Vote for the Kalamazoo-area spring sports Athlete of the Week for June 1-5

KALAMAZOO, MI – The Michigan High School Athletic Association crowned its first set of state champions last week, and among the athletes at the top of their sport were four from the Kalamazoo area.

Allegan’s Hannah Antkoviak, Delton Kellogg’s Cole Pape, Vicksburg’s Levi Thomas and Kalamazoo Christian’s Tess VanDyk each captured track state titles, but those accomplishments are only scratching the surface from an unforgettable week of local sports, which included a pair of state records falling in soccer and softball.

With that in mind, we’re looking at 26 standout student-athletes who shined between June 1-5 for the seventh installment of the Kalamazoo Gazette/MLive Athlete of the Week poll.

The poll will remain open and with unlimited voting until 9 a.m. Friday, and the next one will launch next Monday.

Coaches can nominate student-athletes by emailing scores and stats to Patrick Nothaft at pnothaft@mlive.com. Those who have already made arrangements to send scores and stats via email or through the GameChanger app, thank you.

This week’s winner will be recognized in a story after the voting wraps up Friday morning.

Hannah Antkoviak, Allegan girls track

The senior became Allegan’s first girls track state champion at Saturday’s Division 2 state meet, and she did so in style, winning both of the hurdling events, including the 300 hurdles by a margin of more than two seconds. Antkoviak also earned all-state honors by placing sixth in the long jump, giving her an unforgettable end to her distinguished prep career.

Nolan Becker, Galesburg-Augusta baseball

Although Galesburg-Augusta couldn’t quite get enough offense going in a 6-0 district championship game loss to Bronson, Becker enjoyed a fantastic week to wrap up the 2021 campaign, getting the start in the district semifinals against Climax-Scotts and striking out 15 and allowing just three hits and seven scoreless innings. He also closed out the regular season with 4 2/3 shutout innings against Delton Kellogg, which included seven strikeouts, two hits and three walks.

At the plate, he combined to go 5 for 14 with a double, four runs scored and two RBIs in four games.

Dani Blyly, Schoolcraft softball

The senior outfielder helped Schoolcraft continue its return trip toward the state championship game by going 7 for 12 last week with a double, a home run, four RBIs and five runs scored, including a 2 for 4 day in the Eagles’ 9-3 district championship win over Parchment.

Sage Brown, Kalamazoo Hackett girls track

The speedy junior took home a pair of all-state honors at Saturday’s Division 4 state track meet, placing fourth in the 200-meter dash and seventh in the 400 dash, bringing her all-state medal total up to four heading into her senior season.

Brandon Bruno, Decatur baseball

The sophomore pitcher was on-point throughout the district tournament, opening with a four-inning, three-strikeout perfect game in the semifinals against Cassopolis, then throwing four more shutout innings in the championship win over Lawrence, in which he struck out three and allowed two hits and two walks. At the plate, Bruno combined to go 2 for 5 with a double and six RBIs in two district games.

Brenden Collins, Kalamazoo Hackett baseball

The junior picked up the win in the district championship game against Gobles, striking out seven and allowing four hits, a walk and three earned runs in four innings to give Hackett its first piece of playoff hardware since 2018. At the plate last week, Collins went 6 for 11 with a double, five RBIs and five runs scored in three games.

Cecelia Conforti, Decatur softball

The freshman pitcher shined in the circle and at the plate last week to help led Decatur close out the regular season on a high note, then win a Division 4 district title. In Conforti’s final regular season start, she threw a five-inning no-hitter, striking out 12 and allowing two walks and one unearned run in a 13-1 victory over Lawton. In the Raiders district championship game against Marcellus, Conforti struck out 13 in seven innings, while allowing seven hits, two walks and three earned runs to give her team a 14-3 win, which marked Decatur’s first piece of playoff hardware since 2017.

At the plate last week, she combined to go 6 for 13 with a double, a triple, 15 RBIs and six runs scored in four games.

Faith Edwards, Centreville softball

Centreville saw its fantastic season come to an abrupt end in Saturday’s 3-2 district semifinal loss to Bronson, but it wasn’t for lack of effort from Edwards, who struck out 11 batters in the nine-inning contest and allowed just five hits and one earned run, while going 2 for 4 at the plate with a home run. In two games last week, the rising sophomore combined to strike out 13 in 14 innings, while allowing seven hits, one walk and one earned run. At the plate, she went 5 for 7 with a double, a triple, a homer, three RBIs and three runs scored for the Bulldogs, who wrapped up their season at 24-6.

Braden Falk, Portage Northern boys golf

The senior and future Grand Valley State golfer helped Northern qualify for the Division 1 state finals by shooting a 73 in the regional meet at Milham Park, which was just one shot off the lead.

Abby Fichtner, Delton Kellogg softball

The sophomore pitcher picked up the win in Delton Kellogg’s district championship game over Climax-Scotts by striking out 13 in eight innings, while allowing 12 hits, five walks and six earned runs, but it was her bat that really helped the Panthers steal victory from the jaws of defeat in the 13-9 comeback triumph. Fichtner’s bunt single to lead off the seventh inning sparked a five-run rally that tied the game at 9 and sent it to extra innings, and in the eighth, she led off the inning with a double and game around to score the game-winning run.

Between the championship round and the semifinal win over Union City, Fichtner combined to go 3 for 7 with two doubles, four runs scored and two RBIs.

Jenna Haynes, Climax-Scotts softball

Though Climax-Scotts saw its season come to an end after a seventh-inning rally from Parchment in the district finals, the Panthers’ senior enjoyed a strong final week of her high school career by belting a home run in the district title game and combining to go 6 for 10 with a double, two walks, six RBIs and five runs scored in three games. In the circle, Haynes collected seven strikeouts in 9 1/3 innings, while allowing nine hits, a walk and two earned runs.

