HART — Hart hosted a signing ceremony Thursday, May 7 at the high school to honor two athletes who are headed for the college level this next year: Grace Hallack, who will be a sideline cheerleader at Northern Michigan University, and Caleb Ackley, set to play basketball at Cornerstone University.
Hallack, who has cheered for Hart since middle school, said she didn’t expect to get the chance to continue to do so in college, but was eager to do so once she did.
“I never really thought I would be at the level to be able to continue after high school, but I knew that I should put myself out there because it would help me continue to make new friends and meet people up there in a new place,” Hallack said.
The NMU Wildcats have a strong sports culture, particularly in football and hockey, the main two sports Hallack said she will be on the sidelines cheering for. She said she’s looking forward to the atmosphere, as well as living in Marquette, where there are plenty of outdoor activities to enjoy.
“It just felt like the place I was supposed to be,” Hallack said.
Hallack said she will be majoring in hospitality leadership with the idea of a career in the restaurant or food service industry.
Ackley, who became a 1,000-point career scorer during this season’s district tournament, said Cornerstone has been recruiting him since his junior season and he is looking forward to joining a team that strikes him as being very tight-knit. He said he’ll major in business management at Cornerstone.
“I love the coaches there and they have a great program going,” Ackley said. “The guys are super tight on the team. It’s everything you look for when you look for a college team...That’s super important on a basketball team. If you’re not close off the court, you’re not going to be close on the court. That was a big thing that helped me make the decision.”
Ackley played center for the Pirates during his career and said he’ll probably play power forward and possibly out on the wing at times in college. He said he is looking forward to the challenge.
“I’ll have to make some adjustments,” Ackley said. “That comes with moving up a level in basketball, but I think how I play is going to fit right in. Obviously I’ll fine-tune a few things, and I’ll be ready.”
