Williamston goalkeeper Grace Kraft dives to deflect a Grosse Ile shot wide as Grosse Ile’s Kelsie Krauss (9) and Williamston’s Lexi Russell (11) move in Friday, June 10, 2016, at Williamston High School. Williamston fell 0-1.

WILLIAMSTON – The dreaded thought that Renee Sturm and the Williamston girls soccer team had been able to avoid all postseason inevitably surfaced Friday night.

The No. 3-ranked Hornets had drubbed their previous four postseason opponents, 23-0, and the idea that it would all soon end never emerged. That was until No. 4-ranked Grosse Ile huddled on Williamston’s home field and hoisted the Division 3 regional trophy minutes after depriving the Hornets of a trip to the state tournament.

“It didn’t set in until (the clock) hit zero and they were handing out the trophies,” said Sturm, whose team fell, 1-0, in a battle between top-5 teams. “We accomplished a lot of our goals. We had a big goal to make a run in the tournament, and we did that.

“It could have gone either way at the end of the day. It was two good teams.”

The Hornets (18-6-1) nearly got on the scoreboard within 10 minutes of the physical contest with the Red Devils. Junior forward Paige Lonier found herself in a one-on-one situation with Grosse Ile’s Olivia Reckley, but her high shot from just inside the 18-yard box was snatched by the senior keeper. The Red Devils scored the game’s only goal seven minutes later when Catherine Masserant, among a sea of players, slipped a wild ball past Williamston goalie Grace Kraft.

Lonier once again nearly got the Hornets on the board, this time midway through the first half, when her strike from the top of the box narrowly sailed over the crossbar. The junior forward had another crack at a goal in the second half, but she watched as her long-distance shot drifted to the right of the net.

“I thought it was frustrating because we had chances and they didn’t go our way,” Lonier said. “We worked really hard to try and get them, but they’re a good team.”

As the physical play carried into the game’s final minutes, the Hornets found themselves with one more near scoring opportunity, this time off a corner kick from Leah Davis. The senior midfielder ripped a cross into the middle of the Red Devils’ jumbled defense and the ball dropped freely near the six-yard box before it was cleared.

Coach Jim Flore didn’t think the Hornets initially reacted well to the aggressive style of Grosse Ile, but added that his team started to show fight as its back was against the wall.

“There’s only one team that wins in the end,” Flore said. “It got physical and we didn’t step it up right away. And when we stepped it up, (things) changed for us.

“It was a really good soccer match. They had a tremendous back line and they were really physical. Every move we made they were right on us.”

Kraft finished the night with eight saves, which included a diving effort with 4:27 remaining in the first half to negate a header from the Red Devils’ Lauren Naso.

DIVISION 4 REGIONAL FINAL: No. 1-ranked Lansing Christian defeated No. 5-ranked Manchester, 8-0, in Friday’s Division 4 regional final at Spring Arbor University. The Pilgrims will advance to the state semifinals and face Grosse Pointe Woods at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Troy Athens High School.

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.

Baseball on the Infield Dirt

HOLT – In order for the Holt baseball team to make school history, coach Nate Potts knew his team would have to play some of its best innings early in Saturday’s Division 1 regional tournament.

One win would give this Rams club the most ever in a season. Another victory would give them their first regional title in school history.

But awaiting Holt in the semifinals was No. 6-ranked Howell, and the Highlanders had plans of their own.

After taking a 2-0 lead into the top of the fifth inning, the Rams eventually fell short to Howell, 6-4, in the opening round of the regional tournament held at Holt High School.

“Howell comes out of one of the toughest districts in the State of Michigan,” said Potts, whose team tied the 2005 and 2012 teams for most wins a season (30). “There’s always a good chance that whoever comes out of this region goes all the way to the finals. And we knew that.

“For us to get what we got out of them today was remarkable. …I was proud of the way we came out, and I was proud of the way we finished.”

Okemos’ A.J. Matusz delivers a pitch against Portage Northern in their Division 1 regional semifinal game Saturday, June 11, 2016, at Holt High School. Okemos fell 13-3.

Holt jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Burrell Jones’ stand-up triple scored Tyler Brown. The Rams (30-10) tacked on another run in the bottom of the third after Jesse Heikkinen’s sacrifice fly brought in Drew Stavischeck from third.

Despite the fact that a ground-rule double from the Highlanders’ Bryan Rendell negated two runs in the top of the fifth, Howell went on to score three runs in the inning and never trailed again.

“I think they got a lot of momentum there,” said Heikkinen, a Michigan State commit, who recorded four strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings of work on the mound. “We kept fighting. We left it all out there.”

Holt, trailing 6-2, went on to add two more runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Okemos found itself as the last remaining CAAC Blue team after the Rams went down early Saturday morning. However, in the tournament’s following game, the Chiefs eventually fell to Portage Northern, 13-3, in the bottom of the sixth.

Okemos, which won its first district title since 2007 last week, scored the game’s first run in the top of the first. After the Huskies’ Michael Lincoln walked lead-off hitter Nathan Dane, Luke Stagg’s single four batters later brought Dane home.

Portage Northern quickly tied it up on its first at-bat of the day when Tommy Henry hit a solo home run over the right-field fence. The Huskies went on to add another run before the inning was over.

Going into the top of the fourth, down 6-1, the Chiefs (12-16-2) were able to bring in two runs before two outs were recorded in the inning. Okemos had the bases loaded with just one out on the board, but a fly out by Dane and a strikeout on Billy Brehm stopped the Chiefs from threatening any further.

“It seemed like every time we got the bases full we left a couple out there, and every time they did they brought them all in,” Stagg said. “That was a big difference in the game.”

For coach Phil Magsig, watching his ball club finish the season with a postseason run was promising, as Okemos started the year 0-10-2.

“We just take it one step at a time,” he said. “That’s what’s kind of fun about districts – no matter what your record is going into it, anybody can win it. We proved it this year.”

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.

Lansing Christian’s Abby Krueger, left, and University Liggett’s Alexis Wenger battle for the ball during their MHSAA quarterfinal game Tuesday, June 14, 2016, at Troy Athens High School.

TROY – It had been a while since the Lansing Christian girls soccer team found itself in a predicament.

The No. 1-ranked Pilgrims, who outscored their competition, 122-5, during the regular season, strong-armed their first five playoff opponents by a combined score of 52-1.  And heading into Tuesday’s Division 4 state semifinals match, it seemed as if their opponent, No. 4-ranked University Liggett, would, too, become a footnote during their historical run back to the state championship.

But that wasn’t the case.

In a rematch of last year’s state semifinals, the Knights notched an early first-half goal and held on to knock off Lansing Christian, 1-0, at Troy Athens High School.

“We showed our age a little bit,” said 10-year coach Joel Vande Kopple, whose team carries just two seniors. “And when you give up an early goal, you can either respond or freak out. And I think we freaked out a little bit today.”

For a team that’s not accustom to trailing, the game’s only goal, which came from Alexis Wenger less than three minutes into play, seemed to stagger the Pilgrims (21-2-2). They were only able to create two scoring chances, both of which were from long distance, despite controlling possession in the first 40 minutes.

Lansing Christian soccer putting together a dominant postseason run

“We don’t normally get scored on, so it was tough to realize that this is a serious thing, that we could possibly lose this game,” said forward Kasey Jamieson, who finished her sophomore season with 50 goals. “It was a shock, but, last year, the exact same thing happened: they scored within the first five minutes and we came back.

