Athletes and sports events of 2016 revisited

As reported in the Press Box

By Kristy Noack

January

The year in sports kicked off with the Saturday, January 2 Run, Frosty, Run event. The 5k run, 5k walk, and 10k run, which benefited the Watervliet Athletic Boosters, took off from North Elementary School with clear roads but chilly temperatures.

Watervliet girls’ varsity basketball’s inaugural holiday tournament was won by White Pigeon. They topped runner-up Hartford 40-34.

The Lady Comets of Coloma lost 51-26 to Buchanan. Morgan Wagner scored 11 points for Coloma.

Jordan Jobe earned his 100th win on the wrestling mat in mid-December at South Haven.

Watervliet wrestling claimed third place at the Berrien Springs invitational.  First place championships were won by Reese Jones, Jake Speck, Jordan Jobe, and David Curl.

Hartford’s Freddie Burtchett wrestled to a second place finish in the 119 lb. weight class at the Jim Wade Family Classic in Climax-Scotts.

Zach Goodline was named to the All-Tournament team at the Earl McKie Holiday Tournament in boys’ basketball. In Coloma’s opening game against Paw Paw, Goodline scored 28 points.

In their loss against Bridgman, Goodline and Caleb McDaniel led Coloma by scoring 11 points each.

The Tri-City Record Armchair Quarterback contest featured a three-way tie for first place. RoxAnn Rodney-Isbrecht, Greg Krell, and Tom Gear all held 105-47 records as the football season began to wane.

Hartford and Watervliet boys’ varsity basketball teams met up courtside in early January. Watervliet won 58-51 after an incredible matchup.  The Panthers were led by Matt Winter; he scored 18 points and had eight rebounds.  Hartford’s high scorer was Joe Cleary with 19 points.

Hartford topped Lawrence in girls’ basketball 48-40. The Indians were led by Tia Thomas, who scored eight points.

The Lady Comets lost 37-32 to Saugatuck after leading 16-15 at the half.

Coloma whipped Hartford wrestling 54-17 in Eau Claire. In one of the most exciting matches of the event, Hartford’s Freddie Burtchett and Coloma’s Hunter Mazigian battled in the 125 lb. weight class. Burtchett had led 10-2 after the second period but was pinned by Mazigian at 5:03.

At that same dual, Hartford beat Eau Claire and won 42-18. Coloma fought Marcellus and won 50-30.

The Coloma and Watervliet wrestling teams participated in the Fruitport tournament on January 9. Watervliet took second place; Coloma finished in 13th place.

Watervliet wrestlers had a bonanza of scoring against Fennville. The Panthers rolled to a 59-0 win after they pinned seven opponents in eight matches.

RoxAnn Rodney-Isbrecht claimed first place in the Tri-City Record Armchair Quarterback contest after posting a perfect 8-0 week.

Hartford wrestled in the Parchment Super Duals. The Indians lost 42-30 to New Buffalo and 48-30 to Central Montcalm.  In a difficult outing against Schoolcraft, Hartford lost 72-12.

Coloma basketball was outdueled in their game against Saugatuck 62-55. Skyler Brown scored 10 points for Coloma.

Watervliet struggled with turnovers in their game against South Haven and went on to post a 70-34 loss.  Stuart Yates led Watervliet with 11 points. He went a perfect four for four from the charity stripe.

The Hartford Indians faced Fennville in girls’ basketball action and won 56-47. Mariah Mireles was the Indians’ high scorer with 14 points. She grabbed four steals.

A rough second period for Coloma allowed opponent Gobles to run away with the ball game, 51-38; Caleb McDaniel and Tevon Blazier scored four points each for Coloma.

Gobles gobbled up the girls’ varsity team from Coloma 53-19. Coloma scored three points in the first period.  Kelly Walter, Hannah Mathis, and Kayla Yore chipped in three points each for the Comets.

The Coloma wrestling squad traveled to Decatur for a Southwestern Athletic Conference quad against Decatur and Constantine. Coloma lost 65-18 to Decatur. Sergio Hernandez, Jamane Smith, and Dylan LeClear won their contested matches. Coloma also fell to Constantine 51-30.

Hartford wrestling was bested by Bloomingdale and Bangor squads. Against Bangor, Freddie Burtchett, Sam Shank, and Luke Birkhead won their respective matches.  Jesus Sanchez was the only Indian to secure a win in a contested match against Bloomingdale.

The Lady Panthers were nipped by Fennville 45-35. Watervliet was led by Logan Mizwicki, who scored 14 points.

Fennville’s varsity basketball squad took advantage of Watervliet turnovers and beat the Panthers 72-57. Bradley Alden scored 16 points for Watervliet.

Against Bangor, Watervliet came bursting onto the court and won 70-54. Bradley Alden dominated on the court with 25 points for Watervliet.

Bangor was blown off the court by Watervliet, as the Lady Panthers won 51-19 at home. Even short a few players as the Miss Watervliet pageant dress rehearsal was taking place, the Watervliet squad did not miss a beat. Katie Schultz led the Panthers with 11 points.

Watervliet wrestled their way to a 42-30 win over Galesburg-Augusta. Klayton Marshall, Reese Jones, Dylan Lynch, Dominick Tavolacci, Jordan Jobe, and Josh Dale all won their matches.

The Panthers participated in the Hudson Super 16 wrestling invitational on January 16.

Tim Hildebrand and Chris Leach posted perfect 4-0 records in the Tri-City Record Armchair Quarterback contest for week 21 competition.

Coloma’s Blake Williams, Anthony Adkins, and Jamane Smith won first place honors at the Quincy wrestling invitational on Saturday, January 23.

Watervliet basketball won an easy home game over Eau Claire 66-47. Daniel Cluster scored 20 points and snagged 10 rebounds.

Watervliet’s girls’ varsity basketball team whipped Eau Claire 48-11. Casie Gohr and Katie Schultz double-teamed for nine points and six steals apiece.

Hartford’s Coaches vs. Cancer fundraiser helped raise over $3,600 in t-shirt sales alone. Ally Sinclair led Hartford on the court with 12 points in the team’s 38-29 loss to Schoolcraft.

Coloma hosted Southwestern Athletic Conference quad action and beat Bangor 42-33 and Bloomingdale 53-24.

Hartford grapplers were downed by Constantine 72-12. Freddie Burtchett and Sam Shank were the only Hartford wrestlers to win their matches.

Watervliet wrestlers lost to Lawton and Schoolcraft in quad action.

With Mariah Mireles at the helm, the Hartford basketball team topped Bangor 56-28.

Kalamazoo Christian clipped Coloma 62-44 in a battle of the Comets.

