SAC All-Division and Honorable Mention winners announced

The Southwestern Athletic Conference has announced the winners of its All-Division and Honorable Mention rolls in the Lakeshore division for boys’ and girls’ basketball.

DAN CLUSTER

Coloma, Hartford, and Watervliet each had one student-athlete named to the All-Division squad. Coloma was represented by Zach Goodline. Austin Nelson from Hartford earned the honor for the Indians. Dan Cluster was named All-Division for Watervliet.

Goodline, a sophomore, averaged 26.9 points per game for Coloma (591 points scored this season). He was coached by Paul Marfia.

Nelson was a senior guard for the Indians and was dangerous from three-point territory.  John Johnson was the head coach for Hartford.

ZACH GOODLINE

Dan Cluster, a junior, was the center for the Panthers. He did a great job this year under the bucket blocking numerous shots and dropping in easy baskets from the paint. He was coached by Chris Prom.

Also making the All-Division team were JP Alfaro and Julian Martinez-Grigg of Fennville, Tyler Hunt of Gobles, and Blake Dunn and Teaque Tiemeyer of Saugatuck.

Honorable Mention nods were given to Coloma’s Levi Wilkens, William Martinez and Garrod Johnson of Hartford, and Sheldon Tobar and Bryant Kieft of Watervliet.

Bangor’s Gage Gardner and Tyrique Cunningham, Fennville’s Austin Lewis and Ben Rendkema, Gobles’s Peyton Austin and Clayton Stapert, and Wyatt Werme of Saugatuck also received Honorable Mention awards.

In girls’ basketball, one student-athlete represented Coloma, Hartford, and Watervliet on the All-Division list.

AJ JACKSON

Hartford’s AJ Jackson was the lone Hartford award winner. Jackson, a junior, had a lot of success this season from the low post, and she notched numerous double doubles. Jackson was coached by Lee Mireles.

Logan Mizwicki of Watervliet received All-Division honors. The senior captain, coached by Jason Forrester, was an aggressive playmaker on this year’s conference-winning squad.

LOGAN MIZWICKI

Morgan Wagner led Coloma in scoring this season and made the All-Division list. Wagner is a junior and was coached by Fred Paulsen.

Hailey Baxter and Maddie Tiller of Gobles, Joi-Onna McGee of Bangor, and Maddie Moore of Saugatuck were named All-Division in the SAC – Lakeshore Division list.

Coloma’s Hannah Mathis and Kayla Yore, Hartford’s Marissa Beraza and Amara Wesaw, and Watervliet’s Casie Gohr, Jaelyn Pitre, and Zoe Smith earned Honorable Mention awards.

Madison McGuire of Bangor, Coryne Howard and Lauryn Saylor of Fennville, Kelsie Martin and Libbee Nason of Gobles, and Erin Stannis of Saugatuck also made the Honorable Mention awards list.

KATIE SCHULTZ

MORGAN WAGNER

Isaiah Livers of Kalamazoo Central was selected by the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan’s representatives as the 2017 Mr. Basketball. Livers received 2,811 points, outpacing second place finisher Xavier Tillman of Grand Rapids Christian by 72 points.

Jordan Walker of Mona Shores was selected as the 2017 Miss Basketball. She tallied 2,482 points and topped second place finisher Kierra Fletcher of Warren Cousino by 100 points.

Watervliet’s Travis Bolin reports for spring training

Watervliet High School and Davenport University baseball standout Travis Bolin has reported to spring training at the Texas Rangers camp in Surprise, Arizona.

Bolin, 22, a right fielder, was selected by the Texas Rangers in the 32nd round of the 2016 draft. He was the 969th pick overall.

Bolin, who bats and throws right-handed, shattered the single season school records at Davenport in the home runs, triples, total bases, and total hits categories while at the university.

Last season he played 16 games for the Spokane Indians of the Northwest League and 18 games for the Arizona League Rangers.

