PREP FOOTBALL: OSU lands Grand Ledge wideout
James Jackson, the speedy wide receiver from Grand Ledge, placed a call to Ohio State coach Jim Tressel on Monday.
"I just told him I want to be a Buckeye," Jackson said Tuesday.
As a sophomore last spring, Jackson, 5-foot-11, 178 pounds, won the Division 1 100-meter state title in 10.94 seconds and drew football recruiters from across the country before settling on Ohio State.
"To tell you the truth, they had what I was looking for in a family atmosphere," he said. "That was going to be the big decision in choosing a college. I just felt like: 'I can be here.' "
Jackson had considered UCLA, Michigan and Michigan State and visited those schools.
"We flew to UCLA a couple of weeks ago," Jackson said. "I enjoyed the trip, but it was too far away from home, so I really couldn't do that. I really have great respect for Michigan and Michigan State. It was hard to tell them no.
"I gave all the coaches in my final four a call."
Jackson also will attempt to run track at Ohio State, but his main focus is on football.
"All I can think about right now is football," Jackson said. "I'm ready to start June 9 and hit the weight room every day."
Mick McCabe
MORE PREPS: Tony Annese, who resigned from the football position at Muskegon High in February, has reconsidered and will coach the Big Reds this season. In eight seasons, Annese guided Muskegon to a 78-15 record and Division 2 state titles in 2004 and 2006. Annese changed his mind about coaching after two candidates turned down the job over the last two weeks.
BASEBALL: Matthew Abro's walk-off solo homer in the bottom of the 10th gave Western Michigan a 5-4 victory over visiting Illinois State. Coach Randy Ford also earned his 100th career win. WMU is 28-19-1. ... Central Michigan defeated visiting Michigan State, 14-6. Matt Faiman had three hits and three RBIs for CMU (27-24-1). MSU is 24-25. ... Eastern Michigan defeated visiting Oakland University, 8-7, after Jeff Davis hit the game-winning RBI single in the ninth. The Eagles (20-30) scored four runs in the ninth. Justin Wilson had three hits and three runs scored for OU (14-27).
GOLF: Ferris State's Eric Lilleboe is Great Lakes Conference men's player of the year. Other first-team selections to the all-GLIAC team include Grand Valley's Matt Malloure and Josh Orler, Saginaw Valley State's Kasey Hocquard and Wayne State's Ryan Johnson.
TENNIS: Detroit Mercy has four new additions to its men's team: transfer Patrick Troy, who spent two years at Grand Valley State, and signees Dustin Goldenberg (West Bloomfield High), David Stabley (Utica Eisenhower) and Nick Tolomei (Rochester Adams).
TRACK AND FIELD: Michigan's Amber Hay and Justin Switzer are the Big Ten's women's and men's runners of the week.
WATER POLO: Michigan's Carrie Frost is the Collegiate Water Polo Association's Western Division player of the week.
Free Press staff reports