Watervliet tallied their third straight win on the court after defeating Lawrence 43-40. The Lady Panthers scored 15 points in the fourth period for the late game win.

Hartford lost 80-42 to Schoolcraft in boys’ basketball action.

Watervliet’s Matt Melcher won fourth place in the 189 lb. weight class at the Marcellus Invitational. He lost a 6-5 decision to Dylan Panther of East Jackson.

February

The Coloma boys’ and girls’ bowling teams garnered first place honors in the 2016 Southern Lake Michigan High School Bowling Conference.

Coloma’s varsity squad met Southwestern Athletic Conference foe Bangor for a lively, defense-strong game that resulted in a 66-61 overtime victory for the Comets. Levi Wilkens, who had a couple of clutch shots, scored 12 points including three 3-pointers.

Coloma and Watervliet wrestlers participated in the Berrien County Wrestling Invitational.  The Panthers finished in seventh place, while the Comets ended their day in 14th place. Watervliet’s David Curl was the highest area finisher. He took home second place after losing the heavyweight championship match to Jason Craig of Lawton by a 4-1 score.

The Lady Comets were bested by Bangor 36-34 in overtime. Morgan Wagner led Coloma with 14 points including the team’s only 3-pointer. She also bore the brunt of Bangor’s 17 team fouls. Wagner attempted 14 free throws, hitting nine (64%).

Hartford suffered a painful 62-28 loss at Gobles. It was the team’s second loss to Gobles this season. Mariah Mireles led Hartford with 12 points.

A check for $2,500 was presented to Coloma Basketball from Modern Woodman Fraternal Financial Representative Thomas Holmes. The donation was part of a matching fund program by MW.

The Indians held on for a 68-57 road win over Gobles.

Watervliet’s girls’ basketball team saw their three-game winning streak snapped when they suffered a 53-35 loss to Delton-Kellogg.  Watervliet is 6-6 this season.

Shane Stineman hit a 3-pointer on a dish from Jonathon Castro to begin Hartford’s basketball game against Brandywine. Unfortunately, the Indians would lose the contest 67-46.

Coloma’s dismal 36% shooting from the free throw line, coupled with struggles on defense all night, helped give Comstock a 46-22 win. Kelly Walter scored seven points for the Comets.

Hartford wrestlers traveled to Comstock for individual tournament action. The Indians finished seventh out of 12 participating schools.

The last week of competition in the TCR Armchair Quarterback contest has RoxAnn Rodney-Isbrecht, Tom Gear, and Tim Hildebrand selecting Carolina to win the Super Bowl. Greg Krell, Rodney Lynch, and Chris Leach all picked Denver for the win.

Watervliet faced a 9-2 Saugatuck team at home as part of the schools’ Winterfest celebration. The game marked the second time this season the Panthers took on the Indians, an also resulted in the second loss for Watervliet. The Panthers were outscored 61-50.

Grace Christian basketball played three home games this week. They lost 72-28 to Granger Christian, topped Athens Factoryville Christian 56-25, and were defeated 76-37 by Marcellus Howardsville Christian.

Coloma cagers cruised to a 68-54 Winterfest win over Hartford. Zach Goodline score 33 for Coloma. Shane Stineman led Hartford with 13 points.

David Curl, a Watervliet senior, signed a letter of intent to play football at Ferris State University.

The Watervliet Athletic Boosters happily accepted a check from the Southwest Michigan RACERS in the amount of $2,300. The proceeds from the Run, Frosty, Run event will benefit the sports programs at Watervliet.

The Trent McKinney Memorial wrestling invitational was held in early February. The quad featured teams from Coloma, Eau Claire, Gobles, and Watervliet. Watervliet topped Coloma 42-27. The Panthers defeated Gobles 31-30. Coloma beat Eau Claire 72-6.

The Watervliet girls’ basketball team enjoyed a home win over SAC rival Coloma, completing a two-game sweep of the Comets this season. The Lady Panthers scored a 34-27 victory over the Lady Comets.

Lexi Kieft gave Watervliet seven points, five assists, and two steals.

Watervliet’s Winterfest fun was dimmed by the Lady Panthers 60-47 loss to Saugatuck. Katie Schultz scored 16 points and was credited with four rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block.

Hartford hoopsters crushed Coloma 48-19 during the Comets’ Winterfest celebration. The Lady Comets scored one point in the first period. Hartford had three players post 10 points or more on the scoreboard.  Mariah Mireles led the Indians with 14 points. Tia Thomas chipped in 12 points, and Ally Sinclair drained 11 points.

The Harford wrestling team faced some pretty tough competition in their 45-8 loss to Marcellus. Herik Garcia won his 119 lb. match against Rochelle Zachrich in a 17-1 technical fall. Sam Shank won a 9-5 decision in the 140 lb. weight class.

Hartford’s competitive cheer team finished fifth in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. The team tied with Bloomingdale and Lawrence as recipients of the Good Sportsmanship Award. Madelyn MacMillan earned First Team All-Conference recognition. Brittney Smith was awarded Second Team honors, and Janell Babcock received an Honorable Mention nod.

Coloma, Hartford, and Watervliet grapplers participated in the SAC individual wrestling tournament in Bangor. Coloma’s Jamane Smith won third place honors in the 189 lb. weight class after his 7-6 victory over Marcellus’s Skyler Hawkins. Watervliet’s Cody Reese also finished third. He won an 8-3 decision over Bangor’s Josh Ruaks in the 119 lb. weight class. David Curl of Watervliet took third place on a 16-1 technical fall over Bangor’s Trevor Hiatt in the heavyweight class. Reese Jones, of Watervliet, beat Jordan Tutt of Martin 5-4 in the 125 lb. weight class.

The Lake Michigan Admirals played an energetic game against the Grand Rapids Cyclones at Covert High School and won 132-97.

Six area wrestlers move on to regional individual competition. In Division 3 districts, Coloma sophomore Jamane Smith (189) and senior Hunter Mazigian (125) took second and fourth place honors, respectively. In Division 4 districts, Watervliet senior David Curl (heavyweight), sophomore Klayton Marshall (112), senior Reese Jones (130) and Cody Reese (119) advance to regionals. Curl won second place, while Marshall and Jones finished third, and Reese took fourth.

Hartford sank Lake Michigan Catholic 60-45 in girls’ varsity basketball.

Watervliet dominated Marcellus in an easy 69-33 win. The Panther offense was in fine form as the team drained eight 3-pointers, 18 field goals, and shot 75% from the free throw line.