Zoe Hazelhoff, Kalamazoo Christian softball

The senior pitcher enjoyed an incredible week that included two no-hitters and helped her team win its ninth consecutive district championship. Hazelhoff started both district games and tossed five perfect innings with 12 strikeouts in the semifinals against Martin, then fanned six Gobles batters in four one-hit innings to wrap up the championship. After opening the week with a 12-strikeout no-hitter against Galesburg-Augusta, Hazelhoff combined to strike out 30 batters in 15 innings, while allowing just one walk and one hit in three starts last week.

At the plate, she went 7 for 11 with three walks, a double, two home runs, seven RBIs and eight runs scored in four games.

Kali Heivilin, Three Rivers softball

While Three Rivers fell short of its district championship goal with a 10-5 loss to Edwardsburg in the semifinals, it was a memorable final week to Kali Heivilin’s senior season, as the future Alabama slugger broke the state’s single-season home run record by belting five last week to put her at 28 for the 2021 campaign. In five games, Heivilin went 10 of 18 with two doubles, five homers, 10 RBIs and 12 runs scored.

Mackenzie Hill, Plainwell girls track

The junior secured her first all-state finishes by placing fifth in the 1,600-meter run with a personal-best time of 5:09.80, then running another PR in the 800 (2:19.40), which resulted in a sixth-place finish at the Division 2 state meet.

Tommy Keyte, Kalamazoo Hackett boys golf

Hackett won its golf regional title by shooting a scorching 306, which was the best mark in Division 4 and the ninth-best team score in the state among all divisions. Keyte was a big reason why, as the senior carded a 72 to take medalist honors Tuesday at Pine View Golf Course in Three Rivers.

Luke Leto, Portage Central baseball

The star senior punished the ball during Portage Central’s two district games, combining to go 5 for 6 with a double, a triple, three home runs, eight RBIs and six runs scored to help the Mustangs hoist their first piece of playoff hardware since 2017.

Zach MacDonald, Portage Central baseball

The senior served as a second bash brother with teammate Luke Leto during the weekend’s district tournament, combining to go 6 for 8 with a double, three home runs, five RBIs and five runs scored in wins over St. Joseph and Portage Northern.

Ti’Anna Murphy-Ryan, Comstock girls track

The freshman made a splash in her first state track meet, earning Division 3 all-state honors with a sixth-place finish in the 100-meter dash and a fourth-place finish in the 400-meter relay, which she anchored for her Comstock team.

Cole Pape, Delton Kellogg boys track

The senior thrower and future Davenport football player captured a Division 3 state championship in the discus by launching it 150 feet, 7 inches, which was nearly 8 feet farther than the runner-up, and he also earned all-state honors in the shot put with another personal-best distance of 48 feet, 4 inches, which was good for fifth place.

Lauren Schabes, Mendon softball

The sophomore pitcher was lights out last week, leading Mendon to its first district title since 2017 by striking out nine and allowing just two hits and an earned run in the championship game against Colon. For the week, Schabes tallied 27 strikeouts in 19 innings, while allowing nine hits, three walks and three earned runs.

At the plate, she combined to go 9 for 16 with a double, nine runs scored and seven RBIs in five games.

Alex Thole, Schoolcraft baseball

The senior pitcher threw two innings of relief to help Schoolcraft seal a 9-6 district championship win over Parchment, but Thole’s best work came at the plate, where he combined to go 7 for 10 with three doubles, a triple, four runs scored and eight RBIs in three games last week.

Levi Thomas, Vicksburg boys track

The senior hurdler became Vicksburg’s first boys track state champion since 2010 by taking first place in the 300-meter hurdles, finishing with a time of 40.10 seconds to edge out the runner-up by just a half-second. Thomas also set a personal-best in the event earlier in the week, running it in 39.68 at Tuesday’s Larry Steeb Memorial Meet of Champions.

Hannah Thompson, Schoolcraft girls soccer

After breaking the state’s girls soccer record for goals in a season in her final game before the playoffs, Thompson used the postseason stage to eclipse the boys record of 76 goals in a year during Schoolcraft’s district semifinal win over St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran. Thompson’s six goals in that contest put her at 80 for the year, and she added six more in the Eagles’ 6-1 win over St. Joseph Lake Michigan Catholic on Friday, marking the program’s first district championship.

Kendra VanderLugt, Otsego softball

The senior slugger and future Toledo Rocket tied the single-season state home run record with two blasts against Berrien Springs on Tuesday, which gave her 26 on the year. The impressive performances didn’t stop there, however, as VanderLugt drove in a pair of runs and struck out four, while allowing just one earned run from the circle in Saturday’s district championship game against Wayland, but it wasn’t quite enough to knock off the Wildcats, who escaped with a 9-6 win.

For the week, VanderLugt went 6 for 11 with two home runs, four walks, 10 RBIs and nine runs scored, while logging 16 innings in the circle, striking out 14 and allowing six walks, 14 hits and two earned runs.

Tess VanDyk, Kalamazoo Christian girls track

In her first season of high school track, the junior showed full composure at the Division 4 state meet, capturing a state title in the shot put (39 feet, 3 inches) and the discus (110 feet, 10 inches) and setting up what should be a memorable senior season.

Bryce Wheeler, Richland Gull Lake boys golf

The junior led Gull Lake to a Division 2 regional championship Thursday at Coldwater Golf Course by shooting a 74, which was just two strokes behind the medalist.