press by Hal Schram. Another great team was in 1963, led by Dan Craven, Ken Miskin, Mike Bray, Dan Fife, Jon Gary Ron Lippert, Gary Peterson, Jon Wilberg and Gary Bass.
Girls sports were nonexistent in the 50s, 60s and part of the 70s. They had the Girls Athletic Association and were only allowed use of the gym after school on Fridays. When I look back at this situation, it was very sad. Thanks to Title IX, many doors were opened up for women’s athletics.
Girls Basketball: Jan Modesitt became Clarkston’s first women’s basketball coach. Her first two years the squad played six on a team and were later allowed to have the same rules as boys. To get the program started, they had to buy their own uniforms, hire officials and provide transportation. Eventually, they played a league schedule. Modesitt won 133 games and lost 61. She won three districts and one regional, which allowed her team to reach the quarterfinals – the only girls basketball team in history to reach that far. Players included Dede Miller, Cindy Hunt, Autumn Matlock, Mary Jane Anderson, Nancy Chartier, Diane Curry, Marcia Mason, Kathy Rush, Jane Tatu, Anne Varra, Sue Frazier, Kathy Warren and Shelly Vailliencourt. Modesitt spoke very highly of Mary Beth Cowndin saying she was an athlete before her time in basketball.
Larry Mahrle was the girls basketball coach for eight years (135-60). He won two league titles. Some of the girls that played under him were Sue McKoin, Rhonda Jokish, Jennnifer and Allyson McChesney, Heather and Celeste Steinhelper, Leah Howard, Sue Naboychik, Laura Seitz, Beth Walker, Tami Mitchell, Carrie Roeser, Lesley Allen, Ann Brueck and Nickie Winn.
Girls Golf: Another sport where the girls have had huge success was golf. For two years in a row (1976-1977), they were State champions in class A. The 1976 team was coached by Doug Pierson and the 1977 team was coached by Jim Chamberlain. Both years? team members were Vivian Booker, Allison Booker, Mary J. Anderson and Terri Thompson. The 1976 team won by 35 strokes. Sometime earlier, there was no girls state tournament in golf, so Cindy Booker played for the boys and took second place. She was the first girl to play on a boys team in state competition.
Volleyball: Linda Denstaedt was Clarkston’s first volleyball coach. She coached for ten years. In 1976 (the first year for state playoffs), her team advanced to the semifinals winning a district and regional title on their way. Some members were Diane Curry, Nancy Chartier, Autumn Matlock, Dede Miller, and Anne Varra. Her greatest player was Nancy Foster. She went on to play at Central Michigan and later replaced Denstaedt as coach.
Foster coached girls volleyball for four years. She won a league title and two districts. Her 1986-87 team ranked third in the state. The team lost to Marion in the regional final. Some members were Wendy Learmont, Michelle Taulbee, Missy O’Dell, Wendy Cohoon and Roseann Hirneism.
Gordie Richardson coached volleyball for 20 years (437-224) He won six league titles, seven districts and one regional. Some players mentioned by Coach Richardson who had an impact on his teams over the years were Lisa Herron, Heather Steinhelper, Candy Polenz, Nichole Hard, Megan Bjurnam, Kammy Powell, Andrea Bower, and Lindsay Vincent.
Softball: Kathy DeArmond Mahrle was the first varsity softball coach. She won three league titles (66-32). Her first year, the team played only four games and had no uniforms; the second year they had skirts. Two years later they had complete uniforms. The only newspaper coverage the girls received at the time was done by Mahrle. Some girls that played on her championship team were Kathy Bontia, Cheryl Stickley, Cindy Hunt, Autumn Matlock, Kay Pierson, Pam Blower, Jane Tatu, Michelle Dearborn and Anne Varra.
Carla Teare coached softball for ten years. She won two league titles, four districts and two regional championships. Both regional teams lost in the semifinals of the state tournament. Her teams won over 150 games. Some of her players were Sandy Mason, Lisa Forsyth, Annette Ulasich, Julie Marshall, Sheila Moore, Laura Hurren, Missy O’Dell, Stacy Schurtz, Jennifer and Allison McChesney, Terry Sherman, Sue Stefanski, Chris Castillo, Jackie Patrick and Heather Behrens.
Cheerleading/Pom Pons: One of our first cheerleading coaches was Carol Lippencott. She was followed by Jan Gabier who went on to become an administrator in Clarkston. She coached for nine years. Cheerleading was state champs in 1966. On that team were Nancy Weiss, Jan (Peters) Fife, Caroline Giles, Cheryl Mansfield, Leslie Surre, Shala Smith and Pam Affolder. Other coaches were Sue Johnson, Jan Fife, Gail Conwell, Debbie Hool and the present coach Chandra Price.
Pom pons restarted in 1984. Mary Jane Cox and later her daughter were the coaches. They set the bar for excellence. Other coaches were Jennifer Rossman, Harmony Hunt, Jenny Schultz and present coach Erin Przybylski.
Girls Track: Gordie Richardson was the girls track coach for 25 years. He put the track program on center stage. If you mentioned girl runners in Michigan, Clarkston was ranked with the best of them – 14 years undefeated in dual meets; 15 league titles; 6 regionals; 3 county meets and Gordie was coach of the year five times.
There are so many girls to mention. These made All State: Jane Selent, Shivonne DeBoer, Carnie Roeser, Nicole Chinabare, Jenny Mahler, Sonya Schaffer, Lisa Herron, Jennifer Faroush, Tara Caringcross, Michelle Follell, Jennifer Bauer, Stephanie Burkow, Leah Scharl, Megan Plante, Kristin Maine, Mo Kuhta, Michele Fisher, Jennifer Rooding and Lisa Ladd.
Errol Solley coached girls track and he had one outstanding runner – Sue Latter. In the State finals, she took first place in the 220, 440 and 880. Clarkston was the runner-up State champs that year.
Cross Country: The present girls cross country coach is Jamie LaBrosse. Clarkston’s program is known nation wide. They were runners up at States in 2002 and State champs in 2003 and again in 2004. The team is ranked first in the region and third in the nation. Jamie’s teams also won three league and county meets. Team members include Jenny Morgan, Liz Mengyan, Gillian Nordquist, Anne Oltman, Ella Kuhta, Jenna Leach, Beth Hoekstra, Lisa Sickman and Lyndsay Smith.
(This column will continue in next week’s edition of The Clarkston News.)