Fans got their monies worth as Coloma hosted Buchanan in a varsity basketball contest. It took two overtime periods before a winner was declared. The plucky Buchanan squad eked out a 68-66 victory over Coloma.  Grant Kroschel scored eight points.

Mariah Mireles netted a double double as Hartford defeated Decatur 52-27.  Mireles scored 21 points and had 10 steals.  She was also credited with three assists.

The Lady Panthers lost 46-42 to Marcellus, dropping their second game in a row. Watervliet racked up 24 turnovers and shot 28% from the field.

Team wrestling at the district level end without a local title in sight; Coloma, Hartford, and Watervliet were unable to capture team district titles this year and will not move on to regionals.

Reese Jones earned his 100th career wrestling win during the individual districts held in Lawton. He earned a third place finish in the 130 lb. weight class and advanced to regionals.

Coloma’s competitive cheer squad captured second place in Division 3-4. The team scored 621.94 points at St. Joe’s Cheer by the Pier III event.

The conference matchup between Hartford and Watervliet in Indian Territory made for an excellent girls’ basketball duel. The final minute of the game was a battle as the teams traded fouls and turnovers. Watervliet drew to within two, but with 3.0 seconds left, Hartford sealed the 45-41 overtime win.

Klayton Marshall, Reese Jones, and David Curl bowed out of regional wrestling competition. The Watervliet athletes ended their respective seasons on Saturday, February 20 at Kent City.

Coloma’s Hunter Mazigian and Jamane Smith fell in individual regional wrestling competition as well. The duo ended their seasons at Hopkins.

Hartford scored a 52-44 Winterfest win over Watervliet on the court.

Coloma basketball dropped two games. The Lady Panthers lost 46-30 to Berrien Springs and 51-31 to Saugatuck.

District matches have been set for girls’ varsity basketball. Coloma will face Berrien Springs. Watervliet drew a first round bye and will await the winner of the Buchanan vs. Cassopolis matchup.  Hartford will tangle with district host Bangor. Grace Christian meets up with host Lawrence.

Hartford Speedway has announced they will gear up dirt track racing for the 2016 season on May 20. Dos springs, modifieds, stock cars, and cyber stocks will all hit the track in the season opener.

The Coloma girls’ bowling team walked off with a Kalamazoo Valley Association conference championship title, while the boys’ bowling team was named co-conference champs.

First Team All-Conference honors in bowling were awarded to Coloma’s Danny Clearly, Michael Pellerito, Dustin Ikerd, Zach Heater, Amanda Armstrong, Lainey Meader, and Sabrina Ball. Alyssa Blankenship and Zack Swisher were named Second Team All-Conference winners.

Hartford notched a 60-45 victory of the Lake Michigan Catholic Lakers. Harford’s Paige Doyle scored 10 points.

The Indians traveled to Saugatuck to take on the 15-3 Indians in a conference matchup. Hartford lost 53-47. AJ Jackson and Destini Mireles scored four points each for Hartford.

Gobles displayed their impressive skill set, showing the Lady Panthers why they are undefeated. Watervliet lost to the Tigers 54-19.  According to Watervliet coach Jeff Riley, the Lady Panthers “fell victim to Gobles’ half court pressure defense” and racked up 20 turnovers.

March

Hartford opens district tourney with a first round overtime win against host Bangor. After regulation ended in a 42-42 tie, Hartford’s Amara Wesaw came up big in the five-point overtime. She drained a 3-pointer as time dwindled, which gave Hartford the 47-42 win.

Coloma drew Berrien Springs in Class B District 33 competition at Dowagiac. Coloma was outpaced 60-33 by the Lady Shamrocks to end their season.

Grace Christian drew host Lawrence in district action. Grace was defeated 68-20 in a tough game.

Watervliet’s girls’ varsity basketball team celebrated Senior Night with a 56-48 victory over visiting Fennville. The seniors on Watervliet’s varsity squad include Hannah Armstrong, Lexi Kieft, and Karlee Liles.

Hartford powered their way to a 46-41 victory over Fennville. The Indians were led by Mariah Mireles who scored 26 points.

The Lake Michigan Admirals posted a 125-110 victory over Danville. The game, held at the Watervliet High School gym, was a fundraiser for the Watervliet softball program. The event raised $2,500.

Watervliet won their second game of the week. They notched a 35-22 win over Bangor.  Defense was the name of the game, as the Lady Panthers held their opponent to four points in the first period.

Coloma ran into a brick wall of sorts in the form of the undefeated, 20-0 Gobles basketball squad. The Lady Comets lost 45-22. Morgan Wagner scored 14 of Coloma’s 22 points including two 3-pointers.

Watervliet played their final home game of the 2015-2016 season against Fennville.  Watervliet offensive miscues led to a 51-42 loss for the Panthers.

Cam Rendo and Stuart Yates scored five points each.

Coloma suffered a rough week on the basketball court. The Comets lost 65-62 to Gobles and 50-42 to Constantine. Both contests were road games.

Coloma notched a 60-54 victory over Bangor. Coloma trailed at the half but outscored Bangor 16-11 in the third period.

Coloma celebrated Senior Night with a tough loss to Decatur. The Comets dropped the game 52-42.

District basketball for boys opens with Coloma taking on Benton Harbor, Hartford will face Kalamazoo Christian, Watervliet meets up with Bridgman, and Grace Christian tangles with Three Oaks River Valley.

Hartford defeated Kalamazoo Hackett in district semi-finals by a score of 44-42 in overtime.  All five overtime points came at the free throw line. AJ Jackson scored 10 points for the Indians. She did a nice job under the net racking up 10 rebounds.

Thrilling is the only word to describe Hartford’s run for the Class C district championship.  The Indians, who secured a bid for the championship after two overtime wins Monday and Wednesday, suffered a heartbreaking, three-overtime 65-62 loss to Gobles. Mariah Mireles scored 24 points. Ally Sinclair added 11 points and eight rebounds. Tia Thomas chipped in eight points.

The Lady Panthers crept by Cassopolis in Class C district semi-final action at New Buffalo. Watervliet got the 41-38 win over an aggressive Cass squad. Katie Schultz scored 16 points for the Panthers.

After a first round bye and semi-final game win over Cassopolis, Watervliet faced Brandywine in the Class C district championship. Brandywine outscored and outplayed Watervliet for the 59-19 win. According to Watervliet head coach Jeff Riley, “Brandywine pressure caused 33 Panther turnovers.” Watervliet ended their season 10-12 overall.

Coloma was clobbered by Benton Harbor in first round Class B district basketball.  Coloma, a young team led by freshman Zach Goodline, mustered only five victories all season. Benton Harbor defeated Coloma 82-32.

