Collegiate stars endure preseason training on our dunes

By Maggie Meyers and Jacob Wheeler
Sun contributors
Late August is the time to think about returning to school — stock up on notebooks, pens and lunchboxes, and after months of sleeping in, actually obey the alarm clock and make a mad dash outside to catch the yellow bus. Or for college athletes, especially those whose seasons happen during the fall, late August can be the most grueling time of year.
The sweat-covered football player running stairs or bulking up in the weight room while dreaming about the Rose Bowl and all its California glory is a popular image. But if you’ve driven down country roads in Leelanau County this time of year, you’ve probably also come across entire college sports teams training, and bonding, in our midst, before their seasons kick into high gear.

For almost two decades now The Leelanau School, the private boarding school just north of Glen Arbor on M-22, has hosted collegiate athletic teams who choose to train amidst the beauty of Lake Michigan and the Sleeping Bear sand dunes, and among them a few semi-famous athletes. University of Michigan’s cross-country and track star Kevin Sullivan graced our presence during the mid-1990’s, gave pep talks to Leelanau School students and, legend has it, streaked the campus during one warm August evening to ring the senior bell. At the peak of his career Sullivan broke the four-minute mile and ran for Canada in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Michigan running coach Ron Warhurst initiated the preseason getaway in 1991 in order to help his team focus on the upcoming season. Since then, the women harriers and the Michigan volleyball team also have taken part in weeklong sessions here.
“Ann Arbor can be quite hectic this time of the year because of the massive amounts of people in town,” Warhurst says. “It’s kind of nice to get away from that, because we’re going to have to go back and face it for the next nine months. This is a nice enclosed area where we can really focus on what we’re doing.”
Both Michigan and Michigan State’s cross-country teams return to Leelanau every year, as well as appearances by teams ranging from small schools like Kellogg and Grand Valley State to powerhouses like the University of Virginia. Leelanau’s director of summer programs Duane Petty spearheaded the relationship with these collegiate athletic programs, and though he has vacated his post after more than 15 years, this unique local connection will likely continue.
“Futbol” aficionados were treated to a hard-fought exhibition match earlier this month at the Keystone Road complex in Traverse City between the Virginia and Notre Dame women’s soccer teams, both of which are ranked among the top 10 in the country. The lady Cavaliers, who reached the quarterfinals last year, have trained at The Leelanau School four times since 2001. Their connection with the area is that head coach Steve Swanson grew up in West Bloomfield and is married to Leland-native and the first Miss Basketball of Michigan (1982) Julie Polakowski, about whom local hoops guru Don Miller can rave for hours.
Coach Swanson has long considered Leelanau County a great environment for a team to both focus on training and promote togetherness among teammates. “From a coaching standpoint, Leelanau County has lots of attractions,” says Swanson. Access to Lake Michigan and the dunes are perfect settings for activities during the team’s downtime that help the players decompress and bond as a team.
Not to mention the cooler temperatures here in the Upper Midwest, whereas the weather in Virginia in August often reaches 100 degrees.
While at Leelanau the lady Cavaliers trained twice a day and bathed their aching legs in Sleeping Bear Bay after every practice because, Swanson says, the water “serves well to recover the girls’ legs” after arduous practices. That fit well with his metaphor of using this training period as “putting the boat in the water,” to set a good precedent for the coming season.
Being here “fosters growth for the team because we are so literally isolated and not spread out across a campus,” says senior midfielder Kara Frederick. That “creates a natural cohesion among the teammates, with nothing to do outside of practice but enjoy the area.”
The Cavaliers’ scrimmage against the Fighting Irish, who drove all the way from South Bend just for the match, ended in a 3-0 defeat, but the opportunity to watch top-notch Division 1 soccer in our backyard was no disappointment for locals. In fact, word of the match spread like gospel throughout southern Leelanau County, thanks in part to “Uncle Joe,” the University of Virginia bus driver, who dined at various local establishments and raved about the lady Cavaliers to anyone who would listen.
Coach Steve Swanson hopes this relationship with the area continues to thrive with the commitment of the school, the University of Virginia, and the local community. “Leelanau School has been as good a facility as we could ever hope to find. We get more done in one week’s time here than anywhere else including our own backyard. We are extremely fortunate to work with such accommodating folks.”
The Michigan Daily contributed to this report.