SHARON (SANDERS) BADE

Sharon Sanders was a three-sport athlete at Dwight D. Eisenhower High School, earning 10 letters in volleyball, basketball and track. She was a three-time Saginaw News All-Area first team selection in volleyball. She helped lead Eisenhower to a Class B state runner-up finish in 1979 and a state championship in 1980 as a first team All-State selection. She received first team All-Conference  honors all four years. In basketball Sanders was a two-time Saginaw News All-Area first team selection and a two-time first team All-Conference pick. She was named team MVP her junior and senior seasons as she averaged 17 points-per-game. In track, she holds the Eisenhower school record for the 200-meters, 400-meters and the long jump and qualified for the state meet in four events her senior year.  During her career at Ike she was named All-White Pine Conference 10 times. Sanders received a full volleyball scholarship to Ferris State University where she earned Ferris State’s first volleyball NCAA Division II All-American honors twice. She was named Bulldog of the Year in 1984 and Female Athlete of the Year in 1985. She led Ferris to a 48-3 record in her senior year and was a three-time All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Conference selection (1982, ’83, ’84), and a two-time selection to the NCAA All-Tournament team. She holds the Ferris record with 1,440 assists in a season while compiling 4,954 for her career. FSU won three consecutive conference titles and the Bulldogs were 150-45 in her four years. She was Ferris State’s captain for two years (1983 and ’84) and MVP three consecutive years (1982, ‘83’ 84).  Sanders, a member of the Ferris State University Sports Hall of Fame, would go on to a successful volleyball coaching career, racking up an impressive 530-219-39 record. She is one of only 27 coaches in the state of Michigan to achieve 500-plus wins. In 2004-05, she was the Saginaw News Dream Team Coach of the Year and the state’s Regional Coach of the Year in 2007. Since 2006, Bade has qualified for the Boston Marathon eight consecutive years, completing the marathon seven times.