Watervliet suffered their final loss of the season against Bridgman in Class C district basketball. The Panthers lost 82-65. Bradley Alden led Watervliet with 31 points.

Hartford faced Class C district competition host Kalamazoo Christian and walked out of the gym with a 46-45 victory. Kalamazoo Christian led 36-31 after three periods, but Hartford surged back with a 15-point fourth period, including a 3-point bucket by Shane Stineman with seconds remaining in the game that gave the Indians the lead. Kalamazoo took one more shot but it failed to fall true, and Hartford moved on to semi-final action.

The Coloma baseball team will hold a meet and greet for fans that bleed green and gold. Coach Kevin VanPetegham’s varsity squad will be introduced and will also host an instructional clinic for any youth baseball players.

Hartford’s boys’ varsity basketball ended their season with 71-47 loss to undefeated Kalamazoo Hackett in the Class C district championship game.  The Indians topped Kalamazoo Christian in first round action and then defeated Gobles 57-46 in the semi-final game. Against Hackett, Shane Stineman led Hartford with 12 points.  Emon Johnson scored 10.

Grace Christian won their first round Class D district basketball game 45-42 over Three Oaks River Valley. That victory gave the Patriots a semi-final berth against Lake Michigan Catholic. In that contest, Grace suffered a 75-17 loss and bowed out of post season basketball play.

Hartford Physical Education teacher Ben Kain has been hired as the varsity football coach for the Indians. Kain replaced Jason Fiacco, who helmed the Hartford squad for one season.

The Coloma girls’ and boys’ varsity bowling teams qualified for their respective state tournament held at Airport Lanes in Jackson.

Sabrina Ball bowled her way to a runner-up individual state title in Division 3 bowling competition. Zack Heater also qualified for individual state competition; Heater finished 23rd.

Coloma’s girls’ bowling team lost their semi-final match 1285-1179 to Alma. The boys’ bowling team did not make it into the finals.

The Renaissance Athletic Club in Benton Harbor will host a spring break performance camp. The five-day session will focus on flexibility, balance, ACL injury prevention, abdominal strength, and multidirectional agility.

Practices for spring sports opened for area teams. Spring sports include softball, baseball, girls’ soccer, and track and field.

Grace Christian softball, under the direction of head coach John Jewell, will seek a district title in 2016. Jaidyn Hutsell will be the starting pitcher for the Lady Patriots.

Coloma’s boys’ and girls’ track and field teams, both coached by Bruce Dings, have one thing in common: they are deep in numbers. Forty-two young men join the squad including Caleb McDaniel who finished seventh in the state in the 400 meters. He was also the Wolverine Conference champion in the long jump.

Hartford girls’ soccer features seven returning players to this year’s squad. The team is also adding eight new players to the roster. The team is coached by Nick Blackmer.

Watervliet’s girls’ track team is poised for a fantastic season. Coached by Ben Iliff, the squad returns two state qualifiers: Melissa Swanson and Brittney Johnson. Swanson is a conference champ in the 100 and 300 meters, while Johnson earned regional champion honors in the 3200 meters.

Brad Manning will lead the Hartford boys’ track and field team. Of the 30 plus students on the team, half are freshmen.

Watervliet football will once again host the smartest fundraiser in town: Trivia Night! All proceeds benefit the Watervliet football program. Sponsor a table for $100 and invite nine of your friends to join in the fun. Cash prize is $200 for the smartest group!

Coloma has introduced its varsity baseball squad. The five seniors on the team include Elliott Danneffel, Anthony Adkins, Justin Pullins, Chase Potter, and Troy Simpson. The team is under the direction of head coach Kevin VanPeteghem.

Maya Mireles scored three goals in Hartford’s season opening 7-0 drubbing of Cassopolis.

Watervliet varsity baseball coach Josh Tremblay will look to his seniors for leadership. Seven players are returning from last year’s squad and five rookies join the team. The seniors on the squad include: Nick Brant, Blake Kiekenapp, Brandin Legon, Kyler Kiekenapp, Alex Lefor, and Kody Riley.

Hartford’s baseball team has a new coach and new attitude.  First-year coach Danny Brinistool returns eight veterans. Two new first-year seniors, Fil Garcia and Brendan Nelson, join the team. Lincoln Gendron and Devin Oldham will share pitching duties for the Indians.

Watervliet girls’ soccer coach Chad Scheel has six returning and 15 new players on his squad. Senior Hannah Armstrong, a center midfielder, is sharing team captain duties with junior keeper Casie Gohr and senior center back Brittany Collins.

Rachel Chambers will anchor the Hartford girls’ track and field team, coached by Doug Paran.  Chambers will be joined by junior Amber Martin who will throw the discus and shot put and handle the high jump duties. Martin was the lone Indian to participate in the state finals last year.

April

The track and field teams from Watervliet opened their season with a home meet against Bangor. Both teams nabbed first place finishes. The young men beat Bangor 71-65, while the ladies topped the Vikings 71-60. Lamarrius Smith earned first place in the high jump, long jump, and 100 meters. Riley Engle notched a first place finish in the 400 meters. High stepping Haydon Richards finished first in the 300 meter hurdles.  Bradley Alden was fleet of foot and garnered a first place win in the 200 meter dash. Brendan Daly and Jobe Kerr finished one-two in the 800 meters. Allie Pazera scored a first place finish in the high jump. Caley Simmons topped 13’ for first place in the long jump. Macy Dabicci vaulted her way to a first place finish. Vickie Smith took first place in the 100 meter and 300 meter hurdles. Melissa Swanson took first in the 100 meter dash. Swanson also took first in the 200 meter race.

Coloma baseball opened their season by splitting a doubleheader with Dowagiac. Coloma lost the first game 4-3 but won the second game 3-2.  Dylan LeClear led Coloma with four singles.

Watervliet softball has a new coach. Tom Golden has taken the reins of the Lady Panther squad this season. Eight returning players, six of whom are seniors, will be joined by five juniors and one freshman.

Coloma girls’ varsity soccer opened their season with a 9-0 shutout of New Buffalo. Tristen Howard recorded the clean sheet. Tristin Hicks led Coloma with three goals.

Watervliet blanked Cassopolis 6-0 to get their first win of the season on the soccer field. Emma Kraklau blistered four goals for Watervliet.

Coloma freshman guard Zach Goodline was named to the 2015-16 Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan’s Class B All-State team. He was an Honorable Mention honoree.

Mother Nature doused the spring sports schedule with an incredible amount of rain which necessitated in the cancellation of outdoor sports contests in soccer, baseball, and softball.

