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FOOTBALL
Monty Price
Football coach of the year: Monty Price
Monty Price took a big step with the Belding Black Knights in his fourth season with the team. After a 2021 season in which the Knights started 4-0, but cooled down, losing five of their last six games, Price led the Knights to a stellar 9-2 season, an outright conference title for the first time since 1998 and a district finals appearance. Fittingly enough, the Belding offense’s 440 total points was the most in a season since that 1998 team scored 494 en route to a state championship appearance. The Black Knights’ only two losses on the season came against Division 3 power Cadillac and Division 5 power Oakridge.
Runner-up: Phil Butler, Tri County
Stuart Gould
Football offensive player of the year: Stuart Gould
While there were certainly some standout offensive stars in the Daily News area this season, none stood out quite as much as Stuart Gould. Coming off a spring where he won a state championship in the 400-meters on the track, the Tri County senior showed off his blazing speed on the gridiron this season, breaking the school records for receiving yards in a season (1,506), catches in a season (54) and total touchdowns in a season (23), all records that were previously held by 2021 graduate Cam Friend. Gould’s yardage total is the eighth-most in a single season in MHSAA history. “He had 14 plays over 50 yards this season, which is unheard of,” said Tri County head coach Phil Butler. “Stuart was an excellent football player for us. He was tough, physical, and very unselfish. Many times he would tell us coaches to use him as a decoy because they were double teaming him.”
Runner-up: Rayce Sackett, Montabella
Michael Husted
Football defensive player of the year: Michael Husted
Michael Husted is the latest in a long line of do-everything linebackers for the Carson City-Crystal Eagles. The senior totaled 88 tackles, along with securing two interceptions and two fumbles on defense this season. Husted was the defensive leader on a team that gave up just 15.9 points per game to its opponents — the lowest for the program since the 2018 season. “He was the captain of our defense and our offensive line,” said head coach Tim Swore.
Runner-up: Hunter Conrad, Belding
Football top newcomer: Grayson Ackels
The Carson City-Crystal junior quickly established himself as the go-to receiver for the Eagles this season, finishing with 43 catches for 1,001 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Other top newcomer nominees: Jamison Johns, Central Montcalm WR/DB; Mason Doty, Ionia WR; Case Johnson, Greenville DB; Austin Foster, Montabella WR; Owen Behrenwald, Tri County DB/QB; Kayden Stebbins, Vestaburg DB/WR
VOLLEYBALL
Heidi Wenzel
Volleyball coach of the year: Heidi Wenzel
Heidi Wenzel’s debut with the Ionia Bulldogs volleyball team last year started with a bang, helping the ladies to their first conference title since 1973. To follow up her 2021 performance, Wenzel, once again, led the Bulldogs to plenty of success this season — a 24-10-3 overall record and their third district championship in program history, defeating conference rival Portland in straight sets on their home court to advance to the regional semifinals. Wenzel’s Bulldogs secured half of the Daily News All-Area First Team spots, as well.
Runner-up: Kali Jo Donahue, CC-C
Tess Griffith
Volleyball player of the year: Tess Griffith
Ionia senior Tess Griffith is the latest in a line of four-straight Ionia Bulldogs to take the Daily News All-Area Volleyball Player of the Year award. Griffith was the most dominant player on the area’s most dominant team. Though she doesn’t have the biggest frame, Griffith dominated the competition with feisty power and great ball placement on her kills, leading her to an area-leading 391 kills this season, averaging just under four kills per set. “As a Captain and leader on the team this year, Tess stepped into a big role effortlessly,” said Ionia head coach Heidi Wenzel. “She was a dominate six rotation player for us that made the difference in a number of games this season. She has a big swing and great volleyball IQ.”
Runner-up: Londyn Brown, Ionia
Volleyball top newcomer: Baylor Syrjala
Lakeview sophomore Baylor Syrjala stepped up as a middle hitter in her first season on the Lakeview varsity volleyball team. Syrjala recorded 43 aces, 90 kills and 134 digs and a serve/receive rating of 1.34.