“We were all hoping we would come back. …I think we just got frazzled with the whole idea of everything.”

As the second half played out, frustration began to build. With less than 26 minutes to play, a Jamieson cross found the outstretched toe of junior Juliana Figueiredo, but the ball landed just wide of the target. Five minutes later, a shot from freshman Eliza Lewis bounced off the hands of University Liggett keeper Kara Francis before she was able to scoop it.

Freshman Ally Melvin gave Lansing Christian another scoring chance with under 15 minutes to play when she nearly cleaned up a shot from Jamieson in front of net, but the ball missed wide left. Melvin almost put home a loose ball after a corner kick but, again, the ball bounced wide of the net.

“At halftime, we talked about how we’re a second-half team and how we were going to come back and score like we did before,” Figueiredo said. “It got frustrating toward the middle of the second half when we hadn’t scored.

“We didn’t want it as much as them. …It (came down to) who worked the hardest and who wanted it most. We didn’t come out and take over like we usually do.”

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.

Angela Palmer, of Okemos, accepts the award for Girls Lacrosse Player of the Year at the Lansing State Journal’s Greater Lansing Sports Awards Show show Tuesday, June 7, 2016 at the Lansing Center.

Okemos senior Angela Palmer heads to the net against Haslett June 3, 2016, during the Div. 2 Regional final at Okemos.

OKEMOS – For the first three seasons of her high school career, Angela Palmer was a contributor for multiple Okemos girls lacrosse teams that made deep runs in the postseason.

This year, however, she was the focal point. And in her senior season, Palmer gathered 60-plus points (goals and assists) and helped guide the Chiefs to the state tournament for the fifth straight year.

“When you walk into a program and you have a girl like Angela Palmer that’s a complete athlete – she’s probably the most athletic girl on the field at any given time – (it helps),” Okemos first-year coach Brandon Schwind said. “You could count on Angela when you need the ball, when you need a possession or when you need a goal.”

Palmer, the State Journal girls lacrosse player of the year, helped the Chiefs capture the CAAC title and a Division 2 regional title on her way to being named a first team all-state selection.

The senior attacker entered her final year hoping to finally get Okemos over the hump, which meant knocking off East Grand Rapids at some point in the state tournament. The Pioneers eliminated the Chiefs from the postseason each of Palmer’s first three years.

Senior looking to get Okemos girls lacrosse over hump

The two teams once again met up in the state semifinals last week, and, once again, it was the Pioneers that came out victorious.

“When the tournament started, we played every game like it was our last,” Palmer said. “You never know what can happen.

“Playing against EGR (East Grand Rapids) in our last game felt like it was the state championship. We played well against them, but they got a run and kept it going.”

Schwind, who became the program’s fourth coach in as many years, said Palmer’s senior leadership was helpful to his transition. The Chiefs, who finished the year with an 18-6 record, lost multiple starters from last season’s team to graduation and ushered in a heap of underclassmen that ended up playing key roles in the team’s success.

“She did a good job of leading the girls, especially in practice,” Schwind said. “She kept them positive.”

Palmer will continue her career next season at Central Michigan University, which she said was an opportunity she had to act on.

“To be able to have the opportunity to play at the next level is something you can’t let go,” she said. “Central is a good pick both athletically and academically for me.”

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.

Okemos girls lacrosse coach Brandon Schwind

OKEMOS – Brandon Schwind spent the past five years making his mark on the boys lacrosse scene in mid-Michigan.

The former collegiate player, who played at Wittenberg University (Division III) in Springfield, Ohio, coached the Haslett boys team from 2012-13. After that, he went on to lead Michigan State’s men’s club lacrosse team for three seasons.

However, this year, for the first time in his coaching career, Schwind tried his hand on the girl’s side of things. And he ended up leading Okemos back to the Division 2 state semifinals.

“It was very different at first, but, like any sport, you learn the rules and move forward,” Schwind said of transitioning to the girls game, which slightly differentiates, in terms of rules, from the boys. “Between the two sports, the fundamentals are the same. It wasn’t too big of a transition once it got started.”

The Chiefs, who spent much of the season with a top-10 ranking, captured both the CAAC and regional title on their way to an 18-6 record. This year marked the team’s fifth straight trip to the state tournament.

Okemos’ head coaching position has been a revolving door in recent seasons. Schwind, the State Journal girls lacrosse coach of the year, became the program’s fourth coach in as many years, and he said his team’s determination to get to the state title game made his insertion into the program a smooth process.

“For the most part, it was a pretty easy transition,” he said. “I don’t know if that’s because they’re used to having a different coach each year. I’m not sure. But they’re all nice people, so it made it pretty easy.

“I think our seniors did a great job of buying in immediately. I think they knew they had goals to accomplish as a team, and they got on board.”

The Chiefs will lose a couple key pieces next season, including State Journal player of the year Angela Palmer, but bring back a sophomore class that played a key role in their success. Schwind believes this year laid the foundation for his program moving forward.

“They got experience this year and learned the system,” Schwind said. “I’m looking forward to how we start next season.

“We feel good about (what we accomplished) this season. …But the girls on the team are hungry and they want to do better.”

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.

Meet the 2016 LSJ girls lacrosse Dream Team.

Meet the 2016 LSJ girls lacrosse Dream Team

Meet the 2016 LSJ girls lacrosse Dream Team.

Meet the 2016 LSJ girls lacrosse Dream Team.

Meet the 2016 Lansing State Journal girls lacrosse Dream Team.

Meet the 2016 Lansing State Journal girls lacrosse Dream Team.

Meet the 2016 Lansing State Journal girls lacrosse Dream Team.

Meet the 2016 Lansing State Journal girls lacrosse Dream Team.

Meet the 2016 LSJ girls lacrosse Dream Team

Meet the 2016 Lansing State Journal girls lacrosse Dream Team.

Grace Bielby

Alyssa Karber

Emily Renfrew

Lauren Sanford

Lauren Foltz

Mallory Keenoy

Melaina Grewal

Jordan Markowski

Rachel Madar

Bianca Kinder

Abbey Turner

Kady Waits

Angela Palmer

Meet the 2016 LSJ girls lacrosse Dream Team.

Player of the year – Angela Palmer (Okemos sr.): Division 2 first team all-state, all-conference

Coach of the year – Brandon Schwind (Okemos): Led the Chiefs to the CAAC and Division 2 regional title in first season

DREAM TEAM

Grace Bielby (Okemos so.): Division 2 first team all-state, all-conference

Melaina Grewal (Okemos so.): Division 2 second team all-state, all-conference

Mallory Keenoy (Okemos so.): Division 2 second team all-state, all-conference

Emily Renfrew (Okemos so.): Division 2 second team all-state, all-conference

Kady Waits (East Lansing so.): Division 2 first team all-state, all-conference

Rachel Madar (DeWitt jr.): Division 2 second team all-state, all-conference

Jordan Markowski (DeWitt jr.): Division 2 honorable mention all-state, all-conference

Lauren Foltz (Okemos so.): Division 2 honorable mention all-state, all-conference

Alyssa Karber (Okemos jr.): Division 2 honorable mention all-state, all-conference

Bianca Kinder (Haslett/Williamston jr.): All-conference

Lauren Sanford (Holt sr.): All-conference

Abbey Turner (Grand Ledge sr.): Honorable mention all-conference

ALL-AREA

Danyelle Hardy (Grand Ledge so.)

