Coloma Press Box

Boden Genovese takes home All-State honors, medal with 11th Place finish

Last weekend, the Coloma Comet cross-country runners were represented by senior, Boden Genovese at the MHSAA Division 3 state finals, held at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn. With his statistics this season, he deserved his spot in the state meet. The Comets had run in thirteen previous events, with Boden finishing in the top-5 overall in twelve of them. There is no better moment than concluding your high school career on the biggest stage.

FINAL STRETCH OF COMET CAREER… With the finish line in sight, down the front stretch they come! Coloma's Boden Genovese leads a pack of four runners, including Ben March and Landon Pestrue of St. Louis, along with Traverse City Saint Francis' Leo Swager, during the closing stages of the Division 3 state cross-country finals, held last Saturday at Michigan International Speedway. Genovese took home 11th place, with a time of 16:02. (TCR photo by Jerrod Birmele)

In the 2023 Division 3 state meet, which took place on Saturday, Nov. 4, the competition was some of the best that Boden had seen all season, as the top 253 runners in the division made the trek to MIS, attempting to be a top-finishing team or individual runner. When he crossed the line in his final career start on the trails as a high school runner, Boden took home 11th place overall, clocking in with a time of 16:02. His mile splits throughout the run were quite strong, as he completed the opening mile in 5:06; he followed that up with a second mile split of 5:14 and concluded the final 1.1 miles in 5:42.

Boden qualified for state all four years that he wore a Coloma uniform and improved his finish and times in each subsequent appearance. As a freshman, he finished in 63rd place, with a time of 17:17. He followed that up with a 31st place finish as a sophomore, with a time of 16:50 and took home a 13th place finish as a junior, clocking-in with a final time of 16:30.

The Coloma Press Box congratulates Boden on his fantastic appearance at the state finals! With that, the cross-country season for the Coloma runners has been concluded. Both groups had solid seasons and will only graduate a total of three seniors (two from the men’s team and one from the ladies team) in the spring. The hope for the team is to continue to build the program one step at a time and finish with better results next season. Congratulations to Coach Hargan and the runners on their accomplishments this season!

Coloma volleyball season ends with district semifinal loss to Watervliet

The Coloma Lady Comet varsity volleyball team was on the court to begin postseason play last week, as the team participated in district action, hosting a five-team bracket, which also featured Bangor, Bloomingdale, Hartford and Watervliet. Despite entering play on a recent losing skid, the team has had a successful season overall, winning a total of twenty-six matches to date.

The Lady Comets received a first-round bye and would square off with their biggest rival, the Lady Panthers of Watervliet, in a district semifinal which was played on Wednesday, Nov. 1. The gymnasium was packed with fans sporting their favorite apparel for both teams, which is what rivalry showdowns should always feature, along with fantastic play and great sportsmanship! Ultimately, the two teams would play four sets in this matchup, with the Lady Panthers taking home the victory, and ending the Lady Comets season: 25-10, 25-11, 17-25, 27-25.

HART VS. HICKS… Panther Natalie Hart hits the ball into a block by Comet Brielle Hicks at Coloma during last week’s district tournament. The Panthers won the match on Wednesday, Nov. 1 and then won the 2023 district championship with a win over Bangor on Nov. 2. (TCR photo by John Oliphant)

In terms of statistics for the evening, Ava Cartwright and Kourtney Smith led the team in aces with one each. Maddy Hamilton led the team in kills with 10, while Andre’a Bale had seven kills and Mackenzie Hosbein added four kills. Miryssa Nelson led the team in assists with 17. Hosbein led the team in blocks with four, while Hamilton had three blocks and Brielle Hicks added two blocks. Hamilton led the team in digs with 16, while Hicks had 14 digs and Nelson and Hannah Wagner added 12 digs each.

In the district final, which was held at Coloma on Thursday, Nov. 2, Watervliet defeated Bangor in straight sets to advance to this week’s regional, which is held at Fennville High School.

Coloma finishes the season with a record of 26-14-1. Despite coming up short on their aspirations of a postseason run, this was quite a successful year that came with a winning record and some hardware for the trophy case. With that being said, a great group of senior student-athletes, who have shown outstanding leadership, will graduate this spring. So the hope is the youth of the program will sustain the momentum well into the future. Congratulations to Coach Swisher (Gear), the coaching staff and the players on their accomplishments this season!

As always, GO GREEN! GO GOLD!