When Hailey McDonald was a freshman, she just wanted to make varsity rosters and earn some playing time.
The recent New Baltimore Anchor Bay graduate did that and much more for the Tars.
McDonald, who is a twin sister to Autumn, earned eight varsity letters playing both basketball and softball for Anchor Bay. And created plenty of memories and earned several championships along the way.
“I had to earn some playing time as a freshman, but I worked hard to get to where I am now. I think everyone on my teams did that,” said McDonald, whose twin sister Autumn will play basketball in Michigan at Olivet University. “We had some highs and lows but we still had a lot of fun.”
This past softball season, McDonald, who played centerfield the past several years, earned All-Macomb Area Conference Red Division, All-District, All-Region and Division 1 All-State Honorable Mention honors for a team that finished 31-5, was ranked as high as No. 2 in the state in Division 1, and captured three straight MAC Red titles, including a perfect 12-0 record this season.
Her Tars were upset by Macomb Dakota (7-5) in the district finals after sweeping the Cougars in the regular season.
On the basketball court, McDonald was known for her smooth-shooting from the paint as a power forward and using her 5-foot-10 frame to snare rebounds with authority. She helped the Tars win back-to-back MAC White Division championships in girls basketball – and more importantly – finish 22-3 this past winter and help the program win its first district since the fall 1989 season. Anchor Bay also reached the Division 1 regional finals before falling in overtime to Fraser.
McDonald was tabbed All-MAC White Division Honorable Mention as a senior on a senior-heavy girls basketball team.
She also played junior varsity volleyball as a freshman before giving up that sport.
McDonald was honored as being issued the school’s Sportsmanship Award, given to one female and one male student-athlete each school year for stellar play, grades, leadership and attitude throughout their respective careers.
McDonald also got it done in the classroom, ranking in the top 20 in her class with a stellar 4.201 GPA.
She played summer travel ball with Firecrackers for six years. This year’s team reached the semifinals at one tournament in June, but injuries took its toll and the team did not capture any championships over the past couple of months. Her travel ball came to an end last weekend.
“We had some injuries and played a lot of tournaments with just nine players. Things didn’t necessarily go our way,” she said. “It’s funny but at one of the tournament it started to get really windy and eventually there was a small tornado (near North Ridgeville, Ohio). That was scary. But that is just one of the memories of my career.”
Anchor Bay senior forward Hailey McDonald (32) helped the Tars win league championships this past year in both girls basketball and softball and to a combined 53-8 record. (GEORGE SPITERI — For MediaNews Group, file)
McDonald will have plenty of more memories come out of her playing career in the future. She committed last summer to NCAA Division I Oakland University to play softball in the Horizon League. She signed this past winter with the Golden Grizzlies.
“Oakland was one of the first school’s that recruited me, and being local it was one of the few that I really considered,” said McDonald. “I want to go into Health and Human Services and be an occupational therapist. Oakland has a great (curriculum) for that. Plus, my parents can still see me play at Oakland and in the (Horizon League). That is something that is important to me. My family has always been very supportive for me and my siblings.
“It will be strange because my sister and I were always together,” continued McDonald. “With sports and except for 3-4 classes, we have always been together. I’ll be Oakland and she’ll be down at Olivet. It will seem a little strange.”
McDonald and her stellar senior classes time at Anchor Bay has come to a close. But a new chapter awaits on the horizon.
“I had a great four years at Anchor Bay and we made some great memories in both sports,” recalled McDonald. “We won the first district in a long time in basketball and I know we wanted to go much further in softball. Sometimes it doesn’t always work out. It still stings a little bit. It doesn’t always work out.
“But we still had a lot of fun along the way,” she added.