Jane Groetsch (Okemos sr.)

Natalie Hohlehen (East Lansing jr.)

Makayla Merony (East Lansing jr.)

Sierra Dietz (DeWitt jr.)

Adison Salisbry (DeWitt jr.)

Kaili Gozalka (Williamston/Haslett sr.)

Zosha Korzecke (East Lansing jr.)

Brooke Grabow (Holt sr.)

Savanna Bain (Williamston/Haslett sr.)

Cora Caldwell (East Lansing so.)

Coach: Bronti Belanger (Haslett/Williamston)

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.

Meet the 2016 LSJ boys lacrosse Dream Team.

Meet the 2016 LSJ boys lacrosse Dream Team.

Meet the 2016 State Journal boys lacrosse Dream Team.

Meet the 2016 State Journal boys lacrosse Dream Team.

Meet the 2016 State Journal boys lacrosse Dream Team.

Meet the 2016 State Journal boys lacrosse Dream Team.

Meet the 2016 State Journal boys lacrosse Dream Team.

Meet the 2016 State Journal boys lacrosse Dream Team.

Levi Petersen

Matt Rice

Cam Morin

Cole Smith

Logan Fenech

Grant Lemanski

Tucker Virkus

Mario Gonzalez

Cameron Zisholz

Josh Duren

Charlie Ciuk

Cameron Usiak

Spencer Fox

Beau Yabs

Bennett Sherman

Meet the 2016 State Journal boys lacrosse Dream Team.

Player of the year – Bennett Sherman (Okemos sr.): Division 2 first team all-state, first team all-conference

Coach of the year – Shawn Grady (Okemos): Led the Chiefs to the CAAC Blue title and the Division 2 state semifinals.

DREAM TEAM

Beau Yabs (DeWitt jr.): Division 2 third team all-state, first team all-conference

Spencer Fox (Waverly/Lansing Catholic jr.): Division 1 third team all-state, all-conference

Cameron Usiak (Okemos sr.): Division 2 first team all-state, first team all-conference

Charlie Ciuk (Okemos sr.): Division 2 second team all-state, first team all-conference

Josh Duren (Okemos sr.): Division 2 first team all-state, first team all-conference

Cameron Zisholz (Okemos sr.): Division 2 first team all-state, first team all-conference

Mario Gonzalez (Okemos jr.): Division 2 first team all-state, first team all-conference

Tucker Virkus (Haslett/Williamston sr.): Division 2 third team all-state, first team all-conference

Grant Lemanski (Haslett/Williamston sr.): Division 2 second team all-state, first team all-conference

Logan Fenech (Haslett/Williamston jr.): Division 2 third team all-state, first team all-conference

Cole Smith (East Lansing sr.): Division 2 third team all-state, honorable mention all-conference

Cam Morin (Grand Ledge sr.): First team all-conference

Matt Rice (Holt sr.): First team all-conference

Levi Petersen (Holt sr.): First team all-conference

ALL-AREA

Ryan Winsor (Holt sr.)

Joey Fata (Waverly/Lansing Catholic sr.)

Janis Grigans (Waverly/Lansing Catholic sr.)

Liam Tait (DeWitt sr.)

Alex Platte (Grand Ledge sr.)

Nate LaLumia (Grand Ledge jr.)

Michael Kransberger (DeWitt fr.)

Evan Zarotney (Waverly/Lansing Catholic so.)

Tommy Grigans (Waverly/Lansing Catholic jr.)

Davell Walker (Haslett/Williamston sr.)

Joey Ciuk (Okemos fr.)

Coach: Jacob Murphy (Haslett/Williamston)

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.

Bennett Sherman, of Okemos, accepts the award for Boys Lacrosse Player of the Year at the Lansing State Journal’s Greater Lansing Sports Awards Show show Tuesday, June 7, 2016 at the Lansing Center.

Bennett Sherman,11,of Okemos lines up a shot on the Notre Dame Prep goal during its Division 2 Regional Final June 3, 2016 in DeWitt.

OKEMOS – Bennett Sherman can thank his family for his impactful prep lacrosse career.

Sherman, who grew up playing mainly football and hockey, was handed a lacrosse stick sometime in the fifth grade. His parents signed him up for a league, despite not being too familiar with the sport – a game many people claim is a mix between his two childhood favorites.

Parent’s know best.

“I just couldn’t stop playing,” Sherman said.

The senior attacker recently put a bow on one of the most decorated careers in Okemos history. Sherman, who scored more than 80 goals this season, helped the Chiefs capture their second straight Division 2 regional championship, a year after he contributed to their first-ever showing in the state championship.

LSJ boys lacrosse Dream Team, all-area team

Sherman went on to be named a first team all-state selection, as well as the State Journal boys lacrosse player of the year, after guiding Okemos to the state semifinals.

“From a talent perspective, I don’t know if we’ve had anyone better from the middle part of the state,” said Shawn Grady, who retired at the end of the year after he coached the Chiefs for 15 seasons. “He’s kind of mellow. You wouldn’t think he has one of those competitive sides to him, but it’s there.

“He’s not one of those guys that thinks you have to listen to him. He does it with style and class.”

LSJ boys lacrosse coach of the year: Okemos’ Shawn Grady

Aside from capturing the above personal accolades, Sherman said he wanted to come into the season and “carry on the legacy of the seniors” before him. Sherman nearly propelled No. 6-ranked Okemos back into the state semifinals when he netted a team-high seven goals in a 16-15 double-overtime loss to No. 5-ranked East Grand Rapids.

“It’s always a big goal to take it one step further than we did the year before,” he said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t do that. But there’s no doubt in my mind that everyone played their heart out in that last game.”

Sherman, who will attend Michigan State this fall, said he’s always wanted to follow in the footsteps of the talented players before him. And he did so by helping the Chiefs reach heights that were foreign prior to him joining the program.

“I always knew I could carry on the legacy of both the boys and girls players if I put my mind to it,” Sherman said. “I couldn’t have done (any of this) without my teammates and line mates.”

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.

Shawn Grady

OKEMOS – Shawn Grady’s love of lacrosse grew even deeper when he finished up his college career at Michigan State in the early 1980s.

After a playing stint in Chicago, Grady moved back to mid-Michigan, and along with Dale Rolley, a lacrosse aficionado from the east side of the state, the two set out to put together a program for middle school students in Okemos.

“His (Rolley’s) son was a seventh-grader, so we put together a seventh and eighth grade team,” Grady said. “Then came the next year, and all the eighth-graders said they wanted to keep playing. Dale stayed with his son … so I turned around to see if someone would volunteer and no one was there.

“I never looked back.”

It’s been 15 years since Grady helped start the boys varsity lacrosse program at Okemos High School, and he said it’s gone further than he could have imagined.

LSJ boys lacrosse Dream Team, all-area team

This year, Grady led the Chiefs to their second consecutive Division 2 regional title, which are the only two in program history, and an undefeated season in the CAAC Blue. He’s been named the State Journal boys lacrosse coach of the year.

“If you look at our school in things like soccer, tennis and water polo, they’ve always been good,” said Grady, who retired from coaching at the end of the year. “We were fortunate the last two years to be in that area so people do look at us.

