Harbor’s Keiser, Mackinaw’s Lars Huffman perfecting dual-sporting
HARBOR SPRINGS – There has been a lot of talk in recent years about sport specialization and fewer high school athletes playing multiple sports.
But that is not the case everywhere. Some even engage in dual sports during the season. Dual sports are not uncommon for small Division 4-level programs in northern Michigan.
Coaches often just need people to fill out a squad and will do whatever they can to ensure the season actually happens. It’s another story and a bit rarer to excel in more than one discipline at the highest level of the sport, but they’re definitely out there.
Several athletes from two sports competed at the Inland Lakes, home of the Division 4 Athletics Regional League late last week, including Brady Keizer, senior from Harbor Springs, and Lars Huffman, senior from Mackinaw City, who was with a Racquets shone and on the track.
Both athletes qualified for the Division 4 track and field state championships, and both also happen to lead their respective baseball teams in several categories.
“That’s a lot,” Keizer said. “There are games or meetings almost four days a week, but it’s been good.”
Keizer has been involved with the Harbor baseball program around the clock, including the Rams’ regional run a few years ago, but this is his first stint in athletics.
At the regional championships, Keizer helped the 4×200 relay team with teammates Charlie Ranney, Luke Smar and Anthony Atkinson to a place in the state finals in 1:36.76.
He was also part of the qualifying 4x400m relay team of Atkinson, Jack Clancy and Jacob Drayer that ran 3:39.07.
Keizer was also a near qualifier in his other two main events, finishing third in the 400-meter dash with a personal best of 54.19 seconds, while also finishing third in the long jump at 19 feet 1.25 inches. Still, those finishes helped the Rams win a Division 4 regional title.
And with so much baseball, where does he find the time to practice some track and field? Well, that’s a little hard to come by.
“I don’t do that,” Keizer said, laughing. “That was only my third jump ever.”
He jumped 20 feet 3 inches, making him the all-time leader among regional athletes regardless of division. Not bad if you don’t exercise.
Huffman, who, like his twin sister Larissa, competes on the Inland Lakes track team, qualified in the 400-meter dash with a time of 53.46 seconds. He was also close in the 800-meter dash.
Like Keiser, finding training for athletics was difficult, but he made it.
“It was pretty tough,” Huffman said. “When training for track, I have to run either before baseball practice or after baseball practice. I was only able to attend five meetings, so it was quite difficult. In fact, I haven’t been to a real track workout in about a month.”
Baseball was the premier sport for both athletes, and it’s easy to see why.
Huffman leads the Comets in innings pitched (42.2) and strikeouts (63) and has maintained a .995 ERA with an 11-1 record this season.
He’s also hit six doubles, a triple and two homers, lapped 21 runs and scored 49 points while also stealing an amazing 58 bases.
Unsurprisingly, the Comets were among the top teams in the Northern Lakes Conference, going 10-2.
“It’s been pretty nice as long as we defend well and don’t make mistakes,” said Huffman. “It was good. We had a couple of games where errors overwhelmed us. Overall we’re playing pretty well.”
For Keizer, his final baseball season with the Rams included a team-high .426 average, 18 RBIs, 13 runs made and 19 steals, all team-best. He also leads in pitched innings (36.2) and has only had six strikeouts in nearly 70 plate appearances.
It’s been a rebuilding season for the Rams, however, with youngsters across the field and few seniors, though it does mean Keizer takes on a different role.
“We raised a lot of young people and I had the privilege of mentoring them and introducing them to college,” he said. “I knew from my freshman year that more than a quarter of the baseball team would graduate by my senior year.”
As the postseason approaches for every MHSAA spring sport, sometimes decisions must be made about whether or not to compete in one sport or another when scheduling conflicts arise.
The Division 4 State Athletics Championships will be held in Hudsonville on Saturday, June 3. Mackinaw City will travel to Rudyard on Friday, June 2 to visit baseball counties, although Harbor Springs will be hosting counties that same Saturday.
For now, Keizer will just focus on getting some practice time before decision day arrives.
“Yeah, probably some weekend practice for sure,” he said with a smile.