Tristen Howard saved 18 Edwardsburg shot attempts, which led to a 0-0 tie. Coloma coach Rick Redman called Howard’s work “an outstanding performance” by the senior keeper.

Sarett is offering plenty of opportunity to get in shape this spring. The facility offers bird watching and woodcock walks. You can also walk among the spring wildflowers. Kayaking classes are also available.

The 3.324 grade point average of the Coloma girls’ basketball team earned the squad an All-State Honorable Mention honor bestowed by the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan.

Hartford wrestling coach Ross Thiele announced Luke Birkhead was named the team’s Most Improved Wrestler.

Duane Knight returns to the helm of the Hartford varsity softball team. Having graduated only one senior, this year’s roster is chock full of talent, experience, and leadership.  Isabella Miller will handle a majority of the pitching duties this season. She will be joined by Ally Sinclair, a previous First Team All-Conference winner last year.

Watervliet graduate Brock Thumm was named to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference All-Academic Honorable Mention team. The wrestler is currently a red-shirt freshman at Chadron State (Nebraska) and is majoring in secondary education.

The Lake Michigan Admirals are on their way to the playoffs. The team topped Indianapolis 93-91 to secure the post-season game.  The team is first in defensive rebounds per game, total rebounds per game, and total rebound margin.

Coloma baseball blistered Watervliet 9-0 on a perfect pitching effort by Justin Pullins.  Coloma also notched a 5-4 victory in the second game of the teams’ doubleheader.   Cameron Rendo led Watervliet with a double and single.

Coloma and Watervliet softball split a doubleheader. Coloma won the early game, but Watervliet rebounded in game two to win 7-6.  In the first game, the Comet bats cranked out 16 hits. In the second game, Kailee Cheek stroked a triple that scored two runs. Taylor Shafer his three singles for two RBIs.

Isaac Workman shot a 44 at the Paw Paw Lake Golf Course in Watervliet to help the Panthers post a fourth place finish in the SAC meet. Matt Lambrecht recorded a 47.

Hartford’s girls’ soccer team lost 4-2 to Delton Kellogg. Maya Mireles scored both Indian goals. Then, Hartford shut out New Prairie 4-0. Olivia Ziemer booted three goals for Hartford.

Watervliet baseball dropped two games to Brandywine, 7-1 and 10-3. Kyler Kiekenapp and Nick Brant tallied the only Watervliet hits in game one. In game two the Panthers scored three runs in the first inning.

Buchanan handed Coloma a 7-5 loss on the diamond. Calvin Starnes started the game on the mound for Coloma. He pitched seven innings and allowed four runs on three hits. He struck out three batters and walked four.

Coloma soccer lost 3-2 to Fennville.

Watervliet soccer recorded a 0-3 week following spring break. The Lady Panthers lost to South Haven. In tournament action, Watervliet lost 4-3 to Bridgman and 3-2 to Comstock.

The Lake Michigan Admirals made it to the finals of the Premier Basketball League. The best-of-three series will determine the champion.

Watervliet track earned an impressive 15 first place wins out of 16 events against Fennville. The Lady Panthers scored 94 points.  Watervliet took first place in the high jump, 1600 meters, 800 meters, long jump, pole vault, shot put, discus, 100 meter and 300 meter hurdles, 100 meters, 200 meters, and all four relay events.

The Watervliet varsity boys’ track and field team won 14 of the 17 events held at the meet against Fennville.  Watervliet earned 104 points, well above the 33 earned by Fennville.

Watervliet softball won 23-13 against Brandywine. Mercede Daugherty was five for five at the plate with seven RBIs. She had two singles, two doubles, and one triple. In game two, Watervliet lost 11-9.  Watervliet participated in the Dowagiac Invitational and finished third in the tournament. The Lady Panthers beat Elkhart Memorial 8-7, were shut out 3-0 by Bridgman, and finished the day with a 6-1 win over Niles. Ariana Rowe hit a huge two-run home run over the fence that sparked a four-run third inning in the Niles game. She also pitched six innings and allowed one run on two hits.

Watervliet boys’ track celebrated a fourth place finish at the 44th annual Watervliet Track Relays. Coloma took third place. In the ladies division, Watervliet took fifth place, while Hartford finished seventh.

Grace Christian softball topped off seven straight wins by taking home the Jackson tournament championship.  The Lady Patriots topped Lake Michigan Lutheran 11-0 and 17-2. Then, Grace won two games against Cassopolis. At Jackson, Grace won 18-0 over Hillsdale, 7-4 over Holland, and by defeating Hanover.  Grace Christian remains undefeated at 8-0.

Lake Michigan Admirals lost two games 97-91 and 93-92 to Rochester to end their season in the Premier Basketball League.

Coloma hosted a track and field meet which included teams from Watervliet and Gobles. Coloma’s boys’ team finished first, Watervliet took second, and Gobles landed in third place. Watervliet girls’ finished first with Gobles and Coloma tied for second place.

Watervliet softball won two games over Fennville. Kara Liles pitched Watervliet to a 3-1 in game one. She struck out three batters and walked two. Liles allowed one run on four hits and pitched a complete game. In game two Watervliet won 8-5. The Lady Panthers combined for 16 hits in that contest.

In girls’ soccer for the week, Watervliet was shut out 8-0 against Kalamazoo Christian.  Coloma was shut out on their home turf 2-0 against Delton-Kellogg. Hartford also suffered a loss, 2-1 to Lawton. Coloma also played Comstock and won 4-1. Tristin Hicks led Coloma with two goals. Grace Gagliardo and Alyssa Bahr each had one goal.

Coloma softball recorded two wins against Kalamazoo Christian. The Lady Comets notched an 8-4 win in the first game and a 7-0 shutout in the second.

Watervliet baseball had a four game win streak snapped. The Panthers topped Eau Claire 16-1 and 6-0 before facing Fennville. Watervliet won two games against the Blackhawks 6-4 and 11-3.  Against Three Rivers, however, Watervliet lost 2-1 on a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh inning in game one. In game two, the Panthers lost 5-4, again on a walk-off single in the seventh inning.

Coloma baseball recorded three wins and three losses for the week. Against Kalamazoo Christian Coloma was shut out 3-0 in game one and 13-7 in the second game. The Comets then won two games against Gobles, 6-5 and 7-3. In the second game, Matthew Kelley pitched a complete game. He allowed three runs on seven hits and struck out four batters. Coloma hosted a tournament that included teams from Bridgman and Comstock. Coloma beat Bridgman 7-6 but lost 3-1 to Comstock. Coloma is 6-5 overall this season and remains undefeated (4-0) in the Southwestern Athletic Conference – Lakeshore division.