“We always talk about the Chieftan way. … We always want to be known for playing hard, but we want to be known, also, for playing with style and class, and I think we had that. People always said our kids played hard and with class, but now to do that and be in the top few teams in the state every year, it’s made it amazing. We were fortunate enough to have great kids and assistants that helped make a difference in that.”

LSJ boys lacrosse player of the year: Okemos’ Bennett Sherman

Grady, who was also named the Michigan High School Lacrosse Coaches Association (MHSLCA) Division 2 coach of the year this season, will ride off into the sunset after recently being named an inductee for the Michigan High School Lacrosse Coaches Hall of Fame 2016 class. The 15-year coach ends his career with a 173-80 record.

Grady’s success as a coach of a public school team – in a sport mainly dominated by private schools – is what has helped make his career Hall of Fame worthy, and he said it’s something he never expected to happen.

“I didn’t even know (the Hall of Fame) existed when I started,” he said. “I guess it’s a sign that youreally are old. … It shows that your peers have a respect for what you’ve done. That’s really cool.”

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.

Take a look at the mid-Michigan seniors competing in the sixth annual High School Soccer Senior All-Star games.

WILLIAMSTON – A heap of mid-Michigan high school seniors are set to take part in the sixth annual High School Soccer Senior All-Star Games this week at Williamston High School.

Tickets for all games are $5 and children under 6 are free.

Below is the schedule and a list of the local players for all teams:

TODAY

Girls: Blue vs. Silver, 6 p.m.

Boys: Blue vs. Silver, 8 p.m.

WEDNESDAY

Girls: Gold vs. White, 6 p.m.

Boys: Gold vs. White, 8 p.m.

BLUE ROSTER (GIRLS)

Maggie Bever (Alma), Calli Ackles (Alma), Reyna Widman (Alma), Therese Rosalez (Alma), Bailey Malthaner (Dansville), Myranda May (Dansville), Hanna Lentz (Dansville), Parker Cook (Dansville), Sydne Everts (Dansville), Abby Workman (Ithaca), Alysa Betcher (Ithaca), Makala Skok (Laingsburg), Sara Lancour (Laingsburg), Shayne Lintemuth (Ovid-Elsie), Megan Walter (Ovid-Elsie), Courtney Loynes (Ovid-Elsie), Makenna Vincent (Ovid-Elsie), Alex Eibler (Stockbridge), Makayla Gradowski (Stockbridge)

SILVER ROSTER (GIRLS)

Clayr Owens (Bath), Lindsey Brown (Bath), April Svendson (Bath), Allie Brown (Charlotte), Lindsey Carlson (Charlotte), Skyler Randol (Ionia), Florentyna Kwasniak (Perry), Emily Fisher (Perry), Mallory Durham (Lakewood), Alexis Johnson (Lakewood), Viola Dagadu (Everett), Hailey Conine (Leslie), Preseley Seavolt (Leslie), Caitlin Bensinger (Owosso), Cece Moreno (Waverly), Sarah Miller (Waverly)

GOLD ROSTER (GIRLS)

Charley Campbell (Haslett), Abbey Bowman (Haslett), Madelyn Jean Lampman (Haslett), Kali Thompson (Mason), Marissa Pease (Mason), Whitney Luks (Mason), Elaine Burleson (Mason), Tara Gandhi (Mason), Maddie Sjolund (Mason) Jacqueline Madery (Mason), Caroline Serkaian (Okemos), Nina McAlvey (Okemos), Chloe White (Okemos), Lexi McPherson (St. Johns), Madi Schafer (St. Johns), Jasmine Barratt (St. Johns), Leah Davis (Williamston), Grace Kraft (Williamston), Sarah Tuggle (Williamston), Allison Schmuecker (Williamston), Maddy Martin (Williamston)

WHITE ROSTER (GIRLS)

Brianna Bishop (DeWitt), Allison Sims (DeWitt), Erika Curley (DeWitt), Callee Fisher (DeWitt), Sara Faverman (East Lansing), Aubrey Hogan (East Lansing), Alyssa Klump (East Lansing), Katelyn Meyer (East Lansing), Malan Norwood (East Lansing), Shannon Crilley (Lansing Catholic), Katie Burns (Lansing Catholic), Adrian Adams (Eaton Rapids), Tab Barrett (Eaton Rapids), Jordan McDonald (Eaton Rapids), Ayverie Giller (Grand Ledge), Maddie Summerfield (Grand Ledge), Alexis Hayslette (Holt), Emily Bossie (Holt), Kaitlyn Fulghum (Holt), Mackenzie Kuhn (Holt), Megan Kline (Holt)

BLUE ROSTER (BOYS)

Brevan Bender (Alma), Adam Moeggenborg (Alma), Korbin Kovac (Alma), Seth Ramirez (Alma), Kolton Kovac (Alma), Max Bos (Alma), Kamal Ali (Charlotte), Greg Dornbos (Charlotte), Coridon Witchell (Dansville), Ethan Launstein (Dansville), Aaron Moon (Ithaca), Mike Meier (Ithaca), Jacob Danek (Laingsburg), Jordan Dittrich (Laingsburg), Panashe Kahari (Eastern), Meng Vang (Eastern)

SILVER ROSTER (BOYS)

Tyler Deese (Corunna), Eli Dunn (Corunna), Donnie Praski (Corunna), Avery Baylis (Ionia), Ethan Wolbers (Ionia), Nate LeForge (Ionia), Dylan Spohr (Ionia), Kyle Stewart (Everett), Daniel Bermudez (Leslie), Kyle Danko (Leslie), Kieran Smith (Owosso), Trever Svarc (Owosso), Brendan Snyder (Owosso), Caleb Scollon (Owosso), Charles Devlin (Portland)

GOLD ROSTER (BOYS)

Riley Swails (Fowlerville), Jacob Jarvis (Fowlerville), Nate Foddrill (DeWitt), Eric Des Chenes (DeWitt), Leutrim Shefkiu (Mason), John Kingman (Mason), Holden Dippel (Mason), Christian Jordan (Mason), Andrew Sampson (St. Johns), Jake Lyon (Lansing Christian), Alex McDowell (Lansing Christian), Chase Hansen (Lansing Christian), Cole Goatley (Okemos), Nick Barr (Okemos), Josh Ward (Williamston), Brian Ganton (Williamston), Jacob Chisholm (Williamston), Eric Oesterle (Williamston)

WHITE ROSTER (BOYS)

Torsten Holland (Haslett), Harry DeHaven (Haslett), Zach Lane (East Lansing), Chris Wallace (East Lansing), Ian Carroll (East Lansing), Adrian Birge (East Lansing), Will Uecker (East Lansing), Seth Broskey (Eaton Rapids), Mike Geiger (Eaton Rapids), Zach Emerson (Grand Ledge), Anthony Patten (Grand Ledge), Hunter Edwards (Grand Ledge), Nate Brickner (Grand Ledge), Charles Smith (Holt), Chris Bonner (Holt), Jake Phillips (Lansing Catholic)

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.

See which Lansing and Greater Lansing-area seniors will participate in the all-star basketball games at Lansing Community College.

Numerous Lansing and Greater Lansing-area seniors are set to compete in the fourth annual Capital Area High School Basketball All-Star Games on Wednesday.

The event will be held at Lansing Community College’s Gannon Gymnasium and consists of a 3-point contest, dunk contest and a boys and girls all-star game. The 3-point shootout kicks off the festivities at 5 p.m.

Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students and kids.

