Former Laker and Spartan star Liz Shimek is now on her third WNBA team, the expansion Chicago Sky. After being drafted by Phoenix, she was traded to Houston and now dealt to Chicago. Tomorrow is the roster deadline for WNBA teams and the Sky are expected to have a roster of 11 or 12. They currently have 14 players on their roster.

Read Shimek hopes to land with Chicago in the Record Eagle

After a successful first year the Tour de Leelanau will return this September for a 2nd annual race. The race will take place on Saturday, September 16th. More info will be available soon on their website.

Visit the official Tour de Leelanau website

The Record Eagle has a nice article on the Traverse City Alliance, a club rugby team made up of players from seven area schools. Glen Lake, Suttons Bay and Lake Leelanau St. Mary are all represented on the team. The Alliance are 4-0 on the season as they get ready to compete in the Midwest Tournament in Elkhart, Indiana this weekend.

Read Traverse City rugby club drubs Lowell in the Record Eagle

The Traverse City Alliance Rugby team opened it’s fifth season of play behind strong performances from Elliott Gallagher and Daisy Dalzell for a 41-0 win over Grandville. The team consists of students from the Traverse City High Schools, as well as Suttons Bay, Glen Lake and Lake Leelanau St. Mary.

Read T.C. Alliance 41, Grandville 0 in the Record Eagle [you will have to scroll down]

The Record Eagle’s Jeff Peek caught up with Liz Shimek to talk about her thoughts on the WNBA draft and how she is looking towards the upcoming season.

Read Shimek ready to learn in the Record Eagle

It was a crazy day for Liz Shimek but in the end it all worked out as she is in the WNBA and a member of the Houston Comets.

Here’s what the official site of the Houston Comets says about their draft…

Entering Wednesday’s draft, the Houston Comets had three picks among the top-30 selections. They finished Wednesday with four players selected in the top-30 headlined by Michigan State’s Liz Shimek.

Read Houston Comets Add Four in 2006 Draft at WNBA.com
Official Site of the Houston Comets
Read Drafted, then dealt in the Record Eagle

In what is becoming a crazy day for Liz Shimek, the Phoenix Mercury have traded Shimek (18th pick) and Mistie Williams (21st pick) to Houston for the (15th pick) Ann Strother.

Welcome to the wacky world of the WNBA Draft!

The Phoenix Mercury drafted Glen Lake grad Liz Shimek with the 18th pick overall (2nd round) of the 2006 WNBA draft. Congrats to Liz as she joins a young team that includes former UConn star Diana Taurasi and center Kamila Vodichkova.

See the entire draft board.

Liz Shimek has had amazing high school and college careers and now looks to add a pro basketball career to her resume. The 2006 WNBA Draft is set for 1 PM today and Shimek is expected to go in the late first round. Shimek scored 9 points and grabbed 6 boards in 20 minutes of action at the WNBA Pre-Draft Camp on Monday.

Follow the 2006 WNBA Draft at WNBA.com
Read Liz Shimek’s Draft Profile at WNBA.com
Read Shimek awaits draft call in the Record Eagle

Shimek also was named an honorable mention All-American for the second straight year.

Read Liz Shimek Earns Honorable Mention All-America Honors at MSUSpartans.com

My prayers have been answered! Okay maybe that’s a bit dramatic, but the news that WCCW AM-1310 is expanding to 24 hour a day coverage is fantastic. Michigan fans could have used it last night as U of M played South Carolina in the NIT Final, although the Wolverines lost, it would have been nice to listen.

The Tigers will also join 1310 ESPN starting on Opening Day next week and the station will expand it’s ESPN coverage for around the clock broadcasting. This is great news for those of us sports fans “Up North”! The change to 24 hour coverage should happen sometime next week.

Now if they would only bring back The Huge Show!

Read Tigers moving to WCCW AM-1310 in the Record Eagle

The Record Eagle’s Mark Urban recaps the state championships from the fall and winter by our area teams and puts the pressure on the spring teams to bring home some more hardware.

Read It’s time for spring to take the title fling in the Record Eagle

I don’t like Duke and I am betting Leelanau County fans don’t either, after the Lady Blue Devils eliminated Liz Shimek and the Michigan State Spartans 86-61 in the Women’s NCAA Tournament. Shimek had a rough day only taking 5 shots and scoring 5 points in her college finale. Her and Classmate Lindsay Bowen helped put MSU women’s basketball on the map and will be missed.

Shimek finished her career as MSU’s career leader in points, rebounds and field goals. Congrats to Liz on a great career, and here’s hoping it continues in the WNBA!

Read Shimek-Bowen era has come to an end in the Detroit News
Read (1) Duke 86, (4) Michigan St. 61 at Yahoo! Sports

Grand Traverse Resort & Spa’s Director of Tennis Christopher Michalowski has been named the 2005 Michigan Tennis Professional of the Year by the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA).

Read the Press Release at GrandTraverseResort.com

MSU’s two senior stars Liz Shimek and Lindsay Bowen share some of their thoughts on friendship, Michigan State and the NCAA Tourney. They are getting ready to lead the #4 seeded Spartans into battle with Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Shimek is MSU’s all-time leading scorer and Bowen is second. Something I thought was great is they have both started every game (128) since they have been at East Lansing.

Read MSU’S HIGH-SCORING SENIORS: They changed the game in the Freep

A cool new feature of 9&10 Sports is their Sports Video Uncut section (if you can get it to work, stupid Windows Media). So far only one Leelanau school, Northport, has been featured. You can see video from Northport’s Class D District Final win over T.C. Christian from Friday, March 10th.

I hope they get some volleyball coverage as our two county team’s Suttons Bay and Leland advance down state!

9&10 Sports Video Uncut