May

Watervliet girls’ track topped Hartford 70-60 but lost 103-30 to Saugatuck.  Melissa Swanson led Watervliet with first place finishes against both schools. She swept the 100, 200 and 400 meter races. Hartford’s Amber Martin took first place in the high jump. Hartford’s 4×200 relay team took first. In the boys’ division, Watervliet finished first overall, as they defeated Hartford 87-48. Against Hartford, the Panthers placed first in 12 out of 17 events.

The Coloma girls’ soccer team continues to compete at a high level. They defeated Lawton 1-0. That win was followed by a 4-0 shutout of conference foe Watervliet. Ashley Sipla scored one goal and was credited with two assists in the victory. Coloma also faced Bridgman but lost 2-1 after being outshot 16-3.

Hartford baseball battered Bangor twice. Both games ended in 5-1 Indian wins. Lincoln Gendron struck out 10 in the first game. Devin Oldham took the mound in the second game and struck out 10.

Coloma baseball notched a 7-5 win over Berrien Springs. Game two was called after four innings with the game tied 3-3. Danny Najacht hit a two-run single, and Chase Potter hit a double.

Coloma played in a round robin tournament in Sturgis. Coloma topped Loy Norrix 6-5. Game two featuring Coloma and Sturgis was cancelled due to rain.

Watervliet lost a 10-9 game in the eighth inning to Decatur. In the second game, Watervliet won 7-2.  Doubleheader action continued against Saugatuck. Watervliet won game one 6-5. In game two, Saugatuck shut out the Panthers 10-0.

Coloma softball split with Vicksburg. The Lady Comets lost the first game 8-2. But, Coloma stormed back for an 8-4 win in game two. Skyler Crisenbery pitched for Coloma and got the win. She allowed four runs on eight hits.  Kayla Yore hit a homerun, single, and double for Coloma.

Coloma also faced Olivet and lost 17-9. Coloma holds a 9-5 overall record this season.

Watervliet played seven softball games in six days. Doubleheader action began on the road in Decatur where Watervliet won games, 12-3 and 9-3.  Watervliet had 19 hits in game one and was led by Lexi Kieft with three singles and one double. In the second game, Watervliet scored in eight of the nine innings played. Watervliet then hosted Saugatuck and sealed up two more wins, 12-1 and 16-1. Karlee Liles and Kara Liles pitched complete games. To top off the week, the Lady Panthers traveled to Otsego for the Don Knight Memorial Invitational.  Watervliet beat Hamilton 5-2. With a number of upperclassmen headed to prom, JV players were bumped up to fill the roster in the second game of the day.  Unfortunately, Watervliet was shutout 10-0 by Lowell.  In their final game, the Lady Panthers notched a 10-3 win over Otsego to end their week of play.

Coloma softball split four games into two wins and two losses. The Lady Comets tangled with South Haven and lost both contests 4-1 and 5-4. Coloma then welcomed Hartford to the diamond and won both games 4-1 and 17-2. Skyler Crisenbery pitched both games for Coloma.

Watervliet recorded six wins including two shutouts during play before winning the Three Rivers tournament. Watervliet got two wins in Gobles, securing 9-3 and 10-3 wins. The Lady Panthers then welcomed Dowagiac for a two-game home stand. Thanks, in part, to Watervliet’s seven errors, game one was won by Dowagiac 11-0. The Lady Panthers dropped the second game to Dowagiac 8-7. Watervliet swept Bangor on the road 12-1 and 15-0 for two more wins.  Watervliet faced Martin in game one action in the Three Rivers tourney and won 19-1. Mercede Daugherty blasted a homerun over the fence and scored two runs. The Lady Panthers then shut out Berrien Springs 15-0 in the championship. Ariana Rowe pitched all four innings for the Panthers and allowed one hit while striking out six batters.

Grace Christian swept River Valley 1-0 and 10-5. Jaidyn Hutsell struck out 10 batters in the first contest. Sarah Reeve led Grace Christian at the plate in the second game. She scored four runs.

Amber Martin nabbed three first place finishes in the shot put, discus, and high jump at Hartford’s track meet at Gobles.  Rachel Chambers of Hartford won the mile and two-mile events.  Brynn Duffy leapt her way to first place in the 100 meter hurdles, and Marisol Robles took first in the 400 meter dash.

Hartford boys’ track team participated in the Bangor Invitational. Riley Traver took fourth place in the 100 meters. He was also part of the 4×100 meter relay team with Robert Ledesma, Roy Rodriguez, and Juan Sandoval that captured third place.

Coloma track fared well at Bangor. Caleb McDaniel won first place in the 200 meters, 400 meters, and long jump. McDaniel would team up with Brandon Bower, Caleb Ellis, and Josh Young to win the 4×400 relay. Skyler Brown won first place in the shot put and discus events. Phillip Bryant won first place in the pole vault. Bower collected third place in the 110 meter and second in the 300 meter hurdles.

Destiny Motton took third place in the 100 meters for the Coloma girls’ varsity track team at Bangor.  Motton, Tiana Garcia, Divine Parker, and Amber Street finished the 4×100 relay in third place. Garcia, Hannah Mathis, Motton, and Parker teamed up in the 4×200 meter relay and took third.  Parker finished second in the long jump, while Bethia Sypian took first in pole vault.

At the Benton Harbor/St. Joe Rotary track meet, Watervliet’s Melissa Swanson took first in the 400 meters. Jade Miller, Brittney Johnson, Allie Pazera, and Caley Simmons placed third in the 4×800 meter relay. Lamarrius Smith took second in the high jump and third in the long jump. Bradley Alden finished second in the 400 meters. Brenden Daly claimed third place in the 800 meters. Daly also took third in the 1600 meters.

Hartford baseball lost 5-1 versus Berrien Springs. Michael Heinisch hit a double and single.  The Indians also topped New Buffalo 7-1 with Joe Cleary on the mound.

Coloma lost 11-3 and 7-2 to South Haven. The Comets then hosted Hartford and won contests, 6-2 and 3-1.  Coloma then finished the week with a 6-0 shutout of Decatur.

Watervliet duffers took third place at Beeches Golf Course in conference action. Lincoln Burkett led Watervliet with a season best 48.

Coloma soccer stars stop Saugatuck and shut out Hartford. The game against Saugatuck ended 2-1 in Coloma’s favor after two overtime periods.   Grace Gagliardo kicked the game winning goal in the second overtime period. Coloma faced Hartford and earned a 1-0 shutout. Emma Tavolacci scored the lone Comet goal.