Below is a schedule and a look at all of the area participants:

3-point contest: 5 p.m.

Dunk contest: 5:30 p.m.

Girls game: 6 p.m.

Boys game: 7:15 p.m.

East roster (girls): Taryn McCutcheon (East Lansing), Olivia Roe (Portland), Brooke Mazzolini (St. Johns), Victoria Guardiola (Everett), Emily McCostlin (Eaton Rapids), Zoe Glass (Mason), Coach: Mark Lasceski (St. Johns)

West roster (girls): Averi Munroe (Morrice), Kelsey Finch (Perry), Hannah Thelen (Pewamo-Westphalia), Alyssa Nurenburg (Pewamo-Westphalia), Renee Sturm (Williamston), Julia Angst (Laingsburg), Brooklyn Dolloff (Ithaca), Kelsey Underhile (Stockbridge), Coaches: John Schweitzer (Waverly) and Kris Smith (Morrice)

East roster (boys): Riley Lewis (Williamston), Malek Adams (Grand Ledge), Josh Horford (Grand Ledge), Hunter Puhr (Stockbridge), Blake Wieber (Pewamo-Westphalia), Mitchell Krausz (Pewamo-Westphalia), Qwann Crockett (Webberville), Coach: Nate Lott (Weberrville)

West roster (boys): Jamyrin Jackson (Everett), LeAndre Wright (Everett), Zac Latter (Leslie), Dylan Patton (Leslie), Quinton Armstrong (Holt), Ben Stillwell (Ovid-Elsie), Colton Antes (Fulton), Bobby Tadgerson (Bath), Kurtis Kodet (Williamston), Coach: Desmond Ferguson (Everett)

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.

Meet the 2016 LSJ girls tennis Dream Team.

Meet the 2016 LSJ girls tennis Dream Team.

Meet the 2016 LSJ girls tennis Dream Team.

Meet the 2016 LSJ girls tennis Dream Team.

Natasha Chinoy

Brooke Mazzolini

Amanda Perry

Kylie Kayser

Morgan Wittkopp

Brooke Butterfield

Kendra Stoepker

Jessica Hafner

Sydney Ellsworth

Kylie Wilkinson

Hannah Vogelsang

Monica Davis

Samantha Perkins

Olivia Hanover

Alisa Sabotic

Monika Francsics

Monika Francsics

Monika Francsics

Monika Francsics

Meet the 2016 LSJ girls tennis Dream Team.

Player of the year – Alisa Sabotic (Okemos so.): 32-1 at No. 1 singles, CAAC Blue champion, Division 2 regional and state champion, all-state

Coach of the year – Martin Snoap (Lakewood): Led the Vikings to the Division 3 state tournament for the first time since 2005

DREAM TEAM SINGLES

Olivia Hanover (Mason jr.): 27-3 at No. 1 singles, CAAC Red champion, Division 2 regional and state runner-up, all-state

Monika Francsics (Okemos jr.):  29-0 at No. 2 singles, CAAC Blue champion, Division 2 regional and state champion, all-state

Samantha Perkins (Mason sr.): 23-3 at No. 2 singles, CAAC Red champion, Division 2 regional runner-up, honorable mention all-state

Monica Davis (Lansing Catholic sr.): 16-6 at No. 1 singles, CAAC White champion, Division 4 regional champion

Hannah Vogelsang (Haslett sr.): 14-3 at No. 1 singles, CAAC Red runner-up, Division 3 regional champion, honorable mention all-state

Kendra Stoepker (Lakewood jr.): 18-4 at No. 1 singles, Division 3 regional runner-up

Sydney Ellsworth (Williamston jr.): 12-10 at No. 1 singles, CAAC White runner-up, Division 3 regional semifinalist

DREAM TEAM DOUBLES

Kylie Wilkinson (sr.) and Natasha Chinoy (jr.), Okemos: 21-5 at No. 1 doubles, CAAC Blue champions, Division 2 regional champions, all-state

Brooke Mazzolini (sr.) and Jessica Haffner (sr.), St. Johns: 18-2 at No. 1 doubles, CAAC Red champions, Division 2 regional semifinalists

Brooke Butterfield (jr.) and Morgan Wittkopp (jr.), Portland: 21-9 at No. 1 doubles, CAAC White champions, Division 4 regional champions and state quarterfinalists, honorable mention all-state

Kylie Kayser (sr.) and Amanda Perry (jr.), Holt: 17-11 at No. 1 doubles, CAAC Blue runners-up

Greater Lansing Sports Awards
VIDEO | ‘Thank You’s’ of the LSJ Greater Lansing Sports Awards

DIVISION 1-2 ALL-AREA SINGLES

Kiara Berry (Grand Ledge sr.)

Caroline Baidoon (East Lansing sr.)

Isabella Pizzo (Waverly so.)

Isabella Ndlebe (East Lansing sr.)

Sema Colak (Okemos fr.)

Riley Gilman (Holt fr.)

Coaches: Jim D’Angelo (Mason)/Cosette Buckberry (East Lansing)

DIVISION 3-4 ALL-AREA SINGLES

Claire Cowan (Haslett sr.)

Payton Lowery (Lakewood sr.)

Grace Mohr (Lansing Catholic sr.)

Grace Haley (Lansing Christian jr.)

Anuva Suresh (Haslett so.)

Coaches: Henry Brunnschweiler (Haslett)/Jim Niebling (Portland)

DIVISION 1-2 ALL-AREA DOUBLES

Mallory Matthews (so.) and Athena Bryer (so.), Mason

Ayesha Panda (fr.) and Nishi Patel (so.), Okemos

Clara Guggemos (so.) and Katherine Rochon (so.), Mason

Eliana Kaplowitz (sr.) and Amna Ahmad (sr.), East Lansing

Jenna Riekse (sr,) and Abbey Feenstra (sr.), Grand Ledge

DIVISION 3-4 ALL-AREA DOUBLES

Emily Pell (sr.) and Maia Guenther (jr.), Williamston

Anjani Raja (so.) and Sophia Vogelsang (so.), Haslett

Emma Saxton (so.) and Grace Castle (so.), Lansing Catholic

Madison Brennan (sr.) and Hannah McNaughton (jr.), Portland

LSJ Greater Lansing Sports Awards winners list

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII. 

Martin Snoap

Martin Snoap

Martin Snoap

LAKE ODESSA – The glory and notoriety that comes with high school sports forced Martin Snoap to give up his spot as a nationally-ranked table tennis player in the early-to-mid 1960s.

Snoap, a Grand Rapids-area native, and his brother competed in tournaments across the state and nation. But he was more concerned with beginning a prep baseball and basketball career that would eventually land him at Hope College playing both sports.

“Table tennis wasn’t real high on spectator watching,” Snoap said.

In August of 1972, as a teacher at Lakewood High School, Snoap was asked by superintendent Bill Eckstrom, who played basketball at Michigan State in the 1950s and bonded with Snoap over the game, to teach tennis, as he had knowledge of his ping-pong past.

“We don’t call it ping-pong – that’s for recreation,” Snoap said. “The superintendent said, ‘You can play ping-pong, so you should be able to teach tennis.’ So I took some lessons and learned.”

Snoap has been the head coach of the Vikings’ girls tennis team since its inaugural season in 1974. And this past May, he led Lakewood to only its third state tournament appearance in his 42-year tenure. The Vikings outlasted Williamston and finished second at the Division 3 regional tournament held at Haslett High School.