In his 34 games in the minor league in 2016 he tallied 33 hits including eight doubles, four triples, and one homerun over 122 at bats. His batting average was .270, and he had a whopping .429 slugging percentage. Bolin also stole seven bases and struck out 41 times.

On Monday, March 20, Bolin hit his fourth home run in five spring training games this season in Cactus League play.

The Rangers play three games at Surprise Stadium this week. They face the White Sox on Tuesday, Dodgers on Thursday, and Padres on Friday.

Coloma girls’ JV hoops team has phenomenal undefeated season

Coloma girls’ junior varsity coach Kim Gear certainly has a reason to be proud. As the first-year JV coach she helped lead her team to a perfect 20-0 undefeated season. But, Gear is quick to give credit where credit is due. “Overall, it was a season never to forget, something a Coloma team hasn’t done in, I believe, a while. (I’m) proud of the girls’ dedication to this sport and allowing me to coach them this season.”

The road to perfection began on November 29, 2016. The Lady Comets opened their season with a home victory over Decatur. According to Gear, Coloma’s only goal set in the preseason was “to win more games than last year.”

So, the squad chalked up their first win and headed into December. The Comets played at home against Bangor before hitting a two-game stretch on the road versus Lawrence and Kalamazoo Christian. Just before the holidays, Coloma faced Watervliet at home, before heading to Hartford and Buchanan.

“I never thought we would go undefeated,” Gear shared. “I take one game at a time. We went into Christmas break undefeated and we were all excited just to do that as a team.

“I knew we had a tough January schedule coming up playing Brandywine, Gobles, Watervliet, and Kalamazoo Christian.  I knew if we could make it through January undefeated there was a good chance we could be undefeated (the rest of the season).”

As the wins continued to hit the scorebook, Gear and team became more aware, more protective, of their record.

“As February came along we knew we had a target on our back. We just prepared for each opponent and just focused on winning one game at a time and not worry about being undefeated. If it happened we would be excited. If it didn’t, it wouldn’t define our amazing season.”

While the team was enjoying success on the floor, it wasn’t without sacrifice and challenges.

“We had a few big tests. Both games against Watervliet were close,” Gear said. Coloma won by two points and one point, at home and away, respectively.

“Another test was playing Kalamazoo Christian.” According to Gear, both squads were undefeated but “I didn’t know that until the game was over and I talked to the coach. I think it was probably a good thing we didn’t know.”

Another challenge came in the form of a starter with an injury. Gear explained, “I had a player break her wrist a day before playing Gobles. I had to switch everything around – new point guard and finding someone to start in her spot. My team stepped up huge that night to get the win.”

But the challenges didn’t stop there. Gear continued, noting the week after the Gobles win, Coloma faced Brandywine. “I was going to be without my new point guard due to a conflict. We ended up winning and the team did an amazing job just stepping into roles they may not play on another day. (Additionally,) players were asked to play more minutes than usual.”

When asked to compare her team on Day 1 and after their final game in late February, Gear commented, “My team improved every day and every player. They bought into the style I wanted to play, and I knew it would make them the most successful.  Communication was the biggest improvement on both the defense and offense. (Players) learned to trust each other on the court. They learned when was the right time to shoot the ball and when they should attack.”

Fans in the stands witnessed a cohesive squad comfortable with the ball. The team played almost as if they were a varsity squad with years of playing experience between them.

The team seemed to control their movements and often the clock. They didn’t appear flummoxed by their opponents or unsure of their moves. It was an impressive display of discipline basketball and the team should be commended. They played beyond their years against easy – and more often than not – tough foes.

Making the team for the JV squad this season were: Samantha Scott, Phoebe Brown, Virginia Wendzel, Marissa Sherburn, Amaria Echols, Megan Koenigshof, Cassidy Dryer, Kadee Davis, Megan Neubecker, Vanessa Crisenbery, Samantha Stewart, Kelsey Ellis, Hannah Guntz, Marcy Tavolacci, and Emma Watson.

What is also impressive is the talent deep within the team. Neubecker was a force on both sides of the ball. She was the squad’s leading scorer with 251 points and leading rebounder with 228 boards.