Watervliet baseball faced Gobles and split the doubleheader. Watervliet won the first game 5-0 but lost game two 8-6. The Panthers then hosted Dowagiac and dropped two games 10-1 and 10-4. Watervliet notched an 8-2 victory over Bangor and followed that with a 12-2 win over the Vikings.

Maya Mireles scored four goals in Hartford’s 5-4 loss to Bangor.  Hartford followed that game with a 2-0 shutout of Comstock.

Watervliet soccer was stifled by Schoolcraft and Saugatuck which resulted in 2-1 and 1-0 losses, respectively.

SAC division track meet yielded plenty of medals for area athletes. In the boys’ division, Coloma finished third with 98 points, Watervliet took fourth with 87 points and Hartford finished sixth with 10.5 points. In the girls’ division, Hartford took third place with 68 points. The Indians were followed by Watervliet in fourth place (64 points) and Coloma in sixth place (46.5 points).

The Good Samaritan Games between Hartford and Watervliet were held. Watervliet won both contests of the softball doubleheader, 15-5 and 10-0. In baseball, Hartford stole both games from the host 3-0 and 6-2.

Coloma soccer lost 3-2 in double overtime to Kalamazoo Catholic Prep. Hartford captured a 4-3 win in a shootout over Schoolcraft.  Watervliet lost 5-1 to Bangor at home and 2-0 to Fennville on the road.

Grace Christian softball surprised Berrien Springs by a 5-4 comeback win. Game two was called in the first inning due to rain.

Grace Christian softball played in the New Buffalo Bison Bash and won the whole she-bang. The Lady Patriots blanked Benton Harbor 10-0 and routed New Buffalo 11-0 for the championship.

Coloma softball shut out Lawton in two contests by a substantial run quantity. In game one, Coloma scored 23 runs on 21 hits. In game two, Coloma shutout Lawton 15-0.

Watervliet lost a game to Kalamazoo Hackett 2-1 but came back to win the late contest 18-3.

Coloma chalked up one win against Lawton baseball. The Comets lost game one 8-7 but came back for the 8-0 shutout in game two.

Kalamazoo Hackett handed Watervliet two losses on the baseball diamond. The Panthers dropped two games 4-0 and 1-0.

Watervliet sends three young ladies to state competition, while Coloma and Hartford have one qualifier apiece. Melissa Swanson, Brittney Johnson, and Allie Pazera will all represent Watervliet. Amber Martin is the lone state qualifier from Hartford.  Bethia Sypian will represent Coloma at Comstock Park in June.

Eleven young men qualify for state competition in track and field.  Coloma’s Caleb McDaniel qualified in four events: long jump, 400 meters, 20 meters, and as part of the 1600 meter relay.  Joining McDaniel from Coloma will be his relay teammates Brandon Bower, Caleb Ellis, and Josh Young.  Phillip Bryant and Skyler Brown will also represent Coloma. Representing Watervliet at state, five Panthers including Lamarrius Smith, Bradley Alden, Brenden Daly, Riley Engel and Jobe Kerr; Smith, Daly, and Alden qualified for two events.

Watervliet girls’ soccer lost 6-0 to Kalamazoo Central and 6-3 to Delton Kellogg.

Watervliet softball celebrated Senior Day with two wins over Lawton (18-6, 16-1). The squad also won the South Haven tournament championship after defeating Fennville and South Haven.

Hartford announced the inaugural golf outing to benefit Indian basketball and baseball programs. The golf outing will be held at Lake Cora Hills Golf Club.

Watervliet baseball put four wins in the scorebook. The Panthers topped Lawton 11-1 and 10-3 before traveling to 5/3 Ballpark in Grand Rapids to face Sparta. Watervliet won 10-3.  Following that win, the Panthers took on Berrien Springs at home as part of Senior Night. The Panthers lost the first game 5-4 but proved victorious in game two winning 2-1. Jakob Aldrich pitched a no hitter for Watervliet.

The mighty Comets won both games against Marcellus, 21-0 and 16-1. The squad also secured two victories over Saugatuck, 8-2 and 15-0.

Coloma faced non-conference opponent Saugatuck on the soccer field and won 2-0. Emma Tavolacci scored one goal and had one assist. The Lady Comets also faced Dowagiac and won 2-1 in a shootout.

Coloma baseball picked up two wins against Marcellus, 6-5 and 5-2. The Comets also won both cards of a doubleheader against Saugatuck 4-1 and 3-2. Coloma welcomed Allegan for two games and sent the visitors home with two losses. Coloma won the first game 11-5 and the second game 2-1. In the second game, Mathew Kelley got Coloma’s only hit, stole second and third bases, and scored the final run of the game on a throwing error.

June

Watervliet’s boy’s track team earned 71.5 points in the SAC League Championship meet to finish fourth. Lamarrius Smith earned First Team All-Conference honors in the long jump. Bradley Alden, Brenden Daly, Riley Engel and Jobe Kerr were named First Team All-Conference winners after winning the 4×400 meter relay.

Watervliet girls’ track team finished sixth in the SAC championship meet. Melissa Swanson was named First Team All-Conference after she took first place in the 400 meters.

Coloma’s Caleb McDaniel earned a First Team All-Conference nod for his first place finish in the 400 meters. As a team, Coloma finished fifth overall.

The Lady Comets of Coloma finished 15th overall at the SAC championship track and field meet in Gobles.

Amber Martin, a junior at Hartford High School, took the conference championship in the discus at the SAC meet in Gobles. She earned First Team All-Conference honors with her 103-09 throw in the discus.  The Hartford squad finished 10th overall.

The Hartford boys’ varsity track team finished 15th at the SAC championship meet at Gobles.

Coloma softball covered their bases all week long and emerged as the Southwestern Athletic Conference – Lakeshore Division champions. The team topped Fennville 10-3 and 4-0. The Lady Comets then picked up two wins 7-5 and 4-2 against Paw Paw.  Two more wins went Coloma’s way as they blew out Bangor 15-0 and 17-1. The Comets hold an 11-1 record in the SAC.

Watervliet baseball defeated Galesburg-August 9-3 and 15-0.  Following those two victories, Watervliet faced Grant High School and dropped two games, 12-7 and 12-4.

Coloma’s 2016 baseball team remained undefeated and was named champions of the SAC – Lakeshore Division. Following four wins, two over Fennville and two over Bangor, Coloma posted a 22-8 overall and 12-0 SAC record.

Rocco Mediate won the 77th Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid at Harbor Shores. Mediate shot a 19-under 265 for the tournament.

Coloma awarded the Male and Female Athlete of the Year Award. Skyler Brown was awarded the Male Athlete of the Year, and Paige Derrick was named Female Athlete of the Year.

