AUGUST 18 • 2022 | 45

DIANNE SCAFONE

“Lindsay wasn’t just a leader for our 
team on the court,” Dupret said. “She 
was a great role model who always 
made it a point to welcome new 
players to our program.”
Berke said the welcoming happened 
to her when she was a freshman, so 
she felt it was important to return the 
favor.
The team often did a couple minutes 
of meditation before practices during 
Berke’s junior season. The idea came 
from Dupret, a school psychologist.
Berke helped lead those sessions 
with the other captains, drawing on 
her own experience with meditation.
“It was mainly imagery when we did 
meditation that season. Closing your 
eyes and picturing yourself on the 
court, doing what you need to do to 
win,” she said. “I’m a firm believer in 
meditation.”
Berke maintained her perfect GPA 
and devoted the in-season and off-
season time needed to play tennis at a 

high level while holding down a part-
time job the last two years as a curb 
runner for takeout and now a hostess 
at Stage Deli in West Bloomfield 
Township.
“It took determination and time 
management for Lindsay to achieve 
what she did in high school,” Dupret 
said.
Michigan State University is the next 
stop in Berke’s academic career.
The 17-year-old doesn’t have an 
occupation in mind yet. Competitive 
tennis is definitely in her rearview 
mirror.
“I’ve always considered tennis 
more of a hobby than a career,” she 
said. “I’m sad that my days as a high 
school tennis player are over — the 
competition and bonding with my 
teammates were great — but it’s on to 
bigger and better things.” 

Please send sports news to stevestein502004@

yahoo.com.

Downtown 
Birmingham is 
the backdrop 
for this photo of 
Lindsay Berke.

Michigan Senior 
Olympics 
Weightlifting 
Champ Inspired 
by Hall of Famer

Mike Hartman couldn’t have a 
better weightlifting role model 
than Jeff Ellis.
That’s Jeff Ellis, the soon-to-
be inductee into the Michigan 
Senior Olympics Hall of Fame 
(Aug. 20) and winner of 19 gold medals in the 21 times he’s competed in the 
Michigan Senior Olympics.
Hartman, 62, a podiatrist from Bloomfield Hills, and Ellis, 63, a certified 
public accountant from West Bloomfield, are longtime friends and workout 
partners.
At Ellis’ urging, Hartman competed in weightlifting at the Michigan Senior 
Olympics earlier this year and won a gold medal in the age 60-64 heavy-
weight (230-245-pound) division with a 285-pound bench press.
Hartman also won a Michigan Senior Olympics gold medal in the age 
55-59 heavyweight division in 2019 with a 265-pound bench press, and a 
silver medal in 2019 in shot put.
“Jeff got me into competing in weightlifting at the Michigan Senior 
Olympics. He said there’s no way I’d lose,” Hartman said. “Competing in 
weightlifting is tough for me because I get nervous. Jeff doesn’t.
“He’s an inspiration to me because of everything he’s gone through,” 
Hartman said, noting Ellis is a colon cancer survivor and has overcome sev-
eral injuries in his journey to the Michigan Senior Olympics Hall of Fame.
Richard Hartman, Mike Hartman’s father, was a state champion and 
nationally ranked squash player.

Massive Compliments 
for Ex-Spartan Josh Nodler

Josh Nodler’s new coach thinks the 
world of him.
“Josh has great offensive instincts 
and plays a responsible two-way style,” 
University of Massachusetts hockey 
coach Greg Carvel said about the center 
from Oak Park in a story on the UMass 
website.
“We expect Josh to be one of our 
top centers and an important part of our 
special teams and the leadership of the 
team,” Carvel said.
The compliments are great news 
for Nodler, who played the last three seasons at Michigan State 
before transferring to UMass this summer.
The upcoming season is a huge one for Nodler, who was 
selected by the Calgary Flames in the fifth round (150th overall) of 
the 2019 NHL draft.
Nodler’s senior year in college will be his final chance to 
impress the Flames before a decision must be made on whether 
he’ll remain in the organization.
Nodler played in 99 games for Michigan State. He had 13 goals 
and 21 assists.
He earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2020-21 and 
2021-22 and he won the Michigan State team’s Amo Bessone 
Award for athletic and academic achievement and community 
involvement in 2020-21.

Josh Nodler

MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

Mike Hartman works out at LA Fitness 
in Troy.

JEFF ELLIS

continued on page 46