Koenigshof netted 197 points while grabbing 94 rebounds. She led the team in assists with 47 and steals with 80.

Sherburn scored 137 points this season for the Comets. She also contributed 63 rebounds and 40 assists.

Dryer added 71 points during the season and posted 64 rebounds.

Crisenbery scored 61 points and snagged 57 rebounds. Gear called her “the player that was constantly on the floor for balls.”

Gear said, “We were a great all-around team. We had quickness, aggressive players that wanted to learn. We also had 3-point shooters, drivers, post players, and girls who just wanted to win.  Our biggest strength was that we were in shape and we could full court press all our opponents the whole game. I told the girls work hard on defense, and offense would come easy.”

Gear summed up her squad’s phenomenal season by stating, “This team never wanted to lose. They would always find a way to win even if it was just by one point.” That mindset led to a heck of a season by a first-year coach and a determined, strong, and smart squad of young ladies. Congratulations, Coloma JV on your superb season!

Sarett’s Spring Stampede – sign up now

If you enjoy trail running, here is your chance to take in the sights, sounds, flora, and fauna of the Sarett Nature Center. The Center, located at 2300 Benton Center Road in Benton Harbor, is hosting its annual Spring Stampede on Saturday, April 8.

The event, which acts as a fundraiser for the non-profit, will use proceeds raised to fund environmental education programs for local school-aged children.

To register, visit the Sarett website at sarett.com, mail a completed entry form to Sarett, or register online. Details are available at sarett.com or by phoning the center at (269) 927-4832.

The cost to register for the 5K walk and 5K run is $25 from now until race day.  The charge to sign up for the kids’ fun run is $1.

The fun run kicks off at 8:30 a.m., with both 5K events taking place at 9:00 a.m.

According to Sarett, the top three finishers in each age group with receive a medal. The overall male and female winners in both the walk and run will receive a special award.

If running isn’t your thing, Sarett begins its “Spring Birding Bunch” on Saturday, March 25 at 8:00 a.m. One sure sign of spring is the return of birds, and Sarett is offering an opportunity for birdwatchers of all ages to witness the reappearance of our feathered friends. The cost is $8 a session.

Local boy Newman ends NASCAR win drought

South Bend, Indiana native Ryan Newman ended his 127 NASCAR victory drought by winning Sunday’s Camping World 500 at Phoenix Raceway.

The fourth race in this year’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series was won by Newman in overtime. This marks Newman’s first victory since July 28, 2013. It is his first win of the season and 18th of his career. Newman led six laps.

Newman entered the NASCAR racing series as a rookie in 2002. He drives the No. 31 Chevy for Richard Childress Racing. The closest Newman came to the finish line last year was two top five finishes.

But, win he did and his relief was evident during post-race interviews. Congratulations to our neighbor to the south!

Kyle Larson finished second in Sunday’s running. He led three laps. Look for Larson to make a move next week. He has finished in second place in three consecutive races. I’m sure he’s growing weary of the runner-up status.

Kyle Busch led 114 laps of the 314 lap event. He took third place.  Ricky Stenhouse Jr. had his highest finish of the season. He rolled across the finish line in fourth place.  Rounding out the top five was Brad Keselowski, who led the driver standings last week. The good news for Keselowski was he finished fifth; the bad news for Keselowski was his vehicle failed inspection after the race. Apparently it did not meet set standards for weights and measures. NASCAR is reviewing for possible penalties.

Drivers who did not finish in the top five but led laps include: Chase Elliott (106), Kurt Busch (1), Joey Logano (82), Chris Buescher (1), and Reed Sorenson (1).

More bad news for Keselowski: he dropped out of first place in the driver standings. Leading that pack now is Larson; he holds a six point lead over Keselowski, who is now in second place.  Chase Elliott follows in third place and is trailed by Martin Truex Jr. and Logano.

Next up, the drivers continue their tour of the west. They head to Fontana, California for Sunday’s running of the Auto Club 400 at the Auto Club Speedway.