Coloma will take a three-game win streak into districts. Coloma has a 10-6-1 overall record.

Hartford blanked New Buffalo 6-0, scoring four times in the first half.  Maya Mireles led Hartford with three goals.

Watervliet soccer dropped a game to Buchanan, 5-1. The Lady Panthers then lost to Lawton 5-1 on the hottest game of the year as temperatures topped 90 degrees.

The fifth annual Trent McKinney golf outing benefiting Watervliet wrestling will be held July 30.

Caleb McDaniel of Coloma earned three medals in state competition at the Division 3 finals. Watervliet’s Lamarrius Smith earned two medals during competition. In one of the closest races on the day, Watervliet topped Coloma in the 1600 meter relay by two-hundredths of a second. Watervliet finished seventh and Coloma took eighth place.

Alex Castillo, as senior on the Coloma High School varsity golf team, earned a spot at regional competition. He shot an 86 in district competition to qualify.

Coloma softball claimed the SAC district title after drawing a bye in round one competition. The Lady Comets opened their title run with a game against Watervliet. Host Coloma needed 10 innings to seal the win over the Lady Panthers and move on to the district finals game. Coloma faced Fennville and won 10-0. Skylar Crisenbery pitched the complete game; she gave up zero runs and only five hits.  Morgan Wagner led Coloma at the plate; she hit two singles and three RBIs.

Hartford won their pre-district softball game against Bangor by a score of 14-1. The Indians then faced Fennville and lost 14-6.

Grace Christian softball won their district and hoisted the championship trophy. Grace topped Saugatuck 2-1 and Martin 7-0 for the title.

Coloma soccer ended their season with an 8-0 loss to Paw Paw in a district semi-final loss. In round one, Coloma notched a 2-1 win over Buchanan. The Comets end their season 11-7-1.

Hartford and Watervliet fell in Division 4 district soccer competition. Hartford lost 8-0 to Kalamazoo Christian. Watervliet suffered an 8-0 defeat at the hands of Lake Michigan Catholic.

Coloma baseball received a bye in pre-districts, while Watervliet faced Hartford in Indian territory. Watervliet won 4-2 after a terrific performance on the mound by Garrett Matthews.

With the win, Watervliet met Coloma in the semi-final game.  Coloma would win 3-2 as Alex Lohraff belted in two runs on a single in the bottom of the ninth.

In the district finals, Coloma lost 4-2 to Fennville. Coloma ended their season 23-11.

Watervliet 2013 graduate Travis Bolin was selected in the 32nd round of the Major League Amateur Draft. Bolin, a three-time varsity letter winner in football and basketball and four-time varsity letter winner in baseball, was the 969th overall pick and chosen by the Texas Rangers.

Nick Blackmer was appointed as the Hartford High School Athletic Director.

Coloma was clipped by Grandville Calvin Christian in the softball regional championship game. Earlier, Coloma defeated Schoolcraft 3-1 in the semi-final game at Bridgman.  Grandville Calvin Christian needed just two runs to defeat Coloma 2-1 in a heartbreaking loss for the Lady Comets.

Grace Christian suffered a tough 3-1 loss to Decatur in Centreville to end their regional title championship dream.

John Jewell, who recently completed his 17th year coaching Grace Christian’s varsity softball program, was named District Coach of the Year.  Grace Christian players Sydney Gardner, Emily Essmyer, Jaidyn Hutsell, and Rylie Hess were named to the All-Conference and All-District teams.

Lincoln Gendron and Ally Sinclair were honored with the Harold Robinson Award at Hartford High School. Sinclair and Joseph Cleary earned the Indian Pride Award. Lincoln and Tyler Gendron received the Green and White Athletic Booster Award.

Paige Derrick and Tristin Hicks of Coloma soccer earned scholarships to Lake Michigan College.  Tristen Howard and Hicks were named First Team All-Conference.

The Coloma Youth Baseball and Softball Association opened up All Star action. The three-day, single elimination tournament saw local teams faring quite well. In 10U, Coloma played in the championship game against Harris Heat and won. In 12U, Coloma beat Watervliet to earn the championship.

Coloma’s Alex Castillo competed in the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s Division 3 boys’ golf state finals. He shot rounds of 90 and 86 for a total of 176.

Watervliet baseball earned an Academic All-State award in Division 3.

Earning First Team All Division honors in baseball were Coloma’s Chase Potter, Justin Pullins, and Danny Najacht; Hartford’s Michael Heinisch, Devin Oldham, and Lincoln Gendron, and Watervliet’s Tyler Brant.

First Team All-District awards were given to Coloma’s Nicolle Larson, Morgan Wagner, and Skylar Crisenbery; Hartford’s Ally Sinclair, and Watervliet’s Mercede Daugherty, Karlee Liles, and Kailee Cheek.

Paw Paw Lake Yacht Club will host Lakeside Yoga on Saturdays. The PPLYC annual triathlon will be held Saturday, July 9.

Coloma’s Tristen Howard and Tristin Hicks along with Hartford’s Mariah Mireles and Watervliet’s Hannah Armstrong received First Team All-Conference awards in soccer.

Indian Pride Park will host the Hartford Council for Recreation’s All-Star softball invitational. Five divisions of softball including 8U, 10U live pitch, 10U machine pitch, 12U, and 14U will take to the diamond during the six-day competition.

Coloma varsity football coach Joe Stephens is heading up a fundraiser for the school’s football program in the form of a golf scramble.  The 2016 Comet Classic will be held Saturday, July at Blossom Trails Golf Club in Benton Harbor.

Amber Martin won the Hartford High School Outstanding Athlete award and earned three varsity letters in track this season.

Register now for the Gene Bednarowski 5k walk and run.

Lake Michigan Admirals owner Chris Glisson reported that seven players landed new basketball contracts overseas. Rob Woodson, Nicholas Waddell, Marcus Tarrance, Anthony Brown, Stan Simpson, Ian Walcott, and Darren Washington will begin new seasons in new countries.

If you follow girls’ varsity softball then you know what a shock Grace Christian High School and its team suffered when longtime coach John Jewell announced he was hanging up his cleats. After 17 years at the helm of one of the best – and often underrated – softball teams in our area, Jewell will not return as the Lady Patriots softball coach.

The Coloma Youth Baseball/Softball Association completed another stellar All-Star tournament this year. Coloma claimed the 12U division championship with rival Watervliet taking second place.

The Paw Paw Lake Yacht Club is offering two youth sailing classes in July. The cost is $130 each week. Adult sailing classes hit the water on July 11.