Other top newcomer nominees: Kaydie Weber, Greenville; Alex Terry, CC-C; Karlie Byle, Tri County; Jairen Olger, Montabella; Grace Droste, Ionia; Karlie Bacon, Central Montcalm
CROSS COUNTRY
Austin Sargent
Cross country coach of the year: Austin Sargent
When Austin Sargent took the job this season as the Central Montcalm cross country coach, it’s hard to imagine that he could have asked for a better debut. The first-year head coach of the Green Hornets led the boys and girls to, arguably, their most successful season as a collective in school history. Both the boys and girls teams qualified for the state finals together for the first time in school history and three runners finished All-State individually. With just a few seniors on either team and plenty of returners, the future for Sargent and the Green Hornets remains extremely bright.
Runner-up: Grant Woodman, CC-C
Dakota Dykhuis
Male runner of the year: Dakota Dykhuis
Montabella senior Dakota Dykhuis burst onto the cross country scene in a big way as a sophomore, winning an All-State medal while dual sporting in football. After struggling in his junior season on the course, Dykhuis made the difficult decision to drop his first love of football and focus on his running this fall. The decision paid off in a massive way as Dykhuis delivered on what was the best cross country season for any Montabella athlete in school history. He was the MSAC conference champion, won the first individual regional championship in school history and finished fourth at the state finals — the highest finish for a boys runner in school history. In his final race at the MITCA Meet of Champions, Dykhuis smashed the Montabella school record for the fastest time, beating Tim Sprosty’s record by 18 seconds — a time that stood as the record for 37 years. “In addition to being an outstanding competitor, he is also a great role model for our younger athletes,” added head coach Dan Gibson. “He always goes back on the course to cheer on and support our middle school runners.”
Runners-up: Owen Patton, Vestaburg; Gage Hoffman, Central Montcalm
Kyah Hoffman
Female runner of the year: Kyah Hoffman
Runner-up: Ashley Choponis, Central Montcalm
Girls XC top newcomer: Grace Coston
Central Montcalm freshman Grace Coston had quite the debut to her high school cross country career this season. With a season-best time of 19:42 and a 40th-place finish at the Division 3 state finals, Coston is proving to be a major competitor in the cross country scene for years to come.
Other top newcomer nominees: Carleigh Thompson, Ionia; Annette Fare, Greenville
Boys XC top newcomer: Gage Hoffman
Central Montcalm freshman Gage Hoffman is proving early on that he too can be one of the top runners in the area at an early age. His season-best time of 16:24 already ranks him eighth all-time in school history for the Green Hornets and he capped off his stellar freshman season with a ninth-place finish at the Division 3 state finals.
Other top newcomer nominees: Kristian Coon, CC-C; Jaxxon Thelen, Ionia
BOYS SOCCER
Boys soccer top newcomer: Aidan Pell
Tri County freshman midfielder/forward Aidan Pell provided the Vikings with some quality offense this season, scoring nine goals on 27 shots and adding one assist.
