Jaclyn Shetterly makes it to state...

One of the most wonderful things about age is that it allows you the chance to sit back and enjoy kids succeed in athletic endeavors. It might be at little league. It could be in a sport other that football, basketball, baseball or hockey.

What is really wonderful is that sometimes, you actually know the kid!

Sometimes they sneak up on you while you're reading the newspaper.

This happened to me recently as I thumbed through my Muskegon Chronicle over breakfast.

There it was...courtesy of writer Dave Tomczak

The future of girls high school swimming in West Michigan has arrived, or at the very least, it's getting started.

Starting on Friday, 22 area girls will be heading to state meets, 13 of which are either sophomores or freshmen.

In Division 1, Grand Haven's Gretchen Spoelman (sophomore) will swim the 100 freestyle, 100 breaststroke and 200 medley and freestyle relays, while Muskegon Catholic Central freshman Carolyn Neville will compete in Division 2 in the 100 freestyle.

In Division 3, Ludington sophomore's Julianna Rhodes and Beth Sonefeld will join freshman Jordan Evans in the 200 freestyle relay, Fremont sophomore Destiny Noordyk will swim the 100 backstroke and sophomores Meg Bouman (100 freestyle and three relays), Laura Lukkari (two relays) and Erin Kuster (200 freestyle relay) will represent Spring Lake.

Leading the way in this youth movement is the freshman foursome of Jacklyn Shetterly, Samantha Kuipers, Sarah Hunt and Emily Brown of Mona Shores.

Whoa! Back up Ron!

Jaclyn Shetterly - headed to state!

A little more reading and I learned...

Hunt, Brown and Shetterly also join Morgan Thompson in the 200 freestyle relay, while individually, Shetterly will race in the 100 freestyle and Kuipers swims in the 100 breaststroke.

Very cool!

You see, Jaclyn's dad is Ray Shetterly. "Ramone" - to his friends...

He's the guy that I called one day several years back when I snagged press passes to a Notre Dame football game.

Ray was my nemeses during those days when the Michigan-Notre Dame game was truly an event. He's Green and Gold. I'm Maize and Blue.

When I received the passes, I called and asked Ray what he was doing on the upcoming Saturday. As it turned out, he was free. So I sprung the question, but noted a caveat.

"Ray - would you like to go watch the Irish...from the press box?"

Naturally, he accepted.

But then I warned him. "You have to remember, there is no cheering in the press box."

So off we went to the game. We pulled South Bend, then parked about 25 feet away from the classic structure. Press passes also meant press parking. This was back in the days before the remodel. So we got to ride up to the box in that old freight elevator that they used. Certainly not one of today's modern stainless steel cubes designed to rocket one to the top of the world, it was a leisurely ride.

We were deposited in the old plywood-like structure that sat atop the stands. Our seats were in the front of the box - somewhere around the thirty-five yard line.

Ray's eyes were wide. I'd been here before, thanks to my friend Dick Kishpaugh, so I was a vet.

Shortly after kickoff - Ray asked if I wanted something to eat. I said sure. He asked what they were serving, and what it cost.

Hot dogs, chips and soda. And there was no charge.

"Really?"

"Ray," I said, "you've got to remember, we're working press. Notre Dame wants us here so we can write wonderful things about the team and promote the University."

"Sometime during the first half, some folks behind us let out loud "Go Irish" as the team did something great on that historic field that lie below. Almost on cue, a young ND undergrad wandered down, tapped on the gentleman's shoulder, and politely reminded these lads that this was a working press box, and there would be no cheering."

Ray leaned in and said, "I guess you weren't kidding."

Then - a short time later, he leaned in again with a remark that I'll remember until the end of my days.

"They don't know we're just two regular guys from Muskegon."

Ray was right. That's really all we were. Two regular guys from Muskegon.

The Irish won that game, as I remember. We also took home a copy of Notre Dame's press guide that day - another courtesy of the university.

On the way home, I asked Ray if he wanted to stop off someplace for dinner. On this afternoon, however, Ray wanted to get back. Plans were to go shopping with his girlfriend.

Julie, it turned out, would be the "one". These days, it's the two of them that dash off to some athletic venue.

But now, the game has even more meaning, as it now involves a participant that is a little more personal.

Congratulations Jaclyn!