Watervliet Press Box

Panther All-State athletes

Panther fans have read all about five special athletes this past fall in Watervliet Press Box game recaps and a few special stories. Daniel Mandujano, Natalie Hart, Grace Chisek, Wyatt Epple, and Chase Tremblay have all earned all-state recognition for their outstanding performance.

Mandujano was named First Team All-State in Division 3 for his performance at the state finals cross-country meet last month. His 16:25.0 was not only a personal best, it beat the fastest time by a Watervliet runner in the past 30 years and set a new record for boys cross-country in the 5k era. He finished 24th in the massive D3 state finals race, the best finish by any Panther in recent history.

The 2023 season is just Mandujano’s second year running cross-country, having begun the sport as a sophomore last year and leaving him with another season to improve upon his new record. With the graduation of Coloma’s Boden Genovese, Mandujano will find himself at the top of the Division 3 pecking order next summer and likely running ahead of the entire field in many of his meets.

Grace Chisek was named Second Team All-State by the Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association (MIVCA) for her outstanding performance as a setter on the Panther varsity volleyball team. For three years she was primarily a setter and defensive standout, but this season she took on a larger role as a surprisingly powerful attacker. It is unimaginable how high she can jump and with that powerful shortstop arm she hit the ball as hard as anyone on the team this season. In many matches she put the team on her back and carried them to a win, whether that was with her dominant serves or selfless defense, where she never hesitated to hit the floor to make the dig.

Chisek finished her volleyball career with 3,025 assists, a total that puts her well up on the all-time state record list. She was also named Second Team All-State in 2022 and Third Team All-State in 2021, as a sophomore.

Natalie Hart earned Third Team All-State honors this season. This is an extraordinary accomplishment after she suffered a significant broken leg in July and then missing the first several weeks of her senior season as that leg healed. Once that healing was mostly complete she quickly worked her way back into playing shape and soon enough became a powerful attacker on the court, just in time for another fine Panther playoff run into the regional finals.

Hart was also Third-Team All-State in 2022, and was named Honorable Mention in 2021 as a sophomore.

Chase Tremblay was named First Team All-State as a wide receiver by the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association (MHSFCA). Chase, a senior, had 34 receptions for 428 yards, averaging 12.5 yards per catch. He scored on five of those receptions, with his longest a 64-yard catch and run. Tremblay missed a couple games due to a broken bone in his hand but still managed to catch plenty of balls with a well-wrapped cast.

Wyatt Epple was named First Team All-State as a defensive back. Epple, a senior, led the Panthers with 79 tackles and intercepted three passes. He was that guy who attacked the opponent’s offense, made a bunch of big tackles throughout the season and was the leader of the team.

Congratulations to all these fine athletes!

Volleyball wrap-up

The Panther varsity volleyball team recently held their post-season awards banquet and had a big list of honorees. Three players were named to the All-Region team: Tia Caldwell, Grace Chisek, and Natalie Hart. Four players were named First Team All-Conference: Ellie Golden, Susanna Weckwerth, Grace Chisek, and Natalie Hart. It’s worth noting that the conference included the D3 state champions, making this a fine list of honorees.

The 2023 team MVP award was given to Grace Chisek, and the coveted Most Improved Player was awarded to junior Susannah Weckwerth.

This amazing team has a mountain of stats, but one performance stood out. Coach Edie Daugherty noted that senior Tia Caldwell made 328 serves this season with only three errors, which includes serves into the net or out of bounds. That’s an incredible 99.1% rate, an outstanding accomplishment for an entire season.

The Senior Panther Pride Award goes to seniors who play volleyball for every year starting in 7th grade. The awards were given to Marleigh Schultz, Tia Caldwell, Grace Chisek, Natalie Hart, Lauren Laws, and Abby Whorton.

The team earned academic all-state with their 3.74 overall team GPA. Individual Academic All-State, those with an unweighted GPA of 3.7 or higher, was awarded to seniors Marleigh Schultz, Lauren Laws, Grace Chisek, Natalie Hart, Abby Whorton, and Tia Caldwell.