Other top newcomer nominees: Jarod Albert, Belding center back; Eli Martin, Greenville fullback; Lucas Vail, Lakeview keeper/midfielder; Micah Ritchey, Lakeview keeper
ALL-AREA CONFERENCE AWARDS
BOYS CROSS COUNTRY
CAPITAL AREA ACTIVITIES CONFERENCE — WHITE
Ellis Yokom, Ionia; Jake Montgomery, Ionia; Tyson Evans, Ionia
HONORABLE MENTION: Jaxon Thelen, Ionia; Alex Bushee, Ionia; Lincoln Denis, Ionia
CENTRAL STATE ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATION
Gage Hoffman, Central Montcalm; Ramon Hernandez, Tri County; Graham Coston, Central Moncalm; Andrew Hardy, Central Montcalm; Gavin Rykse, Tri County
HONORABLE MENTION: Sylus Wilson, Central Montcalm; Alex Culver, Tri County; Kyler Fertig, Central Montcalm
MID STATE ACTIVITIES CONFERENCE
FIRST TEAM: Dakota Dykhuis, Montabella; Owen Patton, Vestaburg; Deegan Bodell, CC-C; Kristian Coon, CC-C
SECOND TEAM: Brayden Clark, CC-C; Jacob Stevens, CC-C; Oisin O’Grady, CC-C; Cole Halfman, CC-C; James Wilson, Montabella
HONORABLE MENTION: Carter Clark, CC-C
O-K SILVER CONFERENCE
FIRST TEAM: Max McCarty, Belding; Jeryn Frisbie, Belding
HONORABLE MENTION: Kenny Gould, Belding
BOYS SOCCER
CAPITAL AREA ACTIVITIES CONFERENCE — WHITE
Alex Barr, Ionia; Zane Sarka, Ionia; Aidan Kapp, Ionia; Devon Reyes, Ionia; Kyle Jones, Ionia
HONORABLE MENTION: Derrick Santana, Ionia; Scotti Kimble, Ionia; Carter Castillo, Ionia; Gage Flanner, Ionia
CENTRAL STATE ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATION
FIRST TEAM: Aidan Royston, Lakeview; Lucas Peasley, Lakeview; Jared Pell, Tri County; Ben Grant, Lakeview
HONORABLE MENTION: Nolan Sly, Lakeview; Parys Briggs, Tri County
O-K SILVER CONFERENCE
FIRST TEAM: Logan Insley, Belding
HONORABLE MENTION: CJ Kazmerski, Belding
O-K WHITE CONFERENCE
Jack Boyer, Greenville
BOYS TENNIS
CAPITAL AREA ACTIVITIES CONFERENCE — WHITE
Cole Peterson, Ionia; Christian Miller, Ionia; Austin Currigan, Ionia; Ben Marhofer, Ionia; Brett Peterson, Ionia; Colter Clark, Ionia; Elijah Hatfield, Ionia; Lucas Wandell, Ionia; Miles Gregory, Ionia; Sam Eppler, Ionia
O-K WHITE CONFERENCE
Jackson Doyle, Greenville
FOOTBALL
CAPITAL AREA ACTIVITIES CONFERENCE — WHITE
Henry Castle, Ionia; Brennan Brownell, Ionia; Hunter Barker, Ionia; Travis Tucker Jr., Ionia; Aiden Hart, Ionia; Ethan Bowen, Ionia; Killian Campbell, Ionia; Nathan Clute, Ionia
HONORABLE MENTION: Chase Holford, Ionia; Christian Smith, Ionia
CENTRAL MICHIGAN 8-MAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE
FIRST TEAM: Rayce Sackett, Montabella; Austin Foster, Montabella; Brady Carlson, Montabella; Cooper Bolton, Montabella
SECOND TEAM: Andy Fuller, Montabella; John Row, Montabella
HONORABLE MENTION: Chase Keller, Montabella; Jayden Row, Montabella; Javin Josephus, Vestaburg; Talon Schantz, Vestaburg; Jayden Hilding, Vestaburg
CENTRAL STATE ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATION — GOLD
FIRST TEAM: Owen Behrenwald, Tri County; Isaac Johnson, Central Montcalm; Ian Boden, Tri County; Carter Jeffrey, Central Montcalm; David Sheehan, Tri County, Emmett Lingeman, Central Montcalm; Logan Hallman, Tri County; Stuart Gould, Tri County; Blake Nelson, Tri County; Trent Behrenwald, Tri County; Joey Morrow, Central Montcalm; Chase Dewey, Tri County; Mikey Stout, Tri County; Waylon Lingeman, Central Montcalm
