LexiBeth Nienhuis of Hart competitive cheer team wins Player of the Week fan poll

It’s been an eventful couple days for LexiBeth Nienhuis.

On Thursday, the Hart sophomore was on the big stage with her competitive cheer team in the MHSAA Division 4 state finals at Central Michigan University’s McGuirk Arena.

Today (March 3, 2023), Nienhuis won the CatchMark SportsNet West Michigan Conference Player of the Week fan poll.

Six winter sports athletes from the conference who stood out in competitions Feb. 20-25 were nominated.

In a tight battle with Whitehall sophomore wrestler Blake English, Nienhuis finished at the top. She amassed 4,141 of 9,861 total votes. English finished with 3,374 votes.

See voting totals for all six Player of the Week nominees at the bottom of this story.

Nienhuis, a three-sport athlete, has provided a boost for Hart’s competitive cheer team. In addition to helping the Pirates capture a Division 4 regional title last week, she has played a key role in the squad winning West Michigan Conference and district championships.

This season, Nienhuis competed in all three rounds for the Pirates and she was the flyer for Round 3. Hart coach Jen Hlady said Nienhuis is a standout athlete, who gets the Pirates a lot of points within the execution category of Round 3.

On Thursday, Hart’s competitive cheer team totaled 739.56 points to finish fourth, the top finish for the Pirates in a state final.