“Everything that happened went for the good this year,” Snoap, the State Journal girls tennis coach of the year, said. “I think it was that Williamston had a down year – and they have great players.

“I didn’t try to build it up to my team because I didn’t want a huge letdown. …I was ready to shout and scream when we did make it.”

Greater Lansing Sports Awards
VIDEO | ‘Thank You’s’ of the LSJ Greater Lansing Sports Awards

Lakewood, which doesn’t play in a conference, went unbeaten (12-0) during the regular season for the first time in program history. Snoap said everything his team was able to accomplish this season caught him by surprise, which, he added, made it the most special run of his coaching career.

And to put the cherry on top, the Division 3 state tournament was held at his alma mater.

“I was happy to go back to my old school,” he said. “It was unexpected (to get to states). It was unexpected to go undefeated. We had seven, solid seniors on the team and we had a couple freshmen that jumped right into the lineup. You win when you have a solid lineup.”

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.

Alisa Sabotic

OKEMOS – Alisa Sabotic’s tennis playing career began under the name Draga.

Around the time she was 7 years old, Sabotic played in her first tournament in place of her sister, who couldn’t participate due to illnes, at her family’s local club.

“They all knew me as a little girl playing tennis, so I don’t think they really cared,” she said.

Under her own moniker, Sabotic has become an up-and-coming name after success in the United State Tennis Association (USTA) circuit and, now, the high school ranks. The Okemos High School sophomore captured the Division 2 state title at No. 1 singles in her first year of prep tennis.

She’s been named the State Journal girls tennis player of the year.

“I was pretty confident against the competition that was available,” said Sabotic, who surveyed the opposition while watching her older sister play at Okemos. “I was aware of who I had to beat.”

Photos: LSJ Greater Lansing Sports Awards ‘A night to remember’
Greater Lansing Sports Awards

Sabotic finished her sophomore year with a 32-1 record – her only loss coming to a Division 1 opponent – and also won the CAAC Blue and regional championships.

In her state championship victory, Sabotic defeated Mason’s Olivia Hanover, who she said is a close friend and training partner. It was the third time Sabotic had beaten Hanover during the season.

“I had a feeling I would face Liv (Hanover) because I know how good she can play,” said Sabotic, who was also an all-state selection. “I was confident but, also, worried because I had played her two other times and it was close.

“It’s (high school) way different of an experience than USTA because you have the team behind you. I felt really supported.”

As a team, the Chiefs finished fifth at the state tournament. Junior Monika Francsics, who was an all-state selection at No. 2 singles, also brought home a state championship for Okemos. Sabotic said she felt at the beginning of the year that her team would be in contention.

“We had some really good freshmen this year, and some more incoming players (next year),” she added, “so I think our chances might be even greater next year.”

VIDEO | ‘Thank You’s’ of the LSJ Greater Lansing Sports Awards

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.

Jordan Parks

BATH – Prior to his team’s 8-0 win over Carson City-Crystal in the opening round of the district tournament, Bath girls soccer coach Jordan Parks overheard one of his players make a victory proclamation before even touching the field.

It was a bold move, given the history of the Fighting Bees’ program, but it showed Parks the difference a year makes.

“One of the players in the pregame told another player, ‘I feel really bad for the team we’re playing against because I know how they feel. I felt that way last year,'” said Parks. The first-year coach took over a Bath program that had failed to post a winning record in its four years of existence. “Last year, our girls lost to Lansing Christian in the districts and got blown out. The girls understand what it’s like to lose several games.

“It was empowering for me to hear because that’s a great transformation. To feel like a struggling program one year and then being able to dominate some of the teams in your area.”

Four years in, Bath girls soccer starting to find success

After going 2-7-1 last season, the Division 4 Fighting Bees posted a 14-3 record in Parks’ first season. Parks, the State Journal girls soccer coach of the year, said he didn’t know much about the program’s back story before he accepted the job and that he wasn’t too familiar with a lot of the people involved in the program.

“I didn’t know where I would start at the beginning of the season: teaching the basics or having a complex team,” he said.

Parks quickly found out about his team’s abilities in the first game of the season against the Lansing Homeschool team. Going into the game, Parks said he was intimidated by the number of players on the opposing side and the actions of the coaches.

“I thought I might get exposed here fast,” said Parks, whose team won the match, 2-0. “I had only seen our team practice. That was the first time I realized we could potentially win some games this year.”

Bath went on to pick up some big wins in the later moments of the season. A come-from-behind victory over Stockbridge was a signature win for the first-year coach, as well as a 1-0 win over Dansville with some of his top goal scorers going down with injuries during the match.

However, Parks still blames himself for his team’s three losses this season — especially the 1-0 loss in the district semifinals to Saginaw Nouvel, a game he felt he didn’t prepare his team for.

“You’re never satisfied,” said Parks, who resigned at the end of the season due to other commitments. “Our district (semifinals) game for example, we lost on a direct kick. I have little experience coaching against direct kicks and we didn’t have much experience practicing against direct kicks.

“It was a learn-as-we-go situation. There were a strong group of girls at the beginning of the season, even from last year’s team. But they didn’t have enough. We had seven high-quality freshmen enter the program as well. We definitely felt some momentum throughout the year.”

Prep stars shine at Greater Lansing Sports Awards
Greater Lansing Sports Awards

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII. 

Meet the 2016 State Journal girls soccer Dream Team.

Meet the 2016 State Journal girls soccer Dream Team.

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Grace Kraft

Mackenzie Dawes

Kali Thompson

Renee Sturm

Caroline Serkaian

Kloe Hitchcock

Lindsey Carlson

Jessah McManus

Olivia Trombley

Brianna Bishop

Leah Davis

Charley Campbell

Kasey Jamieson

Danielle Stephan

Meet the 2016 State Journal girls soccer Dream Team.

Player of the year – Danielle Stephan (DeWitt jr.): Division 2 first team all-state, CAAC Red all-conference

Coach of the year – Jordan Parks (Bath): Led the Fighting Bees to a 14-3 record in first season as coach

DREAM TEAM

Kasey Jamieson (Lansing Christian so.): Division 4 first team all-state, GLAC first team all-conference

Charley Campbell (Haslett sr.): Division 2 third team all-state, CAAC Red all-conference

Renee Sturm (Williamston sr.): Division 3 honorable mention all-state, CAAC White all-conference

Leah Davis (Williamston sr.): Division 3 first team all-state, CAAC White all-conference

Brianna Bishop (DeWitt sr.): Division 2 honorable mention all-state, CAAC Red all-conference

Olivia Trombley (St. Johns jr.): CAAC Red all-conference

Jessah McManus (DeWitt jr.): Division 2 second team all-state, CAAC Red all-conference

Mackenzie Dawes (DeWitt jr.): Division 2 second team all-state, CAAC Red all-conference

Grace Kraft (Williamston sr.): Division 3 first team all-state, CAAC White all-conference

Caroline Serkaian (Okemos sr.): CAAC Blue all-conference

Kali Thompson (Mason sr.): Division 2 honorable mention all-state, CAAC Red all-conference

Lindsey Carlson (Charlotte sr.): Division 2 third team all-state

Kloe Hitchcock (Williamston jr.): Division 3 first team all-state, CAAC White all-conference

