A previous “Year in Review” in sports here asserted that “girls rule, boys drool,” recalling a childhood playground taunt. It was more of the same in these parts in 2015 — and even more so.
The ladies once again dominated the sporting events and accomplishments in the year now closing out in Wayland, Hopkins and Martin. The following is a plethora of evidence:
The Wa
yland girls’ softball team capturing its second state championship in nine years. They were guided by perennial coaching wizard Cheri Ritz, Michigan Pitcher of the Year Mallory Teunissen and a fabulous support cast, including C.J. Miller, Morgan Teunissen, Bethany Teunissen, Sydney Urben, Hailey Houck, Abby Merice and Leigha Morse. Houck hit the shot heard round the world in a clutch four-run rally, Teunissen painted goose eggs for many opponents and Miller had a two-run clutch “shot” two-run homer of her own.- Presley Hudson, perhaps the greatest girls’ basketball player in Wayland High School history, and that’s saying a mouthful, completed her four-year varsity career scoring more than 1,000 points. She followed that up by being the leading scorer for Central Michigan University after its first nine games this season. And she’s only a freshman. Incidentally, she was runner-up in the Miss Basketball Michigan derby. And she and her Wildcat teammates went 23-2 and won a district title.
- Golfer Ali Martus set the Wayland school record for best nine-hole score of 35, the best 18-hole score of 75, had an exceptional streak of 13 straight matches coming in under 80 for 18 and 40 for nine. Oh, and by the way, she finished fifth in the Class B state championships and she helped Wayland qualify as a team.
- Sydney Urben, besides being a heavy hitter on the softball team, she qualified for the state Division 2 bowling championships and placed 22nd. Her Wildcat teammates finished fourth in regionals, just missing a trip to state as a team.
- Laura Velderman of Hopkins was conference and regional champion and qualified for the state Division 3 cross-country meet and placed ninth. The frightening, but impressive part part of this news is that she is only a freshman and is on course to be the best this area has seen since Jessica Armstrong. The Hopkins girls’ team, meanwhile, qualified for the state meet as well.
- Sherry Miklusicak, daughter of Wayland’s greatest bowler, took an unsual step of being a woman coaching boys in the sport that made her father, Frank Rybiski, famous. Not long after she took the reins, her prize pupil, Cameron Heintzelman, bowled a perfect 300 in a dual match at Airport Lanes.
- The Martin girls’ basketball team won its second straight Class D district championship.
- Hannah Moulenbelt earned a rare and unusual distinction of winning homecoming queen honors on the same night she kicked an extra point for the Wayland varsity football team.
yland girls’ softball team capturing its second state championship in nine years. They were guided by perennial coaching wizard Cheri Ritz, Michigan Pitcher of the Year Mallory Teunissen and a fabulous support cast, including C.J. Miller, Morgan Teunissen, Bethany Teunissen, Sydney Urben, Hailey Houck, Abby Merice and Leigha Morse. Houck hit the shot heard round the world in a clutch four-run rally, Teunissen painted goose eggs for many opponents and Miller had a two-run clutch “shot” two-run homer of her 
own.
r Ali Martus set the Wayland school record for best nine-hole score of 35, the best 18-hole score of 75, had an exceptional streak of 13 straight matches coming in under 80 for 18 and 40 for nine. Oh, and by the way, she finished fifth in the Class B state championships and she helped Wayland qualify a
s a team.
derman of Hopkins was conference and regional champion and qualified for the state Division 3 cross-country meet and placed ninth. The frightening, but impressive part part of this news is that she is only a freshman and is on course to be the best this area has seen since Jessica Armstrong. The Hopkins girls’ team, meanwhile, qualified for the state meet as
well.
Moulenbelt earned a rare and unusual distinction of winning homecoming queen honors on the same night she kicked an extra point for the Wayland varsity fo
otball team.Besides Heintzelman, the only other outstanding athletic performances turned in by guys were from 6-7 senior center Lacey James, who was named to the Class B all-state basketbal
l team, Dilon Aten, who finished his fourth varsity hoops season by accumulating 1,000 career points, and Tanner VanDyke, who rolled up an impressive 373 yards passing in one game as quarterback for Wayland.
