Lake effect contributed to winter's accumulative 135.5 inches of snow this winter. But it was a different "Lake Effect" that had an impact downstate this winter.

GLEN LAKE EFFECT, the county AAU (under 13-years-old) girls
basketball team, has earned a bid to a national tournament after
going 21-4 this season. Pictured (back row, from left) are: coach
Stacy Martin, Elsa Finch, Ally Harriger, Taylor Martin, Carly Peyton,
coach Bob Ewing; (front row, from left) Paige Picard, Logan Popp,
Scotlyn Brengman, Sophie Ewing and Taylor Moore.

The “Glen Lake Effect,” the county’s U-13 girls basketball team, participated in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) and recently wrapped up its season with a 21-4 record, good enough for third in their age group statewide and a national tournament bid.

The team, comprised of seven girls from Glen Lake and two from Lake Leelanau St. Mary, is coached by Bob Ewing of Glen Arbor and Stacy Martin of Lake Ann.

“We wanted to work on the fundamentals and get the girls more experience,” said Ewing. “It makes a big difference when they get to be sophomores and juniors in high school.

“The Kingsley girls basketball team that was so successful this year had played together in AAU for the past five years.”

Team members are Glen Lake eighth graders Sophie Ewing, the daughter of coach Ewing; Taylor Martin, coach Martin’s daughter; and Ally Harriger, Carly Peyton, Paige Picard and Logan Popp. Seventh grader Scotlyn Brengman is also part of the team along with Elsa Finch of Suttons Bay and Taylor Moore of Lake Ann.

Finch and Moore are eighth graders at Lake Leelanau St. Mary.

“We had a great season,” said Elsa, daughter of Pete and Kathy Finch.

The season began between Thanksgiving and Christmas with girls practice twice a week in the gymnasium at the Glen Arbor Township hall or at Glen Lake School. Weekend tournaments were held at “Hangtime Sports” in Midland. There, the girls would play three games with a 30-minute break between each contest.

“These are quality teams which have 200 girls tryout and they’re able to pick out the cream of the crop,” Ewing said. “We got whomped pretty bad in some of our losses, but it was great experience.”

“Our 8th grade girls team went undefeated this season,” said Paige Picard. “We got a lot better through the AAU season and that translated to our (school) season.”

The weekend of March 8, the ‘Effect participated in a state tournament held at Hangtime and Northwood University and placed third. As a result the United States Specialty Sports Association has invited the girls to participate in a national tournament July 5-8 in Tampa, Fla.

It’s not yet decided whether the girls will travel out-of-state to compete this summer. Regardless, the experience gained has proven valuable on more than one level.

“Our team isn’t just a team, we’re a group of friends that love to spend extra time to play basketball,” Elsa said.