DIVISION 1 ALL-AREA

Cassidy Pettinger (Grand Ledge fr.): CAAC Blue all-conference

Allena Parker (Grand Ledge jr.): CAAC Blue all-conference

Miranda Gale (Grand Ledge jr.): CAAC Blue all-conference

Brittany Dale (Grand Ledge jr.): CAAC Blue honorable mention all-conference

Sara Lee (Okemos so.): CAAC Blue all-conference

Anne Major (Okemos jr.): CAAC Blue all-conference

Hannah Hughes (Okemos jr.): CAAC Blue all-conference

Lauren Southworth (Okemos so.): CAAC Blue honorable mention all-conference

Elizabeth Ferguson (Holt fr.): CAAC Blue all-conference

Alexis Hayslette (Holt sr.): CAAC Blue all-conference

Emily Hulliberger (Holt jr.): CAAC Blue all-conference

Emily Bossie (Holt sr.): CAAC Blue all-conference

Coach: Darus Ward (Okemos)

DIVISION 2 ALL-AREA

Brooklyn Holley (DeWitt jr.): Division 2 third team all-state, CAAC Red all-conference

Lexi McPherson (St. Johns sr.): Division 2 honorable mention all-state, CAAC Red all-conference

Madelyn Dickens (DeWitt jr.): Division 2 honorable mention all-state, CAAC Red all-conference

Alex Halstead (Mason jr.): Division 2 honorable mention all-state, CAAC Red all-conference

Caitlin Rebera (Mason jr.): Division 2 honorable mention all-state, CAAC Red all-conference

Allison Sims (DeWitt sr.): CAAC Red all-conference

Sara Faverman (East Lansing sr.): CAAC Blue all-conference

Whitney Luks (Mason sr.): CAAC Red all-conference

Marissa Pease (Mason sr.): CAAC Red all-conference

Abbey Bowman (Haslett sr.): CAAC Red all-conference

Lilly Campbell (Haslett so.): CAAC Red all-conference

Anna Sharky (Haslett so.): CAAC Red all-conference

Chelsie Smith (St. Johns jr.): CAAC Red all-conference

Coach: Jamal Mubarakeh (DeWitt)

DIVISION 3 ALL-AREA

Sydney Hanson (Alma so.): Division 3 second team all-state

Abigail Gilmore (Lansing Catholic jr.): Division 3 third team all-state, CAAC White all-conference

Tia Everdeen (Alma so.) Division 3 honorable mention all-state

Shannon Crilley (Lansing Catholic sr.): Division 3 honorable mention all-state, CAAC White all-conference

Jenna Chappell (Leslie so.): Division 3 honorable mention all-state, GLAC first team all-conference

Brooke Valdez (Leslie jr.): Division 3 honorable mention all-state, GLAC first team all-conference

Paige Lonier (Williamston jr.): Division 3 honorable mention all-state, CAAC White all-conference

Sarah Tuggle (Williamston sr.): CAAC White all-conference

Allison Schmuecker (Williamston sr.): CAAC White all-conference

Madison Martin (Williamston sr.): CAAC White all-conference

Makenzie Seaman (Williamston jr.): CAAC White all-conference

Katie Burns (Lansing Catholic sr.): CAAC White all-conference

Olivia Poupard (Lansing Catholic jr.): CAAC White all-conference

Coach: Jim Flore (Williamston)

DIVISION 4 ALL-AREA

Marrina Schmidt (Dansville sr.): Division 4 first team all-state

Juliana Figueiredo (Lansing Christian jr.): Division 4 first team all-state, GLAC first team all-conference

Abby Krueger (Lansing Christian jr.): Division 4 first team all-state, GLAC first team all-conference

Kealeigh Usiak (Lansing Christian fr.): Division 4 first team all-state, GLAC second team all-conference

Bailey Malthaner (Dansville sr.): Division 4 honorable mention all-state

Myranda May (Dansville sr.): Division 4 honorable mention all-state

Cassidy Ballard (Laingsburg so.): Division 4 honorable mention all-state

Sohpie Wilsey (Laingsburg so.): Division 4 honorable mention all-state

Alex Hanks (Lansing Christian so.): Division 4 honorable mention all-state

Eliza Lewis (Lansing Christian fr.): Division 4 honorable mention all-state

Lydia Sprague (Lansing Christian jr.): Division 4 honorable mention all-state

Tait Hosford (Bath fr.)

Sydni Metzmaker (Bath so.)

Coach: Joel Vande Kopple (Lansing Christian)

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.

DeWitt’s Danielle Stephan passes against Pontiac Notre Dame Prep Tuesday, June 7, 2016, at Brandon High School in Ortonville, Mich.

DEWITT – Danielle Stephan welcomes the responsibilities that come with being a midfielder for the DeWitt girls soccer team.

Throughout her high school career, the junior has been a cog for one of the state’s elite programs. And this season, Stephan cemented herself as one of the best at her position.

Stephan finished her third varsity season with 19 goals and 21 assists for the Panthers, who finished the regular season as the No. 1-ranked team in Division 2. She’s been named the State Journal girls soccer player of the year.

“I get to be all over the field, be a part of the defense and the attack,” said Stephan, who was recently named first team all-state. “I love being (in the midfield) because I can stay in the game easier by communicating with everyone. …Kind of controlling the game and setting the pace and tone.”

Stephan, who is verbally committed to play at Michigan State, was an integral part of a DeWitt team that went undefeated in the CAAC Red and captured its third CAAC Gold Cup trophy in six seasons.

DeWitt tops Williamston, 2-0, for CAAC Gold Cup title

With several players returning from last year’s team that reached the state semifinals, Stephan said the Panthers came into the season with state-championship aspirations. DeWitt looked to be penciled into the sport’s final weekend after it had never been ranked lower than No. 2 during the regular season. But the Panthers suffered an unexpected loss in the regional semifinals to Pontiac Notre Dame Prep.

“We weren’t expecting to lose that soon,” Stephan said. “I think we were jumping the gun a little bit, thinking we were going to go all the way without remembering we have to play these other teams. All these other teams wanted it as much as we did. “

This year was a pivotal one for Stephan after she was named a team captain for the first time in her career.

“I felt like the girls looked up to me,” she said. “It was a good feeling because it felt like they trusted me.”

During the regular season, Stephan strongly believed DeWitt was on its way to the state championship match after victories over No. 9-ranked Detroit Country Day and state runners-up Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern, which lost to Notre Dame Prep in the state final. Those wins — over teams she considers as two of the best in the state — was an added boost of confidence.

“I knew we were capable of going all the way,” she added. “I felt good after we played those (games). We were intense. We knew we could compete.”

Stephan and the Panthers still have next season to capture the elusive title that would propel them to an even higher profile in the state. But she said her team is tired of referencing next season after every postseason defeat.

“It’s a possibility, but I don’t think we’re as confident about next year as we were this year,” Stephan said of her team potentially getting over the hump. “The 2017 class has really good girls coming in.

“But we thought it was going to happen this year.”

Greater Lansing Sports Awards
VIDEO | ‘Thank You’s’ of the LSJ Greater Lansing Sports Awards

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.

East Lansing’s Taylor Manson, shown winning at the Division 1 regional May 20 in Holt, is named the State Journal’s track and field athlete of the year after a record-setting junior season with the Trojans.

EAST LANSING – Taylor Manson got a taste of success early in her prep track and field career.