HONORABLE MENTION: Kade Olson, Central Montcalm; Jason Dewey, Tri County
CENTRAL STATE ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATION — SILVER
FIRST TEAM: Braden Salladay, Lakeview; David Evans, Lakeview; Riley Schuberg, Lakeview; Ben Grant, Lakeview
HONORABLE MENTION: Jack Zaborac, Lakeview
O-K SILVER CONFERENCE
FIRST TEAM: Drew Donovan, Belding; Owen Meinke, Belding; Anthony Szubinski, Belding; Hunter Conrad, Belding; Drew Willmore, Belding; Isaac Casey, Belding; Isai Badder, Belding; Koden McNeil, Belding
HONORABLE MENTION: Trent Dodd, Belding; Jack Ward, Belding; Gavin Craner, Belding; Tyler Slocum, Belding
O-K WHITE CONFERENCE
Kam Cooper, Greenville
HONORABLE MENTION: Case Johnson, Greenville
GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
CAPITAL AREA ACTIVITIES CONFERENCE — WHITE
Carleigh Thompson, Ionia; Clara Deeren, Ionia; Megan Lennemann, Ionia
CENTRAL STATE ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATION
Kyah Hoffman, Central Montcalm; Ashley Choponis, Central Montcalm; Grace Coston, Central Montcalm; Anna Pake, Tri County
HONORABLE MENTION: Georgia Jurden, Central Montcalm; Braelyn Bunting, Central Montcalm; Natalie Schulz, Tri County
MID STATE ACTIVITIES CONFERENCE
FIRST TEAM: Abby Davis, Vestaburg
SECOND TEAM: Mickiah Allbee, Vestaburg; Jessica Penrod, Vestaburg
O-K SILVER CONFERENCE
FIRST TEAM: Mackenzie Zahm, Belding; Emmalee Springer, Belding
HONORABLE MENTION: Carman Jones, Belding; Riley Ingraham, Belding
GIRLS GOLF
CENTRAL STATE ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATION
FIRST TEAM: Erika Thomas, Central Montcalm; Emma Kosinski, Lakeview; Addisyn Siple, Tri County
HONORABLE MENTION: Alexis Curry, Central Montcalm; Rebecca Duvall, Tri County; Haylee Dietz, Tri County; Jayna Scheuneman, Lakeview; Delaney Stewart, Tri County
O-K SILVER CONFERENCE
FIRST TEAM: Grace Cooper, Belding
GIRLS SWIMMING
CAPITAL AREA ACTIVITIES CONFERENCE — RED
Amelia McGee, Ionia; Katelynn Lamphere, Ionia; Eliy Martinez, Ionia; Madeline McGee, Ionia
HONORABLE MENTION: Brynn Labadie, Ionia; Mimi Wegener, Ionia; Sydney Estep, Ionia; Alexis Burns, Ionia; Riley Browne, Ionia
VOLLEYBALL
CAPITAL AREA ACTIVITIES CONFERENCE — WHITE
Londyn Brown, Ionia; Tess Griffith, Ionia
HONORABLE MENTION: Rajalyaj Esquivel, Ionia
CENTRAL STATE ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATION
FIRST TEAM: Lily Bohen, Central Montcalm; Liberty Durian, Tri County; Maia Sexton, Central Montcalm
HONORABLE MENTION: Ashlee Anderson, Lakeview; Tiana Whitacre, Central Montcalm; Alexis Gleason, Tri County
MID STATE ACTIVITIES CONFERENCE
FIRST TEAM: Aubrey Hessbrook, CC-C
SECOND TEAM: Carli McAlvey, CC-C; Madisyn Halgren, Vestaburg
HONORABLE MENTION: Haeven Clark, CC-C; Calli Heleski, CC-C; Lexi Jordan, Montabella; Maddie Jordan, Montabella; Lily Lobert, Montabella; Kiana Nickerson, Montabella; Kelsie Zinn, Vestaburg
O-K SILVER CONFERENCE
HONORABLE MENTION: Alayna Sims, Belding; Madison Vance, Belding
O-K WHITE CONFERENCE
HONORABLE MENTION: Anna Thwaites, Greenville