As a freshman at Waverly High School, Manson was a member of the Warriors’ 800- and 1,600–meter relay teams that were victorious at the Division 2 state meet. Since then, Manson, who just finished her junior year at East Lansing, has been on a quest to get back to the top, and she nearly did so with three top-five performances at this year’s Division 1 meet.

Manson placed second in the 400-meter dash with a time of 53.56, which topped the previous Division 1 record and was just short of the state record, fifth in the 200-meter dash, and her 800 relay team finished third.

The junior has been named the State Journal’s girls track athlete of the year.

Male athlete of year: Lansing Catholic’s Tony Poljan

“It (my freshman year) was a motivation because I was used to winning,” she said. “And then coming to a different division against different competition, I was more determined this year.

“I didn’t get first, but I was happy with my results because my times dropped dramatically.”

Manson was confident she would be able to compete for multiple state titles after strong outings leading up to the state meet. She won the 200 and 400 events at the regional meet, and her 800 relay team was also crowned champion. A few days before states, Manson was part of three record-setting performances at the annual Greater Lansing Honor Roll meet. She ran the 200 in 24.48 seconds, the 400 in 53.98 seconds and anchored the 800 relay team that posted a time of 1:40.76.

“My times before, they were good, but I didn’t think I would drop into the 53s during the school season,” Manson said. “I was very excited about that.”

As a team, East Lansing finished third at the regional meet and tied for second in the CAAC Blue this season.

“We were confident in ourselves,” she added. “We did good this year. Last year, we messed up at the state meet: some exchanges were off. This year, we did really well. We were all really happy with our results.”

Manson is not only seeking another state title, but she has her eye on the state record in the 400. Northville senior Chloe Abbott, who edged out Manson at the state meet, set the new record with a time of 53.10.

“I feel like I can get the record because I was so close to it this year,” she said. “Next year, I feel like I can easily get first and break the record.”

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.

Renee Sturm, right, of Williamston knocks the ball away from Mariel Bruxvoort of Grand Rapids South Christian on a steal attempt in the 4th quarter of their Class B regional semifinal game Tuesday March 8, 2016 at Wayland Union High in Wayland. Sturm, a three-sport athlete her senior year, has been named the State Journal female athlete of the year.

WILLIAMSTON – Shortly after leading the Williamston girls basketball team to a district championship, Renee Sturm got that itch again. It was the same one that drove her to becoming an Associated Press first team all-state selection on the court in the winter and an all-conference volleyball selection in the fall.

She finally had a spring where she was commitment free, and she teetered between joining the school’s soccer team or track team.

She picked soccer, a sport she hadn’t played competitively since eighth grade.

“I am very competitive, and I like playing sports, so I didn’t want to get complacent at all this spring,” said Sturm, who finished her senior year at Williamston last month. “I was just hoping to come in and play some.”

“I wanted to do something different because playing different sports helps me grow.”

Girls basketball Dream Team, all-area

And with the help of her teammates and coaches, along with her God-given athletic abilities, Sturm quickly became a focal point for one of the top teams in Division 3. As a forward, she went on to score a team-leading 26 goals for the No. 3-ranked Hornets and was selected to the honorable mention all-state team.

Sturm’s been named the State Journal’s female athlete of the year.

“What surprised me was how much skill she had having not played high school or at the club level,” Williamston soccer coach Jim Flore said. “If you see her in practice, she’s a very hard worker. She soaks everything in.

“She just has really, really good athletic talent.”

In the fall, Sturm led the Hornets’ volleyball team in kills. The team finished second in the CAAC White. In the winter, she averaged 16.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 2.9 steals for the basketball team, which finished the season ranked No. 6 in the state and reached the Class B regional semifinals.

LSJ girls soccer Dream Team, all-area teams announced

Sturm’s volleyball coach, Sarah Conklin, who has been with her since her sophomore year, said she isn’t surprised by all she’s been able to accomplish.

“She’s very competitive, and she forces the people around her to be good,” Conklin said. “That has a lot to do with it.

“She’s just a really hard worker and a leader. She puts in a lot of time in the offseason, and, during the season, she’s going 100 percent.”

The three-sport prep athlete will move on to Ferris State University this summer where she’ll be a member of the women’s basketball team. She’ll join Abby Nakfoor, a 2015 graduate of DeWitt High School, and recent DeWitt grad Lilly George this season. The local ties in Ferris’ program made her decision a little bit easier, she said.

“I was very comfortable (on my visit) there,” said Sturm, who plans on studying pre-pharmacy. “I went there and met the coach and got a really good feeling. I went to the elite camp, and there were so many girls I was familiar with … and I think having so many girls that I’m familiar with will bring comfort.”

Sturm, Watters step up the pace for Williamston girls hoops
Prep stars shine at Greater Lansing Sports Awards

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.

Rex Wilkes Jr.

WAVERLY – There aren’t many people more influential in Rex Wilkes’ life than Robert Lurie.

As a student at Waverly High School in the early 2000s, Wilkes bonded with Lurie, a longtime social studies teacher and girls track coach for over two decades, and looked at him not only as a mentor, but a father figure.

“He played a big role in my development when I was coming through high school,” Wilkes said. “I didn’t necessarily have too much of a parental figure around me. He and Dave Pike (boys track coach) really mentored me through.”

Lurie stepped away from the girls track team in 2015, a year removed from a second-place finish at the Division 2 state meet, and handed the keys to Wilkes. And in a short period, the second-year coach showed his gratitude by bringing home the program’s first state title in school history.

“It’s still very surreal for me because I don’t feel any different,” said Wilkes, the State Journal girls track coach of the year. “I know winning a state championship was on my 10-year coaching plan but, to do it in my second year, I felt like it was unthinkable.

“It’s great to see it come full circle because I know how much the Waverly coaches and Waverly community played in my life.”

Wilkes had been soaking up knowledge for 13 seasons as an assistant before taking over the team. One of the tactics he focused on this season came with his relay teams. Wilkes started the season with small exchange zones, knowing his girls would get better throughout the season as a result.

His 800- and 400-meter relay teams went on to win titles at the state meet. The 400 team set a new school record with a time of 48.70. He said he purposely made the exchange zones at the state meet further than they had been all season.

“A lot of kids these days want immediate gratification, and as you’re working throughout the season, you kind of hold them back a little because you don’t want them to experience that amount of success too early,” said Wilkes, whose team finished in fourth place in the CAAC Red. “It was a gradual build up throughout the season.”

Wilkes first started believing his team could make history at the Davison Cardinal Invitational that took place shortly before regionals. Waverly went on to win the invite and were able to scout some of its upcoming competition, which includes Flint Powers, the team the Warriors topped by two points at states.

His decision to not join the boys team at the Williamston Invite paid off.

“I wanted to get them away so they can focus on themselves,” the 31-year-old said. “I wasn’t planning on it to turn out that way, but the girls really ran hard against some good competition.”

Wilkes can’t remember the excitement, in regards to his program, ever being higher. Members within the school’s administration have shown appreciation by attending meets. And more parents are helping out at the middle school level.

Wilkes said he’s become the person he is today because of the Waverly community. And, now, he’s setting out to return the favor.

“I reached one of my main goals of winning a state championship, so now I have to look at my next goals,” Wilkes said. “My next goals are to build a program, to get more girls up, get more girls to buy-in … and then at the same time, try and get more participation not for just our sport, but to put Waverly on the map. We’re right here. We have great students, we have great teachers and great athletes, maybe you want to send your kid there someday.”

Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.